Academy or Exam?

nothing_pt

Hello ppl,

I finished last week the second module of de Cisco Academy (with 95%). But i started to think (happens to me once in a while) if it is better to stay with the academy or just quit, start to study by myself with books and sims and make the exam.
What do you think?

Thanks ppl.

PS: The main reasons I want to quit the academy and do the CCNA exam are:
- I think that the academy does not prepares for a sure pass in the 640-801 exam, so i gotta study anyway;
- We started this week module 3. Being optimistic i'll say we'll finish all 4 modules in june or july and if I quit now, i'll study hard and make the exam sooner than that;

keenon

if you have paid for academy i would stay.. but on the other hand if u think you can be able to take the exam in a month or so i would do it outside of the class and take it well before class ends.

so in short stay with class but study for exam outside of class and try to take it before they make it to last semester

also take the net+ being that u have finished the first 2 semesters

nothing_pt

I haven't pay it all. We pay it by module (270 euros).

net+ is similar with mod 1 & 2 of the academy?

btw,
I can buy a exam through Prometrics and make it on a center of my choice? I pay more or is just the price prometrics gives me?

Thanks

viper75

STICK WITH THE ACADEMY!!!

shadown7

I'd say stay with the academy. I'm in the acadamy now and I'm learning alot of information.

.

PS: The main reasons I want to quit the academy and do the CCNA exam are:
- I think that the academy does not prepares for a sure pass in the 640-801 exam, so i gotta study anyway;

Even in the academy you have to do outside study. Well, you don't, but unless you have some real life experience with Cisco equipment you should. It is just like any other college class. The more you study the better the you will hopefully understand the concepts. Even with self study there is no sure way you'll pass. You will know when you "think" you are ready but no way a "for sure" you'll pass.

Again, I'd stay with the academy because IMO it is the best route.

Best of luck in your studies.

nothing_pt

I know that i should study outside too and that i do not have a guarantee of passing. But the instructors at the academy are bad, they only read de slides and explain almost nothing and they are very insecure.

My point of view is since i have to study after the academy it's, probably, more efficient to quit academy, save some bucks and study by myself.
I see good things in Academy like working with the equipment and is more motivating to study. But i'm not liking the way the stuff is teached. Maybe if i had a good instructor i'd think differently.

I think i'm gonna quit the academy. I have some books here (Todd Lamlee) and i have sims too.

Now another question (lol),
How much time do you think is necessary to study for the CCNA? I have plenty of time. And which materials do you recommend?

Thanks ppl for the previous answers.

shadown7

nothing_pt wrote:

Now another question (lol),
How much time do you think is necessary to study for the CCNA? I have plenty of time. And which materials do you recommend?

Thanks ppl for the previous answers.

I'd get the Boson Network Sim if you can't get a hold of some real equipment. If you can, and you can afford it, get two 2600 routers and a 2950 switch. But, most people can't go that route (including myself). Instead, they buy 2 2500 routers and a 1900 switch. I have 2 2507 and a 1912 switch. They are great and you get the hands-on which is a plus.

Drakonblayde

If you plan to pursue the CCNP as well, definetly stay with the Academy. It actually overprepares you for the CCNA and lays a solid foundation for CCNP.

mctoffer

i just finished ccnaSem 1.... but my school does not have any saturday class for ccna 2... i want to stick on my current school coz if i finished all my CCnA sem, they will give a 70% off exam voucher...
but, since my target is to take the exam before the year ends.. i will do some self study...

nothing_pt

The biggest problem i see in the academy that i'm into is that the instructors does not seem to know the stuff like they should. That's the main reason that makes want to quit (that and the time).

I don't know. I'll be thinking better till next week. (today i have the first voucher exam)

nothing_pt

Yesterday i did the first voucher exam (ccna 1 & 2) and score 93,5%.

porengo

nothing_pt wrote:

Yesterday i did the first voucher exam (ccna 1 & 2) and score 93,5%.

Congratulations on the score you received for your voucher exam.

I guess I was just lucky when I attended the Academy. My instructor had passed the written for his CCIE, and was gearing up to start getting ready for his hands on. So, needless to say...he knew his stuff.

Regardless, I still would have stayed at the Academy. There are so many resources at your disposal, as well as labs and esims. To be able to bounce questions off of your classmates, and get hands-on time with newer equipment is valuable.

Don't let your high score for the first exam voucher (CCNA 1 & 2) mislead you. The heart of the CCNA certification is in CCNA 3 & 4. With CCNA 3 being Switches, and CCNA 4 being WAN technology.

The Academy is what you make of it. It's true that they don't "teach you the test." But that's not what the Academy is about, it's about preparing you to succeed once you get that certification by instilling a deep knowledge of networking.

That's just my humble opinion.

Undertow

Although I pay 3290 euros for the academy , I never thought of quitting.

The first reason is the equipment of the academy being 15 routers including all the appropriate staff for ccna.

Moreover if I had quitted , it would have been very difficult for me to understand well access lists and subnetting.

Books cannot replace a good instructor.

nothing_pt

But books can replace an instructor who says when he's explaining OSPF "well, let me see if i remember this...". I don't blame the instructors, it's the first academy in that school and they only have CCNA.
For an example, i had 95% on CCNA2 (exam - 90%, case study- 100%, pratice - 100%) and all by reading todd lammle book and read some threads on this forum.
I understand too that the academy is very important but if it is working well, which mine i don't think it is, at least i am not satisfied with it.
I think I will make a study plan consisting on books and pratice tests to see where i'm weaker and keep going until the exam.

Btw,
For a person with some 'lights', how much time do you think is necessary to a good preparation for CCNA exam?

Thanks ppl for all the answers.