Route or Switch First?

reloaded

Hello all! Completed my CCNA a couple weeks ago and really excited about starting the journey towards CCNP. I'm wondering, for those who are currently studying or have completed CCNP, which one did you start with? I performed the best when it came to switching/STP/VLANs on the ICND(s), so it's something I'd like to start with. However, I am concerned that I'll have to revisit the ICND2 routing topics a bit if I begin ROUTE afterward.

Not a huge deal, but wondering what route others took. Pardon the pun lol.

TesseracT

I've done the ccnp and I started with switching first. Opposite yo most people I guess but it made sense to me. Build up layer2 first then build up layer3...i

JZegers

Start with route first, the switch test sucks bad, but is getting better.

Chris_

I don't think there is any right or wrong path; the material each exam is fairly exclusive of the other so there are no dependencies between them.

I started with route because I wanted to get the hardest out of the way first - since reading this forum it appears that switch might be harder, but only because it is a ***** of an exam. The Switch material is a lot easier than Route and there's a lot less of it! i just think the exam presentation is letting it down, I'll see for myself in a few weeks.

amb1s1

reloaded wrote: »

Hello all! Completed my CCNA a couple weeks ago and really excited about starting the journey towards CCNP. I'm wondering, for those who are currently studying or have completed CCNP, which one did you start with? I performed the best when it came to switching/STP/VLANs on the ICND(s), so it's something I'd like to start with. However, I am concerned that I'll have to revisit the ICND2 routing topics a bit if I begin ROUTE afterward.

Not a huge deal, but wondering what route others took. Pardon the pun lol.

I think the best way to go about it is going with the one that you like the best.
I like routers, so I took that one first, so is all depend on you.

tomaifauchai

Take the one you hate the most first so it is out of your way

lrb

I actually think the most efficient way would be to do the one you like the best first as you are more likely to remember something you actually enjoyed learning rather than something you didn't. Then when you smash out the second exam, which was the one you probably liked less, all that information will be fresh and you can do the TSHOOT a couple of weeks later.

Panzer919

Route Exam - Most information to remember out of the three tests. The FLG is 900+ pages so that should tell you something.

Switch Exam - Less info to remember than the route but I have heard it has(or had) a lot of errors in the questions. Seems like the questions are worded weird.

TSHOOT Exam - Shortest Exam, best if left till last since you learn all the material in the first 2 exams.

Me personally, I wanted to get the worst out of the way first. Thats why I have been studying Route, But like the age old argument between GNS3 and Real equipment, the order is just personal preference

aordal

I agree with the do what you like more first. Motivation is hard enough to come by and if you're starting with something you don't find as fun you might burn out. Personally I deal with switching on an almost daily basis and find it more fun so I'm doing switch first. Once I pass the switch exam I'll have more motivation to get Route done.

It's really up to you though.