I`m a CCNP now!!!!

Yozh

Just came back from CIT exam and no its not an easy exam,

54 questions got a 874 with 804 passing.

Dont sleep on this exam its not easy!!!!!

alot of sims and question from all diffrent points of CCNP course.

make sure you troubleshooting skills are up to part with this one.

BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT HELPED ME ALONG THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ten9t6

Congrats on the test pass and new cert....

Man, things must have changed since I took mine years ago....It was the easiest test out of the bunch. I think I missed one on that exam. But, I am sure that it has changed in the past 4 years...

congrats.....

Webmaster

Congratulations!

Can you give us some info about how and what you used to prepare for the exam?

NPA24

Excellent job! You need to treat yourself out now and take a vacation.

keenon

congrats

Ricka182

congrats!

Yozh

Thank you thank you,

Well I didnt use much for the exam, just hte ciscopress book, and the other book from the 3 exams for the review, used my routers and switches to practise some scanarios like breaking and fixing EIGRP and OSPF, I have a cisco 2521 so I did some frame-relay scenarios with mapping and such. Alot of stuff from the BCRAN book was on this test and thats the exam I took last week so I remmbered alot of it. Basicly this exam combined all the troubleshooting from BCSI, BCMSN and BCRAN in one. There were also some stuff about CRYPTO which I wasnt too much familier, but I did I got those questions. Overall dont just throw away the other book when you done with them, go over the scenarios and whats what in them before taking this exam.

Yozh

Oh one more thing Im going to do ARCH (CCDP) next anyone with any pointers, I already got the ciscopress book any one can suggest anything else ?

Ten9t6

hmm..It has been a while. When I took it, it was called CID. But, I can tell you it was the hardest Cisco test, I have taken...to date. Hopefully, someone that has taken the new exam will chime in soon.

Yozh

Doh!

Yozh

hey Ten9t6 even harder then written R&S ?

Webmaster

I got my CCDA too and I like the setup of the study material and exam, so CCDP after CCNP (considering it's 'only' one exam) looks attractive. I think it is easy to underestimate this one. The last CCNP exam is considered the easiest one (must have something to do with the repeated info from the first three exams), so one might expect the last CCDP exam to be easy too. I usually hear differently though, more like Ten9t6 said, one of the hardest Cisco exams. Anyway, I'd love to hear some opinions from others who passed it recently as well...

hey Ten9t6 even harder then written R&S ?

I don't think the CCIE R&S written is easy or anything, but for a CCNP it wouldn't suprise if it is easier than the CCDP considering the huge amount of overlap between CCNP and CCIE topics. I think it is the lab exam that makes the CCIE so difficult to obtain, not the written exam.

Yozh

I hear you webmaster, but like I said in the first post, I dont think CIT was easy. I just looked at the ARCH book and besides being 650 pages, its not setup the same way as other ciscopress books. I dont see "Do I know this already" pre chapter quizes, the "Foundation Summaries" look very diffrent. Im getting a bit paranoid here.

Webmaster

You mentioned that very clearly indeed, and I will take that as advice for when I'm battling the CIT exam myself. It hasn't been that long since Cisco updated the CCNP exams so it may take a while to get rid of the perhaps unjust reputation of being "the easiest of the bunch".

I just looked at the ARCH book and besides being 650 pages, its not setup the same way as other ciscopress books. I dont see "Do I know this already" pre chapter quizes, the "Foundation Summaries" look very diffrent. Im getting a bit paranoid here.

I'm not sure if I got the right Cisco exam in mind, but aren't there two books you can (should) use for the CCDP exam. Something like Top-Down Network Design.

Yozh

Yes I think you right, it was mentioned to me when I was battaling CCDA. I probably will get that one also.

Just wondering does anyone know which book/s I would need for the CCIE R&S the websites are not pretty clear on that.

Webmaster

Yozh wrote:

Just wondering does anyone know which book/s I would need for the CCIE R&S the websites are not pretty clear on that.

CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
By Anthony Bruno
ISBN: 1587200538
www.ciscopress.com/title/1587200538

Anthony Bruno also wrote the CCDA guide I used and it's one of the best IT books I read.

I also noticed at the CCIE section at www.cisco.com that they have pretty detailed guidelines for the topics to study for the CCIE exams.

determinedgerman

Congratulation on passing. You are about 4 steps away from where I am at. I started studying for some many exams that I just don't know which one to finish first. I bought the Cisco Press books for the CCNP and started studying for the BSCI. Than I started with some MCP exams and also bought the books on Security+ and CWNA.

Do you guys think to stay with the CCNP after the CCNA is a good way to go or should I look at other certs first? I can't decide. I would also like to go CCSP. Should I take CCNP first? I guess those are a lot of questions. Some feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks

tunerX

http://www.ciscopress.com/markets/detail.asp?st=44718&redir=1&rl=1

Aside from the CCNA/CCNP/CCDA/CCDP exam certification, and study guides, I read the following books.

Cisco BGP-4 Command and Configuration Handbook
Cisco LAN Switching
Cisco OSPF Command and Configuration Handbook
Inside Cisco IOS Software Architecture
Network Security Principles and Practices
Routing TCP/IP, Volume I
Routing TCP/IP, Volume II
Troubleshooting IP Routing Protocols
Troubleshooting Remote Access Networks
CCIE Practical Studies, Volume I
CCIE Practical Studies, Volume II
CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
CCIE Routing and Switching Practice Labs
Cisco Catalyst® QoS: Quality of Service in Campus Networks
Cisco Frame Relay Solutions Guide
Implementing Cisco IPv6 Networks
802.11 Wireless LAN Fundamentals
DQOS Exam certification guide

You do not have to read all of these books to pass the exam, but I sure did learn alot. I read the IPv6, Wireless books, and took the old test so I did not get any questions about those topics.

Yozh

This book that you guys are recomending it says its

CIE program manager, this book is appropriate preparation for the new CCIE Routing and Switching qualification exam released in August 2002 by Cisco Systems.

Wasnt there another one released after that, that added IPv6 ? anyone know ?

Webmaster

tunerX wrote:

Aside from the CCNA/CCNP/CCDA/CCDP exam certification, and study guides, I read the following books.

Cisco BGP-4 Command and Configuration Handbook
Cisco LAN Switching
Cisco OSPF Command and Configuration Handbook
Inside Cisco IOS Software Architecture
Network Security Principles and Practices
Routing TCP/IP, Volume I
Routing TCP/IP, Volume II
Troubleshooting IP Routing Protocols
Troubleshooting Remote Access Networks
CCIE Practical Studies, Volume I
CCIE Practical Studies, Volume II
CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide
CCIE Routing and Switching Practice Labs
Cisco Catalyst® QoS: Quality of Service in Campus Networks
Cisco Frame Relay Solutions Guide
Implementing Cisco IPv6 Networks
802.11 Wireless LAN Fundamentals
DQOS Exam certification guide

I wouldn't mind spending some time in your library!

Are there any you consider a must read for any one into Cisco networking (not necessarily studying for CCIE) ?

garv221

Big congrats.

tunerX

Webmaster wrote:

Are there any you consider a must read for any one into Cisco networking (not necessarily studying for CCIE) ?

Doyle Vol I and II
Troubleshooting IP Routing Protocols
Cisco LAN switching
Catalyst QOS
DQOS and QOS exam guides
Cisco IOS architecture
Troubleshooting Remote Access Networks

I made this list in order of what I have found most useful.
The first Doyle book is starting to show its age but it is still very good. If you only read two books on the list, you should read Doyle I and II. You can get them dirt cheap if you don't mind buying used books from Amazon.

tunerX

Yozh wrote:

This book that you guys are recomending it says its

CIE program manager, this book is appropriate preparation for the new CCIE Routing and Switching qualification exam released in August 2002 by Cisco Systems.

Wasnt there another one released after that, that added IPv6 ? anyone know ?

That book covers Token Rink, DLSW+, and SRB. It neglects Wireless, "Fancy" Queueing, and IPv6. It was a good read for the old test that expired in January of this year.

If you get the Bruno study guide, QOS exam guide, IPv6 study guide, and the wireless fundamentals guide then that should take care of a large portion of the topics.

The one thing that I got hit hard with was network protocols and services. FTP, SNMP, HTTP, and SMTP were pretty big topics. I read the RFCs for those.

Fu Loser

Congrats!!!

shadown7

Yozh

Thanks guys,

I just spoke to my Dual CCIE here at work and he does say that you need like 6 books for the written exam and ofcourse hands on practise for the lab. I`m going to try to gather all the needed books and then take my time with reading them, I was thinking to take the written after the ARCH by like july, but now Im reconsidering and thinking about taking it like in december some time and take the lab like 2-3 months after that.

Ten9t6

Yes...I thought it was harder than the R/S written. I think this is because the questions and answers took a lot of reading and studying before you picked the answer. It was not like the other Cisco exams. I think I finished with only two minutes to spare. Another reason the R/S written may have seemed easier..could be that I had more experience at the time of the test.

I also agree with tunerx on the books....the only change I would make..would be to bump up the Qos books. This becomes much more important as we see more voice questions creep in. I know they have separated this on the labs..but when I took the written I got hit with voice related questions..

Yozh...I would study for this exam either now....or right after you finish the DP. It will be much easier on you while a large portion of it is still fresh....Good luck..

Ten9t6

Yozh wrote:

Thanks guys,

I just spoke to my Dual CCIE here at work and he does say that you need like 6 books for the written exam and ofcourse hands on practise for the lab. I`m going to try to gather all the needed books and then take my time with reading them, I was thinking to take the written after the ARCH by like july, but now Im reconsidering and thinking about taking it like in december some time and take the lab like 2-3 months after that.

don't hold off too long...I made that mistake when I was getting ready for the lab. I kept looking at other things and the next thing you know, 18 months had passed, and I had to take it again......so make sure you don't wait too long...it starts to get expensive.

Good luck.

Yozh

I see your point. Ill take this CCDP and see how it goes, maybe I dont need that long to study....

tunerX

For the ARCH test, the only thing I read was the ARCH course book.