When should I take the ICND1?

Hello! I have been studying for my ICND1 exam for about three months and I'm curious if I'm prepared enough to actually take the test.

I've read Wendell Odom's ICND1 book probably three times, cover to cover, I've had a once-over of the CBT Nuggets ICND1 video series, and I have a lab consisting of two 2950 switches and two 2621 routers. Prior to studying specifically for the CCENT certification I had ten weeks of CCNA training through a college in early 2011, and prior to that I had two years of CCNA training between maybe 2001 and 2003 (I know that really doesn't count for much). I've been working in the field for the past five years in some form or fashion and I can subnet addresses in my head within 10 to 15 seconds due to how long I've been doing it.

I am curious if it would be prudent to invest in source material other than my current selection. Chris Bryant's CCNA package that includes CCENT material seems like a good choice. I frequently watch his Youtube videos and they're really great. I do plan on continuing on to attain the CCNA certification right after I am done with the ICND1, so I would be aiding my future efforts as well.

To test my understanding I only have the practice exam that is included with the Cisco Press book. I consistently get between 880 and 900+ and usually finish with maybe 45 minutes remaining. I read every question carefully to reduce my chances of making stupid mistakes - like seeing two hosts and not noticing the fact that they're on two different subnets. Taking that into consideration, would it be at all fruitful to spend the money on a Boson practice exam? I hear theirs are considered to be difficult and a good way to test your preparedness.

My funds are very strict right now, so errant spending isn't possible. I have maybe a few hundred dollars to spare - including paying for the test!

Any and all help is greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading my long post.

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Comments

craigaaron

Sounds like to me your ready to take it

i brought the chris Bryant package with video and ICND books from cisco press and it took me less than 2 months to pass the ICND 1.

So i would say take it

have you looked at ICND2 stuff? if so you could just take your full CCNA i dont think there be a direct split of 50/50 with the questions

SharkDiver

It sounds like you have gone over the material enough times.

Do you have a good used book store near you? If you could find one of the CCNA or CCENT Exam Cram or Exam Prep books with the disc still in them, it might be worth your time to pick them up just for the practice exam engines.

They actually had a book that was nothing but questions.

MrXpert

Sounds like you are more than ready assuming that the cisco press questions you mentioned are those really long winded ones with superflous information (intended to confuse the reader)and they are the ones that don't tell you how many correct answers you are supposed to select. If you are scoring highly on these then you should be giving the birdy to the real exam as it is alot kinder.

If you are not 100% confident then i'd suggest getting the Boson questions just to be sure and because they are the most accurate compared to what the real thing is like. Although the boson icnd1 questions are harder than the real thing.

Osiapstndp

Thank you all for the responses. I wound up buying another CCENT book on Amazon by Todd Lammle. It will be here tomorrow and I'll start going over it immediately. I'll spend a week or so with it then I'll commit to a date when I will take the test.

In response to MrXpert, I took the Cisco Press practice exam repeatedly using all of the available questions - that's 153 in total - so I've been through all the wordy questions with a lot filler. The multiple choice questions don't suggest how many answers are needed, so I usually just use a process of elimination as confidently as I can.

I'll post an update when I actually book the exam. I am very excited for that day!

Jpgonzal

MrXpert wrote: »

If you are not 100% confident then i'd suggest getting the Boson questions just to be sure and because they are the most accurate compared to what the real thing is like. Although the boson icnd1 questions are harder than the real thing.

I totally agree. I snagged the Boson test exam when I finished my studies and was in my final preparations. They aren't cheap and if money is tight, there are other ways to test your knowledge for a lot less. I found a used exam prep book at Half-Price books for the ICND1 for cheap. I'm sure there are similar items on ebay or your local store.

However, the Boson practice test for ICND1 was what told me "You're ready" and when I walked in I felt (nearly) bulletproof. If you do purchase the Boson exam and test it and only get like a 60% or 70%, don't freak out like I did! When I went over my missed questions, most of them were silly mistakes and easy fixes. Errors on my subnetting or wrong port numbers, stuff like that.

Also, if you ever need a quick review down the line, it is there for you.

Best of luck to you!

MrXpert

Osiapstndp wrote: »

Hello! I have been studying for my ICND1 exam for about three months and I'm curious if I'm prepared enough to actually take the test.

I've read Wendell Odom's ICND1 book probably three times, cover to cover

bloody hell you must have balls of steel to have the courage to read that book three times. I couldn't even manage half of it.lol:D