Failed 640-802. Feeling utterly crushed.

NoobTactics

Score: 788
Passing: 825

- Describe how a network works - 50%
- Configure, verify and troubleshoot a switch with VLANs and interswitch communications - 77%
- Implement an IP addressing scheme and IP Services to meet network requirements in a medium-size Enterprise branch office network - 100%
- Configure, verify, and troubleshoot basic router operation and routing on Cisco devices - 69%
- Explain and select the appropriate administrative tasks required for a WLAN - 67%
- Identify security threats to a network and describe general methods to mitigate those threats - 67%
- Implement, verify, and troubleshoot NAT and ACLs in a medium-size Enterprise branch office network - 50%
- Implement and verify WAN links - 67%

So I can subnet in my sleep, and apparently suck at everything else. I've been studying this stuff intensely for the past five months or so, and I felt like I was ready. I'm been taking every practice test I can find and am consistently around 85% with all of them. With so many apparent weaknesses, though, I don't know where to begin studying now. All I know is the next attempt is gonna cost me $300, and I sure as hell don't want to fail THAT. This one was on a voucher.

I dunno. I was not happy with the simulation questions. One of them didn't seem fair at all, locking out commands that could have helped me solve it. Bleh. I feel like I just got the s*** kicked out of me.

wbosher

I know it costs more, but have you thought of the two exam option?

lorddalron

At least now you know what to expect and what not to expect in what you were saying about blocking commands etc. Think positive and next time round your going to nail it.

Ive just booked my icnd1 for end of next month and I will be dunging them coming up to it but im trying to remain 100% positive and focused!!!

NoobTactics

I think I'm gonna stick with the composite route. I'm so close to passing. I probably only missed it by one or two questions. I think I'm gonna pony up some scratch for the Boson practice test. Now, I know this is probably a question asked a million times a day around here, but I'm gonna ask it anyway.. How is the Boson CCNA practice test, and can anyone testify to its effectiveness?

wbosher

From my experience with CCNA Boson tests, they are actually harder than the real thing, but I did the CCENT/ICND2 route.

hiddenknight821

@NoobTactics: If I were you, I would just swallow my pride and take the two-exam route. Both route costs the same, and you will benefit greatly in cost-saving and material retention. There is no such thing as shortcuts. I believe you may have heard horror stories about how difficult the ICND1 and ICND2 exams were, some people prefer the "easy way" out by getting less questions on both topics by taking the composite exam. However, we know CCNA isn't easy and passing either route would be praised equally regardless since a CCNA is a CCNA. I wish you the best of luck on your next attempt.

UPDATE: Forgot to add. Practice the Boson exam! It's extremely helpful.

ltgenspecific

Boson Exam and ExMax Sim worked great for me on ICND1 and I am currently using them in prep for ICND2... they are indeed harder than the real thing but if you focus on studying the material provided in the *show answers* option and extrapolate the main points to their general application you should be fine. Great help overall. Stay positive and good luck.

Dashik

lorddalron wrote: »

At least now you know what to expect and what not to expect in what you were saying about blocking commands etc. Think positive and next time round your going to nail it.

Ive just booked my icnd1 for end of next month and I will be dunging them coming up to it but im trying to remain 100% positive and focused!!!

Nice one, I'm looking to get ICND1 about the middle of next month. Oh and don't I know you from somewhere ?

As for the op. Take it on the chin and learn from it. We all have bad days even the ones that find all this stuff easy

ricky8

i know the feeling. i wrote the icnd2 and i thought i was ready too. apparently not since i failed. i hate their simulations. you have to move the windows around so you can see everything at the same time.

also, the bosom exams help a lot too. i would recommend it. however, i do NOT recommend watching chris bryants ccna videos as they are BORING AS F*CK!!!!!

thomsarg

Noob....I'll just reiterate what all the other posters have been saying....I think the Boson tests are a very helpful prep tool, and I think they are more difficult than the actual exam. I actually just took the ICND2 today (and passed thankfully!), and used the Boson products for both my exams. If you can get your hands on the PearsonVue practice exam (I got it free with the purchase of the recent edition of the Odom book), I think it's even harder still. But if you can master the concepts from the Boson exams, you'll have no problem getting those few extra points to put you over the top. One last suggestion I would have, if you can have access to Packet Tracer software.....it's a big help, getting to actually input the commands, even if it is virtually.

Jas21

+1 for the Boson Exam Sim - it really helped me with ICND1 and found it much harder than the real thing. After an extended break I'm back on the ICND2 study, and have purchased the Boson ICND2 exam too.

good luck all

cbigbrick

ricky8 wrote: »

i know the feeling. i wrote the icnd2 and i thought i was ready too. apparently not since i failed. i hate their simulations. you have to move the windows around so you can see everything at the same time.

also, the bosom exams help a lot too. i would recommend it. however, i do NOT recommend watching chris bryants ccna videos as they are BORING AS F*CK!!!!!

Incease the video speed from 1.0 to 1.5. Chris sounds alot faster but does not distort his voice.

Concerned Water

When studying, make sure you know why other answers are not right. This kind of studying is more effective for an exam like that. Cisco love giving questions that has answers that don't sound right, but are. So, if you know why everything else is wrong, then you have an answer. Boson helps. I took 640-802.

Good luck

kurosaki00

removed unnecessary quote of previous post


Agree
Even if you know which answer is right
take a look at the others, why are those not right

networker050184

I think it would be a better use of your time to read through your material again rather than doing more practice tests. You obviously have some knowledge gaps and doing practice questions isn't really going to be much of a help with filling them in.

psenior

I think you need to change your study strategy a bit. Getting 85% on practice tests never made me feel good about my odds of passing the CCNA exam because it was too close to the 825 passing score. When I did practice tests, the goal was to score in the 90-100% range just to give myself some breathing room and really feel confident that I would do well even if I made some stupid mistakes along the way. Try coming at it from the point of view that you need to get a high score, like CCSI's are required to have.

Remember the old saying: amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.

NoobTactics

thomsarg wrote: »

One last suggestion I would have, if you can have access to Packet Tracer software.....it's a big help, getting to actually input the commands, even if it is virtually.

I have it. What I really need are some good troubleshooting labs. It's all fine and good to build something from scratch, but I really need some scenarios to fix that are similar to what I'll find on the actual exam. Anyone got any tips in that regard?

And thanks, everyone, for your feedback. I appreciate it.

drkat

Suggestion: CCNA Exam Cram by Mike Valentine... read this and you're golden since of your scores... When i took it the first time the score was 775 the second time 815.... next 885 -- so lets break down my .... well study plan

First Try:

1. I had experience, so I guess you could say labs.. if you arent working on this stuff every day
2. Glossed over CBT Nuggets and Chris Bryant (stalling getting my CCNA...)
3. Read every CCNA "study guide" on the internet
4. Lammle's 7th edition

Took the test.. realized I had gaps... failed

Second try:

1. Reviewed areas I was weak in...
2. Sat for test got questions that i wasnt expecting... failed..

Third try:
CCNA Exam Cram

Passed...

no lie

Roguetadhg

Sometimes it takes two or more views to get a concept down.

While you may be able to recite word for word a concept one author has, it's a completely different story to put it in your own words. It's generally suggested to do a multiple approach: Read [Books], Watch [Videos], Practice [Labs,Sites].

It should be helpful to do the two test approach. You'll be able to focus on less topics and more in depth. It'll cost just about the same as a single test, and no one will frown on you for doing the two test approach. If you're at all worried about that. I was, atleast!

vinbuck

Don't fall into the trap of believing that the "official" CCNA study material is the only place to go for reference...use Cisco's docs, they are one of the primary sources for exam content. I've seen exam question taken straight out of cisco online documentation on more than one Cisco test.

Also, if you adopt the strategy of proving why all the other answers are wrong instead of searching for the right answer, you will pass the test.

If you look at a question and don't understand why 2 or more answers are wrong, then you aren't ready.

drkat

I'd agree taking a look at exam topics and then finding the associated whitepaper is very useful

zrockstar

Just curious why so many people are recommending he split to the two exam option? He is missing most points in basic network theory and NAT/ACL. These can be easily brushed up and/or relearned, and would bring his score up a lot would they not? Seems like if he did that he would be good to go. I mean I haven't taken the cert test yet, but if it was me in that situations I would study those two domains a lot, everything else a decent amount and go for the composite again.

drkat

The 2 exam route... well why not just take one exam at 50 questions? the test doesnt exactly ask "easy" questions especially if you're like me and the wording just messes you up. My suggestion still stands for CCNA Exam Cram

PM me

kurosaki00

one exam is great because
1. Less time (just have to go once to the exam site, and just 1 hour instead of 2 etc etc)
2. Answer less questions (one exam instead of two)

two exam way is good because you segment the amount of knowledge needed, you can concentrate more in less material
if you fail, you only lose half the bucks
bad is that you need to go through exam process twice and answer more questions

drkat

they upped the cost to $150 for the ICND 1 & 2 and it's $295 for the composite - no savings....

networker050184

What?! $5 is a whole gallon of gas! That's some savings.

drkat

Well you're saving $5 by taking the composite vs the theory its cheaper to take the 802

xocity

$5 goes a long way nowadays =D

kurosaki00

back in the day with 5 I would have filled a paper bag of candy n stuff
I could have eaten like a 26oz coke ICEE with 2 slices of pizza

nowadays...
I can eat taco bell?

spd3432

Saw a person at across an intersection from me today holding up a sign "homeless, just need 37 cents from 100 people, god bless". $5 would have gone a long way towards that.

Getting back on track though. I have taken a lot of certification exams (happens if you stay in IT for very long). I first attempted the Windows 7 exam about 2 weeks after the OS went live (I'd been using the beta and had read the ONLY book that existed at the time). Failed it by a bunch. Got into the car, and wrote myself some notes on what I'd been questioned on that I hadn't seen in my 6 months or so of use nor were even mentioned in the book. After I got home, I hit technet and searched for the keywords I'd written down and read as much as I could find on those topics. Second time I sat the exam I did much better.

You have now seen this exam. If there was a question or 5 that completely baffled you, go back to your study materials, then logon to Cisco's website and do keyword searches, both Cisco documents and community site (forums). Vary your study habits, read a little, watch a video, do a lab. If you have a book open and it says "to do x, issue the command y" then do that along with the book -- whether its in GNS3, packet tracer, or you have two routers right there on your desk with a console cable connection.

And don't limit to only the command in the book as its presented. Do one word at a time, looking at all the options that appear if you "tab" to see what the next word could be.

Good luck on the next attempt.

hardstylewon

keep on it man. My test is on friday. GL!