I need a help with CCNP track

0xCisco

Hello everyone,

I passed the CCNA composite exam with 947 out of 1000 on July 1st 2012 and I am about to start CCNP within a month or less. It was easier for me to find a self-study material for the CCNA where I picked CCNA Self-Study Guide by Todd Lammle, it was such a wonderful and exciting book which I truly enjoyed but now for CCNP, I am finding it harder in addition to some unclear things.

Self Study books: After googling and about the best CCNP books, I've found that CiscoPress is the leading publisher for this certificate but I found two books. For example, for the ROUTE exam:

- CCNP Official Certification Guide (ROUTE) exam.
- CCNP Foundation Learning (ROUTE) exam.

What I understood is that the Foundation learning is better because it talks about things in greater details and more in-depth while the Official Guide does talk and is trying to make restricted to cover the CCNP material as much as possible.

Is what I knew about these books true? do you have another thing to say? what order should I study first (ROUTE, SWITCH, TSHOOT)?

I checked the FAQ post but it was about older exams and these contributions were written back in 2008 and 2009 and some of them even in 2005 and I am sure that a lot of things have been changed since that.

Appreciate your help

prtech

I would go with ROUTE first and I would get both books. Read FLG first, then read OCG. Do the lab manual as you're reading FLG.

0xCisco

Both books in addition to the lab manual? I will pick one of them in addition to the lab manual. I think that's a lot for the CCNP ROUTE. If I am going to calculate if I did the same with ROUTE, SWITCH, and TSHOOT, I will need 2 years to take the three exams. That's over and more than enough. with CCNA as well, they recommended to study Todd Lammle's book and Cisco Press, and videos from CBT Nuggest but all that was just more load of the same material being explained in different ways so I went with Todd Lammle's book and I've made it.

However, thanks for the reply.

networker050184

Why will you need two years to read two books per exam?

lordy

I am currently preparing for SWITCH, which I choose to take first using Chris Bryants CBTs as an introduction and the FLG for detail. While neither will probably cover 100% of the topics I feel confident that the combination of the two and my real world experience will get me through it. I will find out soon

prtech

0xCisco wrote: »

Both books in addition to the lab manual? I will pick one of them in addition to the lab manual. I think that's a lot for the CCNP ROUTE. If I am going to calculate if I did the same with ROUTE, SWITCH, and TSHOOT, I will need 2 years to take the three exams. That's over and more than enough. with CCNA as well, they recommended to study Todd Lammle's book and Cisco Press, and videos from CBT Nuggest but all that was just more load of the same material being explained in different ways so I went with Todd Lammle's book and I've made it.

However, thanks for the reply.

It doesn't take that long to read two books. I finished ROUTE a couple of weeks ago and it took me 3-4 months to prep. Most of my reading was done during down time at work. I also had Element K classes and CBT Nuggets videos. I even skimmed through some of Chris Bryant's materials. If I had more free time I could've probably prepped in 1-2 months.

spd3432

Keep an eye out for the eBooks if cost is a concern. The ROUTE OCG was the $9.99 book a couple of days ago. I downloaded mobi (kindle) format and have started reading it. Allows copy to up to 6 of YOUR devices. I'll pick up the other two in time.
I've been forced to do some of the Element K stuff in the past. Unless they've really changed from the wheels and spoke you need to click on and push through all the popups etc, I plan on heading for the hills anytime someone talks about them.