ICND1. Status: Fail.. Is it me or...

altdrugz

Hello everybody,
few days ago i took the ICND1 exam and i scored 790/1000 meaning that i failed ofcourse. Well i was devastated and hopeless to tell you the truth, because i was studying for more than 3 months (alone... without cisco learning academy.. just bought Study guides, created my home lab with some old routers and also i used GNS). In the end i realised the following: Official ciscopress study guide covered around 30/50 questions. The rest 20 questions were clearly out of the book and i had to trust my ensticts for some of them (due to the privacy policy i cant ofcourse leak some questions but i can assure you that some of them were JUST crazy). A simple example what is gonna happen when you see the following lines in the conf
line vty 0 4
password asdf
no login

This is a scenario that seriously i DO NOT believe that you will see in the true world. Ofcourse there isnt ANY study guide describing the "no login" thing and this is a case scenario that only if you are drunk you may try it in the GNS for example or in a true router.
I feel ****, i feel that i wasted my time studying for this. It looks like everything is working just for the "pay" 2 take culture in our days. Pay us (the cisco learning academy) and you will get certified. Im not the guy that has 2k or 3k for giving away for the ccna courses and NO i will not take it. What should I do now?

Finally, after a lot of searching i found some videos from an older CCNP bootcamp (i think it was in 2007 or 2008 tbh). Funny thing... 60-70% of "stuff" in there, now are into CCNA.

I believe that ICND1 is just an entry level cert... I find no meaning in making it really hard and asking tricky questions like the no login thing... People (or cisco?) should (or not) realise that they must make ICND2 really harder and to let ICND1 easy just for the motivation (because for sure you will go for the upper certs if you get the ICND1 right?).

Finally... I really think... again... I wasted my time with you cisco...

Excellent1

Some free advice...and you are free to take it or leave it. First, you have a couple of options here. One, you can continue down the path of bitterness and disappointment and channel that into blaming the system and the world at large. The end result of that is: you lose. Option two is to take a step back, realize that you are VERY close to passing the exam, and dig in and round out your knowledge sufficiently to pass. I would go with option two, personally.

Look, to be honest, most of us have dropped an exam at some point. It's a bitter pill to swallow, especially when you've invested time and heart and energy into the endeavor. However, you have to take those failures and learn to use them as goads to push you on, to achieve higher, and to refuse to quit. I would recommend the Chris Bryant study guide--I think it's only like 10 bucks now, used to be 25. Either way, it has information exactly like you just mentioned regarding no login on the vty lines. Also, the Todd Lammle book is very good and you can search for his information on this site and see that he gives you additional free study information if you contact him.

Regardless, best of luck to you and don't let this thing get you down. Life is not fair, but it is consistent: it rewards those who do not give up and ruthlessly punishes those who do. Choose wisely.

Roguetadhg

Man, I failed my CCNA years ago.

I failed my ICND2, also. But I went back and took it, got the pass.

You can fail, and give up. You can fail and not give up. There's many people on these forums that have failed their test. They have spent their hard earned money to take the test. It is what it is. Some do give up. Others do not give up. Some give up because they don't need it. Other give up because they have hatred on the test.

NetworkVeteran

altdrugz wrote: »

Official ciscopress study guide covered around 30/50 questions. The rest 20 questions were clearly out of the book

The first time I took and passed the CCNA, I used only Wendell Odom's Cisco Press book. I don't recall precisely what I scored but I do recall that I scored in the high 900s.

I also think highly of Todd Lammle's book. It's my preference, these days, and I encourage people to try both and see which they most enjoy and learn best from.

OP wrote:

A simple example what is gonna happen when you see the following lines in the conf
line vty 0 4
password asdf
no login

Ofcourse there isnt ANY study guide describing the "no login" thing and this is a case scenario that only if you are drunk you may try it in the GNS for example or in a true router.

This is a direct quote from Todd Lammle's CCNA Study Guide--

CCNA Study Guide, 7th Ed, by Todd Lammle wrote:

But you can get around this and tell the router to allow Telnet connections without a
password by using the no login command:
SFRouter(config-line)#line vty 0 4
SFRouter(config-line)#no login
I do not recommend using the no login command to allow Telnet connec-
tions without a password unless you are in a testing or classroom environ-
ment! In a production network, you should always set your VTY password.

Pay us (the cisco learning academy) and you will get certified.

Very few of the Cisco certified folks I know went to the Net Academy.

Finally... I really think... again... I wasted my time with you cisco...

This can be either a setback that you learn and grow from, or the end of this path for you. The score report likely identified weaknesses, and you could always try another CCNA book.

Best of luck to you in whatever path you take.

mapletune

You are correct about many of the older CCNP material being covered in the newer CCNA.

On one hand, IT field moves really quickly; there's always new tech coming up and old tech getting deprecated. So Cisco and any other organization have to keep their programs up to date and valid for their programs to have any value.

On the other hand, the market is constantly evolving and they are generally moving in a direction where they expect everyone to step up and do "more". Whether we agree with that or not, is another topic. But in this sense, CCNA got a small bump up in it's value by inheriting some of old CCNP topics, don't you think?

In any case, as other forumers have tried to encourage you "everyone can fail" but those that succeed keep going until they achieve their goals. So, why not take some time off and cool off, think about your goals. If you have a clear goal, and CCNA is just in the way, by all means take it out! Take it out with a vengeance and look at it with disdain and you move past it and achieve your goal. However, if you don't really need the cert to get to where you want to go, then sure, no problem =p

Whatever you end up deciding, best of luck and success!

YFZblu

I used nothing more than Odom's ICND1 2nd edition and the Boson practice exams when I passed CCENT. It's all there. Be patient, and don't get bitter - that will only hurt you.

xbuzz

Have you checked out the INE video series? They've made it free, and it's probably the best video series for CCNA now. You just have to register on their site CCNA Associate Course - 640-802 . If you use that free video course, and Odoms books, that's all you need for the CCNA exams.

initial05

i want u to believe that u r so close to CCENT, dont lose hope, you've got some knowledge, i suggest u to retake it.my study material odom's icnd1 and CBTNuggets video, and some GNS3 practice...

MrXpert

You were so close to passing so you're on the right track. Don't give up. Focus on your weak areas by looking at your score report.
I'd highly recommend you read the router alley guide which covers CCENT and CCNA. It is free of charge on the router alley website. It helped me pass when I did ICND1 and 2.

Illumanati

altdrugz wrote: »

Hello everybody,
few days ago i took the ICND1 exam and i scored 790/1000 meaning
You got a LOT of questions correct!

Well i was devastated and hopeless to tell you the truth, because i was studying for more than 3 months (alone... without cisco learning academy.. just bought Study guides, created my home lab with some old routers and also i used GNS).

Yes, Cisco Net Academy would have taught you that but overall the Net Acad is too easy for the cert exams and I still can't believe that easy of a question would be on a Cisco exam but I guess, it *is* ICND1. However, I did an online Lab-Sim and "there was a lab for no-login" You won't remember questions about no-login from multiple choice practice because they are closely tied to a lab and if you didn't lab it, it never happened or didn't leave an impression in your mind, imo.

In the end i realised the following: Official ciscopress study guide covered around 30/50 questions.

That's not bad..you got 30-50 questions which mean you got most of those and probably most of the lab questions too!

The rest 20 questions were clearly out of the book and i had to trust my ensticts for some of them (due to the privacy policy i cant ofcourse leak some questions but i can assure you that some of them were JUST crazy).

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for those crazy ones but I think there are plenty of those on the web too if you want to get crazy with those. Maybe it was these that you did not get right and maybe you actually got the "no login" one.

A simple example what is gonna happen when you see the following lines in the conf
line vty 0 4
password asdf
no login

Remember "no login" means "no password" and I had to make up that pseudo nemonic device after I got them wrong on the practice labs.

This is a scenario that seriously i DO NOT believe that you will see in the true world. Ofcourse there isnt ANY study guide describing the "no login" thing and this is a case scenario that only if you are drunk you may try it in the GNS for example or in a true router.
I feel ****,
If you wan't to read a ****, go right ahead but those will definitely not have the "no login" question. Usually **** focus on the tougher questions but it won't hurt at all. 10 minutes time.

i feel that i wasted my time studying for this. It looks like everything is working just for the "pay" 2 take culture in our days. Pay us (the cisco learning academy) and you will get certified. Im not the guy that has 2k or 3k for giving away for the ccna courses and NO i will not take it. What should I do now?

You feel discouraged and that is understandable but you aren't anywhere close to total discouragement and the fact that you got a lot of the harder questions correct is total grounds for encouragement!

Finally, after a lot of searching i found some videos from an older CCNP bootcamp (i think it was in 2007 or 2008 tbh). Funny thing... 60-70% of "stuff" in there, now are into CCNA.

I believe that ICND1 is just an entry level cert... I find no meaning in making it really hard and asking tricky questions like the no login thing... People (or cisco?) should (or not) realise that they must make ICND2 really harder and to let ICND1 easy just for the motivation (because for sure you will go for the upper certs if you get the ICND1 right?).

Just so you know, I know you are mad and venting but you can't let your study go to waste.Once you pay for and take it once, you are guaranteeing a re-do just to get the stamp of approval(pass) The no login is not a trick. It is included not only in Net-Acad but on the ICND1 and online test prep like testout.com in their labs and you might not have gotten a lab on it simply because you used the study guides and studied it like a multiple-choice question rther then labbing it. I found that no study guide follows the exam objectives to exact duplication or replication. You have to try different resources from different vendors to get as close as possible.

Finally... I really think... again... I wasted my time with you cisco...

You did a lot of things right but no one study resources covers every aspect of the exam. The Cisco ICND1 did have the no login but maybe not a lab or lab is optional and so you may not have put a premium on the information and what I mean by premium is a "a focus on being on the exam" for you to remember it all. The "no login" is included in both end of chapter questions and in labs, simple labs like those you find in Net Acad, but you won't remember no-login if you didn't lab it, in my opinion.

Check what's highlighted in red above.

txraider09

I purchased the Boson ExSim exams for the CCENT about a week before i took the exam. It really helped me out and although you might end up memorizing some of the answers, the concept sticks with you. Plus Boson will give you your money back for the practice exam if you fail.

Danielh22185

This reminds me of me 3 years back. I took ICND1 and just barely failed. I am pretty sure I had something like a score of 790 as well. That is like 1 -2 questions from passing that you would have needed correct. In this event I did too feel upset and distraught with myself, however I made it my mission to find my weak spots and improve. I actually only used the Cisco Press book for ICND1 by Wendel Odom as well along with the questions on the companion CD. I also labbed a bit within packet tracer, but that was about it. I did also attend the net academy which I think was a great move for me because I knew nothing about networking previous to it.

You CAN obtain the ICND1 with the resources you have been using. Go back and focus on your weak spots. I'd even suggest getting more material. As mentioned above read the Lammle book too, this is a great book. I loved it. I read it in preparation for ICND2.

So long as you continue to have the drive and want to pass the test you will! Good luck!

MickQ

altdrugz wrote: »

line vty 0 4
password asdf
no login

You'd be surprised how many times you will find this in the real world when looking over others' configs.

The no login just means that no password is required for entry. There's a nice trick of declaring no password, then ordering login.
line vty 0 15
login
Net result? Guess what, password required, but none set. No entry allowed over those vty lines.

The fact that you got 790 shows that you know a lot. You just need to practice and play on simulators/emulators/real equipment. That way you'll pick up a lot of quirks of the IOS and you'll learn so much more than relying on the books alone. Besides, if you want to get anywhere decent in networking, you will have to practice on real kit. The new certs are (supposedly) meant to test you on the real world encounters of a network admin (for that level).

I sat and passed the 802 over a year ago. I got a 936, but I'd been working with switches, routers, WLCs and radios for a while. I'd also been studying the books for a couple of years before. The fact that you got 790 after studying 3 months isn't bad at all.
Stick with it, spend a few quid on a switch to play with the commands and see what happens.

TehToG

altdrugz wrote: »

Hello everybody,
This is a scenario that seriously i DO NOT believe that you will see in the true world. Ofcourse there isnt ANY study guide describing the "no login" thing and this is a case scenario that only if you are drunk you may try it in the GNS for example or in a true router.

I can confirm that a full explaination for this exists in both Todd Lammle's CCNA 7th edition and the Cisco press books. I think it's even in the CBT nuggets videos. I'm almost certain of it. It seems you didn't study well enough.

MrXpert

altdrugz wrote: »

I believe that ICND1 is just an entry level cert... I find no meaning in making it really hard and asking tricky questions like the no login thing... People (or cisco?) should (or not) realise that they must make ICND2 really harder and to let ICND1 easy just for the motivation (because for sure you will go for the upper certs if you get the ICND1 right?).

Finally... I really think... again... I wasted my time with you cisco...

That "no login" question is not a tricky one and it is something you should be aware of and practice for at CCENT level.
if it is any consolation to you, I failed my CCNP Route exam 2 weeks ago. I scored 778.Passing score was 790. I felt hard done by because there were bugs in the sims.Of course I was angry and felt a disillusioned with Cisco. But a week later I retook the exam and passed with a score of a little over 950. Had I just given up or surrendered to Cisco I'd have lost out and spent the rest of my life regretting it.

Bottom line is you're not the 1st person to fail a Cisco exam and you won't be the last. Even some well known CCIE's and CCNPs have admitted to failing exams numerous times.

ToddB

Ok now get focused, I failed my icnd1 with about the same score 79x, failed security part real bad so just studied that and tried again. Now failed with a 74x. Gave it another shot, but this time tried different study guide( I used Chris Bryant) and passed. When I took the icnd2 (Aced it)

Might want to look at another study guide. but just knock it out (YOU CAN DO IT)

j.petrov

Just study up some more and retake the test next week. Since you know what to expect for the most part, I'm sure you will pass. Don't give up.

Good Luck!

astrogeek

altdrugz wrote: »

Pay us (the cisco learning academy) and you will get certified. Im not the guy that has 2k or 3k for giving away for the ccna courses and NO i will not take it. What should I do now?

I don't know where you are getting it in your mind that you need to spend $2-3k for a Cisco networking academy course, I paid about $100 after a tuition waiver, would have been maybe $500 for the year total without that. The academies are available at a lot of high schools and community colleges, you don't need to go to one at a University or specialized for profit school - as far as I know it's all the same coursework.

But with that said, you weren't far from passing, why are you being so hard on yourself? If you are serious about Cisco certifications you have to learn to deal with failure because this isn't going to be the last Cisco exam you will fail! Just look at what your low points were on the exam and study those areas and retake the exam again when your ready. Don't get hung up on questions you think shouldn't be there, I'm usually more annoyed because I'm taking a Cisco exam on a computer built 15 years ago lol

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan