Passed ICND2 today - Officially a CCNA
YFZblu
Member Posts: 1,462 ■■■■■■■■□□
in CCNA & CCENT
A few notables:
1st attempt: Ran out of time, wasn’t able to answer several questions. Score: 734
2nd attempt: Family emergency the night prior to the exam, got about 3 hours of sleep. Score: 776
3rd attempt: Score: 888
Today’s exam was easily the most difficult of all three tries; I had several “WTF??” questions that I do not believe were in my text or other study materials. That being said, I was using Odom’s 2nd edition so perhaps that was my problem. Had I failed today I would have bit the bullet and purchased the 3rd edition.
Advice: Lab, lab, LAB! And Odom readers, buy the 3rd edition.
Thanks to everyone here, you are appreciated!
Next up: CCNA: Sec - And hopefully a network job by year's end so I can get 'in' before virtualized networking kills us all off
1st attempt: Ran out of time, wasn’t able to answer several questions. Score: 734
2nd attempt: Family emergency the night prior to the exam, got about 3 hours of sleep. Score: 776
3rd attempt: Score: 888
Today’s exam was easily the most difficult of all three tries; I had several “WTF??” questions that I do not believe were in my text or other study materials. That being said, I was using Odom’s 2nd edition so perhaps that was my problem. Had I failed today I would have bit the bullet and purchased the 3rd edition.
Advice: Lab, lab, LAB! And Odom readers, buy the 3rd edition.
Thanks to everyone here, you are appreciated!
Next up: CCNA: Sec - And hopefully a network job by year's end so I can get 'in' before virtualized networking kills us all off
Comments
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jamster2004
Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Congratz on the pass. I admire your determination. I hope to sit ICND 2 next month. apart from odoms book what other resource you used to prepare? -
YFZblu
Member Posts: 1,462 ■■■■■■■■□□
Thanks! Here is an itemized list of my materials:
-Odom's 2nd edition
-CBTnuggets - I wish I hadn't spent so much time here. IMO these videos should really just be used as "ice breakers" to introduce you to exam topics, and they really only skim the surface of what is required on the exam.
-TrainSignal - Very long videos, very dry. But very detailed.
-CCNA exam cram by Jeremy Cioara - Great resource! I discovered this before my 3rd attempt, and I think it put me over the top. Highly recommend it. -
Roguetadhg
Member Posts: 2,489 ■■■■■■■■□□
Congratulations, YFblu. You get rep for the tries.In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.
TE Threads: How to study for the CCENT/CCNA, Introduction to Cisco Exams -
Illumanati
Banned Posts: 211 ■□□□□□□□□□
A few notables:
1st attempt: Ran out of time, wasn’t able to answer several questions. Score: 734
2nd attempt: Family emergency the night prior to the exam, got about 3 hours of sleep. Score: 776
3rd attempt: Score: 888
Today’s exam was easily the most difficult of all three tries; I had several “WTF??” questions that I do not believe were in my text or other study materials. That being said, I was using Odom’s 2nd edition so perhaps that was my problem. Had I failed today I would have bit the bullet and purchased the 3rd edition.
Advice: Lab, lab, LAB! And Odom readers, buy the 3rd edition.
Thanks to everyone here, you are appreciated!
Next up: CCNA: Sec - And hopefully a network job by year's end so I can get 'in' before virtualized networking kills us all off
I conjure up a mad Kudos spell upon you impervious to your thick plate of armor. And I love the tips, wow. Can you be my manager. lol -
Vik210
Member Posts: 197
good stuff.. congrats.. sure this will be motivating enough for your further certifications.. -
MrBrian
Member Posts: 520
Congrats on the CCNA!Currently reading: Internet Routing Architectures by Halabi -
Ivanjam
Member Posts: 978 ■■■■□□□□□□
Congrats. I admire your tenacity.Fall 2014: Start MA in Mathematics [X]
Fall 2016: Start PhD in Mathematics [X] -
YFZblu
Member Posts: 1,462 ■■■■■■■■□□
Thank you everyone - It feels good not to have the CCNA hanging over me anymore.
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snokerpoker
Member Posts: 661 ■■■■□□□□□□
Congrats! I just recently passed as well. I pretty much used the same study materials. -
whatthehell
Member Posts: 920
Congratz!!!2017 Goals:
[ ] Security + [ ] 74-409 [ ] CEH
Future Goals:
TBD -
FloOz
Member Posts: 1,614 ■■■■□□□□□□
hey YFZblu, congrats on the pass! I was wondering what lab resource you used in your studies? thanks -
YFZblu
Member Posts: 1,462 ■■■■■■■■□□
Thanks! I used Packet Tracer during CCENT, but for the CCNA I bought three switches and three routers for a home lab.
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Illumanati
Banned Posts: 211 ■□□□□□□□□□
Thanks! Here is an itemized list of my materials:
-Odom's 2nd edition
-CBTnuggets - I wish I hadn't spent so much time here. IMO these videos should really just be used as "ice breakers" to introduce you to exam topics, and they really only skim the surface of what is required on the exam.
-TrainSignal - Very long videos, very dry. But very detailed.
-CCNA exam cram by Jeremy Cioara - Great resource! I discovered this before my 3rd attempt, and I think it put me over the top. Highly recommend it.
Thank you for the choke-full of tips. Can you expand on your theory or postulation of why you think the Jeremy Ciora Exam Cram put you over the top? Was it more of a facet of your already previous prodigious study PRIOR to this book or do you think there was something else like style or simplicity of writing? I agree with all of your logic if not for outright suggestion of version 3 of ICND book etc. I agree with CBT Nuggets being per-requisite "reading" for the miniscule labbing for ICND1 and a must watch for ICND2, infact don't pick up any book until you "read"(watch) CBT Nuggets videos for ICND2.
If you had to recommend a ICND2 book or even CCNA (since it covers ICND2), would you recommend Ciora's EXAM Prep over any of the others? Did you really like it that much and can you provide details since I have this book. I also have ICND 2 ver 3 when the time is appropriate for extra super detail coverage.
Btw, what labs did you work on for ICND1 as far as WAN protocols are concerned because I just don't see many apart form Frame Relay? -
FloOz
Member Posts: 1,614 ■■■■□□□□□□
yah but did you have a lab workbook to work from? something that gave you objectives to doThanks! I used Packet Tracer during CCENT, but for the CCNA I bought three switches and three routers for a home lab. -
MAC_Addy
Member Posts: 1,740 ■■■■□□□□□□
Most CCENT/CCNA books have labs at the end of each chapter.2017 Certification Goals:
CCNP R/S -
YFZblu
Member Posts: 1,462 ■■■■■■■■□□
yah but did you have a lab workbook to work from? something that gave you objectives to do
I did buy the 101 Cisco Labs book, but I didn't really use it much. I just lab'd as I went along. IE after the VTP chapter, I tested it. After the STP chapter, I lab'd it....etc.
I had a whiteboard in my study that I wrote a list of the exam objectives on: VTP, STP, EIGRP, OSPF, Frame Relay, IPv6, NAT, etc. When I got closer to taking the exam I just ran through the list and spent an hour or so configuring each one every day. I also made a point to memorize what I thought the three most important 'show' commands were for each technology, and I would use those after I configured.
