NEW CCNA Exams Announced!!

bub9001

I think I will shoot for the CCNA 640-802 for now. I can study for one exam faster then I can study for two. Besides if I can take the CCNA sooner and if I don't pass at least I get exposed to Cisco exams and leaves me time to study more and take it a couple of times if needed.

Anyone feel like taking the 640-802 harder then the two separate exams?

networker050184

The vast majority of the material is not going to change so I wouldn't worry about rushing it. You might need to learn one or two new areas and not be tested on one or two you did, but switching and routing fundamentals, the OSI model, subnetting etc. aren't going to change.

traceyke

bub9001 wrote: »

I think I will shoot for the CCNA 640-802 for now. I can study for one exam faster then I can study for two. Besides if I can take the CCNA sooner and if I don't pass at least I get exposed to Cisco exams and leaves me time to study more and take it a couple of times if needed.

Anyone feel like taking the 640-802 harder then the two separate exams?

^^^^THIS. I'm currently studying for the CCENT, but after hearing this news, the composite exam is starting to look more tempting to take. I was going to take the CCENT exam in early/mid June, but that would only leave me with barely 2 months to study/prepare, take the ICND 2 exam, and PASS IT on the first try. WHY couldn't CISCO simply extend the deadline to December 31, 2013?!?!

turner.rook

Just to add another question into this mix. If you are purchasing home lab equipment to study for you ccent, like I am looking into doing. Would it be in my or others best interest to wait till next week on more information before purchasing anything? Just looking at 3 2611xms and 3 2950ts. But if they are using a new IOs instead of the 12.4 and new enhanced images that the 2950ts don't support, wouldn't simply be a waste of money right now? Or no?

todd@lammle.com

turner.rook wrote: »

Just to add another question into this mix. If you are purchasing home lab equipment to study for you ccent, like I am looking into doing. Would it be in my or others best interest to wait till next week on more information before purchasing anything? Just looking at 3 2611xms and 3 2950ts. But if they are using a new IOs instead of the 12.4 and new enhanced images that the 2950ts don't support, wouldn't simply be a waste of money right now? Or no?

This is a good question, but we already know that the new exams are all 15.x based! Those 2600's and 2950's are no longer valid. I am not saying you can't use them for routing and switching - you can! However, you need to get some newer 15.x based products too.
Todd

Nyblizzard

Will a CCNA earned March 2013 be on the same level as an CCNA earned March 2014? Do people care about what version of the exam you took?

todd@lammle.com

Nyblizzard wrote: »

Will a CCNA earned March 2013 be on the same level as an CCNA earned March 2014? Do people care about what version of the exam you took?

Absolutly not! The certs are the same!
I am not recommending taking either one, as Networker050184 posted, the material will probably mostly be the same. No need to rush, the only problem is that you'd need new books, but if that isn't a problem, you're golden.
Todd

jsb515

Todd when you starting on the new book? how about adding pullout **** sheets to read before taking the test on your next book?

turner.rook

todd@lammle.com wrote: »

This is a good question, but we already know that the new exams are all 15.x based! Those 2600's and 2950's are no longer valid. I am not saying you can't use them for routing and switching - you can! However, you need to get some newer 15.x based products too.
Todd

Thank you very much for the response. This is very good to know. If you or anyone else has the time, considering I am pretty new to all of this. What would be some recommended router and switch models to get for a home lab that are updated to current standards? I am looking around, but there is a sea of hardware that getting me a bit confused.

todd@lammle.com

jsb515 wrote: »

Todd when you starting on the new book? how about adding pullout **** sheets to read before taking the test on your next book?

Can you send me an example of what you mean?

Mrock4

Seems really similar to http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/87013-ccna-5-0-coming-june.html

That being said, Todd, why do you feel 15.x code is absolutely required..what specifically about it do you feel will be lacking in previous IOS revisions?

todd@lammle.com

Mrock4 wrote: »

Seems really similar to http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/87013-ccna-5-0-coming-june.html

That being said, Todd, why do you feel 15.x code is absolutely required..what specifically about it do you feel will be lacking in previous IOS revisions?

For my classes I will have a mixture between 12.4 and 15.x. There is nothing that different that you need to have all 15.x code devices, but the CCNA objectives are all 15.x code driven, that's all.

networker050184

Possibly some license management stuff thrown in? That would require 15, but most stuff I'd assume would still be doable on 12.4.

mgmguy1

This news does not change things for me. I am going to take the and "pass" the ICND1 in April and take the ICND2 in July. In may I start my Cisco Security Networking Academy class at my local community college. The new events in the cisco curriculum don't worry me. I hope eveyone will relax and just roll with it. Not much else you can do but stdy hard and pass the tests

jsb515

todd@lammle.com wrote: »

Can you send me an example of what you mean?

Kinda like the ones in the exam cram series. You tear it out and study over the major topics before going into the test.

turner.rook

So, based off the fact we should be running 15.x for ccna home labs do to the upcoming changes, I am now assuming for a study lab I should be looking at 1841 routers and 3560 switches? That is gonna break my 600 buck budget T _ T. Please correct me and tell me I am wrong.

Priston

todd@lammle.com wrote: »

I just had another thought.
Since these new exams are all based on the 15.x IOS code, this means they need to update/upgrade the Packet Tracer! I would think so!
If you are buying gear for a home lab - STOP! Make sure you get the right gear now before you buy.
Todd Lammle

If you worked at a place with access to pretty much anything you could ever think to put in a CCNA lab what do you think would be the best equipment to use?

Currently I have 3x 2811s and 3x 3560G sitting in a rack, I haven't had any free time to do anything with them yet though.

linuxlover

mgmguy1 wrote: »

This news does not change things for me. I am going to take the and "pass" the ICND1 in April and take the ICND2 in July. In may I start my Cisco Security Networking Academy class at my local community college. The new events in the cisco curriculum don't worry me. I hope eveyone will relax and just roll with it. Not much else you can do but stdy hard and pass the tests

This.

CCNA is foundation if you want to be a networking engineer and will stay so for quite some time. The same thing is when we learn all kinds of "pointless" things" for 2-3 years in school which we don't understand WHY but then in the last year we finally get it. It's foundation first that allows you to become master later. You can't skip steps.

Ltat42a

jsb515 wrote: »

Kinda like the ones in the exam cram series. You tear it out and study over the major topics before going into the test.

You mean something like this?

**** Sheets - Packet Life

theodoxa

I started studying [again - 11 years after going through the Cisco Academy] a couple of months ago. I have finished the Odom's ICND1 book and am halfway through his ICND2 book. I am also halfway through the INE Videos for CCNA. Do I have until September to take ICND1 and ICND2 or do I have to take ICND1 by next week in order to be able to take ICND2 up until September. I was planning on finishing by May and trying to get into the CCNA: Security class at my local Community College. I was going to take ICND1 and when I passed it schedule ICND2.

Ltat42a

If you are doing the two exam route, you must take ICND1 first. You have until Sept 30 to take the current 640-816 (ICND2) exam. Oct 1 and beyond, you will take the new 200-101 (ICND2) exam. We won't know what the difference will be between the two tests until CLN posts the new learning objectives.

There is no mention of changes (as least not yet) to the ICND1 exam or the CCNA composite exam.

todd@lammle.com

theodoxa wrote: »

I started studying [again - 11 years after going through the Cisco Academy] a couple of months ago. I have finished the Odom's ICND1 book and am halfway through his ICND2 book. I am also halfway through the INE Videos for CCNA. Do I have until September to take ICND1 and ICND2 or do I have to take ICND1 by next week in order to be able to take ICND2 up until September. I was planning on finishing by May and trying to get into the CCNA: Security class at my local Community College. I was going to take ICND1 and when I passed it schedule ICND2.

All good questions. We won't know anything else until they formally announce it. They said March 26th, but who know for sure!
Todd

Corza

Definitely seems a bit weird getting rid of the CCNA as a prereq. Those basic skills are literally scratching the surface of everything that networking has to offer. Once you have those skills other topics become easier to understand and it all just builds up on one another. Well at least thats how it is in my head!

Topics definitely bleed over. A good example is a duplex mismatch for a Cisco Voip phone. Someone who has done CCNA knows what that means and how to fix it, but what if its not in the voice track? That's just a quick example I can think of.

Maybe the other topics could get longer also due to the basic topics being covered first?

p1xels

Hi
Then what happens who pass the old exams 640-822 & 816? will they have to re-certify after the new papers get introduced?

jsb515

Ltat42a wrote: »

You mean something like this?

**** Sheets - Packet Life

yes kinda like that but not THAT detailed.

JeanM

p1xels wrote: »

Hi
Then what happens who pass the old exams 640-822 & 816? will they have to re-certify after the new papers get introduced?

In 3 years.

lincis_aus

Catastrophic decision by Cisco to remove the CCNA as prereq.
Brace yourself for an incoming flood of clueless specialised guys coming in, knowing their stuff (voice, security etc...), but being completely useless because they do not know how to troubleshoot the network on which the voice/security stuff sits on.

I hope they leave the CCNP alone.

JeanM

lincis_aus wrote: »

Catastrophic decision by Cisco to remove the CCNA as prereq.
Brace yourself for an incoming flood of clueless specialised guys coming in, knowing their stuff (voice, security etc...), but being completely useless because they do not know how to troubleshoot the network on which the voice/security stuff sits on.

I hope they leave the CCNP alone.

Haha, there is probably truth to that! Although it all depends on who is doing the hiring etc, to weed those types out.

turner.rook

Alright guys, I have been tumbling through stress to try an figure out the best way to start up my studies for the ccent and then ccna for the past few days. If anyone can PM or just let me know on here that would be great. So the question is, with the new test coming out, what is the best course of action in terms of simulated labs/tangible labs. Right now I have all day, every day, for like 2 months to slam my ccna out. I can't eat, sleep, and breath cisco. I have my books from ciscopress and the CBTS and only very basic knowledge networking to start me off. I also have 600 bucks to toss down on a build. But is the build worth it over just using packettracer and gns? And if it is, considering I still have till September to take the current icnd1 and icnd2 is a build with 1x 2621xm, 2x 2620xms, 1x 3550 swtich, 2x 2950 okay to work with 12.4 instead of having to spend more on the 1841 routers for 15.x and 3560 switches? Thank you for any responses, I am stressed to no end trying to figure this out. So any clear response is more than welcomed. Sorry if I am kinda thread jacking but I felt it relates to the thread as a whole and the responses will help other newbies out as well.

goldenlight

Just the motivation I need to get my CCNA. Finished reviewing my Net academy about a month ago. Hopefully Reviewing will go pretty quick. I have been procrastinating for about 30 days now. Hopefully I will knock out my ICND1 exam this month and ICND2 exam Next month.

Also learned that the Net Academy will be updated to CCNA 5.0 updates will start around June 2013 and should be completed by Dec 2013