Cisco's Exam Transparency Project --- How do you feel about it?

instant000

By now, some of you may have received the Cisco propaganda e-mail from the Learning Network about their Exam Transparency Project.

Of course, I was anxious to see what they meant by this transparency, and here it is.

New Certification Exam Topics Roll-Out
The Learning@Cisco Exam and Marketing teams are pleased to announce the completion of an "exam topic transparency" project, which was undertaken to increase openness about exams for Cisco certification candidates—consistent with certification industry best practice today. As part of this collaborative effort, the two teams have restructured the more than 170+ exam topic lists, or blueprints, that appear on the Cisco Learning Network and Cisco.com.

The topics have been made more transparent in two significant ways:

• They now show, as a percentage, the amount of focus, or weight, given to each general topic, or domain, in the exam. Knowing the percentages will allow certification candidates to allocate study and test-taking time more strategically.
• Further detail about each domain has been provided by means of subtopics, which will give candidates a clearer sense of exam coverage upfront.

Click on Cisco.com and Cisco Learning Network for an example of the new topics information for the 100-101 ICND1 exam.

Is this the transparency that you were looking for, or did you have something else in mind?

ande0255

I really like this idea, haven't seen this yet but it sounds great. I think this will help anyone without a clear idea of their career path, and those who are wondering what exams would best help their current job roles.

Thanks for posting!

ande0255

If I may inquire instant, what are your thoughts on the upcoming change?

fredrikjj

I haven't looked into it in detail, but I think it's a great change if it means that the CCIE blueprints are no longer more detailed than the lower level exams. The CCNP Route blueprint for example is pretty much a disaster where all the information you are given about OSPF is "implement OSPF".

instant000

ande0255 wrote: »

If I may inquire instant, what are your thoughts on the upcoming change?

Umm, it's not an upcoming change. It has already occurred. My feeling is that it wasn't what I was looking for.

To me, transparency would mean that they're not holding anything back, and you will get a complete list of topics on the exam. This would enable the Cisco Press authors to create content that can adequately prepare candidates for the tests. This would enable candidates to be confident that they've covered all the topics that they will face on exam day. Don't we remember what happened with the SWITCH certification guide? There were MANY complaints on the Cisco Learning Network about the certification guide being an inadequate preparation tool for the exam. Because candidates were tested on things that clearly weren't included in the text of the guide, the Cisco Press author had to add supplemental content to the book to make up for the inventive exam writers.

Of course, this level of transparency seems to at least be a standard thing in the industry. I mean, look at Security+. It gives you a 23-page objectives list, complete with this pretty little disclaimer:

The lists of examples provided in bulleted format below each objective are not exhaustive lists.
Other examples of technologies, processes or tasks pertaining to each objective may also be included on
the exam although not listed or covered in this objectives document.

fredrikjj wrote: »

... I think it's a great change if it means that the CCIE blueprints are no longer more detailed than the lower level exams. The CCNP Route blueprint for example is pretty much a disaster where all the information you are given about OSPF is "implement OSPF".

If this is your concern, then you will be disappointed. It does not address this issue. The expert level exam blueprints are still more detailed than those of the lower level exams. You should check out the updated blueprint for ROUTE: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-6565. All they did was stick percentages besides the topics.

Hrm, so what do I really have to say?

To Cisco: My definition of transparency isn't quite the same as yours. To be transparent, you should make sure that exam writers are playing from the same sheet of music as everyone else: Cisco Press, third parties, and candidates.

To the candidates: I would be very careful with the percentages. I caution any candidate that not understanding a 5% topic can hurt you in scenarios where it is tested in combination with a 20% topic. It is my suspicion that Cisco employs psychologists to assist them in creating their exams, as they have this way of writing clever questions that look simple at the beginning, but actually require a little thought to answer.

P.S.: I did have an alternate view of transparency, which meant that Cisco would explain their examination process. They would explain how they choose electrical engineers who double-majored in educational psychology to write their clever questions. It would be nice for them to explain how they run stats to see what types of questions candidates miss the most, and figuring out a clever way to test these topics from many different angles. It would be nice if they were able to somehow share data on the topics that candidates struggle on, so that the prep material makers could invest additional time and resources in explaining these topics.

I mean, come on, wouldn't it be great if Cisco published stats that showed that 50% of candidates missed questions involving virtual-links in OSPF? Wouldn't this type of data be helpful?

ande0255

I've always felt in the back of my mind that the exams were dynamic / adaptive, in a way that really tests against your initial weaknesses. Like the beginnings always felt like feeler questions, and then the follow 50+ questions were based around the questions I kind of guessed at.

Of course that's not based on anything at all, probably more psychological than fact, but it's always kind of came off that way in the exam room and looking back on the patterns of questions.

JaneDoe

Cisco should publish a book covering everything that could be on the exam, written by people who help write or at least see the exam. Much of the book could come from existing documentation.

instant000

JaneDoe wrote: »

Cisco should publish a book covering everything that could be on the exam, written by people who help write or at least see the exam.

This already happens, at least in seeing the exam. I seriously doubt it occurs in helping to write the exam. I'll explain why. I'm assuming that most of the authors have seen the exams (or, at least, a past iteration of them), since they are maintaining their certifications. These authors like to list their certs, even the Windows NT ones.

I'm sure that Wendell Odom doesn't write exam questions. If he did, he wouldn't have to wonder

how to figure out what's on the exam

Source: http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/45822

I don't want "guaranteed to pass." I want "guaranteed to cover all topics." There is a difference.

Much of the book could come from existing documentation.

I thought that this was already done? (How many times have we seen the Bob ping Sally example that I seem to remember first appearing in a TCP/IP book?) Authors have differing flavors, which tend to come out in their writing, and might cause a candidate to prefer one over another.

Hope this helps.

EDIT:

From that earlier link, here is what Wendell Odom suggested for places to get the test topics. This example list is for CCNA Security

The official CCNA Security Exam topics at Cisco.com
Content of the authorized course
Content of the Exam Cert Guide (if it exists)
Content of the Self-study Guide (if it exists)
A not Cisco Press CCNA Security book
People you know
The Cisco Learning Network
Opinions from communities, like the CLN CCNA Security Study Group

I guess my point is that it highlights how there is not a good list of preparation topics. Still, what is available is usually more than adequate to pass if you study hard, so maybe I'm making up an issue that doesn't really exist.

JaneDoe

I support moving the exam to an all simlet format. Anything that requires less memorization and more "can you do this" would be great. Maybe a few multiple choice concept questions would be a good idea.

instant000 wrote: »

I don't want "guaranteed to pass." I want "guaranteed to cover all topics." There is a difference.

I don't think there is, at least not as long as it's a good test. If they publish adequate materiel on all the topics they expect candidates to understand, and the candidate studies and understands all of that material, they should be guaranteed to pass the exam. If publishing all the material required to pass the exam fills an encyclopedia (as it might for the CCNP), so be it. Once they published that, others could continue writing books that are easier to study from, include more examples, etc.

networker050184

JaneDoe wrote: »

Cisco should publish a book covering everything that could be on the exam, written by people who help write or at least see the exam. Much of the book could come from existing documentation.

They do this in the official course material. The books are just supplemental information by authors.