This journey is now complete - Passed ONT

Today I took the ONT exam and passed with a 901. Not as well, as I had hoped, but still happy with the result. So my CCNP is now complete. All told, I have spent 10 full months to complete the certification. I have treated this quest like a full time job, studying, researching or re-creating the networks layout in GNS3 or real gear from the home lab, all told I feel I spent at minimum 40 per week on the task at hand for the 10 months. I have also not let a single day go by, that I did not study on some level.

My immediate plans will be to start on the CCDA today and then ARCH after that to complete the CCDP. My mind is made up on that. After that, I am not sure which direction I will go, I really enjoyed, the QOS, and VOIP material, and may lean toward CCVP, or may go on the opposite end of the spectrum and go MSCE.

CCIE, is still in the back of my mind, but it is way back there at this point.

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Comments

ilcram19-2

congrats, welcome to the club

tech-airman

miller811,

miller811 wrote:

Today I took the ONT exam and passed with a 901. Not as well, as I had hoped, but still happy with the result. So my CCNP is now complete. All told, I have spent 10 full months to complete the certification. I have treated this quest like a full time job, studying, researching or re-creating the networks layout in GNS3 or real gear from the home lab, all told I feel I spent at minimum 40 per week on the task at hand for the 10 months. I have also not let a single day go by, that I did not study on some level.

Firstly, congratulations on passing the 642-845 ONT exam and subsequent CCNP certification!

miller811 wrote:

My immediate plans will be to start on the CCDA today and then ARCH after that to complete the CCDP. My mind is made up on that. After that, I am not sure which direction I will go, I really enjoyed, the QOS, and VOIP material, and may lean toward CCVP, or may go on the opposite end of the spectrum and go MSCE.

A warning about the 640-863 DESGN exam from the perspective of a formerly CCDA certified individual and 640-861 DESGN exam attempter. As you may or may not know, the CCNA -> CCNP -> CCIE - R&S are all part of the Routing & Switching track. However, there are other tracks to include Security, Voice, and Wireless. As such, even from the perspective of the 640-861 DESGN exam, it covers the full breadth of knowledge from Routing & Switching, Security, Wireless, AND Voice. Do NOT get overconfident that this is "just" an Associate level certification. I think it's called an "Associate" level certification because it encompasses the knowledge level for CCNP/CCSP/CCVP/AWLANFE but without the implementing and troubleshooting factors. I can only imagine that the 642-873 ARCH exam is going to be just as broad but deeper in knowledge. Either way, I wish you luck in your future Cisco certification endevours in the Design track.

Oh, and from an OSI Model perspective, the absolute other end of the spectrum would be the Application Layer therefore programming and not System Engineering so MCAD/MCSD/MCTS/MCPD? :P

miller811 wrote:

CCIE, is still in the back of my mind, but it is way back there at this point.

Keep in mind that in the beginning, there was only the CCIE certification so to achieve the CCNP certification is like a "miniature-CCIE" so you're now officially one step closer to CCIE by achieving CCNP certification.

Slowhand

Congrats, both on the pass and your new status as CCNP.

Sounds like you've got quite a road ahead, best of luck to you. By the time you finish up the CCDP and CCVP, I'm fairly sure that the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator will have gained some recognition in the industry, so you may want to give some thought to doing it in favor of the MCSE.

Plazma

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats man!!!!!! Finally a CCNP!!

redwarrior

Congratulations!!! It sounds like you have a pretty ambitious plan, but you've already taken a huge step there.

Sigh...I wonder if I'll ever be posting one of these!