Study Methods

Hello TE,

I want to know what are your guys study methods pertaining to to ICND1 or anything else? I haven't found my niche yet for my studying style but I believe it will come. Thanks.

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lantech

I went through a Cisco Net Academy program at my local community college. I am also using the book by Wendell Odom CCENT/CCNA ICND1, a home hardware lab and the Boson ExSim Max software once in awhile to test how well I'm retaining the knowledge.

NetworkVeteran

One good book on theory plus doing enough labs! That was my approach for CCNA/CCNP. For CCIP I'm trying a video instead of a book.

mella060

I started off with reading through the first few chapters in Todd Lammles CCNA study guide. A very good idea is to get some training videos such as CBT Nuggets (they are excellent), to go along with a book. They help to break up the theory in the books. I used the CBT Nuggets and would have been lost without them. Definitely get them if you can!! Id read a chapter in the book, then watch the nugget or video relating to the topic i was studying to help break up the theory.

When learning subnetting, start with the chapter on subnetting in Todd Lammles book (chapter 3). It is very good. It has a lot exercises to go through. I spent around 3 weeks on subnetting alone, doing exercises every day until i understood it properly and could answer the questions in my head. The key when learning subnetting is to WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. Get a piece of paper and write everything down on paper. In the beginning i had no idea how to subnet but after a few weeks i had mastered it. Now i just do it in my head.

After getting the basics down, grab a copy of Cisco Packet tracer and start setting up some basic networks/labs. Get familiar with the IOS.

That should be enough to start with.

binargs

i failed my icnd1 by 1 point and then passed it, now i failed my icnd2 by 5% and will try again soon.
my study method is the cisco book by odom, it's long and dry and boring but contains MOST of the information on the exam.
i also do cbtnuggets Jeremy Ciora videos, and they are much better as Ciora really makes the material fun. But it covers the same amount as Odom book.
the main thing is to learn the ideas and concept from them and then pass the test.
The cisco book should come with boson exams, they are horrid because they do not ask for things up front, they tend to trick you and ask question in a very wtf kind of way.
stay away from braindump sites or study question from them. it's pointless and you won't feel that good of achievement afterwards.

lantech

I love the Boson ExSim practice tests. They aren't actually trying to trick you with tricky questions. They are trying to make sure that you know the information and can work through any question that Cisco is going to ask you. They not only give you why the right answer is right but why the wrong answers are wrong. If you can work through the questions on the Boson exams you should be able to pass the actual certification test. It's still no guarantee though.

Alhaji265

So when you guys first started learning Cisco or any other material, were you nervous and had worries about learning the material? It seems that I get these feelings whenever I study.

NetworkVeteran

I can't say I was ever nervous about studying the theory. After all, they are just facts. I've learned many facts before! So have you. If you complete all the labs in the Cisco Academy, or other quality lab manual, you'll also be fast enough for the sims (and remembering the most important, practical facts becomes that much easier. I do not read multiple books. I'm a foreword and onward type!

Roguetadhg

I tend to look at these thick books and thinking "How the hell am I going to remember all of this." Even now. I look at black text and white pages and I admit I go through shock. I've never been one for studying.

Here's the kicker: I remember when I said this about the ICND1 book, and I remember thinking the same thing. The exact same feeling. Remembering this calms me quick fast and a hurry. I remember through practice. Practice the commands, and remember each time you type a command "Why" you're typing it. Take it one step at a time, nothing great can be accomplished in any instant. It takes time to screw, swallow and learn.

Cisco certifications are designed to be difficult, rightly so. I would rather have the exams so difficult that to get it I would need to put hundreds of hours of work to achieve. They have an exam already - the CCIE. They don't get respect because the test is easy. No, they some form of respect because they've achieved what others can't or won't do. It's expensive, it's time consuming, it's deep and it's dirty /I][I]Sounds like a good time[/I Even those who are trying for it get respect immediately.

Likewise Cisco certification students get respect because the tests are still hard, it's deep and it's unfamiliar. The exams test to see if you can do more than memorize and put out there facts. Piecing together the small clues about what to do, test you so much more.

Honestly, I get too excited thinking about it. It's the wierdest thing.

matt333

go through all the videos i have.. CBT and/or signal train.. then one chapter review it... REPEAT.
cisco test seem very fair to me.. passed on first try for both ICND 1 &2

binargs

i disagree on the boson exams. now to be fair the one i am talking about is the one that came with the cisco books. i never purchased any addition boson from their site.

in particular with icnd2, i think the boson exam still try every book to trick you and overly test you on the subnet assignment category, and completely ignored stuff like vpn, ah, esp, ipv6 stuff like ::, ::192.168.1.1, the difference in tunneling, methods to ospf load balancing or change the cost of ospf interfaces, etc. like all materials, it cover most but not all.
and that not all part was enough to cause me fail the icnd2. hopefully attempt #2 will be better.

MAC_Addy

I have actually found that the ICND2 book by Odom to be very informative and provide more than enough for the exam. I do also have the CCNA book by Todd Lammle, which I read first and then go over Odom's book to make sure it's set in my head and it also provides a little more detailed information on some topics.

Alhaji265

matt333 wrote: »

go through all the videos i have.. CBT and/or signal train.. then one chapter review it... REPEAT.
cisco test seem very fair to me.. passed on first try for both ICND 1 &2

What did you scored on both exam if you can remember? Did you score high?