Newest CCNA.

sart · February 2006

Well that wasn't so bad.

950/1000.
They gave me 120 minutes, I took 30.

Lots of STP, NAT, EIGRP. One redicilously simple router sim on OSPF. A new question format I haven't really heard about. I had a login to a switch, and had to answer 5 multiple choice questions based on discovery... I don't know how far my NDA goes but make sure you study your STP and VTP.

What did I use?
CCNA network academy in 2002. 3 years of fulltime handson CCNP-level cisco work. cisco.com. google. 1 week of review.
I work at the highest escalation level of an ISP fulltime. Network analysis! Change management, design, configuration, troubleshooting.

What's next?
I'm thinking Cisco firewall specialist. I do a lot of PIX work daily and I think it would bump me up a level. It's 2 exams where as the CCNP is 3 or 4 exams. CCSP is a bit much right now. I did interview for a security career but they were concentrating more on soft skills. I think experience in the security industry is a little more valued than the technical skills.

CCNP? Yeah. It's what I do. When I study I'll be concentrating mostly on filling in the blanks.

Cheers,
sart.

mikej412 · February 2006

WhooHoo!!

Congratulations!!

Hum, sounds like you got a testlet. I don't remember any from my CCNA or CCNP (but that doesn't mean they weren't there), but saw them in the Design Certs and now in the CCSP exams.

The CCNP is 4 exams -- the 3 area exams, routing, switching & wans. And then the troubleshooting exam which can cover anything troubshooting related from the first 3 exams.

I liked the CCNA Academy courses -- more than enough for the CCNA and a very sturdy foundation for the CCNP.

sart · February 2006

mikej412 wrote:

Hum, sounds like you got a testlet.

Do you mean that '5 multiple choice configuration' sort of thing?

mikej412 wrote:

The CCNP is 4 exams -- the 3 area exams, routing, switching & wans. And then the troubleshooting exam which can cover anything troubshooting related from the first 3 exams.

I'm starting the CCNP and the firewall specialist exams as soon as possible

My printout said that Cisco won't really know I passed for at least a week or two. Can someone verify this? I want to start on these other exams as soon as possible.

I'll have to add that I'm writing certification exams to display knowledge and experience that I already have and HR/Recruiters feel that my experience needs to be qualifyable in a standard they recognize. I'm not writing them with any lack of experience. -This goes to you folks who aren't working in the Networking field and who are trying to earn yourself a CCNP. Get yourself some experience first, the letters won't help the fact that you're a new grad.

I have to find new work because my employer is relocationg operations and I'm not willing to move across the country just for a job. 'CCNA req, CCNP preferred'. I'd like to share that I'm not finding any shortage of work, in fact i've turned down a few networking positions already. Experience helps. It's amazing at how much response I get to applications now compared to when I was a fresh grad.

I forgot to mention for others, too:
VLSM *is* in the CCNA.. this is referring to some other posts on the group asking if it was or was not.

mikej412 · February 2006

sart wrote:

Do you mean that '5 multiple choice configuration' sort of thing?

Yep, could be 3-5 multiple choice questions in one. Usually a graphic or background information, then maybe additional information for each related question. I've always wondered how they graded those...

sart wrote:

My printout said that Cisco won't really know I passed for at least a week or two. Can someone verify this? I want to start on these other exams as soon as possible.

Use one of the numbers on the printout to create your account on the Cisco Certification Tracking website. The URL should be on your score report. There may be more of a lag for your first certification, and getting a Cisco ID assigned -- but I think I was logged in on the tracking site within 48 - 72 hours.

They seem to do an update at night, and I think my scores have been there by the next day.

You actually don't need anything else right now to register for more tests other than your testing center login and $$ to pay. As long as you stay with one testing company (Prometric/Vue) until your Cisco ID syncs up with your candidate ID (took about 4 months with Prometric) you shouldn't have any problem.

Ahriakin · February 2006

I had something similar to your discovery question on the INTRO exam. Not going into specifics but there was a base diagram with neighbors minus any details, with drag and drop IPs/Interfaces/Types etc. at the bottom. You had to find the correct matches by manipulating the center device. It was fun actually

.

Well done on the exam btw, great score.

janmike · February 2006

Congrats!

Newest CCNA.

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