Study Time Required For CCENT & CCNA

(I posted something similar to this on the Linux Forum "in regards to Linux", Wanted get an idea of which certification to do after Net+ with my time frame)

I’m Travis. I have a couple years of experience in technology as a PC tech, ISP service installation/troubleshooting tech, and telecommunications (RF). I’m currently studying for the Network+ exam and sit for it next Tuesday. I had a question about study time for CCENT and CCNA. I was recently laid off from a tech job with Ericsson and have a few months to get some certs before going back to work. My question is, do you think studying 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for a month-5 weeks (160 hours-200 hours) is enough for time for one pass the CCENT, and can that same course of study be replicated for the CCNA (part 2) exam? I have the time to put into it, I just want to make sure it can actually be done in that time frame. Also, for the 2^nd exam (200-101) after 4 weeks of self-study I would recap with the official CCNA course @ New Horizons in Orlando, FL.
List of study materials (If I’m lacking please let me know):

· Wendell Odom’s CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-101 Official Cert Guide
http://www.amazon.com/CCENT-ICND1-100-101-Official-Guide/dp/1587143852/ref=sr_1_4?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421187206&sr=1-4&keywords=CCNA&pebp=1421187381985&peasin=1587143852

· Wendell Odom Labs
CCENT ICND1 100-101 Network Simulator: Wendell Odom, Sean Wilkins: 9780789750433: Amazon.com: Books

· CBT Nuggets

· Last but not least the official CCNA (200-101) course @ New Horizons Orlando (finishing off my GI Bill with the course)

Thank you,
-Travis

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Comments

rowelld

Sounds aggressive IMO but if you have the time then I say go for it. Before you take the exam get an idea of where your general weak areas are with a practice exam.

I would just be concerned with fatigue from so much studying.

tecnodog7

Dude that sounds awesome.
I was also on an aggressive schedule when i started in November. At that time i was still going to school so i would do about 3 hours of studying a day(using CBT Nuggets, GO JEREMY!!!!!). I finished ICND 1 in 2 weeks with the labs and then i focused on finals but would review my notes daily to make sure. Then once finals ended I looked at the series a second time. Finished that last week. Now i'm debating weather to pick up the book and go through that, or should i go back for a third time and get a real good grip on it.

There were times where i would pass the 4+ hour mark and i would be tired. Except when i did the OSPF lab with ACL ( took me 5 hours with troubleshooting cuz i'm an idiot)

But anyway If you have the time go for it. It's awesome and good luck. I'll be taking my ICND Part 1 in two weeks.

bradl3yC

tecnodog7 wrote: »

Dude that sounds awesome.
I was also on an aggressive schedule when i started in November. At that time i was still going to school so i would do about 3 hours of studying a day(using CBT Nuggets, GO JEREMY!!!!!). I finished ICND 1 in 2 weeks with the labs and then i focused on finals but would review my notes daily to make sure. Then once finals ended I looked at the series a second time. Finished that last week. Now i'm debating weather to pick up the book and go through that, or should i go back for a third time and get a real good grip on it.

There were times where i would pass the 4+ hour mark and i would be tired. Except when i did the OSPF lab with ACL ( took me 5 hours with troubleshooting cuz i'm an idiot)

But anyway If you have the time go for it. It's awesome and good luck. I'll be taking my ICND Part 1 in two weeks.

I can tell you that the books (Lammle and Odom's) are WAY more granular than the CBT videos. How much of that is on the exam? I dont know, but there is significantly more information in the books.

Jon_Cisco

Assuming you have the basic knowledge and pass the Net+ that you are about to take I think you can bang out CCENT in a month if you go at it full time.

Only you will know if you can keep up with that kind of studying and retain the data. I would suggest one hour of reading and 2 - 3 hours of labs. The labs are easier to keep up with long term and you are reinforcing what your read so you will probably retain the information better.

I never used the simulator so I can't say if it works. However if it does not work for you do some searching and get a copy of packet tracer. It will allow you to build out most of whats covered in the ICND1 and ICND2. Some things don't work but you can fill in the gaps with reading and just look up the commands in google to make sure you understand them.

I spent a full year studying for CCNA but I was not in a time crunch and I was working and going to school full time so I could not dedicate full days to it.

Good Luck.

CCIE Wanna Be

I think you're going to burn yourself out before you even get started with that aggressive of a schedule, but that is just MHO. I work full-time plus some and I spent only about six weeks and during the week about 2-3 hour reading a chapter or two a day and watching videos. On the weekends I would lab and/or take a practice and still read a couple of chapters in the OCG and watch videos. I had about 3-5 randomly placed off days to let my brain rest and synthesize the information, plus it adds a cushion for when "murphy" comes to visit (i.e having built-in make-up days). Whatever time you have outside of studying you can use to practice subnetting. I f you can keep the pace you suggested, you probably can do it in half the time, so long as you are actually understanding and synthesizing the material.

Best of luck to you!

mjnk77

You could do it in that amount of time, if not sooner if that's all you're doing. But as CCIE Wanna Be stated, you could burn yourself out. Besides the study material, download packet tracer. You can get all the labs, from beginner to expert and you can track your progression. It's nice to have the money to build your own lab, but don't go spending money if you decide the CCNA route isn't for you. I'm going to send you a PM.

gorebrush

Took me 3 months to study for the CCNA - I did the composite way back when.... 2008...

I studied a few hours every evening and most weekends.

At the time I had very little experience with Cisco, so I feel I did very well.

overthetop

In all honesty if you have the ability to subnet very very very well I think you could pass the CCENT. I think that if I knew how to subnet and subnet only and knew nothing else I could of passed the CCENT. To me most of the exam seemed to have something to do with the S word. Maybe it was just my exam at the time.

look at post again...

New Horizons... Please don't pretty please. They contacted me before with these promises and guarantees and like a 40 page presentation and offered resume assistance and job placement......I could go on. Read the forums/Internet don't go to New Herizons. YOU CAN SELF STUDY FOR THE CCNA I PROMISE YOU and spend less than 100 bucks

gorebrush

Yeah totally, I spent like $40 on the book and played with some 2500's and 2950's I got cheap.

I've never paid to go on a course, self study all the way.

The_Expert

Your question is difficult to answer... every person is different. I took 6 months for CCENT, just because I'm the type of person who really wants to understand everything before moving on. CCENT in 3 months is very doable at a relaxed pace.

I will second the comment about burn-out, as I feel you are trying to be a little too aggressive.

I'm now studying for the ICND2, and am taking it even slower. For some reason, the topics aren't wanting to stick in my brain. Plus, I really haven't taken any real breaks between certification tests.

Give the material a try and see how far you can go. Again, everyone is going to have different study habits / retention.