CCDA Study Material.

[ste1]

Can anyone advise.

I am planning on taking my CCDA asap. I already have CCNP so the technical stuff should be no issues.

I am looking for some reference material for the new design exam 640-861 DESGN. Looking on Amazon it doesn't appear that any books will be out until september.

Can anyone advise otherwise. Otherwise does anyone know how much the content has changed from the previous CCDA exam as I can get my hands on a book for the old exam.

Cheers in Advance

Ste

 

[dogbert2]

I would wait until the actual cisco press book comes out for it. I've passed the CCDA exam, and it was quite an
eye opener (40% of the exam was case studies and focused
on DESIGN, as opposed to pure cisco IOS or routers/switches.

The CID (CCDP) exam is a first class joke (i've even told cisco testing the same fact). The CCDA exam was MUCH harder in content and the poor question wording and content makes taking the CCDP quite suspect (it's the cert. that holds the lowest # of being issued to test takers).

A typical combination is a CCNP/CCDA, I don't see too many
CCNP/DP combo's (and until they get the new CCDP material out, and have a test which makes MORE sense, the CCDP will continue to lag).

Just my two cents worth

 

[ste1]

thanks for the info dogbert2

Do you know how different the content is from the old CCDA compared to the new one (640-861 DESGN).

I would imagine the design questions will be similar.

FRom your note my understanding is that its the CCNP design exam that is crap.

I have seen the Boson test for 640-861 DESGN.

Cheers

Ste

 

[dogbert2]

I don't know how different the 861 exam is from the old 441 exam which I certified under, but as I said, i'd wait until the actual book from cisco press is released (provides the best chances of success for passage). I used the Designing Cisco Networks book when I studied for and passed the CCDA
(the case study section was very helpful).

I don't know about the new CCDP exam, but the old one
(640-025 CID) is absolute crap (the CCDA exam was far harder and asked more relevant questions than the CCDP
exam did. Hopefully, cisco has fixed those problems
in the new CCDP exam (they want more CCDP's, they need
exams which design design and problem solving ability, not to ask stupid questions like:

In which version of IOS was NAT introduced? (it would make more sense to ask what NAT could be USED for in the network design and implementation phases).

<sigh>

 

[ste1]

I think that is the case on all of Cisco's exams. They ask a few meaningless questions testing someones abililty to memorise worthless information rather than examin if they actually understand the technology enough to use in real life, hence the fact that there are companies such as testking/fravo etc.

I suppose thats the limitation of computer based testing really, but I do think they could be a bit more thoughful in some of there questions.

Back to the CCDA. The book doesn't come out until sept and I am learning mode at the moment and didn't want to miss out on my new found motivation. I have done the Boson 640-861 DESGN exam and around 65% on all 4 tests so I am not a million miles away. I think I will read the book for the retired CCDA and see how I get on in the test rather than wait until Sept.

I am also going to start doing she checkpoint exams as I would like to learn a bit more about firewalls/VPNs. Plenty of opportunity at the mo at work to get some hands on. We use Nokias/CP Firewall1/NG

Cheers

Ste