Failed CCENT/ICND1

[mark135]

I Falied ICND1 three times, all the time geting score around 700-750, running out of time

Passing Score 804

i used Boson and selftest to practic questions and all the time get 80 - 100 % pass.

any help?

 

[maczen]

Any time you take an exam always dump the questions just after. In other words walk out after the test and write down everything that you can remember. This is for the sole purpose of self study and not to post online.

That said, I am a fan of the CiscoPress book '31 days before the CCENT' and

http://www.measureup.com

The first will run you about $20 and the second is $109. They should be used together. Feel free to buy a copy of the CCNA Flashcards if you want as well. I have heard good things about it but never tried it. The Flashcards are referenced in the book I mentioned on several occasions.

Here is how to use these tools. Begin by setting a date for ICND1 approximately 45 days out. Begin using the measureup tool. Choose only ask questions that have not been asked before at first and ALWAYS review the answer until you completely understand it. Keep a separate tab open with Google... LoL I normally took 10 questions mini-exams as this allowed me plenty of time to research the gray areas.

When you reach 31 days until exam time begin using the 31 days before CCENT book (and flashcards if you have bought it as well). Just follow the outline. Many days will be very short. Less than thirty minutes even. Use the book recommendations for extra study on these days followed by measureup. Never stop using measureup until your actual exam. At that point you should be able to pass any measureup exam with a 100% every time and more importantly you should grasp the content.. all of it with no gray areas because those areas are the ones that will cause you to miss on your exam.

Finally, you know if you are having problems with the sims or other types of questions. If this is the case then make sure that you are able to accomodate the troubleshooting type questions listed on the exam blueprint. Good luck and I hope this helps!

B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[lerdalt]

Good advice...other thing I like to do is take my score sheet, then go out to Cisco's site and look at the exam blueprint. I always keep my sheets too, but at the site, try to look at areas you might be consistently weak on and give them some extra focus. Keep reviewing the stuff you were strong on though. You don't want to forget anything you've already worked so hard on.

Are you using anything besides Boson and Self Test? Personally, I was not a fan of either of them for the Cisco exams. Self Test was excellent for Novell, but the demo's I tried out for Cisco, just didn't seem to cut it. Of course, don't use them as your primary study materials. I like using the practice test engines as a quick review to either gauge where I'm at, or to just quiz myself quickly throughout the day.

It is very doable, but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Mark,

You said - "i used Boson and selftest to practice questions and all the time get 80 - 100 % pass."

You DO NOT want to PRACTICE questions !!!!! You need to LEARN the material FIRST and THEN use the practice tests to see where you are !!!!! Study the material, take the practice test and then look at what areas you need to go back to and study more, by just taking the practice exams you are learning THOSE quesations and are NOT ready for the real thing - why you have failed 3 times!!!!!

I have been saying here for many years - I sugest at the very least 2 books on the subject - one from Cisco Press (like Billy said above) and the other the CCNA Study Guide by Todd Lammel. Since you are working on ICND1 do as lerdalt said and go to Cisco and get the Exam Blueprint and then study that part from the CCNA book, it won't kill you if you study "too much", you will need to know it anyway!!!

You did not say ANYTHING about hands-on with a real Cisco lab - realisticly these are VERY HARD concepts that can be even harder WITHOUT hands-on practice - do yourself a favor and put together a Cisco lab as we have advised here many, many times, you have already spent enough for a lab in exam fees alone :-( Then you read about something - GO TRY IT IN YOUR CISCO LAB !!!!!! Learning by DOING !!!!! I have taught CCNA in a Cisco Network Academy for 10 years - I kind of know a little about this!!! On that subject ........

You also may want to find a Cisco Network Academy in your area and work your way through the 4 classes for a detailed learning experience!!! This might be very advisable if you plan to try and find a job in this area - passing the exam WITHOUT a great grasp of the material will not get you very far!!!


As lerdalt said - " It is very doable, but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Good luck


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[maczen]

Overview:

CiscoPress Books
Lammle Book
measureup
31 Days before CCENT
GNS3 or even better real hardware!



B Haines
CCNA R&S, ETA FOI

 

[burtsbees]

Oh---and do some acid before the test.

 

[mark135]

Thanks all

you are very help full.

I will try what you all said to do, except "acid".

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Mark,

I will try what you all said to do, except "acid".

Just don't blame Burt if you fail again

Good luck and after 3 failures, you really might want to look into the structured training of the Cisco Network Academy - CCNA!!!

Just a thought!!!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[burtsbees]

Actually, most people fail more than once the first time. Before the ccent path was available, I failed CCNA 3 times before I passed. Don't get discouraged. Look at all the pretty colors...

 

[lerdalt]

I hate to think how many times I failed various exams on my way to the CCNP. Let alone how much money was spent just on the exams total.

Here is my other advice for the test that are rather un-related.

-Use the blueprint as a study guide. This can give you a good outline of not only the topics covered, but you can use this to help judge yourself on areas you need to focus.

-Take good notes throughout studies. I've started using a spiral notebook to keep things better organized. I will go so far as to type up my notes later too. A trick I picked up in college and helps with a couple of things. 1, you are reading the notes again. 2, you are processing it again, by typing it back out. 3, can read a printed copy better than my own handwriting sometimes.

-Day before exam, only light review. At this point, it's either going to be you know it or you don't. Do not try and learn anything new that night before

-Good nights sleep before. I'm lucky and my test center is only a couple of miles away, so I schedule my tests about 9am, tell work I'm going to be late, and then sleep in a little bit, have a nice relaxing morning with some breakfast and a little tv.

-Get to the test center in plenty of time. Nice to get there and relax a bit. Take that last minute bathroom break, get a drink of water, etc.