failed ccna intro [ Please advice :( ] 3

[083017]

First sorry for the bad english (my first language is spanish).

I took 640-821 but i failed i got a score 783 and im sure that i got owned at the labs and maybe another questions.

The exam was "look at the picture" almost all the time but the questions were about show commands and the labs were about password configuration and interface configuration but add subnetting to that scenario and the labs "lock" a lot of show commands.

I need some advice before retake the exam.

This is the study material that i have at this point.

Books

CCNA Certification Library (CCNA INTRO AND CCNA ICND by Wendell Odom) and Sybex CCNA INTRO both are the most recent versions.

Exam Simulator

The exam sim from the CCNA INTRO book
The free test from how2pass.com
The exam sim from the Sybex book

A lot of people told me to try the testking.com but im not sure what to do .

The results

Design and Support 100%
Implementation and Operation 67%
Technology 60%

After 4 months of study im frustated but i really want to do this again and succeed.

Thanks for your help

 

[CiscoGuy33]

083017,

The CCNA is all about knowing the Cisco IOS like the back of your hand - that means understanding "show" commands and knowing what they will show you on the router - that is how you troubleshoot!!

Sounds like you need a little more time on the sims or some real routers!

It would help if you had several real routers - you can get some 2501s or 2514s for next to nothing on eBay - then as you are reading a command in the book - try the command - see what it does or what it shows you - write it down and tell what it does in your own words - soon you will remember the command - if you want to work as a CCNA it is very important to have a good understanding of these basics.

You can do the same with some sims - do the labs in the books but also do your own exploring - that is why I like the routers off eBay - you have to hook them up, offen clear passwords, troubleshhoot problems so you learn alot by having to do it for yourself.

My students in the Cisco Network Academy had to erase 5 routers and then configure them all several times while in the program - those that passed the CCNA did it MANY times Practice does make perfect!

As for subnetting - you will see it on the CCNA exams - I had 10-12 subnetting questions on my exam in one way or the other. If you have not been to

http://www.howtosubnet.com

- GREAT site!!!

I would avoid Test King - that just leads to a "Paper CCNA" - all they are doing is learning questions and passing the exam - it will not help you when you go for the job interview and they figure out you have just a "paper cert" ! Testkings will come back to haunt you - DO IT RIGHT - LEARN WHAT YOU NEED TO PASS THE EXAM AND WORK AS A CCNA!!!

Hope this helps!


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

 

[slaytan69]

I wouldn't discount Test King at all. Since some of the answers are wrong, it kind of forces you to do some research on the subject and make sure you have the right answer. It's a great study aide, in my opinion.

Nothing beats working on switches and routers. You might want to check out Test-Out CCNA; I found it pretty helpful.

 

[DigitelD]

I am still studying for my CCNA and I usually look at the conensus of what everyone says. I hear alot of CCNA's especially those who have been in for a long time, discourage TestKing. I want the knowledge not just the paper.

SHK Certified (School of Hard Knocks)

 

[FWHATER]

It seems to me, everyone's knocking being a " paper ccna ". Folks, you have to get the real world experience somehow. You can't run out and buy ALL the gear that enterprise environments use. Use testking, sims and anything else that you have to, to get certified. Get in on the ground floor. Once you do, you'll have actual hands on experience. Just be careful not to crash anyone's network !!

 

[ramadani]

i posted this in another thread - but i was really wondering if anyone could help -

Was wondering if anyone ever heard of testout navigator for the ccna testing simulator? i am about to step through it - and my husband says its one of the best simulators - but just wondered if anyone else has used it or what thier thoughts were on it....thanks!

also - i am trying to ebay a router and switch - as i am much better with hands on exp and feel more compelled not to just learn 'test' material - but actually 'work' on the systems. so in that aspect i agree with you ciscoguy. i have several 'papers' and hard copies of test material as well - but as my husband says - sometimes its easier to reference electronically than paper....but i like having a paper copy of the comands (i like to reference them quite often - even though i know i will have to know most of these by heart for the exam) as it helps me learn them better than going back and forth in the electronic program online...

any thoughts? thanks for any input!

 

[iolair]

First off, don't give up! Keep at it, look, you've gotten 60% of one piece, 67% of another piece, and 100% of the third piece. I used Self-Test Software to pass my Novell CNE exams, and have been using them since 1995. I used them on the Intro exam, and am now studying for the ICND exam. I have found that if you work with them daily for a couple of months, you're ready. Good Luck. Please continue working on this, you won't regret it.



Iolair MacWalter
Director of IT

 

[DigitelD]

Thanks for a different point of view FWHATER! I never thought of it that way. Sometimes it is hard to get in on the ground floor.

SHK Certified (School of Hard Knocks)

 

[GM2005]

Don't loose heart would be my advice and don't rush back in and fail again straight away. All I can offer is (sorry if I repeat others)

You simply have to get hands-on as the router commands are the absolute fundamentals for your future day to day work. Reading commands and output from a book will not get you through and will not really teach you the logicality of what you are doing. There are excellent simulators around and sites that have free

What are you struggling with? I got through by asking for help or advice and if I did not understand what I was told admitted it and asked again. I found it refreshing to find plenty of people wiling to help.

Go over the technologies again as you need to bump that mark up a lot. Once again, what specifically do you feel weak in?

testking etc are a grey area. I now of people who have found their exams to be carbon copies of the actual exam, but if you don't take my advice on anything else, take this. You will get found out if you do not genuinely know your business.

Remember that Cisco is a brand and networking technologies are basic principals regardless of vendor. Knowing the underlying technologies and methods will help you to see the bigger picture.

I sincerely hope this helps. I have taught at a cisco network academy and trust me you will get there and it will feel good, and you will enjoy a better work experience afterwards. That I can promise you.

 

[CiscoGuy33]

GM2005,

You made some great points on getting the hands on pratice.

I saw Cisco routers for $25 to $50 each on eBay - for less then $200 you could get 3 2500 routers and cables and get all the hands on that you could want for the CCNA - nothing like setting up and troubleshooting your own lab!

I do not agree with FWHATER about "paper certs" just to get the job - as GM2005 pointed out - it will catch up with you - I have had students who were paper CCNAs take classes in the Cisco Academy because they had been "found out" in the interview and in one case after 3 weeks (he was fired).

This forum is a great place to ask the questions - that you are not sure of!

Just my thoughts!


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

 

[doktor]

Hi

Try to see my description on this subject...
thread473-1324808
///doktor

 

[Virtue218]

One good way that I've implicitely discovered to get quite a bit of hands-on while progressing through my CCNA course is to repeat previous lab steps unto whatever lab I'm working on now.

Consider the following. Yesterday I completed a lab where 2 routers needed to network with 2 switches, which in turn networked with 2 hosts, simulating 3 subnets in total. Today I worked on a lab that required a simple setup of a VLAN on a switch. Instead of simply setting up my VLAN on the switch, I recreated yesterday's lab by setting up all routers, switches, and hosts all over again. I then created 2 VLANs, instead of 1, on the 2 available switches. This effectively merged yesterday's and today's lab with everything in it, also enabling me to balloon the number of times I need to process the topology problems and the commands necessary to make it all work.

After 2 weeks of studying and practicing like this, I can practically telnet into a router, go en, config t, then configure an ip, enable secret, encrypt passwords, and copy run start with my eyes closed... lol

This of course is something that can only be done when permissible as some previous labs might call to perform certain commands that might negate those used in your current lab.

Anyway, just thought I'd share this, its worked great for me so far.

Best of luck to all.

 

[doktor]

Virtue218

Yep!
Hands-on does the job! Our teacher at the CCNA training course told us that there was a simple rule: "No lab -> no Cert".
Try to see my description on this subject...
thread473-1324808
///doktor

 

[083017]

Today i passed CCNA INTRO with 983/1000!!!!!

I'm very happy and just a month after my first try i passed the exam in just 30 minutes .

I used the Bosom Netsim and Cisco Packet Tracer 4.0 labs to practice a lot and that help me with the simulations in the exam.

Thank you all for all your replies. I will take a little one week vacation and then ICND study is the next

 

[083017]

The result this time

Design and Support 100%
Implementation and Operation 95%
Technology 100%

 

[iolair]

Congratulations!

Iolair MacWalter
Director of IT

 

[doktor]

I wish you good luck with the ICND. The studies for the the ICND are more interesting, I personally think.
ICND gives you more detailed info on router and switches.
Some students will find the ICND harder, but as (I think) it was more interesting, than the INTRO, I only have one very good advice: Do all the Labs!(Hands-on makes the cert).
///doktor

 

[CiscoGuy33]

083017,

Great job!

Good luck on the next section!


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

 

[helpdeskdan]

Good job & good luck on the next!

 

[HungryHouse]

If I may offer an opinion.
I also agree that a paper CCNA is not what employers are interested in. We are always looking for experienced network guys who have field experience and understand network technology, problem solving, and certainly can communicate such with co-workers, customers, etc. So, in summary on that point, experience and skills first, certification second. We will take a 10-year network pro with no certifications over a kid who just graduated who happened to study at home and pass CCNA...high score or not.

That being said, everyone must start somewhere, and I understand why network newbies go out and seek the CCNA. However, even though Cisco has crafted the CCNA to be the beginning cert, in my opinion, it is not "entry-level". It covers seemingly every lan/wan technology and applying such technologies to Cisco routers and switches. Because of such, I do have respect for CCNAs, however, not those who just look to mimic questions, and answers. I do not advise any of the question database sites as your primary means. This will create horrible habits and it will catch up to you, as many in this valuable thread have eluded to. Its best to intern with an organization while studying for the CCNA and use some real-life equipment whenever possible.

There are several of us who are Cisco certified here, and the CCNAs that mean something are those that have had some sort of experience and then took the exam.
Those that take the exam right off the bat who are valiantly trying to get in the door fell into two camps generally.
One group crash and die because they were JUST looking to get ahead and didnt really care to truly learn the technologies. These are the types that tend to take the exam time after time after time, and maybe pass at some point (Please understand that I am not slamming those who fail this exam. Its quite tough, and often may require several tries for many). One that I know remembers NADA from her CCNA cert, and was merely hoping to impress the bosses and get a raise. Ultimately, she is now no longer in networking technology. Some others in this same group may pass quickly but flop in the real world because they can not apply what they learn and think independently outside the context of exam scenario.

The other group are those that want to make networking/IT their career, and have a true vested interest in it. They investigate what they don't understand, and are seeking rationale, technology-application, and IP understanding, rather than trying to figure out how to merely figure out how to outsmart the exam. The exam becomes far more reasonable when approaching it with this aspect.

Thanks for listening all.