Need Input for Cisco training.

[Guest_imported]

I have taken Cisco Academy 1 & 2, and My employer wants me to complete my CCNA training, or at least gain the rest of the knowledge I need for CCNA. I could wait till spring 2003 to complete semester 3 & 4, but we are wanting to get trained pretty quick. Does anyone have any recommendations for any particular boot-camps, or companies that give the 1 week or 2 week training, I really enjoyed the Academy, because it was very thorough, and doing the Labs helped a lot.

 

[dogbert2]

Don't skip on the Network Academy, what you learn in Sem 3
and 4 is really the heart of the CCNA (RIP, IGRP, VLANS,
Frame Relay, etc). I took and passed my CCNA exam
(640-407) in June of last year, took the (640-507) in
November of last year (I was almost done with Sem 4),
and then took my CCNA (640-441) and Network+ in
December.

If you have a good network academy and good instructors that
make you learn, that's the best
way. There is NOTHING worse than paying $125 for the
CCNA exam and NOT passing it. I would also get practice
exams for the CCNA 2.0 (640-607) from

http://www.boson.com

along with the cisco press CCNA prep book (can't
remember the ISBN, but it is written by Wendell Odom,
who is a CCIE).

In reality, the boot camps are nice, but ask yourself a
question, after attending, how WELL do you think you
know the material, and would you be able to apply the
knowledge on the job (never mind about getting the cert)?

 

[Guest_imported]

Thank you Dogbert2, I had pretty much what you described in an Instructor, and like I said the Academy is excellent!
One question about the tests you took. Are there two tests, or were you talking about the version of test?

 

[dogbert2]

The exam I took in June of last year was the first version
of the CCNA exam (passed), the one I took in November was
version 2.0 of the CCNA exam (passed). The current version
has simulations on it, and is what my co-worker took a couple of months ago (640-607).

You only need to pass the 640-607 to get your CCNA, but
you also have to pass the 640-441 to get a CCDA (which
is a focus on design of networks from a cisco point of
view). The pass score on the 640-607 is 849 or higher,
and if you pass, you will get your materials in the
mail in 4-6 weeks. The CCNA and/or CCDA cert is valid
for 3 years, after which you must re-test to renew it.