CCNA Certification- How to pass with good score

CCNA- Cisco Certified Network Association is a famous computer networking certification designed by the Cisco systems. The purpose of this certification is to know the competency of the taker in installation and support of small to medium size networks. This certification exam has no prerequisites and is a 90 minutes written exam. Various other companies and Cisco itself offers different training courses to assist students in the preparation of this exam. The topics which are to be covered in the CCNA exam include:

  • IP addressing
  • WAN and LAN design
  • Routing protocols and routers
  • Network management and security
  • WLAN and VLAN

You will be asked to explain how networking works, apply an IP service and addressing scheme to meet the requirements of a network in a medium size networking, troubleshoot and identify a switch with VLAN, configure, troubleshoot and verify routing and basic operation of router on Cisco devices, identifying security and networking threats etc.

The exam requires you to choose between two paths, whether to take a single composite exam or split it into two. If you decide to give it in two parts, the exam will include ICND1 and the ICND2. The single composite exam would include complete 200-120 Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices; it requires information about cabling, TCP/IP basics and Ethernet. If you are familiar with how these work you can apply straight for the single composite exam.

How to prepare for a good score:

How you wish to practice for CCNA greatly depends on how much experience and knowledge do you have regarding the networking and your selected certification. Your options for preparation include hiring an instructor, approaching practical labs, study materials and practice tests. Stimulations and books are the most efficient preparation tools. However for better experience it is advisable to add an instructor led training in your study plan.

You must become familiar with the stimulation, teslet and simlet tool. Practice with these would allow students to understand the nature of the tools. There is a great amount of stress on switching, access lists, routing protocols, stimulation and subnetting. Subnetting is the most important part of the exam and you must fully understand the concept of subnetting. Start practicing your access list commands and learn about what they do.

Build speed for Simulation:

Stimulation is likely to slow down your speed during the exam and is however one of the most important part of the test. In order to prepare you well for this part it is advised to practice on real routers or stimulators. G In the exam there are usually three to five questions regarding the stimulation. The questions are designed to test your ability to configure switches and routers in different cases. It will test your understanding about listing commands, analyzing and troubleshoot cases.

Self study material:

Self study is a popular option for those who have experience with networking. Some of the popular self study materials are:

  • Cisco Press Author Training Vidoes: BYOD, ISL, Qos, VPAN etc
  • Cisco Demo practice E-learning for CCNA
  • CCNA Routing and Switching Study Session with Andre Laurent
  • Cisco Demos E-Learning for CCNA
  • Cisco Learning labs

Along with the self study material practice on IOS (cisco ) is also suggested. Learn and understand all the IOS topics and figure out how they work. If you understand the concepts carefully, the material would be enough to help you target a good score.

Practice exam software:

There are various practice exam software’s being sold by training vendors. CBTNuggets, INE, IPExpert are some famous vendors. GNS3 and Packet tracer are popular simulation software’s you can install to build a lab for practice. Practice as much as possible till you have a good speed built for simulation.

These practice software’s come with 400 questions, 100 questions for 4 practice tests which means you can practice the test 4 times. There are chances you will fail the first test, don’t be disappointed as it is common.

Manage your time:

The total time allotted for the test is 90 minutes. To achieve a good score time management is the most important. Practice about how much time you need to give to each question. Once you have attempt a question you cannot go back to it. As mentioned above simulations demand more time but have the most weight age as well. There will be a significant amount of subnetting in your exam and you must practice to be fast at it. Access lists, OSI models and subnetting are the second most time consuming parts of the exam. Be However, you must not lose understanding and concentration in the rush.

Practice- The key to pass CCNA

Apply every configuration and protocol possible so that you can practically experience how all of this works. The key to clear CCNA exam with a good score is a lot of practice. Understand the facts, theories and be able to use IOS interface with commands and syntax. Take your time to learn how the switches and routers work and you will find your way very easy to clear CCNA exam with a good score.

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