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Tips for Network Academy CCNA course

I have just completed semester 4 of the CCNA course. My next step is to take the actual exam - but thought I would share a few tips with anyone who are still taking their course or are about to start.

DO CASE STUDIES At the end of the semester you are expected to hand in your case study. You can reach the case study by selecting this from the pulldown-menu on the cisco.netacad.net website - it is at the bottom of the menu, where you can reach the materials for each semester.

So - when you start the semester also start looking at the case study. It is structured in such a way that you can start after having done just the first module of the semester. Do NOT wait until the end of the semester - it can be a lot of work.

I would recommend you really focus on the case studies for CCNA 3 and 4. For example, the case study in Semester 4 covers Frame Relay, OSPF, access lists, subnetting and switching. All important subjects which will give you a thorough preparation for the "real" exam.

MAKE NOTES Make notes as you go through each module. They will become vital when you want to revise later on. Also make notes after you have taken each module exam and semester exam.

ENABLE FEEDBACK - IF POSSIBLE Ask your instructor to enable feedback on your exams. That way you can go back and check your answers. This is important so that you can identify subjects you may not fully understand.

BUY THE BOOKS Although the materials on the netacad website are fantastic they do not always tell you enough. So - buy the Companion Guide which is very in-depth. A combination of the two will give you a really good understanding.

DO THE CCNA QUIZZES ON QUIA Before you attempt a module exam or semester exam, do the quia quizzes. These are often very similar to the questions on the exam and you can learn a lot.

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TAKE ALL MODULE EXAMS Don't skip any of the module exams - take all of them. Of all my fellow students those who studied throughout the year and took all the module exams did really well on their semester exams. It's amazing how much you will be able to remember even 1 year down the line if you have taken these.

E-LABS ARE GOOD PRACTICE You may have noticed the e-labs dotted around some of the modules? These are flash-based practicals that are very good configuration exercises. You can go through them as many times as you like, and you do not need any special equipment. Do them from home - after you have done some of them 5-6 times you will have learned the commands by rote.

GET LOTS OF LAB TIME If your college has a lab, use it. Practice cabling and configuration until you die. It is really important and will improve your understanding. If you do not have access to a lab, buy some routers and a switch

2nd hand. You can also buy a simulator, which is the next best thing.

GOOD LUCK...

Reply to
Per Hansen
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hi Per Hansen,

thank you very much for the advance information and best of luck for the exam.

Reply to
Nirmal Baral

Great tips Per!

I tell all my students almost all of that exactly!!!

If you are not taking the CCNA exam for a month or so here's what seems to be a useful book that will be available at the end of August.

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All the best.

Aubrey

Reply to
Aubrey Adams

Everybody learns in different ways. Personally, I find the class/online courses, boring, waste of time and money. Someone here said that he passed CCNA just by going over TestOut CBT and reading articles. That is, he did not have to go through the marathon of memorizations in the everlasting network Academy Course. Testout is working very well for me too; it gives you videotraining, concize study material and HANDS ON !!! The exercices and exams in the end of every chapter are something I do not find in other CBTs. However, TestOut might not work for other people!!

The Dude

Reply to
The Dude

Aubrey Adams

Thanx for the this information.

31 Days Before Your CCNA Exam: A Day-by-Day Quick Reference Study Guide

can you provide me its pdf version . me from nepal (south asia)i can't pay in $$$$ and not available here in nepal. :) so plz if you bought this book provide me pdf version ok.

regards nirmal

Reply to
Nirmal Baral

Not only do people learn different ways but their motivation for learning is different too. People already working in networking who just want to train to pass the certification exam would find TestOut or similar the most useful. I would suggest that most people not working in networking or IT who do pass the CCNA just using a CD-ROM and simulation software would still have a lot to learn before becoming a productive employee. Further, I would suggest the only way they would pass would be by "memorisation".

I wouldn't say: "TestOut LabSims are incredibly powerful tools that precisely duplicates the hardware and software environments of the major network operating systems, including Windows 2000, NetWare 5, and Cisco's IOS." is actually "HANDS ON!!!" I'd be interested to see how their "precise duplication of the Cisco IOS" simulates password recovery works :-)

It sounds like your Networking Academy experience was unfortunately not particularly positive. Didn't it include the required real hands-on practical lab component? This, and the minimum course time requirement (which can make it seem "everlasting", especially CCNA 1) are mandatory parts of the Academy's agreement with Cisco. Our CCNA courses are part of a 2 year computer systems diploma course and students spend significant time in their Cisco classes cabling, configuring and troubleshooting real router and switches in various scenarios and topologies.

Aubrey

Reply to
Aubrey Adams

Reply to
gregg johnstone

Hi Aubrey,

Thanks for the book tip. Looks good, I like the way they have split it up into 1-day chunks. I have always found I can't absorb too much info in one go so this looks ideal.

Reply to
Per Hansen

Hi Gregg,

I was like you, I really wanted to get on with the labs but there weren't really any in semester 1. We did make cables though, I can now make a crossover blindfolded! (OK well almost...)

I found Sem 1 to be quite basic as I work in IT but I also discovered I had gaps in my knowledge so it was good to get those gaps filled in. Some of my fellow students had no previous networking experience and I like that you can start almost from scratch with this course and then gradually build up your knowledge as you go along for each semester.

You are right, Sem 1 and Sem 2 give you a very solid foundation for Sem

3/4. In some of the chapters in 3/4 they just assume you know your stuff already and do not bother repeating.

Keep doing those labs! I found my understanding really improved after first reading the module thoroughly and then doing the labs.

If you can, also keep a log book. In this, write down useful tips and commands as you progress through each chapter. This will come in handy when you do your labs.

Reply to
Per Hansen

are 4 semester courses available in the uk? - for less than $2000 dollars or less than =A31000 ?

I saw a 4 week course for =A31000 (a semester a week - 4 semesters)

And a weird 3 month course for =A3200 which used no equipment, only boson simulations and had some bad reports from people that went.

Reply to
q_q_anonymous

Yes, they certainly are. Many colleges and universities offer them. Expect to pay around 150-200 pounds per semester. I went to my local college which as it turned out offered a very nice course. You will often find a variety of durations on offer. My course was 18 months, which is long but at the same time it suited me as I have a full-time job. They also do a Saturday course where you finish in one year.

Tip: When you enquire about courses ask about their lab. Ask about when you can access the lab and what equipment they have available.

I would say what you can learn in 4 weeks is very limited...

Now that is just plain weird. Stay away!

Per

Reply to
Per Hansen

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