Best Exam revision text for CCNA?

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Hey guys,

Nearing the end of my OU course now and need to start coming up with a revision plan. I have my exam in April, followed by CCNA cert exam in may (thats when i plan on booking it anyway)

I see this text reffered to allot:
Cisco CCNA Exam Certification Guide - Wendell Odom

I assume it's seen as standard? I have the Cisco Academy Companions (as i'm studying online at the netacad) but they are very exhaustive...

And also have access to the Celtic Rovers CCNA website, courtesy of a very kind OCUK member.
 
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Thanks for the link mate :)

I'm currently making up a list of bullet point notes to cover the main topics (IP Addressing class, private addresses, Routing protocols & config blah blah) from my 3 A4 pads worth of notes.

Those sample tests will help allot :)
 
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Just wanted to bring this up.

I'm currently self studying for my ccna. Have almost finished reading the CCNA intro book over the past 2 weeks and will hopefully take the first exam at the end of month.

I have all the books needed, plus exam guide, boson and the rest.

Does anyone have any advice or techniques to use for studying?

I'm just out of uni so I use the same methods I did there which is to read the book, follow it up with questions and then mix it up like that.
 
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Well I used Odom's book, there is a process laid out in there that worked for me - I.e., 1 short test per chapter, if you do badly re-read and retry. Back it up with some boson exams runs in the day leading upto the exam.
 
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asim said:
Just wanted to bring this up.

I'm currently self studying for my ccna. Have almost finished reading the CCNA intro book over the past 2 weeks and will hopefully take the first exam at the end of month.

I have all the books needed, plus exam guide, boson and the rest.

Does anyone have any advice or techniques to use for studying?

I'm just out of uni so I use the same methods I did there which is to read the book, follow it up with questions and then mix it up like that.


My first tip would be to sit the full exam, not two seperate ones. Its not *that* bad.

Sybex Guide, Cisco official guide (usually split into the Intro and ICND as per the split exam but packaged as one guide) access to a router or two or Boson Netsim if you cant get the devices. CBT nuggets are well worth a look if you can borrow some from a friend or go halves with someone as they are a bit expensive. They can be had on an auction site for cheap, although im not sure of the legitimacy of such auctions, so i am not endorsing this in any way.


Doing the practice exams is also massively important. There is nothing better than going into an exam knowing what the format of the questions will be. Lab, drag and drop, multiple choice etc etc.

Dunno if its changed much since i did it (640-801) but it was heavy on ACL's and obviously subnetting. If you dont know both inside out dont even bother turning up for the exam.

remember, it is adaptive, so will ask more questions on your weaker topics. If you get a question wrong right off the bat, expect more of the same topic.
 
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Thats the plan anyway :D

I ended up getting the Sybex offering (by Todd Lammle) and I think it's a great book. Really easy to read and understand.
I've also got hold of the Learnkey training video set for CCNA 640 - 801 which is also a big help.
Just finnished CCNA3 with an average of 90%
 
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talking from experiance...
testking. learn the question on this inside out, but make sure you only read the latest version (its worth that you even pay for this)
im not going into why its so important to read this, or why you need to get the latest version.
but i can assure you. if you learn 1/2 of the questions and answers on testking, you WILL pass!!
 
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MikeOCUK said:
talking from experiance...
testking. learn the question on this inside out, but make sure you only read the latest version (its worth that you even pay for this)
im not going into why its so important to read this, or why you need to get the latest version.
but i can assure you. if you learn 1/2 of the questions and answers on testking, you WILL pass!!

Careful with testking, its classed as cheating as the questions are stolen from Cisco by dodgy Indian testing centres which accept bribes..
 
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MikeOCUK said:
talking from experiance...
testking. learn the question on this inside out, but make sure you only read the latest version (its worth that you even pay for this)
im not going into why its so important to read this, or why you need to get the latest version.
but i can assure you. if you learn 1/2 of the questions and answers on testking, you WILL pass!!

I really hate those TestKings ... As has been said, they are stolen questions (With dodgy info/incorrect answers a lot of the time) and allow people that haven't really got much knowledge to pass by memorizing the questions. I wish Cisco (And MS, etc) would take action against them :(
 
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Its true, I teach the CCNA course part time, one day one of my colleagues from networks showed me some testkings and I thought "they look like pretty good pracise questions" when I started mentioning them to other people asking what they thought I almost got my head bitten off by people telling me I was a cheater and I shouldn't have them, when I started investigating for myself it quickly became clear that its one big bunch of stolen questions, I saw a reply from Cisco and theres nothing they can do because testking alter the questions slightly..
 
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xander_uk2 said:
:eek: Thats well out of order :( Cant understand how they can get away with it.
Because the questions have been altered slightly???

Yup, if theres a question which says "The Cisco network has 2 switches blah blah blah"

Testking modify it to say "The Testking network has 2 switches blah blah blah"

Cisco can't do anything, its the bent test centres which them down, I know someone who took the CCNP Bcran exam, they had a look through testking for that exam, when he took the exam 90% of the questions were in the testking and it was a blatant rip off, he had a VPN question and the transform set and crypto maps were all named the same... im sorry but thats just taking the biscuit..
At the end of the day it doesn't do anyone any favours because they don't know anything :D
 
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Exactly. People take these certs to get on in their current job (like me) or to look for a new job.

Doesn't really help if you don't have a ******* clue what to do in a real life situation.
Oh well, rant over. Thanks for the heads up on that website. I was actually impressed with what they had on offer too.....
 
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Testkings are cheating, period.

good average score BTW. IMHO you are doing all the correct stuff, I used all the books available, Cisco semester companions , Odom and Lammle......always usefel to get another angle on somethiong to aid comprehension.

I did the two exam track because I got one free, however it is said that the two exam track can be more difficult........but I`d guess its pretty much the same.......

I`d say that the Lammle book has been the more acclaimed non-cisco press book, Odoms are good too but BE SURE to check for extra chapter downloads to cover exam content, ths was the case with the ICND, apparently there was not enough on OSPF in the book as to what came up in the exam.......the download fixed this tho.....

good luck I`m sure you will do very well......
 
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