The last few posts, I've been focusing on our collective progress with passing Cisco exams this year, and what's holding us back. It appears that the planning more deeply - beyond just picking the exam and buying the right study resources - can certainly speed up the study process as well as make us all more successful in passing the exam. So, it seems appropriate that I spend a little time talking about the specifics of a plan.
For CCNA candidates, there are a lot of tools out there, including several with my name on the cover. I'm not going to try and list all the available resources. Today, I'm going to focus on some pros/cons about how to use general classes of tools. Next post, I'll get more specific with examples of a plan. I'll refer to the tools I know best - ones I helped create, or others from Cisco Press - but you can extrapolate somewhat easily from there. FYI, you can see the ones I've done with Cisco Press here.
There are four main classes of tools I'd suggest in a study plan: books, practice exams, hands-on practice (sim, real gear, Dynamips), and videos. It appears that most people use the books as the anchor for the entire study plan, with the other tools fitting in to complement their reading. I'll make that same assumption. Also, to keep things focused, I'll examine topics related to the ICND1 half of CCNA, and use my ICND1 Exam Cert Guide as the book.
Also, a lot of this is just my opinion, so take it as that - and offer your opinion as well.
The book: First, I think you should list each book chapter individually, with a place to note whether you read it, skimmed it, or just reviewed the highlights. To know whether to read the chapter or not, you should begin each chapter with its pre-assessment quiz. That's the main reason why the Cisco Press ECG series books start with a Do I Know This Already (DIKTA) quiz. (For you American football fans, yes, we call those Mike Ditka quizzes internally.) The idea is somewhat obvious, especially after seeing our survey that said time was the most popular reason for being behind in our exam study efforts.
I think everyone should at least review the topics in each chapter, even if you get all the pre-chapter assessment questions right. To aid that process, the most recent Cisco Press ECG's use a little icon (key topics) beside the main points to review. The key topics are things that are absolutely dead center in the topics for the exam, so it's worth the time.
For your study plan, For each chapter, I would: 1) list a place to note your original score on the DIKTA quiz, 2) check whether you chose to read/skim/review the chapter, and 3) a place to check once you've reviewed the chapter by repeating the DIKTA questions and by reviewing the key topics.
Practice questions: The actual Cisco exams are a series of questions, so every study plan ought to include some practice answering questions. Most ECG-style books include exam software with a database of exam questions, and you can buy practice tests from many companies. For example, my ICND1 and ICND2 books include software written by Boson Software (http://www.boson.com/), but an exam database written by folks from Cisco Press (me included).
Regardless of where you get the practice exams, the bigger question for study planning is how to use the exams. Personally, I'm a big fan of using questions to help drill on the concepts covered in large sections of the book you use. For example, my ICND1 book has 5 "Parts" as labeled in the Table of Contents, with the Parts covering: Overview, LAN, Routing, WAN, and Final Preparation. My suggestion would be to read all the chapters in 1 part of the book, and then use the exam software to select only questions from that part's chapters, and then try to answer all the questions from those chapters. Do the same for parts 2, 3, and 4. This helps you review topics, helps you uncover what you've forgotten, and it makes you apply the concepts to unique scenarios.
You can/should also plan to take some practice exams as part of your final study, once you've read all the chapters, practiced all the labs, etc. However, if you've already used all the questions that came with your book, then you might want to purchase another exam, just so you'll have some brand-new questions to examine.
In short, I think you should use practice exams in 2 ways: first, use them at the end of each major topic area ("part" in my books), and at the end of the study process.
Odom, CCIE No, 1624, splits time between writing books for Cisco Press and teaching classes for Skyline ATS. In his 25-ish years in the networking industry, he has worked as as a pre-sale and post-sale SE for a few networking vendors, as well as a network engineer implementing network technology. Wendell has spent the majority of the last 15 years teaching, consulting, and writing about networking technologies, most of which in some way relate to Cisco products. His books include titles on QoS, CCIE R/S, as well as several titles related to CCNA certification, including the September 2007 book CCNA Official Exam Certification Library (CCNA Exam 640-802) (Read a sneak peek of chapter 7). Click for the list of current titles by Wendell.
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Study Methods
I think this is an excellent way to enclave studying not just for cisco, but for any certification exam. I pretty much follow this blue print, but the majority of my focus goes into reading and labs.
I will always read from at least two sources because it is really hard to find a book that will cover all exam objectives in detail. Two different books also may compliment each other in comprehending a subject.
If the topics are brand new to me I will read the entire book cover to cover then take notes. If I have some experience or familiarity with the exam I will take a practice exam or pre-quiz and focus the majority of my time in areas I am weak in.
I also find it useful to look at the configuration and design guides on Cisco's website for both initial understanding and then firing up the lab and seeing the configuration\design first hand.
P.S. I loved the DITKA comment
Studying
I tend to agree with the above poster. Reading and Labs tend to be the basis of my studying. I've also found that it doesn't hurt to have a lot of lab/work experience before you start reading. In the past I've often spent time doing labs and sometimes completing configurations without completely understanding what I was doing. Then when I started reading, all of a sudden things begin to click, this tends to make the configuration examples in the book a lot more interesting.
But I will say this, the practice questions are definitely underrated. I've often found the practice questions to be very tricky which helps you learn the material to the tiniest detail.
I agree - too much accidental exam practice
A,
I agree about the practice exams. I think too many people use them just for the final bit of preparation, and not enough as a learning tool. The text and labs may be the more applicable tool to real life jobs, but the there are a lot of other intangibles learned in taking lots of exams - especially seeing differences in in wording, terminology, focus, sometimes trivia, and ultimately just creating more connections in the brain.
W
Amen on the Design Guides
Hey Josh,
I agree on the design guides. Its a wonderful way to go from knowing a bunch of stuff for an exam to actually getting some pretty through coverage of how its used in real networks. All - go to www.cisco.com/go/srnd to see a bunch.
Yep... can't you just see Mike Ditka screaming, "Singletary, you think that's subnetting! You couldn't subnet in a Pop Warner league. McMahon, get in there and show him how to subnet!!!!!" ;-)
Wendell
Monkey Wrench Theory on Studying for CCNA
Hello Wendol Odem
First, I want to say I love your Video Mentor series your books, videos and net maps. Everything you do is concise and to the point with the right amount of detail..not long and boring like a lot are.
But my actual complaint is about studying. It is more than planning it is having the right kind of study materials. I was in the USAF for 10 years. They had the best schools and study materials. The homework they gave us in our mechanical and electronic labs were labs and skill practice scenarios to have us truly understand our topics. I see in the CCNA everyone has tons of words to talk about the material, but the exams to me ask for a different level (synthesis) of sorts. And this only comes by truly understanding what you are working with. I can see that in the CCNP series you really hammer all the concepts in CCNA and no wonder CCNP and CCIEs can teach CCNA cause they do the basic tasks daily and then some. All the time.
I compare this to my Calculus classes. I took calc 1a and calc 1b in college, my point is when someone asked me at college how to work advanced algebra or geometry or trig, I could just see their problems why??? Because in calc 1a and 1b we would do problems that took 3 pages worth of paper and would do all three Mathematics all the time so the individual topics became easy!!
So as with this CCNA, it is hard to find good homework labs that really mull over the topics backward and forward to force you to really grasp it.. Many of us are not in a networking engineering role. We have labs etc...and sims.
I am a network admin and I can tell you from experience (I am sure you know this) that reading and passing exams is nothing compared to doing the job. It is a start (good one) ...I am a kind of person who needs good labs to grind topics in my head. Whereas I know some guys who can read a book and pass and exam. Weird. I just would like more practice problems. I know this engineer who has this site called
(routeralley.com) Aaron his name is. In his lab section, he as some nice labs..What I have been doing is I gather as many labs as I can from everyone who has them free for me to take. I do this because these course I buy have little or shallow labs for me to do or not enough variety in areas. I take all kinds of labs from other pros to get some real world practice and to see another point of view. I have some good Computer based videos from some great professionals.
But what would be nice is actual homework that would have us use these theories because many of the exam questions are based of thinking through the theory and how it relates to actual real world troubleshooting. Long story short (my spelling sucks)
no really....We need more homework labs and books that really help our minds grasp the reasons why everything that you teach us in theory works...More labs more homework that teach us to remember the static boring say AD (EIGRP = 90 RIP =120) off the top of our head cause we have had to actually use it to pick say the best route and best possible routes form a route table word problem??? More practice!!!! And less talk about it cause the exams are based of practice not so much theory ….My 2cents....
Thanks Odem for listening
Robert
itdaddy
Wisconsin USA
itdaddy.wordpress.com
It's been on my mind as well
Robert,
I agree with you generally speaking. I've spent a lot of time this year thinking about just that problem. It's easy to make a simple and not very useful fix. Maybe you have a further opinion about it?
You need labs, but you need labs that have been designed to force the corect learning. What makes a lab good? That's not meant to be rhetorical - if you have time, I'd be curious as to your answer, without my giving you any leadings one way or the other. I think some of what you brought up can be solved items that require some real work (like the materials you use in the Air Force), and some cannot be solved through study at all. But if you have time, I'd be very curious as to what you think abou the "what makes a good lab" thing.
I'm in the middle of playing editor to 250+ CCNA labs that will be part of Cisco Press's new CCNA 640-802 Network Simulator product. As that product gets closer to its fall release date, I'll be able to post a few labs, and maybe you can weigh in on those as well.
But I agree, there's a hole - the question is how/if/with what to fill it. My $.02 as well!
Wendell
Home lab
I have a home lab but I don't have a lab book. Do you have any recommendation?
I am looking a lab book that will give me lot of practice scenarios.
I am using your books for the ccna. It is great. I learn a lot so far.
Thanks
Lab books?
Hey Bert,
Well, I can give a partial answer to your question on lab books. I'm actually planning on getting into this topic in more depth as I walk through the coming weeks of my blog. Here's some brief thoughts for now:
I find several resources when I just google "CCNA labs". I don't have any personal experience with them. Anyone else out there care to comment, I'd love to hear.
Next, Cisco Press has some lab books that may be of some use for self-study. CP publishes books that include lab exercises for the purpose of using them in a Cisco Networking Academy class. While meant for the classes, several folks who watch this blogspace have posted saying they use the CCNP lab books. I got a copy of the CCNA and CCNP lab books, and I think the CCNP ones happen to work better for self study than do the CCNA ones. However, you could check them out. To do so:
Go here, and look at the "lab and study guides". The one on routing/switching has a sample chapter.
To see the CCNP equivalents, go here. The ISCW lab book has some sample pages.
Glad you like my CCNA books - hope this helps on the labs.