Cisco Certification: Taking Your First Certificati

Cisco Certification: Taking Your First Certification Exam

by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

You’ve studied hard; you’ve practiced your configurations; you’ve used your flash cards over and over again; and finally, the big day is here. Your first certification exam!

For many Cisco certification candidates, their first exam is the CCNA Composite exam or one of the two exams that make up the CCNA, the Introduction To Networking exam or the ICND (Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices) exam.

Walking into a testing center for the first time can be a nervewracking experience. You’ve got enough on your mind just keeping all that new information straight without worrying about what the testing experience will be like.

You’re not there to take the exam. You’re there to pass the exam. With this aggressive attitude in mind, let’s take a look at what you should expect (and not expect) when taking your first Cisco certification exam.

Be Early and Bring Your ID.

If the testing center is not in a part of town that you drive to in the morning, and you’ve got a 9 AM exam, you may find the traffic is much heavier that time of morning than you expected. Driving up to the testing center 10 minutes late is not a good way to get started. If you’ve never been to the center before, check their website for directions, or call them for directions. If at all possible, drive to the center the night before your exam.

Make sure to bring your wallet or purse. You cannot take the exam without proper identification. You’ll probably be asked for two forms of ID, one of which must be a picture ID.

Paper or Dry Erase Board: It’s Your Choice.

Most testing centers hand you a dry erase board and a marker. Make sure that the marker has a fine point; when you’re answering subnetting questions or performing a hexadecimaltobinary conversion, that will come in handy.

If you’re more comfortable with paper and pencil, ask for it. The testing center employee will be glad to give you some. They will mark the paper before giving it to you; don’t take it personally. That’s just to make sure you give them the same paper they give you.

The Testing Room

Despite the best efforts of VUE and Prometric, some testing center rooms are afterthoughts. I strongly advise that if you’re taking your exam at a technical school, ask to see the testing room BEFORE you sign up for the exam. If it looks like a converted broom closet, it probably is. Those rooms also tend to be right next to classrooms, which can result in distracting noise during your exam.

If your testing center specializes in giving computerbased exams rather than classes, you’re probably in good shape. Again, feel free to drop by the testing center before your exam to take a peek at the testing room. Most testing rooms have a window that employees use to keep an eye on testers, and you should be able to take a peek through the window.

When you go in, you’ll be asked to enter your social security number as your testing ID. Once you do that, the exam engine starts running. However, this doesn’t mean the test starts.

The Survey

When you take a Cisco exam, you’ll first be presented with a survey. The survey consists of 10 – 20 questions asking about your background, preparation methods, and comfort level with different technologies. This is a good time to catch your breath before starting the exam. The survey will only take about five minutes, and this time does not count against your exam time.

Pay Attention To The Exam Tutorials

You’ll then be presented with an exam tutorial, showing you how to answer the different types of questions Cisco may ask. While most of these questions types are common sense (multiple choice, single answer, fillintheblank), I strongly urge you to pay special attention to the router simulator question tutorial.

The simulator questions carry more weight than the other questions; indeed, it’s almost impossible to pass the CCNA exams if you totally miss the simulator questions. While the interface for these exams is intuitive, sometimes students who fail their exam complain that they were not given enough information to answer the question. The real problem is that they didn’t look in the right place for that information. It’s not hidden, but spend a few minutes with the tutorial and do not go forward until you’re comfortable with the simulator interface.

The Exam Itself

Finally, the exam starts! Remember, you’re not being asked anything you don’t know. If you have prepared correctly with the right tools, you’ll have a passing grade on your screen before you know it.

Speaking of that grade, you’ll be presented with it about five seconds after you answer the final question. Cisco exams no longer allow CCNA and CCNP candidates to go back once a question is answered, so be prepared for that.

Knowing what to expect when you go into the testing room for the first time will magnify your chances of success. Work hard (and smart!) while studying, achieve a combination of theoretical knowledge and handson work with real Cisco routers, and you are on your way to exam success!

Chris Bryant

CCIE #12933

About The Author

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage. The Bryant Advantageกs website offers FREE ebooks and tutorials for the CCNA and CCNP exams, FREE subscriptions to กCisco Certification Centralก, and sells the best CCNA and CCNP prep courses and books on the market today. Visit his site at www.thebryantadvantage.com today!

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 04

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Cisco CCNA Certification: Five Things To Do DURING

Cisco CCNA Certification: Five Things To Do DURING The Exam

by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

There are plenty of articles out there about how to prepare for the CCNA exam. However, there are also things you can do to increase your chances of success on exam day during the most important part of the entire process the time that you’re actually taking the test.

Iกve taken many a certification exam over the years, and helped many others prep for theirs. Here are the five things you must do on exam day to maximize your efforts.

1. Show up on time. Yeah, I know everyone says that. The testing center wants you there 30 minutes early. So why do so many candidates show up late, or in a rush? If you have a morning exam appointment, take the traffic into account. If itกs a part of town you don’t normally drive in during rush hour, you might be surprised at how much traffic you have to go through. Plan ahead.

2. Use paper, not the pad. Some testing centers have gotten into the habit of handing exam candidates a board that allegedly wipes clean, along with a marker that may or not be finepointed. You do NOT want to be writing out charts for binary math questions, or coming up with quick network diagrams, with a dull magic marker. Itกs also my experience that these boards do not wipe clean well at all, but they smear quite badly.

Ask the testing center employee to give you paper and a pen instead. I haven’t had one refuse me yet. Remember, you’re the customer. Itกs your $100 $300, depending on the exam.

3. Use the headphones. Most candidates in the room with you understand that they should be quiet. Sadly, not all of them do. Smacking gum, mumbling to themselves (loud enough for you to hear, though), and other little noises can really get on your nerves in what is already a pressure situation. In one particular testing center I use, the door to the testing room has one setting: กSlamก.

Luckily, that center also has a headset hanging at every testing station. Call ahead to see if yours does. Some centers have them but don’t leave them at the testing stations. Wearing headphones during the exam is a great way to increase your powers of concentration. They allow you to block out all noise and annoyances, and do what you came to do pass the exam.

4. Prepare for the กWHAT??ก question. No matter how wellprepared you are, thereกs going to be one question on any Cisco exam that just stuns you. It might be offtopic, in your opinion; it may be a question that would take 20 of your remaining 25 questions to answer; it might be a question that you don’t even know how to begin answering. I have talked with CCNA candidates who got to such a question and were obviously so thrown off that they didn’t do well on any of the remaining questions, either.

There is only one thing to do in this situation: shrug it off. Compare yourself to a majorleague pitcher. If he gives up a home run, he can’t dwell on it; heกs got to face another batter. Cornerbacks in football face the same problem; if they give up a long TD pass, they can’t spend the next 20 minutes thinking about it. They have to shrug it off and be ready for the next play.

Don’t worry about getting a perfect score on the exam. Your concern is passing. If you get a question that seems ridiculous, unsolvable, or out of place, forget about it. Itกs done. Move on to the next question and nail it.

5. Finish with a flourish. Ten questions from the end of your exam, take a 15to30 second break. You can’t walk around the testing room, but you can stand and stretch. By this point in the exam, candidates tend to be a little mentally tired. Maybe you’re still thinking about the กWHAT??ก question. Don’t worry about the questions youกve already answered they’re done. Take a deep breath, remember why you’re there to pass this exam and sit back down and nail the last ten questions to the wall.

Before you know it, your passing score appears on the screen!

Now on to the CCNP ! Keep studying !

Chris Bryant

CCIE #12933

About The Author

Chris Bryant, CCIE™ #12933, has been active in the Cisco certification community for years. He worked his way up from the CCNA to the CCIE, and knows what CCNA and CCNP candidates need to know to be effective on the job and in the exam room.

He is the owner of http://www.thebryantadvantage.com, where he teaches CCNA and CCNP courses to small groups of exam candidates, ensuring they each receive the individual attention they deserve. Classes are offered over the Internet and in select cities. Chris has customwritten the Study Guide and Lab Workbook used in each course no thirdparty training materials or simulators are used. You’re invited to visit our site and check out our CCNA and CCNP courses and study aids, and to sign up for our weekly newsletter written personally by Chris. Chris is always glad to hear from Cisco certification candidates at [email protected].

This article was posted on August 16, 2004

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

CCNA Cisco Certification Testing Center Tips

CCNA Cisco Certification Testing Center Tips

by: www.SemSim.com

Candidates can register for the CCNA exam (640801 exam or 640821 INTRO or 640811 ICND ) at Pearson VUE or Prometric testing centers.
In order to do their best, candidates should know what to expect at the testing center for the Cisco CCNA certification exam. Since testing center guidelines may vary from one center to another, we recommend that the candidates call the local testing center to check about the guidelines. Here are some points providing information on what you can expect at the exam center:
Recertification: If you have taken a Cisco CCNA certification exam before, find out your Cisco ID and specify it before you start with your registration. This will ensure that you get proper credit for the exam and will help avoid any duplicate records.
Reach before time: We strongly suggest reaching the test center before time. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the appointment.
Sign the logbook: You may be asked to signin the logbook upon arrival as well as upon departure. Do check on this.
You must carry your identification: You will be required to show a valid identification (ID), perhaps including a recent, recognizable photograph. If the supervisor questions your ID, you may be required to show another ID. You should check the testing center guidelines on identification and take all supplemental identification documents with you.
Generally Accepted Identification:
Passport
Photobearing driverกs license with signature
National/Military identification card
The following MAY not be accepted as valid ID:
Credit Cards (Please check with test center)
Private identification cards
Any expired ID
Read the testing center regulation form carefully: You will be provided with a Testing Center Regulation form by the supervisor. Read the regulations carefully and comply with them during the test.
Sign the confidentiality statement: The supervisor is responsible for asking you to sign the confidentially statement at the test center indicating that you will not reveal exam questions to other students after the test.
Supervisor sets up your test computer: The supervisor will ensure that the Cisco certification test displays on screen before handing over the machine to you.
Ask for sheets for scratch work: Scratch papers will be provided to you at the testing center. These are sometimes only available on request. Ask for some blank scratch sheets to do calculations and rough work. Jot down important points and tables (such as powers of 2, binary representation tables etc) before exam starts. This can be a big time saver. Do not take the scratch paper out of the testing room on completion of exam.
Items not allowed in the testing room: The candidate is not allowed to bring in the testing room personal items such as:
Books, revision sheets or notes: The exam is closed book
Cellular phones & alarms
Food or drinks may not be allowed
Calculators
Your session may be audio and video taped: Do not attempt to talk or communicate in any form to anybody in the testing room. Your session may be taped and can lead to immediate disqualification .
On exam completion: You will be explained by the supervisor what to do when you complete the exam. If not, or if you are unclear about what you should do, ask it yourself before beginning the exam.
Do not take with you the the testing material from the testing room: Return all of your testing materials, including the scrap paper, on the completion of your exam to the supervisor.
Certified copy of the exam result: Your supervisor will give you a certified copy of the exam report on completion of the test. This will list your score indicating strengths and weaknesses in the various test areas. Ask the supervisor for the certified copy, if you do not get it.

About The Author

SemSim.com provides training resources for Cisco certification exams: CCIE, CCNP, CCNA, CCDP, CCDA. It offers FREE learning resources to students such as study guides and router simulation labs at itกs online learning center located at: http://www.semsim.com/ccna/learn.html

http://www.SemSim.com : Making Cisco cetification easy!

[email protected]

This article was posted on July 02, 2004

by www.SemSim.com

Is Your Site Hungry For Traffic?

Is Your Site Hungry For Traffic?

by: Keith Baxter

For the past few years, I’ve been stashed away in my secret lab working on underground strategies for driving hordes of targeted to traffic to my sites.

I’ve decided to emerge from my lab for a limited time and reveal a few of these killer strategies to you.

Are you ready? Good… let’s get to it!

It seems that my consulting clients all suffer from the dreaded ‘limited site’ disease. You may be afflicted by it as well. Basically, the disease consists of limiting your vision to your main website.

Most people see their site as being the center of the universe… but in their universe no other stars or planets exist.

I would like to open your eyes to a bigger picture. One full of stars, each surrounded by their own planetary system.

How does this relate to your website?

Imagine your site sells 32 different widgets (this is the center of the universe).

Now imagine you create a new site for each widget which is dedicated to that widget alone. Some call these minisites, I will call them stars.

The object of each star is to expand upon the benefits of that widget, but point back to the center of the universe (your main site) to order that widget.

With me so far?

Good, let’s move forward.

Now, each star can have its own planetary system. Let’s say each star has 5 planets. Planets are simply ‘feeder’ sites whose only purpose is to direct traffic from the search engines back to the star.

For example, many of you are familiar with page generating applications such as Ranking Power or Traffic Equalizer. What if you used these with the intention of feeding your stars? Are you beginning to feel the power here?

I will stop here for now.

To recap…

Your main site is the center of the universe. You register a domain for each of the products you sell and create a star (or minisite) for that product. The ordering page for that star points back to your main product site. Each star then has 5 planets (feeder sites) generated with Ranking Power or Traffic Equalizer all pointing back to that star.

It’s a very powerful concept, use wisely. More will be revealed soon…

About The Author

This article has been authored by Keith Baxter, the editor and publisher of the fast selling video newsletter at http://www.StealthTrafficSecrets.com.

If you wish to learn how to drive massive amounts of traffic to your website, then subscribe to the site now… it’s only $7.00 per month!

This article was posted on April 13

by Keith Baxter

What To Expect At The Cisco Testing Center

What To Expect At The Cisco Testing Center

by: www.SemSim.com

Candidates can register for the CCNA exam (640801 exam or 640821 INTRO or 640811 ICND ) at Pearson VUE or Prometric testing centers.
In order to do their best, candidates should know what to expect at the testing center for the Cisco CCNA certification exam. Since testing center guidelines may vary from one center to another, we recommend that the candidates call the local testing center to check about the guidelines. Here are some points providing information on what you can expect at the exam center:
Recertification: If you have taken a Cisco CCNA certification exam before, find out your Cisco ID and specify it before you start with your registration. This will ensure that you get proper credit for the exam and will help avoid any duplicate records.
Reach before time: We strongly suggest reaching the test center before time. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the appointment.
Sign the logbook: You may be asked to signin the logbook upon arrival as well as upon departure. Do check on this.
You must carry your identification: You will be required to show a valid identification (ID), perhaps including a recent, recognizable photograph. If the supervisor questions your ID, you may be required to show another ID. You should check the testing center guidelines on identification and take all supplemental identification documents with you.
Generally Accepted Identification:
Passport
Photobearing driverกs license with signature
National/Military identification card
The following MAY not be accepted as valid ID:
Credit Cards (Please check with test center)
Private identification cards
Any expired ID
Read the testing center regulation form carefully: You will be provided with a Testing Center Regulation form by the supervisor. Read the regulations carefully and comply with them during the test.
Sign the confidentiality statement: The supervisor is responsible for asking you to sign the confidentially statement at the test center indicating that you will not reveal exam questions to other students after the test.
Supervisor sets up your test computer: The supervisor will ensure that the Cisco certification test displays on screen before handing over the machine to you.
Ask for sheets for scratch work: Scratch papers will be provided to you at the testing center. These are sometimes only available on request. Ask for some blank scratch sheets to do calculations and rough work. Jot down important points and tables (such as powers of 2, binary representation tables etc) before exam starts. This can be a big time saver. Do not take the scratch paper out of the testing room on completion of exam.
Items not allowed in the testing room: The candidate is not allowed to bring in the testing room personal items such as:
Books, revision sheets or notes: The exam is closed book
Cellular phones & alarms
Food or drinks may not be allowed
Calculators
Your session may be audio and video taped: Do not attempt to talk or communicate in any form to anybody in the testing room. Your session may be taped and can lead to immediate disqualification .
On exam completion: You will be explained by the supervisor what to do when you complete the exam. If not, or if you are unclear about what you should do, ask it yourself before beginning the exam.
Do not take with you the the testing material from the testing room: Return all of your testing materials, including the scrap paper, on the completion of your exam to the supervisor.
Certified copy of the exam result: Your supervisor will give you a certified copy of the exam report on completion of the test. This will list your score indicating strengths and weaknesses in the various test areas. Ask the supervisor for the certified copy, if you do not get it.

About The Author

SemSim.com provides training resources for Cisco certification exams: CCIE, CCNP, CCNA, CCDP, CCDA. It offers FREE learning resources to students such as study guides and router simulation labs. For more information visit: http://www.SemSim.com : Making Cisco cetification easy!

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 18, 2004

by www.SemSim.com