How Should I Prepare For A CCNA Certification?

Do you know the general overview of what CCNA embodies?

Have you obtained the study material to prepare for the CCNA certification?

Have you taken practice tests?

Have you tried in enrolling in a CCNA certification prep course?

Have you gotten down the most basic topics of networking?

Do you have a basic understanding of CLI (Cisco command line)?

You cannot take a successful exam if you don’t know the exact requirements. Fortunately, the Cisco CCNA is well documented. One of the most important pieces of information is the exam topics. This is the place where everything should start. Without this, you won’t know what to learn exactly and it will be hard to build your study plan.

CCNA preparation includes picking the right study materials. The best books to study for the CCNA exam are the newest editions of Cisco’s books. Be sure to include the practice questions and lab activities. But before you start with the books, learn to go with binary mathematics—you should be able to calculate in your sleep. Having this expertise will help you to pass CCNA.

Perform CCNA online practice tests just before one month of your proposed exam date. Fix a deadline for yourself and compare what you have learned in between that time. You can identify your weak areas and time to focus more on the same. You’ll discover the areas where you most need to gain knowledge.

It is recommended that you take part in a certification preparation course. Here, candidates spend some time with an experienced instructor, with actual knowledge on how to take the exam more easily. It is an excellent opportunity to get all your questions answered, share experiences and strategies, and even do some networking if it is in-person training.

When you learn about networking, among the most fundamental topics are the layered models (OSI and TCP/IP). For a successful exam, it’s essential to know them and the related TCP/IP protocol stack. Some layers are even more important than others. Get the basics down before moving forward.

Although you can configure network devices in other ways, the CLI remains very important. The Cisco tests include lab work in the so-called Simlets, and a Cisco technician should have a solid understanding of the basic configuration and investigative commands.

After going through everything, you have to prepare for the exam day. Prepare your exam kit including your identification documents as without them, you will not have access to the exam room. Rest well before the night and clear your mind before the start of the exam.