CCNA Course & CCNA Exam Preparation

If you're reading this, I assume that you have decided to go for the most cost-effective (cheapest) way to study the for and pass the challenging CCNA exam. This is very possible - I did it - and so have many others. With the hundreds of CCNA course books available, how do you choose? Below are 5 things you must know before you whip out your credit card and make a purchase:

1. Which exam?

There are now several CCNA streams - CCNA, CCNA Voice, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice and CCNA Wireless, not to mention other associate level certifications (e.g. CCDA). The original CCNA (Routing and Switching) is a prerequisite for all the others. Be sure that you are getting the right course book for the right stream.

2. Right Version?

Cisco revises the CCNA exam regularly. 640-802 is the current version. Check the Cisco website to ensure that you're getting the CCNA book for the current version.

3. PDF Available?

I like to carry around chapters of the books to read during my daily commute and highly prefer not to have to lug the entire (rather heavy) book around. Certification books are usually at least a few hundred pages long. If the book comes with a PDF, this is extremely useful as I can print only the chapters of the CCNA course I need to review and bring them along wherever I go.

4. Who wrote the book?

Is the book written by a reputable author? Depending on material that has not been written to the CCNA syllabus (or worse still - contains technical errors) could spell disaster. Authors like Todd Lammle (Sybex) and Wendell Odom (Cisco Press) are well known for their certification material. Check the qualifications of the authors and technical reviewers to be sure.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice

Do not depend solely on the books to pass the exam. The CCNA exam now contains at least 2-3 simulation questions and you cannot possibly hope to pass by just depending on theoretical knowledge from the books. Think of the knowledge/theory you gain from the CCNA book as your foundation, and build upon them by doing some experimentation on real Cisco equipment or a simulation.

Francis Teo blogs about must know tips on preparing for the CCNA and how to choose the right certification material

If you enjoyed the above tips, visit http://www.CCNABooksBlog.Com for more!

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