If you’re wondering what the best way to study for you CCNA certification is, then this article will give you the best possible ways in which to map out the learning materials. In order to give yourself the best chances of successfully passing the CCNA certification program, then setting up a proper study routine is paramount in your planning.

You’ll not only need to have the right study materials, but also the right mind set in order to complete the certification. When you start with a plan, and then add consistent daily effort to that plan, well then your path will be that much easier. As you’ll realize, time is precious and goes by at light speed, so use yours wisely.

First off you need to set aside specific times each day for your studies. If you have a family, or another full time job, then your time is that much more valuable, and you have to use it accordingly. When planning your study schedule you need to set aside two or three hour continuous segments each day.

It’s always a good idea to keep cue cards with your study notes on them for easy reference anytime you have a spare ten or fifteen minutes. But this is not going to be enough study time to if you want to pass your CCNA certification. You need to have large enough uninterrupted time to really focus and concentrate, especially when doing the lab work that is required.

After you sort out your plan of action, time management, mind set etc as described above, the next step is to use the proper study resources and training material that will help you to pass CCNA. The book resources from Cisco Press are a good starting point for learning the theory required in the CCNA exam. However, book resources alone would not be enough for most people, especially for those who don’t have the required practical experience with Cisco networking equipment. In addition to reading the books, I would suggest also to use a CCNA Video Training resource to get visual examples and “instructor-like” training on a self-paced mode which will help you tremendously.

People pursuing the CCNA certification have many options for preparing for their exam. They can follow the completely self-study path by reading ccna books and solving practice questions or they can attend an instructor-based classroom training. There is an option somewhere in between also (which in my opinion is the best option). This is a CCNA Video Training. With this option you still have the self-study element available, but you also have the benefits of an instructor-based training. Basically you get a video training package which walks you through step-by-step with visual examples, configuration explanations etc in order to learn and assimilate the material better.
 
The two biggest players in the certification industry which focus on video trainings are Train signal and CBT Nuggets. In this post I will list and describe the features of the CCNA Video Training packages offered by both companies for having a quick view if you want to make a decision which package better fits your needs. I hope people looking to choose between Train Signal Vs CBT Nuggets will find the following comparison helpful. Just keep in mind that both companies are excellent on what they are doing so whatever your choice is you will get top-notch training quality from both. However, in my opinion you will get a better value for money if you go with Trainsignal since they offer free practice questions and exams from Transcender and also they offer the training material in different multimedia format (iPod Video, MP3 Audio) together with PDF instructor notes.

The CCNA Training Packages described below will help you for both ccna exam options (either the combined CCNA 640-802 exam or the two-exam option with 640-822 plus 640-816).

Check out the training companies by yourself:

TrainSignal

CBT Nuggets

Junior networking engineers often seek to earn a Cisco professional certification (CCNA, CCNP, CCSP etc) in order to prove their knowledge and get a better status in their career. I believe this is a wise move for network professionals since the journey you go through for obtaining your certification will teach you all necessary theory and background that is essential to have when working in the demanding and exciting field of networks.

Your study efforts for earning any Cisco Certification should include three elements:

1. Learning the theory behind the specific certification technology.
2. Getting practical hands on training for Cisco devices configuration.
3. Solving many practice questions related to the specific certification.

If you include the three elements above in your study efforts then you will have no problems in passing any Cisco exam. Parts 1 and 3 (i.e learning the theory and solving practice questions) can be carried out using books and other training resources. Part 2 can be obtained with practical experience at your workplace, with buying Cisco equipment for practicing (expensive option) or with software simulators. If you want to get all three study elements in a complete package then you will either need to enroll in a class-based instructor-led training (very expensive) or buy an inexpensive Cisco Online Training package (there are excellent Cisco Online Training packages for around $60-$70). These cisco online training packages are interactive courses which will teach you the theory for the specific certification, simulations will show you how to do things, question and answer sessions help you remember what you learned etc. Plus you study on your own pace, starting and stopping the online course anytime you want. I think for a measly $60-$70 for a complete cisco training course it’s an excellent price.

Study Guide for CCNA 640 802

Many people ask me what is the best way to prepare for their CCNA Certification Exam. My answer is that everything depends on the individual. However, there are some training methods and resources that might be better and more helpful than others. Whatever training you choose to follow, the most important factor for passing the CCNA 640 802 exam is determination and consistency with your studies. Other than that, you need also some study guidance for the best resources available. You can find that below.

Many people are already working in the Network field either as Administrators or maybe assistants to the network administrator. If these professionals decide to obtain a CCNA certification, they already have a huge advantage for passing the exam. Their advantage is “Hands-On Experience” with actual Cisco equipment (routers, switches) and with actual network protocols that they use in their networks. Since the CCNA 640 802 exam will test candidates for knowledge of practical skills (commands, configurations, network scenarios etc), the professionals that are already working with Cisco equipment will know those topics pretty well. For those people I would suggest to just read the official Cisco Press CCNA preparation book and then solve many practice questions (total preparation duration for 1 month approximately). This study method would be enough in my opinion for passing the exam.

Now, the majority of candidates preparing for the CCNA have no experience in networking at all. For these individuals I definitely suggest to buy a professional training package. If you fall in this category, then don’t look for free training resources as they will not help you at all. If you have a LOT of money ($3-4K) and time, then go ahead and register with a classroom/instructor based training. This kind of training is usually a 5-day intensive course that will give you the best preparation for passing the exam. Usually, after the training course you will need 2-3 more weeks to study again all the material you received in the class in order to be fully ready.

The second option (and the best in my opinion) is to buy a professional CCNA Computer Based Training (CCNA CBT) package. This kind of training is usually in the form of Videos, with a real instructor teaching the material and showing you on the Video important aspects about the exam and practical examples. These Video DVDs are also bundled with extra PDF instructor nodes, exam practice questions, or even MP3 Audio and iPod Video for studying “On-the-Go”. The leader in CCNA Preparation is the Giant in IT Training, Trainsignal.com. Their Cisco CCNA Training package is the best value for money. It is a COMPLETE training package (Videos, PDF Instructor Nodes, iPod and MP3 Audio training, Exam Practice Questions etc), so you will not need anything else to prepare. I have actually used Trainsignal when I was preparing for my CCNP certification and have passed all of my exams easily, just by studying with the Trainsignal Video Training. Give it a try if you are serious about passing your CCNA 640-802 exam.