Networks Training

  • About
  • My Books
  • SUGGESTED TRAINING
  • HOME
  • Cisco Networking
    • Cisco General
    • Cisco IOS
    • Cisco VPN
    • Cisco Wireless
  • Cisco ASA
    • Cisco ASA General
    • Cisco ASA Firewall Configuration
  • Certifications Training
    • CCNA Training
    • Cisco Certifications
    • I.T Training
  • General
    • General Networking
    • IP Telephony
    • Network Security
    • Product Reviews
    • Software
  • Cisco Routers
  • Cisco Switches
You are here: Home / Cisco Certifications / Don’t depend solely on practice exams for Cisco Certifications

Don’t depend solely on practice exams for Cisco Certifications

Preparing for a Cisco Certification solely with Practice exams is a method that many candidates follow, however I do not recommend this study method at all. My intention in this article is not to slam practice exams. I just want to address the phenomenon among Cisco certification candidates who use practice exams solely as an attempt to pass their exams with the least possible effort. Practice exams should be used in your study strategy as a complimentary option together with other study resources such as books, video trainings, practice labs etc. When you are in the field in front of a rack of routers and switches trying to implement a network design, there is no A, B, C, or D choice like the practice exams. You’ve got to know what you are doing.

The current Cisco certification exams are designed in such a way as to weed out those candidates who just memorized hundreds of possible exam questions in their attempt to pass the exam. If those candidates used only practice tests for preparation, they will just be disappointed on exam day. The certification exams will not only test if you possess the requited knowledge, but also if you have the ability to apply that knowledge in real world cases. Thats why the current Cisco exams are full of practical scenario questions. By taking one practice exam after the other will certainly not develop this skill.

MORE READING:  CCNP Certification-Two Essential Study Resources to pass your CCNP Exams

Practice simulators are also fine up to a certain extent, but also do not depend very heavily on them. The most common network simulators I’ve seen do not let you make any mistakes on the router or switch configuration, so you do not actually learn from your mistakes. Remember that making mistakes on a Cisco configuration, observing them and then fixing them is what really helps to actually learn what you are doing.

When preparing for a Cisco Certification (especially for an entry level certification such as CCENT and CCNA) you are not just studying for an exam. Rather, you are building and fortifying your base and foundation for the upper layer certifications and for your career as well. Try to make your study efforts as effective as possible by building a solid foundation. You will achieve this by learning all possible networking theory and fundamental concepts, rather than memorizing hundreds of exam questions. Especially when studying for CCNA, the knowledge that you will acquire will be the most important from all and will be the corner stone for future certifications such as the CCNP and CCIE.

MORE READING:  Number of CCIEs in the world - Starting Salaries - Demand by Track

The best preparation for Cisco certifications is to stick to a well-rounded study plan which includes books, lab networking equipment (real or virtual) and practice exams. A recommended training package for Cisco certification exams is this computer based training here. If you combine it with a relative book from CiscoPress then you will have a complete well-rounded study package for passing your Cisco exam.

Related Posts

  • Comparison of Cisco CCNA vs CCNP Certifications
  • NetworkLessons Review – Is it the Right Training for CCNA-CCNP-CCIE?
  • New MAJOR Changes in Cisco CCNA, CCNP, CCIE in 2020
  • 10 Free Cisco Video Training Courses
  • Cisco CCNA Salary

Filed Under: Cisco Certifications

Download Free Cisco Commands Cheat Sheets

Enter your Email below to Download our Free Cisco Commands Cheat Sheets for Routers, Switches and ASA Firewalls.

We use Elastic Email as our marketing automation service. By submitting this form, you agree that the information you provide will be transferred to Elastic Email for processing in accordance with their Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Also, you allow me to send you informational and marketing emails from time-to-time.

About Harris Andrea

Harris Andrea is an Engineer with more than two decades of professional experience in the fields of TCP/IP Networks, Information Security and I.T. Over the years he has acquired several professional certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CEH, ECSA etc.

He is a self-published author of two books ("Cisco ASA Firewall Fundamentals" and "Cisco VPN Configuration Guide") which are available at Amazon and on this website as well.

Comments

  1. Karl Taylor says

    August 9, 2010 at 6:57 pm

    I have known lot of people who are solely depend upon brain dumps in order to pass the exam but had very little theoretical and practical knowledge.I personally not against the dumps if you consult them after reading books and practicing on real environment.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search this site

About Networks Training

We Provide Technical Tutorials and Configuration Examples about TCP/IP Networks with focus on Cisco Products and Technologies. This blog entails my own thoughts and ideas, which may not represent the thoughts of Cisco Systems Inc. This blog is NOT affiliated or endorsed by Cisco Systems Inc. All product names, logos and artwork are copyrights/trademarks of their respective owners.

Amazon Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Search

Suggested Cisco Training

CISCO CERTIFICATION TRAINING
CISCO CCNA 200-120 TRAINING
CCNA SECURITY 640-554 TRAINING
CCENT ICND1 TRAINING
CISCO ICND2 TRAINING
CISCO CCNP TRAINING

BLOGROLL

Tech21Century
Firewall.cx

Copyright © 2022 | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Hire Me | Contact | Amazon Disclaimer | Delivery Policy

0 shares