CCNA Notes – How to Study

Cisco Press has produced several excellent CCNA study guide(s) that cover CCNA and CCENT topics in great detail. These books are valuable to anyone who wants to pass the exam.

This is mainly due to the way they have been structured. Cisco Press has created study books that are suitable for both those with little or no experience and those who have a lot of experience but just need to focus on the details to pass the exam.

What Is A CCNA Certification?

The CCNA or Cisco Certified Network Associate is the entry-level or basic certification offered by the Cisco systems. Cisco is one of the leading manufacturers of network equipment in the world.

These pieces of equipment are designed to help communications engineers build networks. Therefore, Cisco is actively focused on building a network array that can help businesses to grow.

This is why the Cisco CCNA is mainly focused on testing these engineering skills. Skills that will complement the business module of Cisco

Format & Content

Since we are already on the topic of CCNA certification, we believe that it will be helpful to understand the different sections that comprise the certification exam module. Each module contains 70 questions and 90 minutes to complete.

Section 1: This section comprises 20% of the complete examination. The primary topics include network security, access control, network management, troubleshooting, protocol, topologies, and architecture.

Section 2: This section comprises 50% of the complete examination. The primary topics of this section include routing protocols, concepts, configuration, VLAN architecture, trunking, STP, and RSTP.

Section 3: The final section of this exam contains 30% of the total examination. The primary topic of this section include Network security, ACLs, Firewalls, Network Management and analysis.

How To Tackle The Text

The following explains how you can use these books based on what you know to study for the exam. This information can also be found in the Getting Started section of most Cisco Press Books. Now, follow up to learn about the Cisco CCNA exam study guide.

Reading Through The Book

One way would be to read the book from front to back without missing a word. This would be a good option if you have no prior knowledge of Cisco or Networking. In most cases, the people who picked up this book already have some knowledge of Cisco devices and networking.

Milestones Are A Great Way To Identify Your Progress

It is important to break the Cisco exam down into sections or milestones in order to make it easier to digest. Each of these milestones represents a large concept.

When reading and studying, the goal is to fully understand every milestone. Breaking the book down into smaller sections will help you with the next step. Below is an example from the CCNA exam 200-301. The Cisco Press book has already done this and calls them Parts.

• LAN Switching
• IP Version 4 Routing
• IP Version 4 Routing Protocols
• Wide Area Networks
• IP Version 6
• Network Management

How to pass the CCNA Exam in 30 days

Passing The CCNA examination in 30 days sounds like a tedious job, at the least. However, it is absolutely doable. Then again, it is only possible if you follow a set pattern or format.

This section will help you with that. Here, we have created a plan of action to help you crack the CCNA examination in just 30 days. However, you must remember that following a planner helps, but you need to be sincere in your efforts to score high.

Set goals

Setting goals for exams, regardless of whether you are a goal-setter or not, is a good idea. I have personally spent over 100 hours studying for the exam.

It’s not because the material was way beyond my comprehension. It’s because I did not set goals and kept going. I would find some motivation to study for a little while, then get busy and stop.

Then, life would slow down. I would dust off my CCNA books to start again. By the time I began again, I had lost most of my knowledge. Do not let yourself do that. Set daily and weekly goals to complete tasks.

The date of your test is the best goal you can set! Schedule the exam for 30 days away. You can reschedule these exams if you request it 24 hours in advance. This will obligate you to take the exam. You won’t get your money back, so it’s better to start studying.

Create an Excel or Google Sheet for each chapter with the expected completion date. Create a second column next to the anticipated date that shows the actual date. I used the Excel file that was already created for me by Cisco Press ICND2200-101.

Study Planner Example

These goals are not meant to demotivate but rather to motivate you. If you continue to miss your goals, reevaluate your situation. You could move your goals out further or ask yourself whether you are putting enough effort in.

Don’t just rush through the tasks. Instead, reward yourself for completing them. Create an incentive for completing labs, chapters, and milestones. These rewards can be small, such as a nice meal out, a mouse upgrade, or exercise.

Final Review Before The Test

The book contains a chapter called the Final Review that is dedicated to preparing for the test. This chapter should be read after you have completed all labs, chapters, and exam preparation tasks.

I would also like you to review subnetting in the ICND 1 textbook so that you can master subnetting questions. I know how to subnet, but I must improve my speed to pass the test.

Practice Test

Take advantage of practice tests, such as SPOTO. I wish I’d had one the first time, as I struggled with time and question format. I will spend the week before the exam taking two practice tests daily.

Video Training

Watching training videos is another excellent way to prepare yourself for the CCNA test, especially when you encounter different labs during your CCNA studies.

There are many great sources of CCNA videos. You can also check out the following if you prefer to watch videos rather than read. CBT Nugget or Train Signal.

After reading the entire book and completing all its tasks, I watched the Udemy Series to refresh my memories on every topic and through more labs.

The Final Bell

Try to follow this CCNA study guide religiously. However, remember that CCNA is a nuanced examination. Therefore, you need to be careful and start with the basics.

This will only help you get a better understanding of what is expected of you. Other than that, be confident, and you will sail through with ease. Keep this in mind the next time you go for the examination.

ead Also:

• Top Outlooks on Modern Business Branding
• A Guide to Setting up an E-Commerce Business
• Getting an MBA to Boost Your Marketing Business Goals: What You Need to Know