Types of questions in Cisco Certification exam

The Cisco certification exams require a lot of training and preparation before appearing for the exam. The students not only require familiarizing himself with the test environment, but the type of questions as well. He should be prepared well enough for the exam so that nothing comes as a surprise for him when he sees the exam paper for the first time. He should have an idea about the duration of the exam and how much time he can allocate for each question or may be for each section if we look broadly. The Networkers Guru can provide the best and updated information about everything related to Cisco exam.

Type of questions in Cisco certification exam:

According to Networkers Guru, there are basically 7 question types in Cisco certification exam which are as follows:

1.       Multiple choice single answer – These are probably the easiest section of any Cisco certification exam. The candidates are given several questions in this section with 4 – 5 possible choices given for the answer where only one is right. The student has to choose just one option.

2.       Multiple choice multiple answer – The multiple choice, multiple answer questions has again 4 – 5 options, but in this case the correct answer will be having more than one choice to choose from all the given options.

3.       Drag and Drop – The drag and drop section of the examination paper requires you to drag a box and drop it into the right location in order to make some logical sequence. The students under this section might also be asked to use drag and drop to make a network model.

4.       Fill in the blanks – Just as the name suggests, the students are required to fill in the blank with the most appropriate word. It is not a very popular type of Cisco question and for this reason it doesn’t always become a part of the Cisco paper.

5.       Simulation – According to Networkers Guru, the simulation section is probably the toughest section of the Cisco exam. This section asks you to configure a number of Cisco devices, according to the requirements given. The Networkers Guru, training center advises students to practice these simulation questions on the simulator software which are also professionally used by a lot of IT professionals.  Further, this section also takes the most of your time. Practice well before the exam and make sure you do not spend a lot of time on this section.

6.       Testlet – The Testlet section gives you a certain configuration or a network topology and you have to answer questions based on it.

7.       Simlet – The Simlet section of the Cisco certification exam basically consists of questions which are a combination of Testlet and Simlet. This section is also very complex like the Simulation section and should be practiced well before the exam. Further, also make sure that you do not spend too much time on this section. Your answer here should be final as you cannot go back to the section and change your answer.

Tips for passing CCCNA examination

A lot of IT professionals look for CCNA certification to progress well in their IT careers. This certification is becoming very popular among IT professionals for a lot of reasons. It is accepted all through the world and it makes a good impact on your resume as well. The Networkers Guru professionals tell all the prospective students taking the CCNA examination that it is not difficult to clear if you prepare well and look after a few things. Following are some of the tips which will help you a great deal in clearing your certification exam:

• ·         Relax before the exam – The candidates shouldn’t look to do any last minute preparation. Make sure you have a nice sleep the night before and just be easy and relax before the examination. Make sure you arrive at the examination venue at least 30 minutes before and try to familiarize yourself with the examination environment there.

• ·         Mentally prepare yourself – The candidate should seriously consider that why is he going for the examination and how this examination will help him in his career. Just try to collect such points which will motivate yourself before the exam.

• ·         Familiarize yourself with the exam pattern – The Networkers Guru professionals familiarize all the candidates with the exam pattern and also about the type of questions which will be asked. The CCNA certification has an objective type examination with most of the multiple choice questions. The candidate should also do some extensive research about the pattern and the type of questions in the paper so that nothing comes as a shock for the candidate when he first sees the exam paper.

• ·         Time management of the examination – The CCNA exam is of 90 minutes. The candidates must assess that how much time he can allocate for each question. The multiple choice questions shouldn’t be given much time, but there is also a simulation section which takes a bit more time than the MCQs.

• ·         Write down important points before the exam starts – In the examination, the candidates are given a rough paper which they can utilize to jot down the key points which they might need to refer during the examination. This will save a lot of time of the candidate and he can very efficiently solve his paper by the liberty of doing his rough work as well. The submitting questions require you to do a lot of rough work as you have to make subnets of the given network. Make sure that you effectively utilize the rough space given.

• ·          All Answers given are final – Answer all your questions very carefully and make sure that once you answer a question, you cannot go back to the same question for changing your answer.

• ·         Don’t panic as the exam doesn’t have any negative marking – The CCNA exam doesn’t have any kind of negative marking. Therefore, always try to attempt all given questions, even if you don’t know the exact answer.

Practical training for the preparation of CCNP exam

According to Networkers Guru, CCNP can be a difficult certification to pass if you prepare without planning. The prospective candidates need to have a proper study and preparation plan in order to do well in the examination. No matter how tough are your circumstances, if you want to earn the CCNP certification, you got to allocate special time for its training and preparation. The candidates shouldn’t overlook any part of the training program. They should do theoretical preparation, lab training and also solve all types of sample exam papers in order to get the insight on the actual CCNP certification exam.

The candidates need to do lots and lots of lab training:

The CCNP certification exam also has a practical part where you need to have hands on experience with all the Cisco products. Building a Cisco home lab is a possibility and can be very useful as well, but that can be very costly as well. It is advised to all the prospective candidates to join a reputable training center like Networkers Guru which has a state of the art Cisco products lab. You will get the opportunity to thoroughly practice on all the Cisco products. The candidates sitting for the certification exam should know that how to configure, monitor and troubleshoot the Cisco devices. The wired and the wireless devices should be taken separately in order to avoid any confusion for the candidates in the lab.

An emulator can be the best resource to use for the configuration and troubleshooting of Cisco products. An emulator actually uses the real Cisco IOS which will make you understand the working of Cisco devices in a number of good ways. An emulator basically acts like a real Cisco device without actually having the hardware. The GNS3 is considered the best emulator for most CCNPlabs. The GNS3 emulator would not only teach you everything about the Cisco products, but it would also save you a good amount of money. The only drawback of the emulator is that it doesn’t emulate the switches and that you have to buy yourself in order to practice on them. It is speculated that the new version of GNS3 emulator would have switches emulation as well and it is due to release sometime in late 2014.

The students who couldn’t afford a training lab, an emulator due to financial resources or any time constraints, then they also have a choice of simulator. Although, it is not as effective as the emulator, but still it is better than nothing. A simulator is a computer software which you can use to simulate different Cisco products. You can design a network infrastructure using the simulator. Further, a simulator can give you a true understanding of the working of all the Cisco products and will give you an opportunity to configure and troubleshoot various Cisco products virtually. Therefore, it is critically important for the candidates to have practical experience with the Cisco products in any possible way for clearing the CCNP certification.

Opinion from CCIE qualified professionals

According to Networkers Guru, CCIE can be a daunting certification to prepare for, but once you achieve it, then everything will go in your favor specifically in the career that you are pursuing. You will get to have an executive post in whichever organization you work and your salary package would also be very lucrative. In short CCIE certification would altogether change your life. It will make a great impact on your CV and you will get a lot of job offers every now and then. It is always advised for CCIE professionals to have their profile at LinkedIn and keep it updated all the time. You will notice that so many people would approach you with great job offers. That will give you a sense of achievement and a sense of satisfaction as well that you own something extraordinary.

The opinion of some qualified CCIE professionals.

The Networkers Guru gathered a list of some CCIE qualified professionals which can motivate a lot of people who are looking to prepare for the said certification. Their experience would also give you an idea that hot to prepare for the exam. Following is a list of some of those people with their experience with the certification:

·         Morgan Stepp CCIE #12603 – Everyone who starts this certification is never sure about completion, but once anyone achieves it, then it is more of a relief feeling than exciting.  My advice to all the people preparing for the certification is to be determined and never give up at any stage until you achieve your desired results. Remember that the CCIE exam is just like any other exam. There is no torture cell there where you will be tortured. SO be relaxed and be confident. The proctors in the examination hall are generally nice and they will help you with the understanding of the exam or any problem that you can have during your time in the examination hall.

·         Terry Slattery CCIE #1026 – I failed my exam in the first attempt, but couldn’t figure out that where were my weaknesses. The report card which I received later told the whole story and I didn’t lose hope and began preparing for the exam again. The second time I had a different approach for the exam and worked extra hard on my weak areas. It took me a year to prepare again for my second exam and finally I passed this time with flying colors and that was such a relief. I started believing now that everything is possible and you just have to find a way.

·         Nivon Silva CCIE #19841 – My CCIE journey was quite different. I am a professional working in an IT firm full time and still I managed to clear my certification in the first attempt. I just managed time very well and allocated at least 4 days every week for the preparation of my exam. It took me almost 7 months to prepare and eventually passed the exam.

How to prepare for the CCNP exam

The Networkers Guru is a reputable training center located in New Delhi, India which gives extensive trainings on all the Cisco certifications. The training center is equipped with state of the art lecture rooms and labs where you can find almost all sorts of Cisco products. Further, the Networkers Guru has the service of all the Cisco certified professionals who can train you in an exceptionally good way with their own experience in the Cisco certifications. A lot of prospective candidates seeking CCNP certification feel really anxious about the training and preparation of the exam. In reality, they shouldn’t be worried at all if they are focused, committed, determined and motivated. The first thing that the student should do is to ask themselves that why they are doing this certification, what impact it will have on their current job and how this certification would help them in future. If any of the prospective CCNP candidates has positive answers to all these questions, then he would have all the much needed motivation, dedication and commitment to pass the certification. The point here is that the prospective candidates shouldn’t be aimless while pursuing this certification. They should have an aim, objectives and future career goals in order to attain the certification with flying colors. 

Self Study:

The students can choose their training and preparation method as per their suitability and convenience. There are a number of prospective candidates seeking CCNP certification who are full time employed in some organization and they still try to train and prepare for the CCNP certification. For such professionals, self study is the most suitable option as they couldn’t get enough time to go for training at Cisco coaching center. For self study, the candidates need to acquire all the study material which is needed for the preparation of the exam. They can refer to many helpful sites on the web which can give you full details of the required books and other course material which you will need. The candidate should also consult the Cisco Systems website which will always have all up to date information about the study material. Further, the self study candidates should also refer to sample exam paper which they can easily download from the web and can also attain them in the form of a CD from many reputable book stores and CD shops. The sample exam paper can be the best resource for the self studying candidates as it will give them a good insight about the type of questions asked in the CCNP exam.

Joining a Training Center:

A lot of candidates who have problem in their networking concepts prefer joining a training center where they seek help from Cisco certified experts. Further, they also get a chance to practically train in the labs on actual Cisco products. The NetworkersGuru in India is one such reputable training center which can help all the prospective candidates in the attainment of the CCNP certification.