CCNA Notes – How To Study
June 9, 2023
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Cisco Press has produced several excellent books 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 in order to pass the exam. The following explains how you can use these books based on what you know to study for the exam. This information is also found in the Getting Started section of most Cisco Press Books. Now, follow to learn CCNA exam study.
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 pick 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
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 as long as 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
Adjust Goals and Define Rewards
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 need to 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 a day.
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 the tasks in it, I decided to watch the Udemy Series to refresh my memories on every topic and walkthrough more labs.
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