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CCNP – Complete!

Posted: November 23rd, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Techie | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »

After a couple of false starts I’ve finally completed my CCNP – I passed TSHOOT on Friday 19th November 2010, having completed that exam, ROUTE and SWITCH in the last 12 months.  Having gone through that I wanted to share a few general thoughts about the exam program in general – obviously I can’t say anything too specific about the exams themselves due to Cisco’s legal agreements.

First off – TSHOOT.  As many have said, this exam is a fairly major departure for the CCNP-level exams. Candidates face a number of questions, the majority of which will be trouble-ticket type questions based on a known topology and a known list of technologies (exam blueprint).  This information gives the candidate a vast resource of information that can be used to direct his/her studying.  I would also invite candidates for this exam to look at Kevin Wallace’s TSHOOT Videos.  They really do help clarify techniques that will be useful in the exam itself.  I looked at them the morning before I took the exam and it helped me get my mind into exam gear, given that I’d done no preparation in the 2 weeks before the exam (I was traveling for work and as a result was insanely busy).

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Review: CCNP Route Cert Kit

Posted: May 30th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Techie | Tags: , , | No Comments »

Most of my CCNP studying has been through either on the job experience or self-study: working through the books, experimenting with things on my lab kit, etc etc.  That being the case I thought I would review a few of the study materials that I’ve been using.

First up is the Cisco Press CCNP Route 642-902 Cert Kit.  This is a set of three different products that retails for around £45.00 but which I managed to get for less than £30.00 from Amazon UK.  The three components are:

  • CCNP ROUTE Quick Reference Guide
  • Routing Video Mentor
  • Online Certification Flash Cards

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