Does anyone have any advice regarding the best path to a CCNA (Cisco Certified Networking Associate) cert for a novice? I've seen a number of study aids, ranging from lab simulators, Cisco study kits, Transcenders, etc. Any help would be appreciated.
You can find over 840,000 possibilities by keying: +ccna +training into the Google search box. Or, if you'd like to combine getting a CCNP with an accredited masters degree that will award roughly half its credits for your having done so, check this out! (And really read it, 'cause it's way cool!)
I took the CCNA class at New Horizons. It was a five day class and it was OK. I took the test and did not pass - got a something like a 750 and I needed an 850. The test has some "hands on" where it asks you to perform certain tasks. The test is very challanging. I think there are free simulators that you can get online. My advice in what ever you do is get some hands on experience. Do you have IT experience?
doh! ..my fingers were typing something different than the mind was thinking *lol* I meant www.techexams.net - you can also check out www.mcmcse.com
FHSU's Internetworking Certificate will help, too FHSU's Internetworking Certificate. Not only will you be prepped for the CCNA, you get a Certificate from FHSU to boot
The only CCNA curriculum that is worth the time, money, and effort, in my opinion, is through the Cisco Networking Academy. You should be able to find a college, community college or high-school in your area that offers it. Other than that, I don't believe it is offered online. I did the first year curriculum in less than 6 months (it was an accelerated program) at my local CC and it cost me maybe $350 plus two three-hour sessions every week. It was completely hands-on and the learning I accumulated was top-notch. I have a CCNA, MCSA, A+, Net+ and Server+. CCNA is the only one I did not do self-study with a Cybex or other book. CCNA is by far the hardest, and offers the best return on investment, and it was the easiest to pass because of the Networking Academy experience. Don't waste your time if you are serious about CCNA. Besides putting CCNA on your resume, you can put Cisco Networking Academy and that doubles the impact. You can't very well put "I read a book and did some brain dump tests" on your resume. Go to www.cisco.com (click on "discussion forums") and www.thebryantadvantage.com for more info.
