As a CCIE certified professional, I decided to take the new CCNA exam out of curiosity. I had heard that many people found it harder than the CCIE exam itself, and I wanted to see for myself what was going on. The last time I took the CCNA exam was a few years ago, and I was surprised by how different the new version was.
The old version of the CCNA exam had 60 questions of different types, including simulation, fill in the blank, and multiple choice. It was deep, but not necessarily hard. The new version of the CCNA exam has more than 100 questions, with a duration of 120 minutes, which means less than one minute per question. There are no simulation questions anymore, which I found surprising. More than 70% of the questions were multiple choice, which was also unexpected.
I decided to record my experience on YouTube because I have noticed an issue in the last five years with all the students and people who want to learn Cisco. Many register for online classes with websites like CBT Nuggets or INE, which cover the whole subject but do not teach the exam purpose. Unfortunately, those articles are not enough to help you prepare for the new CCNA exam. I believe that the new exam is different, and it requires a different approach.
In my case, I did not have time to read everything and study from scratch. I had only two weeks to prepare for the exam, so I focused on solving questions. Since I am a CCIE certified professional, it was easier for me to jump right into the questions. However, for those who are new to Cisco, this approach may not be suitable.
I am not saying that online classes are not helpful, but they may not be enough to prepare for the new CCNA exam. The exam purpose should be taken into consideration, and you should focus on solving multiple choice questions since there are no simulation questions anymore.
Sure, I understand. Here's the second and final part of your blog:
After passing the CCNA exam, I can confidently say that the key to success is starting with the book and memorizing important information. While online courses and articles can supplement your knowledge, they shouldn't be your primary source of information. Instead, focus on reading the official Cisco book, highlight important details, and practice answering questions related to the material.
The CCNA exam is different from previous versions, as it doesn't have simulations and instead relies heavily on memorization. This can be frustrating, but it's necessary to pass the exam and earn your certification. However, while passing the exam is important, it's not a guarantee of future success in your networking career. So, if you're only interested in passing the exam, then follow my advice and focus on the book and practice questions. But if you want to excel in your career, continue to learn and apply your knowledge to real-world situations.
In my opinion, spending time on simulation apps like Packet Tracer or GNS3 is not as useful as focusing on the book. While simulations can be helpful in understanding certain concepts, they don't fully prepare you for the memorization-based questions on the exam. So, don't waste your time on simulations if you have a limited amount of study time.
When reading the book, make sure to analyze the information and don't skip anything. The questions on the exam are all about connections between layers and protocols, so missing a single detail could hurt your chances of passing. Additionally, in my experience, the exam had many questions related to administrative distance and subnetting. So, pay close attention to those topics when studying.
