CCNA 640-801 Certification
The Cisco Certified Network
Associate (CCNA) Certification is meant for career enhancement as well as
gaining knowledge of the LAN/WAN technologies currently available for
implementation. Hence, CCNA Certification can be obtained by IT
professionals who have been a part of the industry for a considerable time
and are interested in furthering their career in terms of role enhancement
and salary. Individuals who are beginning their career and want to move
towards LAN/WAN management may also pursue the certification, as it is a
basic level certification and there are no prerequisites.
Details About CCNA Certification
The CCNA Certification is an ideal foundation in the field of networking.
CCNA Certification equips professionals with skills to select, install,
configure, troubleshoot, and operate LAN/WAN, and dial access services for
small networks. CCNA Certification also equips professionals with the
knowledge to employ access lists and use of protocols such as IP, IGRP,
Serial, Frame Relay, IP RIP, VLANs, RIP, and basics of the Ethernet
Technology, purpose and use of Access Lists.
Pre Requisites: Nil
The CCNA exam has no pre requisites. The aspirant should be comfortable with
basic concepts of LAN for his/her own convenient approach to the exam.
CCNA Exams
CCNA Exam Options
Single Exam Option
640-801 CCNA: Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies and
Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices
OR
Multiple Exams option
641-821 INTRO Beta: Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies (INTRO)
640-811 ICND: Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices
The recommended course(s)/training From Cisco are:
Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices (ICND 2.0 or ICND 2.1 )
Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies ( INTRO )
CCNA Recertification
With the retirement of 640-607 in September 2003, the available options to
recertify are 640-801 or any other Professional or Cisco qualified
specialist track.
Validity
CCNA certifications are valid for three years.
Cisco Agreement
Accepting the terms of Cisco Career Certification and Confidentiality
Agreement is a very important part of obtaining Cisco Certification.
Exam Description
The 640-801 is the exam available for aspirants pursuing Cisco Certified
Network Associate (CCNA) Certification. Since 640-607 has retired, the
article solely concentrates on the 640-801. The CCNA (640-801) exam focuses
on the Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices (ICND) course as well as the
new Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies (INTRO) course. The
courses and the exam ensure that the successful candidate has the important
knowledge and skills necessary to select, connect, configure, and
troubleshoot the various Cisco networking devices. The exam also includes
topics on Extending Switched Networks with VLANS, Determining IP Routes,
Managing IP traffic with Access Lists, Establishing Point-to-Point
connections, and Establishing Frame Relay Connections.
Objectives
The following topics listed are the most likely ones on which the testing
will focus during the exam. Topics related to this may probably be tested
further in detail too.
Planning & Designing
Design a simple LAN using Cisco Technology
Design an IP addressing scheme to meet design requirements
Select an appropriate routing protocol based on user requirements
Design a simple internetwork using Cisco technology
Develop an access list to meet user specifications
Choose WAN services to meet customer requirements
Implementation & Operation
Configure routing protocols, given user requirements
Configure IP addresses, subnet masks, and gateway addresses on routers and
hosts
Configure a router for additional administrative functionality
Configure a switch with VLANS and inter-switch communication
Implement a LAN
Customize a switch configuration to meet specified network requirements
Manage system image and device configuration files
Perform an initial configuration on a router
Perform an initial configuration on a switch
Implement access lists
Implement simple WAN protocols
Troubleshooting
Utilize the OSI model as a guide for systematic network troubleshooting
Perform LAN and VLAN troubleshooting
Troubleshoot routing protocols
Troubleshoot IP addressing and host configuration
Troubleshoot a device as part of a working network
Troubleshoot an access list
Perform simple WAN troubleshooting
Technology
Describe network communications using layered models
Describe the Spanning Tree process
Compare and contrast key characteristics of LAN environments
Evaluate the characteristics of routing protocols
Evaluate TCP/IP communication process and its associated protocols
Describe the components of network devices
Evaluate rules for packet control
Evaluate key characteristics of WANs
Since troubleshooting is very simplified and methodic when the OSI layered
model concepts are clear, the extensive focus on the OSI model still remains
in 640-801 exam along with the rest of the basic content. The enhancement is
in the Dial on Demand Routing (DDR) and the Config-register and some
switching concepts.
Exam specifics
The CCNA exam I took had 58 questions to be answered in 90 minutes with a
passing score of 849. The exam may have question numbers ranging from 55 to
65. The time allotted will be 90 minutes and the pattern of questions may
vary from exam to exam, i.e., depending on the number of questions against
the time given, the number of multiple-choice response, drag-and-drop and
simulators may vary.
Exam Pattern
There will be router/switch simulator questions, many multiple choice
questions and a few drag-and-drop questions along with a few multiple choice
single response and fill in the blank type of questions.
When switching between the simulator-based questions and the rest of the
exam, the simulator engine may seem a little slow. For some simulator-based
questions, you will be presented with scenarios. You need to remember
configuration commands and listing commands to grasp the scenarios and
troubleshoot them. Remember to have a blank sheet on which you can mark
important points and remember to save any changes you make on the simulator
relating to the configuration. The simulator is very much like the real one
on the routers and switches except that abbreviated editing and help
commands may not be available. Ensure that you do not try these abbreviated
commands and waste time, it is always better to use the entire syntax of any
command you may be required to use.
Some concepts like the OSI model, the Access lists, the Subnetting etc, are
the type of questions that may be time consuming, as they require
single-minded concentration, very clear basics and some amount of
calculation. The scenario type of questions needs an eye for detailed and
clear analytical abilities. Be clear with the command line configuration
commands and their switches and have an insight to the kind of testing the
vendor may employ. That should help you have a CCNA certificate under your
belt.
The various testing methods a vendor (Prometric in this case) may employ are
as follows (pertaining to the CCNA exam):
Single-Response Multiple Choices
The simplest one of the lot, usually comes in between many complicated
questions to relax your brains and prepare you for the worst to come,
sometimes may not fetch much score. If you are not aware of the answer, do
not waste time guessing it. Skip the question and move to the next. It is
the most common question type used in most exams, the response choices will
be adjacent to radio buttons, this indicates there can be only one correct
answer to the question.
Multiple-Response Multiple Choice
Checkboxes will replace radio buttons to indicate that there can be more
than one choice to the correct answer, and it may range from two up to four
at times. The questions may at times, state the number of correct choices.
But the tricky part is when the question states, choose all that apply.
Here, even if one choice is skipped the answer may not be complete and may
not fetch the desired score.
Another hint here is, more number of choices presented to the candidate to
choose from, more may be the choices, when compared with usual. If there are
5 or 6 choices presented, it means there will be at least 3 correct choices
out of the available choices.
Fill in the Blank
The standard fill in the blank may have a single choice answer. It may also
have 3 blanks to be filled and all three in a single choice, making it a
single response or may have the three blanks mentioned as three individual
choices too, making it a multiple response type of a question. In other
words the fill in the blanks question may be a single response or a multiple
response with definitely multiple choice to choose from.
Drag-and-Drop Questions
With this type, a number of elements may be presented and you may be
required to drag the element from its current placeholder to the appropriate
location on the screen to arrive at the correct choice of answer. You will
usually be presented with more items than required to complete the picture,
to confuse the correct choice. This type of a question may appear as a
graphical match the following or a logical diagram of a particular process
or theory slightly out of place, which you may have to re arrange.
Simulator Questions
These types of questions simulate the administrative environment and are
very similar to the real one and expect you to carry out an administrative
task to complete the question task. For example, you may be presented with a
hyper terminal screen and asked to remotely configure a switch or a router
as you would in real environment using the relevant commands. The final
result will be graded, versus the path or the process you took to arrive at
the result; therefore if the question says use the easiest method to achieve
the task when there is more than one way of doing it and you choose the less
easier one you will not receive the expected scoring at all.
You've learned the details about the Exam, its pattern, objectives, etc..
Well, with all this information you are well armed to take up the CCNA
640-801 exam and score well too!!! Best of Luck!!!
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