Introduction

I’ve worked as a fiber optics engineer for six years since I graduated from high school. I’d like to try something new, but sadly most positions require a bachelor’s degree, so I need to get a certificate to impress recruiters.

I need to study the CCNA material for six to eight months for two to three hours each day.

And because I paid for this exam with my own money, I looked for ways to reduce costs. I discovered that Cisco offers a NetAcad Certification Exam Discounts if you pass the Final Exam at NetAcad; more information can be found here.

Resources

1. OCG

   Not gonna lie, the ocg’s writing style makes me dizzy, but I still managed to finish both books. Resources are still good, especially the DIKTA test.

2. Jeremy’s IT Lab

   A special thanks to Jeremy for creating a video playlist covering every aspect of the CCNA from beginning to end. The presentation of the material is clear and easy to understand, of course it’s free. Don’t forget that Jeremy also made Anki FlashCard.

3. Lab

   • Cisco Packet Tracer
   • GNS3
     
   • PNETLab

   I do more practice than reading / watching videos, it’s better to just build something and then break it again with configurations and theories that don’t make sense.

Tips

1. If you manage to get a Discount Voucher from NetAcad, then log in to your PearsonVue Account using the same email, congratulations your account has become a double ID (different ID) which means that the Discount you have received cannot be used and you have to contact Cisco Support to merge your account.

After Exam

I managed to clear the exam, but unfortunately, Cisco’s policy doesn’t disclose the actual scores. Upon reviewing the exam report, it’s evident that I didn’t perform well in the “IP Connectivity” section. Luckily, I did pass, hehe.

As for the questions themselves, I can’t provide details about the number of questions, time limits, or question types. Therefore, it’s a better to invest more time in practical hands-on lab.

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