Saturday, March 13, 2010

CCNP SWITCH Exam - why I failed...

So, last Friday morning I turn up to my local test centre ready to face the 642-813 Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks exam. I had done the labs, read the books (David Hucaby's Official Certification Guide and the Foundation Learning Guide that accompanies the Cisco Networking Academy course), I had also passed my CCNP SWITCH Networking academy course with flying colours. So passing the certification exam was going to achievable wasn't it...WASN'T IT?

After 2 hours I knew I had failed even before the screen pinged up with my score. Close but no cigar. After the initial frustration (taken out on the interior of my car) I ran through the exam result sheet which clearly showed the Simulators sticking out like a sore thumb. Trying to think back at the questions I had faced also revealed another area - 'Planning'?.

Finally, I did a Google search for 'Failed CCNP SWITCH exam' and it was then that 2 + 2 made 4. On forums and chat rooms across the web one acronym kept turning up - BCMSN.

BCMSN! after smacking my fore head for being such a dumb ass I came to the realisation that that was what had let me down. I had used the old CBT Nuggets videos on the BCMSN. I had sourced abridged notes on the BCMSN study material (publically available from your popular studying blogs) combining them with the official SWITCh material I thought I had every thing covered. But I hadn't.

The new CCNP SWITCH focuses on practical hands on tasks required in such roles as a Network Engineer, BUT and here is the crux of my failure, it also focuses on the Preparation, Planning, Design, Implementation, Operation and Optimisation of a network. Some of the area's were tested thoroughly on the BCMSN exam but Preparation, Planning, and Design certainly weren't.

And so there I had it. I had nailed the practical stuff but dropped short on the Preparation, Planning and Design.

So what I am going to do? Well between now and 3 weeks time when I sit this exam again I'll be looking back at Chapter 1 - PPDIOO and tailoring my lab work against each criteria. Goodbye BCMSN videos and  material and hello harder studying.

A (£117) lesson learnt. The hard way.

3 comments:

  1. I just failed my Switch exam, I could not believe i saw nasty simulations... I failed with a 776 with a passing score of 790.. I'm really depressed as i really got into the labs and officially took a cisco class. Well, I'll have to try harder, i seriously wasnt ready for so many simlets.. At the end, i kinda of freaked out and almost ran outta of time.. i thought i would pass... and then it pinged me "we regret to inform"... i didnt... what a bad taste in my mouth! I spent lots of money on this and I'm a network engineer... in real life, i seriously dont use as much stuff as it had...

    ReplyDelete
  2. A lot of people expend thousands of dollars with private home finance loan insurance plan in the existence of their mortgages. It can be nonetheless achievable in order to avoid your settlement on this certain insurance plan if you possibly could eradicate exactly why you had to consider that. By simply quite easy processes PMI-100, it is possible to get from the loan company conformity to lose PMI settlement from the home finance loan monthly installments.

    ReplyDelete
  3. CCNP Exam is very important for us.To pass your CCNP and CCNA test, you've got to have a plan for success. Learn how to create an unbeatable study plan from online.

    ReplyDelete