It's here! The day you become a CCNA. Here are some tips to make sure you do your best work on exam day.
The Day Of The Exam
Today, all the planning and work you've done for your CCNA exam pays off. You wake up confident and ready to go, because you've followed these steps and you know passing the exam is a foregone conclusion.
There are still things you can do to maximize your chances of success!
Show up on time. Yes, I know everyone says that. The testing center wants you there 30 minutes early. So why do so many candidates show up late, or in a rush? Again, if you have a morning exam appointment, make sure to allow for rush hour traffic.
Use the headphones. Most candidates in the room with you understand that they should be quiet. Sadly, not all of them do. Smacking gum, mumbling to themselves (loud enough for you to hear, though), and other little noises can really get on your nerves in what is already a pressure situation. In one particular testing center I use, the door to the testing room has one setting: "Slam".
Luckily, that center also has a headset hanging at every testing station. Call ahead to see if yours does. Some centers have them but don't leave them at the testing stations. Wearing headphones during the exam is a great way to increase your powers of concentration. They allow you to block out all noise and annoyances, and do what you came to do -- pass the exam.
Prepare for the "WHAT??" question. No matter how well-prepared you are, there may be one question on any Cisco exam that just stuns you. It might be off-topic, in your opinion; it may be a question that would take 10 of your remaining 15 minutes to answer; it might be a question that you don't even know how to begin answering. I have talked with Cisco exam candidates who got to such a question and were obviously so thrown off that they didn't do well on any of the remaining questions, either.
There is only one thing to do in this situation: shrug it off. Compare yourself to a major-league pitcher. If he gives up a home run, he can't dwell on it; he's got to face another batter. Cornerbacks in football face the same problem; if they give up a long TD pass, they can't spend the next 20 minutes thinking about it. They have to shrug it off and be ready for the next play.
Don't worry about getting a perfect score on the exam. Your concern is passing. If you get a question that seems ridiculous, unsolvable, or out of place, forget about it. It's done. Move on to the next question and nail it.
Finish with a flourish. Ten questions from the end of your exam, take a 15-to-30 second break. You can't walk around the testing room, but you can stand and stretch. By this point in the exam, candidates tend to be a little mentally tired. Maybe you're still thinking about the "WHAT??" question. Don't worry about the questions you've already answered -- they're done. Take a deep breath, remember why you're there -- to pass this exam -- and sit back down and nail the last ten questions to the wall.
There is one final piece of advice I'd like to give you for exam day: BE AGGRESSIVE!
You're in that testing room for one reason: to PASS.
Occasionally I hear someone say that they're taking an exam "just to see what it's like". That's not a winning attitude. You're not there to see what it's like; you're there to pass so you don't have to see it again.
Would you work on a router or switch with the attitude of "let's just see what happens"? Not on my network. And not on anybody else's, hopefully. Go in the testing room with an aggressive attitude. You've planned; you've studied; you've sacrificed. You're ready to seize your destiny and pass the exam.
We play the game to win the game.
We take the exam to pass the exam.
And from someone who's been there - there is no feeling in the world like seeing "PASS" on that computer screen!
Some Final Exam Tips
For many of you, this may be your first Cisco certification exam. Here are a few tips that all candidates should find helpful, especially first-timers.
Make sure to bring your wallet or purse. You cannot take the exam without proper identification. You'll probably be asked for two forms of ID, one of which must be a picture ID.
Most testing centers hand you a dry erase board and a marker. Make sure that the marker has a fine point; when you're answering subnetting questions or performing a hexadecimal-to-binary conversion, that will come in handy.
Despite the best efforts of VUE and Prometric, some testing center rooms are afterthoughts. I strongly advise that if you're taking your exam at a technical school, ask to see the testing room BEFORE you sign up for the exam. If it looks like a converted broom closet, it probably is. Those rooms also tend to be right next to classrooms, which can result in distracting noise during your exam.
If your testing center specializes in giving computer-based exams rather than classes, you're probably in good shape. Again, feel free to drop by the testing center before your exam to take a peek at the testing room. Most testing rooms have a window that employees use to keep an eye on testers, and you should be able to take a peek through the window.
When you go in, you'll be asked to enter your social security number as your testing ID. Once you do that, the exam engine starts running. However, this doesn't mean the test starts.
When you take a Cisco exam, you'll first be presented with a survey. The survey consists of 10 - 20 questions asking about your background, preparation methods, and comfort level with different technologies. This is a good time to catch your breath before starting the exam. The survey will only take about five minutes, and this time does not count against your exam time.
You'll then be presented with an exam tutorial, showing you how to answer the different types of questions Cisco may ask. While most of these questions types are common sense (multiple choice, single answer, fill-in-the-blank), I strongly urge you to pay special attention to the router simulator question tutorial.
The simulator questions carry more weight than the other questions; indeed, it's almost impossible to pass the CCNA exams if you totally miss the simulator questions. While the interface for these exams is intuitive, sometimes students who fail their exam complain that they were not given enough information to answer the question. The real problem is that they didn't look in the right place for that information. It's not hidden, but spend a few minutes with the tutorial and do not go forward until you're comfortable with the simulator interface.
Finally, the exam starts! Remember, you're not being asked anything you don't know. If you have prepared correctly with the right tools, you'll have a passing grade on your screen before you know it.
Speaking of that grade, you'll be presented with it about five seconds after you answer the final question. Cisco exams no longer allow CCNA and CCNP candidates to go back once a question is answered, so be prepared for that.
A Final Word
I appreciate you taking the time to read "How To Pass The CCNA". I know from experience how hard it is to get started and to pass the CCNA, and I know this report will help you achieve this goal and to be prepared for your CCNP studies.
The Cisco certification program has made tremendous professional success possible for me. That success is waiting for you. By following the plan I've laid out for you in this special report, you can begin creating the foundation for an incredible future.
It did so for me, and it will for you.
To your success,
Chris Bryant
CCIE(TM) #12933
CCIE(TM) #12933
The Bryant Advantage, 9429 Apple Blossom Drive, Mechanicsville, VA 23116, USA
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