CCNA Blog

At Cisco, we know that before you invest in a professional certification program, you want the confidence that it will be worth your time, effort, and money. That’s why Cisco puts a lot of its own time, effort and money into making sure our certification program and exams are among the best in the IT industry.

So how does Cisco ensure that its certifications are among the best? The short answer is by taking many precautions to ensure that our certifications are useful to hiring managers.

To that end, one important step is job-role and task analysis; research processes that we use to ensure that Cisco certifications are aligned with in-demand networking roles, and the associated tasks and skills. This 3-part effort involves many networking experts drawn from Cisco customer, partner and internal organizations to identify workplace demands and related Cisco skill requirements via structured interviews, focus groups and surveys. The output of all this activity is the “exam blueprint” – a high-level outline of minimum-competence certification standards which guide the exam creation process, which is published in the certification materials to tell candidates how to prepare. (See this blog post about a recent discussion of routing and switching certification design.)

When we are ready to create a certification exam, more experts are assembled to write exam questions, including labs, simulations, and other performance-based items. Their expertise is used to directly evaluate the most important skills candidates will need in the real-world. The creation of exam questions is a highly structured process with numerous checks on the accuracy of the technical content, and further checks on the quality of the questioning, language and answer options.

Once an exam is initially developed, we refine it through an extensive beta testing process; we recruit qualified candidates to take the beta exam and provide further input on the clarity and accuracy of the questions. Beta exam results, including comments, are then analyzed by the exam team to assess the validity and reliability of each question. On the basis of this analysis, we determine which exam questions should be kept, revised, or removed from the final version of the exam. Once an exam is live, we check the quality of our exam items on an ongoing basis by reviewing item performance and reviewing candidate comments.

The final step in exam creation is to determine an appropriate passing score. Again, to ensure that passing scores reflect real-world expectations of competence, we turn to experts in customer, partner and internal organizations to evaluate the difficulty and relevance of each question against workplace requirements.

At Cisco, we know that the creation of trusted certification exams requires inclusiveness as well as science and creativity. Demand for Cisco certifications is strong and growing because hiring managers value alignment with real-world job responsibilities, demonstration of highly-important skilled tasks, and the judgment of experts and peers regarding standards of competence.

From the Learning@Cisco Certification Exam Design and Development Team

Robin Lee :: Nov.19.2008 :: Cisco CCNA News :: No Comments »

IT engineers who are responsible for network security must continually stay on top of the newest security threats by making sure they have the most current and cutting edge training. While the need for training increases, the available time and budget for the training is decreasing. Companies today need employees who are adequately trained to keep their networks secure, but simply don’t have enough room in their budget to pay for the training, travel expenses and accommodations. In addition to these expenses, they also lose the productivity of the employee who is away for training courses that can last anywhere from 5 to 17 days.

According to Dawn Tesar, Director of Marketing for CCBOOTCAMP, the release of the new iCOD™ - Class on Demand, which contains training for the Cisco CCNA Security course, will meet many of the needs these engineers have. ‘Engineers today need a product that is portable, convenient and affordable,’ says Tesar. She also noted that engineers at all levels of training and experience are looking for better options.

The first Cisco authorized training course to be released on the iPod™ is CCNA Security, Implementing Cisco IOS Network Security. This Cisco authorized training covers over 40 hours of classroom instruction using lecture and labs in this convenient iPod™ format. It is specifically designed to prepare the engineer for the CCNA Security IINS exam. Students also have 40 hours of virtual rack time where they can work through scenarios and homework assignments to get practical experience. An engineer from a local technology company said that this course is innovative and remarkable for several reasons. First, the portability of the product is unmatched. Engineers can access the lessons while commuting, at home or at work without the need of a laptop. Second, students are able to put into practice what they’re learning as they’re learning it by using the virtual racks. They also receive dedicated instructor mentoring via www.securityie.com to ensure all concepts are completely understood. Finally, the course is affordable for almost all individuals and companies. Companies can actually save money because they don’t have to pay for travel and lodging or loose employee productivity.

Additional Cisco courses are expected to be released in this iCOD™ format in the coming months to cover all levels of Cisco certifications from the CCENT level through the CCIE level.

CCBOOTCAMP, a division of Network Learning, Inc. was founded in 1998 to provide authorized Cisco and CompTIA training courses for IT engineers at every level of expertise. The company offers training solutions to individuals as well as companies who employ engineers to maintain their networks.

Infomation from: www.pr-inside.com

Robin Lee :: Oct.13.2008 :: Cisco CCNA News :: No Comments »

It’s telling to watch how young children, as they mature, confront physical or intellectual challenges, applying as much perseverance as their abilities permit, while keeping the effort entirely within the context of having fun. As a parent this process can manifest itself at the playground where my daughter Annika, after spending a few weeks trying to master the monkey bars, will finish, satisfied with her accomplishment…for a while…until ambition leads her to gaze at the giant climbing rock, the next challenge, just across the playground.

I’m excited to introduce you to our new playground, the Cisco Learning Network. Its intent is to assist you in defining your professional goals; planning a strategy to execute; and facilitating success via Educational content, peer exchanges in the Discussion Forums, and finally career guidance as you continue to strive for opportunities provided through your continued Education and Certifications.

Whether your interest is in being introduced to Cisco Certifications; working to prepare for your Entry, Associate, Professional, or Expert Certification; looking for a refresh before taking your re-certification exam; checking in on what people are blogging about; or just stopping by to see what’s new in our ever expanding technical library, we fully expect you to either find what you are in need of, or to let us know what’s missing and we’ll work to correct that.

The exciting news this month, above and beyond the introduction of Cisco Learning Network, is the simultaneous introduction of our newest Associate Certifications: CCNA Wireless, CCNA Voice, and CCNA Security. The continued goal of the Cisco Certification process is to provide ample Certification opportunities for all the different technology frameworks within the four primary Certification levels (Entry, Associate, Professional, and Expert), and we trust the new CCNAs will complement the existing Certifications.

Providing Certification resources and guidance can be a slippery slope; we don’t want to surprise candidates regarding content and exam topics, but we want the Certifications to be an accurate gauge of one’s abilities and competencies, to stand on its own merits, and to continue to be a badge of honor within the Network Community. We all have a vested interest in the continued success of Cisco Certifications, and so we depend upon your feedback to regularly monitor the state of that art.

The Cisco Learning Network is here to help you meet your professional goals, while also establishing new challenges—a process that hopefully leaves you as satisfied yet eager as that 5-year-old on the playground. Let your determination inspire us all. And just as I tell Annika: have fun, play nice, and let me know when you need help.

Article Posted By Mark Johnson, From Cisco Learning Network.

Robin Lee :: Aug.29.2008 :: Cisco CCNA News :: No Comments »

Today, I visited www.certay.com, and have noticed the following content of certay website frontpage:

Through hard work of “certay team”, this site certay.com are available to sell exams materials now! Welocme your concerning and purchase our products, and appreciate your feed back for using our meterials! — 10th Jul, 2008

That’s a good news!

Certay is the online Certification Expert recognized by a worldwide audience of IT professionals and executives alike as the definitive source of training materials for the candidate seeking insight, updates and resources for vendor certifications.

In addtion, Certay offer latest news in Certification field, including new released certification exam, any discount information for any exam, good suggestion or review on certification exam, You can find all information you need through Certay.

At last, you can download Certay free demos of CCNA certification exams practice engine here.

Robin Lee :: Jul.10.2008 :: Cisco CCNA News :: No Comments »

On June 24, 2008, Cisco will introduce the CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, and CCNA Wireless concentrations–the smart way for individuals to establish a deeper level of expertise in these three important areas of Cisco network technology.

Built upon Cisco’s most popular career certification—CCNA—these new new concentrations are relevant, role-based, and designed with the growing knowledge requirements of IT professionals and organizations in mind. These highly specialized associate-level concentrations represent areas of rapid development in technology convergence that makes up today’s sophisticated network environments and also offer a career stepping stone to the professional-level credentials.

IT professionals wishing to broaden or specialize their skills to further differentiate themselves in the marketplace will find these concentrations a valuable addition to their knowledge arsenal.

According to the recent Forrester Consulting study conducted on behalf of Cisco, there is a pervasive need for stronger networking skills across multiple functional areas within IT organizations now and in the future:

• Dedicated security roles are expected to exist in 80% of the companies studied within five years, while today only 46% of the surveyed companies have such a role.
• Of the IT managers surveyed, 69% expect to have a dedicated voice specialist role within their IT organization within five years; only 40% of respondents have them today.
• One-third of the global companies surveyed currently have a dedicated wireless role, a figure expected to double to 66% over the next five years.

Tomorrow Cisco will announce these three new CCNA Certifications! The CCNA Voice and CCNA Wireless will be available on June 24, but the CCNA Wireless exam will be available July 25.

You can check out the full exam topics/blueprint and descriptions for these exams at the below links:

• www.ccnawirelessexam.com/2008/06/ccna-wireless-exam-topics.html
• www.ccnavoiceexam.com/2008/06/ccna-voice-exam-topics.html
• www.ccnavoiceexam.com/2008/06/ccna-voice-practice-test.html
• www.ccnasecurityexam.com/2008/06/ccna-security-exam-topics.html

OTE: Passing the CCNA exam is a prerequisite to taking these new exams!

Cisco will be INCREASING the price of the CCNA 640-802 exam from $150 to $250! The price for the ICND 1 and ICND 2 exams will remain $125

CCNP Exam price will increase from $225 to $300!</u> Four exam option for CCNP certification – BSCI (642-901), BCMSN (642-812), ISCW (642-825), & ONT (642-845) remain at $150 USD each.

Infomation From: Sadikhov IT Certification Forums

Robin Lee :: Jul.01.2008 :: Cisco CCNA News :: No Comments »

Cisco has introduced 3 new CCNA types:

CCNA Routing and Switching, recommended courses: ICND1 and ICND2. Certification exam: 640-802

Description: The 640-802 CCNA is the composite exam associated with the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification. Candidates can prepare for this exam by taking the Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1) v1.0 and the Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 (ICND2) v1.0 courses. This exam tests a candidate’s knowledge and skills required to install, operate, and troubleshoot a small to medium size enterprise branch network. The topics include connecting to a WAN; implementing network security; network types; network media; routing and switching fundamentals; the TCP/IP and OSI models; IP addressing; WAN technologies; operating and configuring IOS devices; extending switched networks with VLANs; determining IP routes; managing IP traffic with access lists; establishing point-to-point connections; and establishing Frame Relay connections.

CCNA Security, recommended course: Implementing Cisco IOS Network Security (IINS). Certification exam: 640-553 IINS

Description: CCNA Security Certification meets the needs of IT professionals who are responsible for network security. It confirms an individual’s skills for job roles such as Network Security Specialists, Security Administrators, and Network Security Support Engineers. This certification validates skills including installation, troubleshooting and monitoring of network devices to maintain integrity, confidentiality and availability of data and devices and develops competency in the technologies that Cisco uses in its security structure.

Prerequisites: Valid CCNA

Students completing the recommended Cisco training will gain an introduction to core security technologies as well as how to develop security policies and mitigate risks. IT organizations that employ CCNA Security-holders will have IT staff that can develop a security infrastructure, recognize threats and vulnerabilities to networks, and mitigate security threats.

CCNA Voice, recommended course: Implementing Cisco IOS Unified Communications (IIUC). Certification exam: 640-460 IIUC

Description: The Cisco® CCNA Voice certification confirms that you have the required skill set for specialized job roles in voice technologies such as voice technologies administrator, voice engineer, and voice manager. It validates skills in VoIP technologies such as IP PBX, IP telephony, handset, call control, and voicemail solutions.

The CCNA Voice Certification enables employers to validate that their staff possess a strong foundation in voice applications and infrastructure concepts; and are capable of performing baseline installation, operating, and maintenance tasks on Cisco VoIP solutions, particularly the Smart Business Communications System from 8-250 lines.

Prerequisites: Valid CCNA

CCNA Wireless, recommended training: Implementing Cisco Unified Wireless Networking Essentials (IUWNE). Certification exam: 640-721 IUWNE

Description: CCNA Wireless recognizes the critical importance of professionals supporting wireless LANS including Networking Associates/Administrators, Wireless Support Specialists and WLAN project managers.

The CCNA Wireless Certification validates candidate’s skills in the configuration, implementation and support of wireless LANs, specifically those networks using Cisco equipment. Students completing the recommended Cisco training are provided with information and practice activities to prepare them for, configuring, monitoring and troubleshooting basic tasks of a Cisco WLAN in SMB and Enterprise networks. Employers will be able to validate their staff have the skills needed for basic wireless networking on a Cisco WLAN in SMB and enterprise networks after completing certification.

Prerequisites: Valid CCNA

Robin Lee :: Jun.29.2008 :: Cisco CCNA News :: No Comments »

All cisco candidates 646-229, 642-414, 646-203 will be retired in 2008 on cisco official websites. These cisco certification exam can validate candidates related knowledge, for mastering and proving your alilities, you’d better take these exams from pass4sure website. Now we talk about some cisco related certification information.

Cisco CCNA candidates need to be aware that the current CCNA, Intro, and ICND exams are being retired as of November 6, 2007.

This is actually great news for future CCNAs, since there is more than enough time to study for the 640-801 version of the CCNA exam, even if you haven’t started studying yet!

The current version of the exam, 640-801, is challenging enough as it is - but the new version of the exam, 640-802, is going to be even more challenging! Among the new topics covered on the 640-802 exam are Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), IP Version 6 (IPv6), router security, switch security, VPNs, and wireless routing.

Why is Cisco making these changes? Cisco no longer wants the CCNA to be seen as an “entry level” certification, and I personally think that’s a welcome change. I’ve been writing CCNA ebooks and teaching in-person and internet-based CCNA courses for years, and I’ve always refused to refer to the CCNA as “entry level”. Cisco’s new entry-level certification is the CCENT, Cisco Certified Entry Level Technician, and we’ll talk about that certification in a future article.

For now, it’s important to realize that you have plenty of time to prepare for the current 640-801 exam. By doing so, you’ll earn one of the most valuable certifications avaiable today. Cisco does a tremendous job in protecting the value of its certifications, and any time spend on earning the CCNA is time well-spent.

The 640-802 CCNA exam will be available on August 1, but again, the current 640-801 exam will be available through November 5. If you want to get CCNA certified, now is definitely the time to get the job done - so get started, book your exam date today, and get CCNA certified!

Robin Lee :: Jun.27.2008 :: Cisco CCNA News :: No Comments »