Looking to take the CCENT Exam

[brassburn]

Here's the thing about the MCSE. The current track is really good. The last couple of iterations were ruined for one simple reason:

Rampant cheating.

There ARE "paper" MCSE's out there. They don't last very long at all because they're lack of know-how manifests itself really quickly.

In any case it's HIGHLY unusual to have an MCSE without a resume loaded with experience. Seeing someone with a recent MCSE and NO professional IT background is a serious red flag. You'd never hire someone like that for anything beyond help desk anyway, where they can't do much damage.

One last thing for the OP: Just take the full CCNA. As I said in my other post the CCENT is a challenge if you aren't experienced. If you go the 2 test route, Cisco gets 120 questions to drill deeper into all the curriculum areas. And they WILL! If you take the CCNA exam it's 60 questions covering the whole thing. Just food for thought.

Don't bother, seriously. It's like the MCSE.

[Cowboy T]

Like Brassburn, I'm also a 20-year veteran (currently a Principal Engineer). He and I may not agree on the MCSE point, as I've been burned by MCSE's too many times throughout the years, but it seems we do both agree on the benefits of working with real gear and for just taking (and preparing for) the CCNA. Sims are helpful, but nothing beats working with real hardware. His idea of a couple routers and a couple of switches is a good one. You discover things that you just cannnot learn with a sim, like troubleshooting Layer 1 issues, or setting up a real TFTP/FTP/SFTP server to load your IOS images. It always surprises me how many people don't think about Layer 1 and then wonder why things don't work.

Remember, when you do go for an interview, you'll likely be across the table from someone like Brassburn or me. In addition to the standard getting-along-with-others part, you will need to be able to demonstrate some real knowledge to get the job. So, do your homework. I still do, even now. Systems Engineering's a lot of fun; you've just gotta do your homework.

[Darryl Licht]

I too have over 20 years experience as both a tech and a teacher. Since the OP has little hands on experience I would suggest that he start small with A+ and Network+ which will give him a good starting foundation in both hardware, software, and networking. Both certs are easily done on your own using self study books and online materials.

Then start working on your CCNA or CCENT, if that's where you really want to go. The CCNA has a very high first time failure rate of nearly 80%, so without actual hands on experience and/or classroom time... it's highly doubtful a noob will pass the first time or even second. I know many who took 3 times to pass @ $200 per test and they were Cisco Academy students.

[jnojr]

I have been looking into the IT field, and would like to try my hand at it. I am going to study on my own, then take the exam. Would this guide be my best option in studying for the CCENT?

CCENT is a tough exam! You aren't going to pass it by reading a book with no prior experience.

Check local community colleges or continuing education for courses. There are a few FREE Cisco Academy courses in San Diego. And the book to get is this one

If you can lay out a few hundred bucks, I'd recommend buying equipment to do labs on. This site is one I see mentioned favorably a lot. A lot of people will tell you you can get old switches and routers for less on eBay or Craigslist, and they're technically correct, but then you're slowly piecing things from unknown sources, don't get all the cables, latest IOS, etc. If you want to start learning, buy a complete kit where you get EVERYTHING and can get started.

[jnojr]

Here's the thing about the MCSE. The current track is really good. The last couple of iterations were ruined for one simple reason:

Rampant cheating.

There ARE "paper" MCSE's out there. They don't last very long at all because they're lack of know-how manifests itself really quickly.

Microsoft positively begs for this by sticking with mutliple-choice questions covering extremely esoteric material that isn't even in their own books. I've taken and passed three MS certs (70-680, 70-640, 70-642) because they're required by my work. I passed by literally taking the "brain dump" exams and memorizing the answers. You're right... someone with an MCSE and no commercial experience to back it up should be avoided at any cost I wouldn't hire me for a Windows admin spot, but then if I were thinking of applying for such a spot I'd get my head examined.

One last thing for the OP: Just take the full CCNA. As I said in my other post the CCENT is a challenge if you aren't experienced. If you go the 2 test route, Cisco gets 120 questions to drill deeper into all the curriculum areas. And they WILL! If you take the CCNA exam it's 60 questions covering the whole thing. Just food for thought.

I took and passed the CCNA exam about 12 years ago. What I took then wasn't nearly as tough as just the CCENT today. There's no way I could walk in and pass CCNA today. There's something to be said for getting through half the material (and understanding/knowing it), passing that exam, and then move on to the stuff in the second book. That's the way I'm planning on doing it, because I simply cannot afford to devote the time and effort to mastering all of that content for one sitting. If someone did have the resources to go through all of the books and labs and exercises, then yeah, take one test and be done