Cisco’s certification pyramid strategy allows you to step your way up the career ladder by upgrading lower-tiered certifications to higher ones as your skills and knowledge increase. At the bottom of that pyramid–at least until Feb. 24, 2020–is the Entry level, represented by the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) credential. A step up from that is the Associate level, or Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). Certification candidates can start their journeys at the Entry level and graduate to the Associate level by first taking the Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices 1 (ICND1) exam and then taking ICND2. Or, candidates can skip the Entry level completely and hop straight to the Associate level by taking the CCNA exam. Therefore, Cisco has no prerequisite for obtaining the Associate-level credential.
So, you finally decided to obtain your first Cisco certification. Like many candidates, you had your eye on getting a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). You explored your options and decided you wanted to test the waters by plunking down the money for the Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1) exam and obtaining your Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) credential. Then you can use that credential as a stepping stone to your CCNA by taking ICND2 later, presumably after you spent some time studying for it.
By Michael Aldridge
This is my second of three blog posts in my "What to Expect" series. This blog post will focus on what happens the day of your certification exam.
By Michael Aldridge
When my wife became pregnant with our first child, we had no idea what to expect. So we prepared by reading pregnancy books, searching online, taking childbirth classes, and talking to friends who had already gone through the experience. Sure, there were a few things that we weren't prepared for, but we were ready for most of the situations we encountered along the way.
By Michael Aldridge
I've got three favorite quotes on preparation:
"Every battle is won before it is ever fought."
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
- Benjamin Franklin
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."
- Abraham Lincoln
By John Oden
So you are reviewing some practice test questions as you prepare for a Cisco exam and you come across a scenario that states something like, “…and all the routers in the topology are manufactured by Cisco.” You immediately shift your focus and begin to examine the available choices, scanning for anything that has to do with the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP). We’ve all done that, right?