THE UBIQUITOUS CCNA CERTIFICATION

Why Become a CCNA?
Cisco, not unlike Microsoft or Novell, has created the certification process to give administrators a set of skills and to equip prospective employers with a way to measure skills or match certain criteria. Becoming a CCNA can be the initial step of a successful journey toward a new, highly rewarding, and sustainable career.
The CCNA program was created to provide a solid introduction not only to the Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) and Cisco hardware, but also to internetworking in general, making it helpful to you in areas that are not exclusively Cisco’s. At this point in the certification process, it’s not unrealistic to imagine that future network managers—even those without Cisco equipment—could easily require Cisco certifications for their job applicants.
If you make it through the CCNA and are still interested in Cisco and internetworking,
you’re headed down a path to certain success.

What Skills Do You Need to Become a CCNA?
To meet the CCNA certification skill level, you must be able to understand or do the following:
Install, configure, and operate simple-routed LAN, routed WAN, and switched Virtual
LAN (VLAN) networks.
Understand and be able to configure IP, IGRP, EIGRP, OSPF, serial interfaces, Frame
Relay, IP RIP, VLANs, Ethernet, and access lists.
Install and/or configure a network.
Optimize WAN through Internet-access solutions that reduce bandwidth and WAN
costs, using features such as filtering with access lists, bandwidth on demand (BOD), and
dial-on-demand routing (DDR).

How Do You Become a CCNA?
The way to become a CCNA is to pass one little test (CCNA exam 640-802) for the cost of =N=27,500(as of the time of writing this book). Then—poof!—you’re a CCNA. (Don’t you wish it were that easy?) True, it’s just one test, but you still have to possess enough knowledge to understand what the test writers are saying (and to read between the lines—trust me).
However, Cisco has announced a two-step process that you can take in order to become a
CCNA that may be easier then taking one longer exam. These tests are:
_
Exam 640-811: Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices (ICND)
Exam 640-821: Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies (INTRO)

You spend more money if you take these two exams instead of the 640-801
exam, but it may be easier to break up the exam into two smaller exams.
That’s a personal choice. 640-811 and 640-821 as well.
I can’t stress this enough—it’s critical that you have some hands-on experience with Cisco routers. If you can get hold of some 2500 or 2600 series routers, you’re set. But if you can’t, you need to possess a Network Virtual Simulator. In addition to multiple-choice and drag-and-drop questions, Cisco has included some questions
on the CCNA exam that simulate working on routers and switches in a network environment. The new RouterSim CertSim product simulates the new CCNA exam with multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and simulation questions.
The exams are 53-54 Questions with 2 or 3 Simulations where you have to configure a Router or Switch. Each questions have points depending on it rating, the total marks is 1000 the pass mark is 749 points.


WHERE CAN YOU TAKE THE TEST
You may take the exam the CCNA test at any of the more than 800 Prometric Authorised
Testing Centres around the world. You may take the exams at any of the more than 800 Thomson Prometric Authorized Testing Centers around the world; find out more at
www.2test.com.

You can also register and take the exams at a Pearson VUE authorized center—
www.vue.com In Nigeria there are several Prometric Testing Centres like KarRox, NIIT, Logic.
WATCH OUT I WOULD BE GIVING OUT ALL THE MATERIALS I USED TO PASS CCNA TEST AND I HAD A PERFECT SCORE(1000 POINTS)