The Five Keys To Success On Cisco Simulator Exam Questions An Exclusive E-Book From The Bryant Advantage Chris

Bryant CCIE #12933

Copyright Information: Cisco, Cisco Systems, CCIE, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, Cisco Certified Network Associate, and Cisco Certified Network Professional are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc., and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain countries. All other products and company names are the trademarks, registered trademarks, and service marks of the respective owners. Throughout this ebook, The Bryant Advantage has used its best efforts to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive names by following the capitalization styles used by the manufacturer. Disclaimer: This publication, The Five Steps To Success On Cisco Simulator Exam Questions, is designed and intended to assist candidates in preparation for the exam for the Cisco Certified Network Associate and Cisco Certified Network Professional certifications. All efforts have been made by the author to make this book as accurate and complete as possible, but no guarantee, warranty, or fitness are implied, expressly or implicitly. The enclosed material is presented on an as is basis. Neither the author, Bryant Instructional Services, or the parent company assume any liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to loss or damages incurred from the information contained in this workbook. Copyright 2004, The Bryant Advantage.

If theres one type of Cisco exam question that causes anxiety among test-takers, it has to be the dreaded simulator question. In this kind of question, the candidate is presented with a task or series of tasks that must be performed on a router simulator. Certainly, this type of question is important. Cisco has stated for the record that these questions are given more weight than the typical multiple choice questions. Cisco has also stated that partial credit is given in multiple-task simulator questions; that is, if you are asked to do three things and you get two of them right, you do get some points for that. (Where was this policy when I took the CCIE lab?) Given all that, not a day goes by that I dont see a CCNA candidate post a note on the Net about what simulator questions are like, what will be asked, and how to prepare for them. The conventional wisdom is that its impossible, if not difficult, to pass a Cisco exam if you miss the simulator questions. That fact is responsible for a lot of the anxiety I see out there. But as with most anxiety and fear, this anxiety can be conquered with knowledge. There are five simple steps toward conquering the dreaded simulator questions and nailing your CCNA or CCNP exam. Follow these steps, and youll be on your way to walking out of that testing room with a passing grade in your hand and a grin on your face! 1. Proper Performance Prevents Poor Performance The best thing you can do to get over your anxiety about simulator questions is to make sure youre properly prepared for them. You have to go beyond just reading books, even mine. While simulator programs have come a long way, working on them exclusively is just not enough. You need to put in some work on real Cisco equipment. I hear you already: I cant afford my own equipment. Yes, you can. Its cheaper than you think. Lets look at the cost of simulators vs. Cisco equipment. A good simulator program will set you back $150 - $200. From what Ive seen on ebay, these programs have little resale value.

Again, judging by ebay, its cheaper than ever before to put together your own Cisco lab. You dont need anything incredibly fancy, and there are dozens of dealers on ebay who have pre-made CCNA and CCNP kits. Theyll sell you your cables, transceivers, and everything else you need to get started. When youve completed your CCNA or CCNP, you then have a choice to make. You can sell your lab on ebay or possibly back to the dealer who you bought it from in the first place, or you can keep it and add some equipment for your next level or study. Youre basically leasing the lab, not buying it. If you dont want to make that purchase, you can always rent rack time from online vendors. Most of them cater to the CCIE candidate, but you can practice your CCNA and CCNP configurations on these racks with no problem. There is no substitute for working on Cisco routers. When you walk into a network center, do you see real Cisco routers and switches, or do you see stacks of simulators? Great chefs learn to cook in real kitchens, not kitchen simulators. Great Cisco engineers learn routing and switching on real routers and switches. When you do this, youll nail the simulator questions. 2. Relax. Sounds simple, right? The problem here is the fear of the unknown. Most of the emails I get on this topic are from candidates who are worried about what tasks theyre going to be asked to configure. Relax. Youre not going to be asked anything above the level of the exam. For the CCNA exams, I would think youd be asked something along the lines of configuring a VLAN or a routing protocol. Certainly youll agree that a CCNA should know how to do that. (Would you hire a CCNA who didnt know how to create a VLAN?) Change your mental approach to simulator questions. Look upon them as a chance to PROVE you know what youre doing. People who dont know what theyre doing might get lucky with a multiple choice questions, but theres a simple rule with simulator questions:

You either know how to do it or you dont. This is a chance to prove to Cisco that you are a true CCNA or CCNP. Look on these questions as opportunities, not obstacles. 3. All the information you need is right in front of you. I occasionally see a post or get an email from a candidate who says theres not enough information to answer the question. This is incorrect. The simulator questions on Cisco exams are straightforward, and all the information you need is right there in front of you. Make sure to take the tutorial at the beginning on the exam. You do not lose any time by doing so, and theres a thorough walkthrough of a simulator question in the tutorial. I know youre anxious to get started when you walk into the testing room, but you must consider going through the tutorial part of your exam prep. When someone tells me they didnt have enough information to answer a simulator question, nine times out of 10 they didnt go through the tutorial carefully. Dont make this mistake. Ciscos not trying to trick you with these questions. Just make sure you know where to look for the information you need BEFORE you actually start the exam go through the tutorial carefully. 4. Use IOS Help in the simulator when possible, but dont depend on it being available. IOS Help is the Cisco engineers best friend. Ive tackled and passed the CCIE Lab, and I can tell you point blank that anyone who says they remember all the available commands is lying to you. We all use IOS Help. Its great to use in lab environments, too. You should be very familiar with IOS Help in your CCNA and CCNP study, and use it every chance you get However, dont depend on it being available in your exam. You can certainly try to use it; its not like you lose points for doing so. But dont be surprised if its not available. The same goes for show commands. Know the important ones, but again, dont depend on them on exam day.

5. Type out your answer in Notepad before entering it into the simulator. If Notepad isnt available, write out your answer first. Ive heard different reports on whether Notepad is available in testing centers. Having said that, its very important for you to write out your answer one way or the other before entering it into the simulator. Its not that you cannot remove your configuration on the simulator after you enter it. I found writing out my answer before entering it really helped me on my way up the Cisco certification ladder, and current candidates have told me it really helps as well. Give it a try! I know that the simulator questions on Cisco exams can make you a little nervous, particularly the first time you have to answer them. Using these five techniques will help you nail these important questions, and will help you emerge victorious on exam day. Thank you for allowing me to help you pass your Cisco exams. For more free ebooks and tutorials, keep visiting www.thebryantadvantage.com ! To Your Success, Chris Bryant CCIE #12933