30 Days to CCENT – Day 33

This past week has been crazy because I’ve been very busy doing homework for the five classes that I’m taking at BSU and did not study as much as I would have liked for my ICND1 exam. This morning I decided to wake up at 4:00am and brush up on a few topics before my exam at 9:00 am. So 1 Monster, 2 sausage McMuffins, 1 Egg McMuffin, 2 glasses of water, 1 flax seed pill, 1 500mg Vitamin C and 4 hours of focused study time I decided to go take my test about an hour early.

I actually felt really good while taking the test and felt like I knew most of the questions. I almost missed one of the labs because I didn’t scroll down on the instructions box at first. Honestly I think they should change it because just the way it is designed it seems like you don’t need to scroll and so you end up missing like 4 more things that you need to do. There were a couple of questions that I wasn’t sure about. Like I had them narrowed down to 2 answers, but I could have sat there for hours not knowing which one to choose, so I just picked one and moved on because I didn’t want to run out of time like I did the first time I took it.

I finished this time with 15 minutes to spare. Of course you can’t go back and look at your answers so the test just ends once you answer the last question. And then it just sits there and loads and loads. I’m leaned back in my chair with my hands behind my head with my heart racing harder and harder as the computer takes forever to load the next screen. My mind at this point is of course is worrying about what if I didn’t pass and about how big of a failure I would be not being able to pass the ICND1 exam in two attempts. I also was thinking about how would I get another $125 dollars to take the exam again because there is no way I’m giving up at this point. And then the next screen finally flashes up. It said that I…..It was actually just a bunch of legal stuff from Cisco with a next button at the bottom of the screen. So I very anxiously clicked it and the next screen flashed up very quickly telling me that I PASSED!!!! Yay!! I did it after 33 days and it is the best feeling ever to have. Not just that I’m Cisco Certified now, but the fact that I set a goal and achieved it!

I am now a Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician! Now I need to go study for my calculus test that I have tomorrow.

So what is next on my agenda? Well besides doing well in all my classes this semester, I’m going to finish my study guide so that I can help other people pass the ICND1 Exam in a much more organized and better written manner than my blog does. I will also probably start studying for my ICND2 Exam so that I can get my CCNA. I eventually want to get my CCIE, so I might as well keep heading down the path while I have the momentum.

Thanks everyone for your support and good luck to everyone who is preparing for their Cisco Exams! It’s will worth all the hard work.

-Blake, CCENT

Related Topics:

ICND1 Study Guide – The Fastest Way To Get Cisco Certified Guaranteed!

Comments

  1. David Davis says:

    Blake, I toke my ccent last friday and I failed I made a 471 I know the terms but, what got me was the simulations with subnetting, and the 3 answers to the simulation questions, I can pass it ,I just need to find out how pass the simulations! Can you help me! I read the 30 days ccent guide, and it’s great I just have a hard time putting that together with the simulation questions!!

  2. blake says:

    Subnetting can be tricky and first, but once you get to a certain point it just clicks, trust me. Let me work on some subnetting tutorials that you can go though to get better at it.

    Also, I’m really sorry you didn’t pass your exam. I’ve failed a number of them and know how you feel. Just keep studying while everything is still fresh and do your best to retake it within the next couple of weeks. The longer you wait the more you will have to re-study. If you stick with it though you will pass! You can do it!

  3. Prateek Jain says:

    hi blake, first of all thanx for visiting and commenting on my blog. i m also starting my ccna preparation. i will really look frwd to study the cisco stuff through your blog.

  4. blake says:

    Thanks Prateek. Good luck with your CCNA preparations. And feel free to ask me any questions you might need answered along the way.

  5. David Davis says:

    Hey, Blake did you get around to doing the subnetting tutorials?

  6. L.A. says:

    Blake,

    I failed my CCENT twice and was wondering if you can give me some pointers. First time I made a 562 and second time a 612. I honestly thought when I took the second test, I would for sure pass, but I did not. I studied for about 2 months. What am I doing wrong? I bought the Trainsignal CCNA DVD, I bought the Bryant advantage material, and I also took multiple practice test.

    I am starting to get discourage.

  7. blake says:

    I don’t think you did anything wrong. It’s a hard test and many people fail Cisco Exams. I personally have never passed one on the first attempt.

    First thing I’d like to say is don’t give up. You’ve come this far so there is no point in giving up now.

    I don’t believe in practice tests, so I wouldn’t rely on them too much. They give you a false sense of security that you are doing really well, but then when you go and take the actual test you had to pay $125 to take you find that you are unprepared. Definitely not a fun situation to be in.

    I would make sure you are doing a lot more networking than you are reading about it. You can only read so much. Take the time to make your own networking cables, look for a few routers on Craigslist that you can network together and configure with RIPv2. Get as much hands on experience that you can.

    I also like to review my notes and what I have studied by going topic by topic and handwriting everything I know about it without looking at any notes. Use a separate sheet of paper for each topic. By doing this exercise you quickly realize how much you either know or don’t know.

  8. rasul says:

    HI anyone can give some pointer about the ccent i am trying to learn subneting which is hard for me right now also can someone can tell me once I pass this examine what are the the jobs that a person can do with their certification I know this is a little early for this and I dont have one let I just want to know the path to go down once I achive it I also am working with a GNS3 simulator please any need help.

    • blake says:

      Hey rasul, This video should help you out with your subnetting http://youtu.be/qL67_uaL4xc and about the jobs that you can do with your CCENT… first, you don’t have to wait to have your CCENT before you apply for a job, I would start now even before you pass your exam. I say this because the company you work for will give you the real world experience with routers and switches that will help out tremendously with your exam. With a CCENT/CCNA you will be well qualified for any entry level IT position where you help make sure everyones computers and printers are running smoothly. It really will depend on the type of company you work for on how much actual access you get to Cisco routers and switches, but I would do my best to look for those.

  9. mar says:

    hi, please send me your study guide for CCNET.
    thanks

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