The CCNA is a joke. If a employer is requiring a CCNA or CCNP I would hope that they would do a little research and understand what goes into getting these certifications. Also, you need the CCNA to get your CCNP so I don't see how the CCNA would be more attractive. I am not sure why Cisco has changed the CCNP track again, maybe too many people are passing the exams. However, I passed all the exams in just under 6 months and I thought that self study and the books were plenty to get throught the exams. Also, the 500 or 600 dollars you spend is for advancement and marketability in our industry. I feel the most qualified candidate for a job will have On The Job Experience along with an education and certifications. Remember this is your career.
Daniel Ladrach CCNA, CCNP WorldCom -----Original Message----- From: Brian Zeitz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 9:56 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: CCNP exams [7:38097] My comment is with the CCNP exams. When I started it was the 500 series, which was not long ago, now its changing to the 600 series. For some people it takes a while to pass a CCNP exam, so I have not had enough time to get a lot done in the 500 series, let alone switch to 600. I know the 600 is not out yet, but still. Also here is a question, why would someone want to take the last exam in the CCNP series, because when you take the last exam, your 2 year timer starts ticking. Where is the motivation there? I think I am just going to work on the course material, and not take the rest of the exams, $125 a pop is a lot, and you're right there are so many exams. So for CCNP it would cost me $500. Then if I wanted to do the security, another 400-500$, that saying if I passed everything on the 1st go. Then the books and courseware. Then re-certification, this is an expensive proposition. And I don't see a significant salary increase for CCNP certification. Like a regular experienced Network engineer with MCSE/CCNA makes say like 60-85K. Well that is the same range as a CCNP would make. I donno, the way some of these help wanted ads are written, you would think that CCNA is better then CCNP. I always see like "CCNA highly desired". I am already scheduled for 503, so there is nothing I can do about that. But I ask myself this question. What is the difference between me going to a testing center, paying 125$ for each of these exams vs. me going in my bedroom, sitting down with a Boston or transcender to test my knowledge. I think I might do just that. Besides, everyone says it is more important to know the material, and then have some paper. I am not knocking the CCNP, it's a great program. But right now I can afford these ongoing cost, and the ongoing cost are not exactly justified. I thought the exams for the CCNP did test my knowledge of the subject fairly. My plan for right now is to learn all the material I would need to be a CCNP, but not take the rest of the exams. If an employer request I have my CCNP, Ill just say gimme $500 and Ill go do that. -----Original Message----- From: Yahoudi [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 2:15 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Quality of Cisco exams [7:38063] should anyone be surprised that Cisco too is becoming victim to the certification craze? 1) cert tests for everything under the sun 2) reduction of the CCIE Lab from two days to one 3) obsolete and EOL'd equipment in the Lab 4) lower level tests that have too many filler questions centered around marketing materials 5) poorly worded questions? sometimes I wonder if this is just the excuse of those who don't really know the materials, but since I know your work, Robert, in your case I will accept your judgement on this It would be impossible for Cisco to test for everything out there - old and new. The question becomes this: is any certification forward looking or backwards looking? Face it, the whole reason for certification is for companies to go to the marketplace and show potential buyers that if they buy a particular company's products, there are plenty of people around who can work on it. This goes for any technology - from Microsoft to Linux to Cisco to anyone. Certification is nothing more than a marketing tool, and one more means to help companies sell. If certification is too easy, then sure, there is some marketplace backlash, but if certification is too hard, requires too much expertise, too much experience, then that has negative effects as well. One would hope that being a beta test, Cisco would throw out a lot of the bad questions just because their analysis shows them as bad questions. But you never can tell. I sometimes suspect that Cisco deliberately keeps a certain percentage of bad questions in their exams just so that you have to be smarter than the average bear to pass, because you have to do so much better with the remainder. Does that make sense? ""Robert Padjen"" wrote in message [EMAIL PROTECTED]">news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]... > Greetings all - > > I have a discussion point that I am curious to get > feedback on from the group. I recently took another > Cisco certification exam (beta) and was amazed at the > questions. > > For example, at least four questions regarded products > that no longer exist - Cisco end-of-lifed them some > time ago. Other questions included choices that don't > exist - at least I am unaware of a (sic) series router > for serial connections (it was a switch that does not > have a WIC slot). Still more questions had no > reasonable way to answer them without having > previously read or learned specific Cisco materials. > > My observation is that this is bad for us as > certification holders. And, since we pay for the tests > and represent to our employers that they represent a > certain level of professionalism, I think I have a > real issue. The issues are not complaints regarding > poor writing or syntax on the exam, although I am > concerned about this for non-native English speakers > taking the English exam. Rather, I am concerned that > the test is outdated even when its in beta. This is > not the first test (production or beta) that I have > noted this with. I still haven't seen tests on MPLS, > VPN, 4224 switches, IMA, etc., yet this would seem to > be relevant on the CCNP/DP exams. > > Please share your thoughts. > > BTW - If this is considered an OT item please > disregard. It is my hope to gain some understanding > and then address the issue with Cisco if there is > agreement that there is an issue. As the content of > the tests is of concern to all of us I hope that the > potential benefits are valued. > > ===== > Robert Padjen > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Try FREE Yahoo! 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