CCNA - Master the Exam

Author

Master the Exam

Justin2112

2002-08-20, 1:34 pm

I was going to officially publish this through a real publisher - but its not about makin' money - its about helping people, so here ya go:

Master the IT certification exam

by: Justin Bailey

The purpose of this document is to give you the ultimate mental advantage when you walk into that testing center on exam day. I invite you to read on.

Your mind is designed, geared for, built for and optimized for success. It is our nature as human beings to build, to grow and to improve our life styles. Think of all the great people in our history. Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, John Chambers, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Walt Disney or whomever you think is great. How are their minds different from yours? They’re not. You have the exact same amount of potential as anyone of these people listed. I am going to show you how to tap in that for test taking !
The biggest downfall I have heard people say is “ I’m bad at tests “ or “ I hate taking tests “, “ I am a poor test taker “. The power of these words are great. This is using potential in a reverse way. Even if they new the material inside and out, this belief could cause them to do poorly on test day. This is where I’d like to begin. At the core. How do you feel about tests now? Do you enjoy them? Do you dread them? If you do in fact do not enjoy test taking, this is the first place to start.

One of the biggest and most influential role models I have encountered, Vince Poscente, in his book, Invinceable Principles, states that: in order to do well at something, you have to make it a fun experience. Using his approach and theory, if something is fun, the stress goes way down. When that happens, the mind is free to perform like the powerful machine it is. You may ask, How do I have fun taking a test ? It’s a test and they are never fun. I believe the opposite, and if you want to really master the test taking experience, you should adopt this belief as well.

How ? Why are you taking this test ? To get certified, right ? What does certification ultimately bring you ? My answer to this is: Achievement, specialized knowledge, pride, accomplishment, recognition and the good possibility of a strong position at a great company. Which in turn brings what? MONEY! Money is fun, right? All of the things I listed as my answer are positive emotions and ways of feeling. The key is to associate all those strong positive emotions with the test taking process itself. Combined with a thorough study of the exam material, YOU WILL NOT FAIL !

Okay that’s great. If you have experienced set-backs in the past concerning tests, now is the time to eliminate those. You must no longer re-live those bad feelings when you think of the word ‘test’. Choose to focus on some other ideas. How do you do that? For a moment, focus on the end result of test taking. For most people, its one of those emotions listed in the previous paragraph. What ever it is that makes you happy, your end reason for getting certified, focus on it now. Take a moment and really think about that big jump in salary, that certificate hanging on the wall to show, the feeling of being an expert, maybe showing your parents or whatever it is for you. Get deep into that feeling. That test you are going to take is your vehicle to your success. It should be thought of as an ally, not an enemy. Decide to have fun when you go take the test because getting certified IS a fun thing. In your mind, relate the test taking experience to all those positive emotions.

Change the words you use when you think and talk about the test. As I mentioned earlier, words are powerful things. Try this, say “ I have fun when I take tests.”. Go on, say it out loud. Feel strange ? It may at first until you adopt this new kind of empowering thinking. For some, they consider the CHALLENGE of the exam itself to be fun. They have a good time out-witting some of Microsoft’s or Cisco’s greatest minds by conquering the exam. That’s a neat thought. You outsmarted Microsoft.

There are other ways to relate positive emotion to test taking. Visualizing the outcome is a fantastic way. If you’ve taken and passed a certification test before, you know what the computer screen looks like when a passing score is issued. You know what the printout the testing center gives you looks like. That screen and that paper are tangible evidence of your success. This in fact was one of my favorite methods to use. During testing for my CCNP, I’d bring my past passing test printouts in the car with me to look at before I’d go inside to take my test. I’d look at and feel the paper, and put my mind in the state that it needs to be in to succeed. With each new test, I brought all the scores with me and reviewed each one before I went in. This is a powerful tool.

Another way is to think of a time in life where you were given a high grade on a report, term paper or test. The moment when the instructor hands you back your paper and there is a big red A on the top. How did that make you feel ? Doing this links good feelings to passing exams, even if your original belief was the opposite. The sum of all these ideas does this: Eliminates stress and increases confidence. Making a conscious decision to HAVE FUN on test day, making it an enjoyable experience will increase your chances of passing immensely.

Combine these principles with the knowledge you’ve gained from studying the exam material and there is your formula for success.

CoffeeFreak

2002-08-20, 3:16 pm

At first when i saw the heading i thought your were selling something,, haha

BUT, you have a good point, When i go into a test i think about that BIG paper hanging on the wall and the fact that i will have the title of something good by hardwork... I think if you have a positive attitude and have put work into what you want to accomplish you can do anything you want, even if it takes a long time you will get there...

so ::: don't say D@mn i gotta take a test today, Say HA i'm getting my CCNA today

webwolf

2002-08-20, 10:52 pm

Hi Justin,

Thank you so much for the awsome advice! You totally could have sold that in a book and made lotsa $$$$ Very cool of you to put some good stuff out in the world, (free too

) Keep up the awsome work!

Peace out!

Webwolf-
ooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

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