| Author |
BSCI Material Recommendations
|
|
| necrophantasm 2004-05-28, 6:38 pm |
| Hey everyone,
I'm sure most of you are pretty tired of me posting about this exam by now. However, I'm half way through the new book and I just wanted to make a quick statement for anyone planning to take this exam. The "Exam Certification Guide" in my opinion is not enough to pass this exam. Some questions I got were barely touched on in this book or not brought up at all. I am currently reading "CCNP Self-Study: BSCI 2nd Edition" by Catherine Paquet and am finding all the answers that were missing in the first book. I've failed this exam twice now, and have half remembered some of the questions because I was thinking "Where the f*** did that come from?". Well, now I know where they came from... this book (NOT the "Official Exam Certification Guide"). Now don't get me wrong, the certification guide went more in depth with the overall theory behind this exam.
However, it did not go into many of the details on protocol specifics or implementation that this book does. I am finding commands I didn't even know existed before with this book. I highly recommend it to anyone getting ready to take the exam. Personally, I'm going to go through it a couple of times and do the examples and practice tests then retry the exam. I'm pretty confident that knowing what I answered wrong before (from lack of information) that I will be able to pass on the 3rd try. Good luck to everyone! In a few weeks I'll let you know how the 3rd round works out. | |
| marathi_mulgaa 2004-05-28, 9:31 pm |
| Necro,
If its any consolation, my employer bought me the "official" Cisco BSCI course from Knowledgenet. I did the online multimedia course that goes hand-in-hand with the official BSCI manuals.
This course was not exhaustive either. I still got a bunch of left-field questions on the exam that were not covered by this course.
I hope you kick some a$$ on the exam this time.
MM | |
| ramshrestha 2004-06-01, 2:51 pm |
| Hi,
Necro sorry to hear about your result on BSCI. I personally is using the Cisco Press Book third edition by clare gough. I am confused with your words. But I think I should read it full and give a try taking the exam first. I hope everything is covered in the book and I will be using boson to fill some gap not covered in this book. Hope so this will work out.
Tam | |
| smrkdown 2004-06-01, 7:52 pm |
| Not that my input will be of any value since I haven't taken the exam yet, but I'm using both the Sybex and the Cisco Press publications. I've heard that the Sybex books are a little lacking, so I figured I'd use them to establish a solid knowledge base and then I'd use the Cisco Press kit to really hit the details. I bought the complete Sybex CCNP Study Guide Kit and the complete Cisco Press CCNP Certification Library off of Amazon for a discounted price. And of course, I'll be using my lab of three 2501 routers and two 1924EN switches. The material for the BSCI exam seems to be the most diverse and most difficult of the four (just a guess) so I figured I'd tackle that first and get it out of the way as a natural progression from CCNA. Any advice early on would be appreciated and if anyone wants to be a study partner, I'd be happy to. Also, if anyone would like me to autograph a copy of this book of a post I've just written, I'd be more than happy to. | |
| Yankee 2004-06-02, 5:15 am |
| If you're worried about stuff that isn't covered in the exam book being on the test, I always had the the CCIE level books (in this case Doyle's Vol I and II) around for extra reading. Yes it makes for a lot more reading, but it did help.
Yankee | |
| popdevil 2004-06-03, 10:00 am |
| quote:
I'll be using my lab of three 2501 routers and two 1924EN switches.
Smrkdown, do you think 3 routers is enough? Each book I read has a test lab of 5-8 routers. I have almost the same as you do expect I have a few more routers and only 1 1924 switch. I was under the impression that for the BSCI I need more routers but for the switching exams I would need to sell a couple routers and get more switches. | |
| smrkdown 2004-06-03, 12:11 pm |
| I'm not sure if three routers will be enough or not because I haven't gotten too deep into my studies yet (only a few chapters so far), but I can't imagine that there can be too much that you can do on eight routers that can't be scaled down to be done on three. Routing protocols can propogate information on three routers just the same as they will on five to eight etc.. Any further input would be helpful though since I'm not totally sure what the rest of by BCSI studies will involve lab-wise. | |
| DHERSH 2004-06-04, 8:53 am |
| Morning Folks. Not that I support brain dumps but I did find a good link that provides you with an on-line test for all of your CCNP needs. Played with the routing test and the questions are very good meaning you have to know what they are talking about to get to the answer.
Goodluck and enjoy.
www.free-tests.com
DHERSH CCNP | |
| popdevil 2004-06-07, 3:44 pm |
| I also have the CCNP Self-Study: BSCI 2nd Edition" by Catherine Paquet book and find it a little dry. I got the latest of the Sybex books to read first and then go back and use the book by Paquet.
I'm going to take my time on this test since its a biggie.
SMRKDOWN:
Some of the labs want you to do area's with OSPF. Getting a better feel with more routers is good (IMO) with the BSCI and then I plan on selling a few routers and get another switch once I pass this exam.
Even the Sybex book labs have a lot of routers that are being used. | |
| SureshHomepage 2004-06-08, 12:58 am |
| As long as the BSCI exam is concerned I prefer the Catherine Paquet book the ebst seller since 2001 for all the old CCNP as well as the current new track. Things are explained in a crystal clear way and its got all the stuff what you would need for the exam. No need to go for any more resource.
Those who got the old edition here is the good news for your new IS-IS addition, go and search this forum for the posting I made on free download link at ciscopress.com
In a home lab you would need atleast 4-5 routers (aren't they $150 each?) with a decent switch like 2924 and the 1924EN will do for thw worst.
Use them try doing all the lab portions found on the back of every chapter in the Paquet's book. Do not refer the answer part beforehand! ...You should be pretty much okay. Belive me I started from this book for the OSPF stuff for my CCIE.
Best of luck! | |
|
| I got the Clare third edition, is it OK..
Shall I get the Exam Cram for BSCI?
Any other recommendation..
Thanks | |
|
| Catherine Paquet's book is definitely better than clare gough's
exam cram is generally regarded as SUCK, however, I do have their switching and support books. Switching was OK for quick on the go.
I like Coriolis Cisco IP routing blackbook, I have both the big one and the small one for portability, their switching blackbook is also pretty good.
all of it refer to the older edition, but they are time tested. | |
| SureshHomepage 2004-06-16, 12:26 am |
| The one and only bible for BSCI exam is Catherine Paquet....as I said before go and download the pdf file the free IS-IS chapter from cisco press. | |
| necrophantasm 2004-06-17, 8:19 am |
| That'll teach me to turn on email notification (had no idea this post got any replies). I'm glad to hear that there are others who agree with me on the book selection. I still haven't retaken the exam, work has gotten real busy lately and I haven't been able to study much. Someone half asked if this was the hardest exam in the set.. so far I'd say so (haven't tried CIT yet). Thanks for the tips everyone, I'll let you once I retake this one again. For those of you who have the Claire Gough book and don't plan on using anything else, be sure to look up private AS and IS-IS numbers on Cisco's website. I won't go into detail, but they aren't covered in the book and will be on the exam. | |
| marathi_mulgaa 2004-06-17, 1:13 pm |
| Do you think CIT might be harder than the others? |
|
|
|