|
Home > Archive > CCDA/CCDP > May 2003 > New CCDA
You are viewing an archived Text-only version of the thread.
To view this thread in it's original format and/or if you want to reply to
this thread please [click here]
|
|
|
| Just received this in the mail:
On November 12, 2002 Cisco announces its redesigned CCDA(r)
certification track, which features the new CCDA exam # 640-861 and
the new course, Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions (DESGN).
The new DESGN five-day, instructor-led course will teach how to design
Cisco network infrastructures.
The existing DCN course will retire on January 6, 2003, and the
existing DCN exam #640-441 will retire on March 5, 2003.
A CCDA certification is achieved upon successful completion of the
DESGN exam, and is valid for two years. The recommended training
includes CCNA Basics and DESGN.
The CCDA program is the first step toward achieving CCDP(r)
certification (CCNA(r) certification is also required), and a
redesigned CCDP track exam and course will be released around February
2003. The CCDP related course, Designing Cisco Network Service
Architectures (ARCH), builds upon the DESGN foundation, teaching
designers how to architect network services and solutions using that
infrastructure. While the DESGN course addresses mainly infrastructure
and network service issues, the ARCH will address mainly network
services and solutions.
What's New in DESGN
Because networks and network services are growing exponentially
complex, designing a network separately becomes impossible. Instead,
the network is divided into modules such as the enterprise edge,
campus, and service provider edge, with each module designed
separately. Designers must ensure the entire solution responds
optimally to business and technical needs, and that the network is
highly available. A strategic network solution requires content
networking, storage application networking, and voice applications.
Successful network designs require critical modern infrastructure
services (such as wireless access) and network services (such as
security and management, quality of service, and multicast).
For more information on CCDA certification visit
http://www.cisco.com/go/training
bla, bla bla etc. | |
| luisjo 2002-11-14, 12:24 am |
| I think that on the cisco web site they say that the certification stands for 3 years.
Can you help me im studing like a mad man a ccda book, should i take the exam on these year or wait for the next exam? | |
|
| Yep, you are correct, received an correction mail from cisco just a few hours later.
"A CCDA certification is achieved upon successful completion of the
DESGN exam, and is valid for three years".
Well if you are already studying for the old exam, take the old! I guess the new will be revisited and will contain new topics but why bother, there are always new things to learn and it doesn't mean that with this current exam CCDA you won't progress and are learning things for no use.
Cheers | |
| luisjo 2002-11-14, 1:49 pm |
| Thanks, im studing hard to pass it, and join the ccda club.
see you. | |
|
| Thanks for this valuable information. I have just finished CCNA and was planning to prepare for CCDA. I guess CISCO will publish soon a new version of the study guide.
Thanks again
Jhd | |
| necrophantasm 2002-11-27, 12:00 pm |
| Why wait for the new exam? You already spent money on the old stuff, and it won't be good enough to pass the new exam, so you will just end up buying more books than you have to. I would definitely get this out of the way, chances are in 3 years there will be another revision anyway... and an employer isn't going to ask you which version you got the certification in. They will just care that you have it in the first place. Good luck! | |
|
| Hi there necrophantasm!,
Well, the point is that I do not have the materials yet (I want to purchase them very soon). I have just passed CCNA a week ago and was wondering about next step (CCDA or CCNP). Regarding CCDA I really do not know if it is possible to tackle with all the certification objectives before beginning of February (deadline set by CISCO in order to register for 640-441 exam). Do you think it is a realistic period of time for exam preparation?.
Thanks
Jhd | |
| luisjo 2002-11-28, 10:32 am |
| most of the ccda objectives are included in the ccna exam, buy a book, give it a read, focus on the new stuff and take the exam on january or if you read fast enough on december
Good luck | |
|
| Thanks Luisjo!. By the way, cool avatar!
Jhd | |
| necrophantasm 2002-11-28, 11:49 am |
| I studied for CCDA for 3 weeks before taking and passing the exam. The amount of preparation time involved really depends on how much experience you have in the field, how quick you can absorb a book, and how used to sitting in that chair reading scenarios you are. So I can't really help you too much on that one, only you know how quickly you can learn the material... but it can be done if you cram hard now. | |
| luisjo 2002-12-22, 11:48 pm |
| necrophantasm can you tell me what book did you use for these exam. im using syngress ccda study guide, but i dont know if is good enough or i need another one.
Thanks. | |
| voirin 2002-12-29, 5:13 am |
| I used Cisco Press "Designing Cisco Networks" for the CCDA. I took the test late november this year. I also rush-prepared for the exam due to the change in exam objectives.
I heard "top-down network design" by Cisco Press is also a good book for the exam.
best of luck.
cheers,
voirin | |
| luisjo 2002-12-31, 7:52 pm |
| GOOD LUCK ON CCDA, HAPPY NEW YEAR | |
| MaulerJ 2003-01-14, 7:27 pm |
| For those who have completed the CCDA 441 edition, how difficult was it from the CCNA?
Does it cover pretty much the same topics?
Plus a little more on design.
How long would it take to complete the CCDA, with the CCNA fresh in ones mind.
I finished the CCNA 898 score on Monday and picked up my CCDA book today, now I see that the last date to test will be March 3. I figure I can get it done by then if the trasition from CCNA to CCDA is good. PLease let me know as I do not want to have to go out and buy a new book (((AT LEAST NOT YET)) | |
| voirin 2003-01-14, 8:17 pm |
| CCDA is a bit more difficult than the CCNA. The design questions can really throw you off. There are around 4 design scenario qns. They might ask you something on scenario 1, then scenario 2, then a networking question, then back to 1, then onto scenario 3.. etc so its all mixed up. Trick is to write down all your scenario notes and the single plastic sleeve that prometric gives you (which can be a challenge). The design questions will encompass various networking technologies like token ring, asynch lines, novell servers, isdn, netbios, as/400's, PIX/security devices etc.
There are no 'which command do you use to do this or that'-type questions (which you get in CCNA). Here you will get general networking questions based on isdn, frame relay, x.25, atm, snmp, switching, routing, vlans, token ring, appletalk, novell netware etc. So it contains topics other than covered within CCNA.
All I can say is that I am glad I took CCNP's Switching and Remote Access prior to sitting the CCDA. Taking those two exams did help. But that's not stopping you from taking the CCDA next, with some solid study over the next 1.5 months you will surely pass.
Best of luck!
voirin | |
| MaulerJ 2003-01-16, 9:20 pm |
| Well, I am going for it, I figure, looking at the objectives, that it can be done, there is alot of CCNA stuff in the book, so I figure I can take it | |
| luisjo 2003-01-16, 11:28 pm |
| MaulerJ question dude, what book are you using for ccda? | |
| MaulerJ 2003-01-17, 4:41 pm |
| SYBEX, why? | |
| luisjo 2003-02-05, 9:58 pm |
| its gone 640-441 its gone m op the fu ck ers i hate them because i read 600+ pages and for nothing, dammmmmmmmm | |
| luisjo 2003-02-05, 10:00 pm |
| its gone 640-441 its gone m o ther fu ck ers i hate them because i read 600+ pages and for nothing, dammmmmmmmm | |
| voirin 2003-02-05, 11:58 pm |
| you can sit the new exam. Im sure a lot of the old stuff will carry over.
cheers,
voirin | |
| mawwoods 2003-02-06, 2:37 am |
| Yeah, from what I have seen there is a lot in common from the old ccda exam and the new one, so there should not be too much difference.
While it's not published yet, I would assume the cisco ccna/ccda book by dan dinicolo ISBN 193109702x will cover the new material as it is released in may.
Thats not a plug for it, I have not seen it yet! But it may be somwhere to go for the new material.
Sorry to hear you missed the last registration date, that was bad luck...... | |
| davidbec 2003-04-22, 9:44 am |
| I did the new exam on March 25th and failed. The pass mark is 825 out of 1000. I scored 803.
To pass the exam you must study the books from the previous exam, 640-441.
Also purchase the book called "top down network design"
In addition look up the following articles
SAFE for Enterprise Networks from Cisco's website
IPv6 from the Microsoft website
I found information on Voice over IP, and studied it. But what I studied was not on the exam.
Log onto Boson.com and download their 640-861 exam questions. Cost about $50 bucks, for 256 very helpful questions.
The voice over IP questions are not many so you should pass with these guidelines since Boson will fill in the rest.
I'm going again today.
D | |
| anchor40 2003-04-22, 10:12 am |
| Nail it David!
We're rooting for you!
| |
| meijin 2003-04-22, 3:30 pm |
| Don't forget that SMNP v3 is also supposed to be in the mix as far as the questions go.
I found a very nice study package from some guys that work for EDS. Lots of questions, most answers explained, memorization lists, hardware breakdown, lots of case studys, etc.
Check them out at ccxxproductions.com
I really like what I have gotten from them.
Thanks! | |
| davidbec 2003-04-22, 9:34 pm |
| I failed again.
737 out of 1000. Yes it's a worst score than before.
They had totally different questions. I mean 50 out of the 70 questions were not in any material that I have studied. About 6 questions were from the first time I went.
The rest could have been written in German, and it would not have made any difference.
I baffles me to explain it. I was not even sure it was the right exam. The questions were just too foreign.
don't know what happened... Maybe a new Revision from Cisco... i don't know.... All I can say right now is that I'm not going back until I see something from Cisco Press.
D | |
| meijin 2003-04-22, 11:07 pm |
| What sorts of questions were they? I mean, on what topics were they throwing you on?
Thanks! | |
|
|
| meijin 2003-04-23, 9:27 am |
| Yeah, I am waiting on the new stuff to come out as well. BUt, I did find a ton of information out there on the Cisco site on SAFE, IPv6 and SNMP v3.
Plus, I [so far] really like the package I got from CCXXProductions for the new CCDA.
The Cisco site is a wealth of info and PDF files as long as you can figure out how to navigate it. | |
| anchor40 2003-04-23, 10:01 am |
| FYI, figuring out where to find stuff on CCO is an objective for the Support (CIT) exam, and I had 3-4 questions on it, so it's not in vain... | |
| davidbec 2003-04-27, 12:56 pm |
| I found out why the exam was so hard.
I was talking to some other guys at the office who are going through their Microsoft exams. One of them told me that the exams usually get harder the second time you do them.
As for what type of questions they presented, I really do not remember, they were too foreign for me to recall anything about them. There were about two questions on SAFE while the first exam had about 5. There were about three subnetting questions, while the first exam had about five. two questions on IPv6 addressing, while the first exam asked maybe 8 or so questions about IPv6. The only Voice question asked was the question involving dejitter buffers, while the first exam asked at least 5 VoIP questions. Lots of questions on Customer goals, technical goals, Customer contraints and Technical constraints.
The guy also told me that the exam software is capable of asking you questions which you did not get right the first time you tried the exam. Which would make a lot of sense, because in the first exam. I had to guess on nearly every question about customer goals and tech goals etc. So if he is right then that would explain why I got so many of them the next time, and why everything was so hard.
I am thinking about re-registering under a different name or something. So that the software does not have any history to rely on when asking the questions. Therefore I should get the same type of questions I got in the first exam.
What do you think about that? Do you find that exams are harder the second time? | |
| meijin 2003-04-27, 1:02 pm |
| I took the CCNA a second time and did not really find it to be more difficult than the first. Some of the questions were the same. Some were different, but were covering the same topic.
BTWE, Davidbec, check your private messages if you have not done so.
Thanks! | |
| necrophantasm 2003-04-28, 7:24 am |
| David,
I used the Cisco DCN book and the CCDA certification exam guide when I took these. I found the certification guide to be superior to the DCN book, as it went into more detail and had better explanations. I didn't pass CCNA on the first try, and did find the exam to be tougher the 2nd time around. I don't know how the new test matches up with the old one, but the one I took had a ton of questions on older technologies (lots of IPX, X.25, dial-up, etc..). Stuff that is definitely still in use, but that I personally don't encounter all that much. My best recommendation is to go over the design steps they give you, and then make notecards for everything you think will be on the exam. Even with memorizing the foundations, it was definitely a tough exam (and I didn't think I had passed it until I saw my score). If you have the opportunity to get the ccda exam certification guide, I highly recommend it over the DCN book. Anyway, hope this helps, good luck and don't give up on it! We all have one or two tests that kill us, so you're not alone... If you need some last minute tips before the next round send me an email. | |
| davidbec 2003-05-06, 9:21 am |
| Hi I did not sign up for internal messages. You sent me something or you just think its a good idea.
I read the DCN as well as the Certification Guide. I agree the Certification guide was a better book.
Have you all encountered an exam that records your history and ask you the questions you got wrong or harder ones the next time you do an exam?
D |
|
|
|
|
