Cisco Ccna Exam - 10 Fatal Mistakes To Avoid
Mistake 1 - Not Doing a Dry Run
I took an exam recently.
The only problem was that when I arrived to take my test I parked outside the office block and went for a nice coffee safe in the knowledge that I had allowed myself a good 30 minutes before my allocated test time.
I felt a surge of adrenaline rush through the pit of my stomach.
Even though, that experience was very unnerving and I was still a bit jittery when I walked into the centre.
Mistake 2 - Cram or Not to Cram
Do you drive to the exam testing centre with your cram notes in your pocket? I have done both, taking cram notes and not taking them.
Sitting in your car outside the testing centre trying to read notes with your hands shaking will not help your nerves.
Mistake 3 - Not Reading Your Exam Confirmation
Would you believe that my friend turned up to take a Cisco exam a few years ago and when he sat in front of the computer he realized to his horror that he was taking the wrong exam! He was a clever guy as well.
Strangely enough, he actually passed the exam as well!
It is so easy to book the wrong exam so please double check before you book.
Please also ensure you take your exam confirmation with you to the testing centre.
If I hadn't taken my confirmation with me then I would have had to drive all the way home as well.
Mistake 4 - Caffeine
I love coffee.
But there is a price to pay and that is having to visit the toilet every 30 minutes.
If you have to visit the toilet twice then you have lost about 5 precious minutes in your exam which you can't afford to do.
Mistake 5 - Not Reading the Questions
I know you are not daft and can read perfectly well.
Our eyes are basically scanning tools and the brain performs some sort of auto-complete as we read any text.
Please read the question twice before looking at the answers.
It might as well be a movie of sand falling through an egg timer.
The next few questions could be very simple ones such as port numbers rather than multi-step router configurations or 5 part troubleshooting scenarios.
Mistake 7 - Panicking
Exam nerves are very common and a little stress is good.
Try having a gun pointed in your face! If you feel that exam nerves are going to affect your performance then please get help early.
Find a reputable hypnosis downloads website and download some inductions for a few dollars.
Please also see mistake 10.
' If I could comment on this situation.
Book it for a few weeks time and put the date into your diary.
Your brain is a goal seeking organism and if you have no firm goal set then you will yourself getting distracted or side tracked with the usual things life throws at you.
Mistake 9 - Making a Fuss
When I took a Cisco exam recently the simulation software did not load correctly.
I had to type commands and then press enter several times to see what I had typed finally appear in the window.
She didn't have an suggestions for me and told me to fill in a box on the screen pointing out the issue to Cisco.
She was just there to set up my exam and enforce the rules about cheating.
The wrong approach would have been to argue with the invigilator, to make a scene or even to refused to finish off the exam.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Failing an exam will not be the end of the world.
I even failed the CCIE lab once and that cost me $1500 plus air fare.
If you do fail an exam then well done, at least you had a crack at it.
Everyone in the world fails at something important and you are no exception.
Treat the exam as a project and be serious about passing and at the same time, if you are not successful then give yourself a break, you are only human and anything worth passing is going to be hard by its very nature.
I took an exam recently.
The only problem was that when I arrived to take my test I parked outside the office block and went for a nice coffee safe in the knowledge that I had allowed myself a good 30 minutes before my allocated test time.
I felt a surge of adrenaline rush through the pit of my stomach.
Even though, that experience was very unnerving and I was still a bit jittery when I walked into the centre.
Mistake 2 - Cram or Not to Cram
Do you drive to the exam testing centre with your cram notes in your pocket? I have done both, taking cram notes and not taking them.
Sitting in your car outside the testing centre trying to read notes with your hands shaking will not help your nerves.
Mistake 3 - Not Reading Your Exam Confirmation
Would you believe that my friend turned up to take a Cisco exam a few years ago and when he sat in front of the computer he realized to his horror that he was taking the wrong exam! He was a clever guy as well.
Strangely enough, he actually passed the exam as well!
It is so easy to book the wrong exam so please double check before you book.
Please also ensure you take your exam confirmation with you to the testing centre.
If I hadn't taken my confirmation with me then I would have had to drive all the way home as well.
Mistake 4 - Caffeine
I love coffee.
But there is a price to pay and that is having to visit the toilet every 30 minutes.
If you have to visit the toilet twice then you have lost about 5 precious minutes in your exam which you can't afford to do.
Mistake 5 - Not Reading the Questions
I know you are not daft and can read perfectly well.
Our eyes are basically scanning tools and the brain performs some sort of auto-complete as we read any text.
Please read the question twice before looking at the answers.
It might as well be a movie of sand falling through an egg timer.
The next few questions could be very simple ones such as port numbers rather than multi-step router configurations or 5 part troubleshooting scenarios.
Mistake 7 - Panicking
Exam nerves are very common and a little stress is good.
Try having a gun pointed in your face! If you feel that exam nerves are going to affect your performance then please get help early.
Find a reputable hypnosis downloads website and download some inductions for a few dollars.
Please also see mistake 10.
' If I could comment on this situation.
Book it for a few weeks time and put the date into your diary.
Your brain is a goal seeking organism and if you have no firm goal set then you will yourself getting distracted or side tracked with the usual things life throws at you.
Mistake 9 - Making a Fuss
When I took a Cisco exam recently the simulation software did not load correctly.
I had to type commands and then press enter several times to see what I had typed finally appear in the window.
She didn't have an suggestions for me and told me to fill in a box on the screen pointing out the issue to Cisco.
She was just there to set up my exam and enforce the rules about cheating.
The wrong approach would have been to argue with the invigilator, to make a scene or even to refused to finish off the exam.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Failing an exam will not be the end of the world.
I even failed the CCIE lab once and that cost me $1500 plus air fare.
If you do fail an exam then well done, at least you had a crack at it.
Everyone in the world fails at something important and you are no exception.
Treat the exam as a project and be serious about passing and at the same time, if you are not successful then give yourself a break, you are only human and anything worth passing is going to be hard by its very nature.