In Brief: Cisco Retools CCNA Exam to Assess "Practical Mastery"

Cisco Systems has retooled its most basic exam to better assess Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) candidates on their practical skills and their ability to work under time constraints.

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With a change in format, Cisco Systems has retired an older version of its Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam and introduced a new version the company says will stress mastery of practical, hands-on tasks without necessarily making the exam harder. In conjunction with the new exam, Cisco Press has released a new line of self-study products.

Cisco uses the CCNA exam to verify mastery of small office/home office networking tasks for small-scale installations, forms the foundation of the Cisco network installation and support certification progression. Cisco retooled the newer test (CCNA #640-607) to include more performance-based elements that stress time-critical concerns. Additionally, the company says the multiple-choice question bank of the older exam has been replaced with all-new questions.

The new study materials from Cisco Press include:

  • CCNA Practical Studies: A practical lab book featuring scenarios and exercises for practice on lab equipment, networking simulators, or remote-access labs.
  • Cisco CCNA Exam #640-607 Certification Guide: A CCNA study guide that includes extra credit sections and a new chapter of hands-on lab scenarios as well as a CD-ROM with #640-607 question banks.
  • Cisco CCNA Flash Card Practice Kit: An electronic and print product with more than more than 350 flash cards-in print, PC, and handheld format and a collection of practice exam questions and 54 CCNA reference sheets.
  • CCNA #640-607 Preparation Library: A bundle of the other offerings.

CCNA certifications are valid for a period of three years, with advancement or recertification at the Cisco Professional level serving to recertify a CCNA.

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