Vincent D.

Hi, my name is Vincent. I'm the guy who got certified. I took me much longer than I expected to become CompTIA A+ certified. In total, from the beginning to actually taking the test, it took me over a year. I only studied while at school, so I could have finished studying much sooner if I had studied at home as well. I became certified on December 19, 2014. In order to become CompTIA A+ certified, at the time I took the tests, you needed to take two tests, the 220-801 and the 220-802, 90 minutes each. The 801 test is all about computer hardware, networking, laptops, printers, and operational procedures (how to deal with customers, anti-static prevention, and so on), with the test focusing heavily on PC hardware. The 802 test is about the operating system, security, mobile devices, and troubleshooting.

The testing experience was a phenomenal one, and it was fun. I took my test at the University of Alaska Anchorage, 3901 Old Seward Highway, room 112. I almost missed this test because I went to the wrong place at first! We actually went to the UAA at 3211 Providence Drive, not the UAA Advising & Testing Center located in the UAA University Center. (If you Google “University of Alaska Anchorage University Center”, you get Google calling it a shopping mall. So...according to Google, I took my test in a shopping mall. It was probably in a building that has a shopping mall in it, but it’s still fun to say that I took my test in the shopping mall). Anyway, it was a straight forward process where I was on a computer taking the test, most questions being multiple choice. The other questions are what they call performance based where they simulate a problem with a computer and you got to come up with a solution. I had to wait 4-5 weeks for my certificate to arrive in the mail.

I also became Network+ certified in February 17, 2015. The Network+ certification validates your knowledge that you know how networks work as a whole. Since the certification is vendor neutral, it does not test you on how to configure a certain switch, a router, or a firewall. What it does test is how a network works as a whole. Before you jump on a Cisco device and start configuring it, you should know how networks work. You need to know stuff like different types of cables involved in networking, the difference between UTP, STP, and fiber... You need to know some of the common protocols and their corresponding port numbers, the OSI model, IPv4 and IPv6, and how data is sent between networks. Pretty much anything that is not vendor specific, like Cisco’s IOS (their operating system for networking), is a part of the Network+ certification.

It was much less time preparing for the Network+ exam, because I had only one test to take, and because I used videos from cbtnuggets.com (I’ll get more to that later). I was actually rushing to take the test because CompTIA was updating their test on February 28th, 2015. I’ve been studying for the N10-005 test and they were going to update it to the N10-006, and the testing center in Sitka (UAS) only had a testing date on the 17th. In the end, I passed and left waiting another 1-8 weeks for my actual paper certificate to come in (still waiting at the time of this writing!).

I used the book CompTIA A+ 220-801 and 220-802 Cert Guide (3rd Edition) for the A+ certification. Let me tell you how boring of a book that is! It is a very methodical guide. You had a paragraph here about what this is, then another paragraphs about what it does, then after that you get a step by step list of how to install or replace a certain part, then maybe another paragraph or two about troubleshooting it, then a list of the possible problems that could happen, and possibly another list on how to fix that problem. At least the book would make for a great reference point later on the job if you need to look something up. I also used CompTIA A+ Certification Practice Exams, Second Edition (Exams 220-801 & 220-802) to help identify some problems that I should review.

I used the CompTIA Network+ All-In-One Exam Guide: Exam N10-005 book for the Netwok+ certification. When I got about 260 some pages into the book, I switched over to using a site called cbtnuggets.com and watched their training videos. The book was great, but I learned faster and easier by watching cbtnuggets videos. CBT Nuggets have videos that are designed to help people earn certifications, or even to just learn stuff involving IT, they even got a “nugget” on bitcoins, in case you are interested. Sounds great, right? Absolutely, ... until you see the price tag of $99 a month to watch their videos. And yes, I paid to watch them. But you got to remember that what they are teaching is what will get you a job someday, so I would say it was well worth it. When I started watching the videos, it only took me a little less than a month to watch the entire Network+ course. I tried to finish the 25 hour course by the end of the free trial that lasted a week (Don’t underestimate your ability to sit in a chair and watch videos...). I had it all planned out, but I missed a day of watching videos at home, then two, and then the trial was up when I was half way through. So after I paid to continue watching, I watched them in a more leisurely fashion. I would watch them at school, and a few at home every now and then, and by the end of the month, I finished the course, and it was a much more enjoyable experience than reading the book (though it is a great book and I wholly recommend it).

The way they teach in videos is very engaging. They talk like you are right there with them, and they don’t script stuff, so when something does go wrong unexpectedly, they will troubleshooting and explain what you should do, and then they do it! They not only teach you what you need to know, they actually bring out the program and show you what to do, right in front of you. Even if most of the time you are watching them write on a screen (you never actually see the trainer), it’s a very engaging experience, it is fun, and it does have the knowledge you need. The videos was all I actually needed to pass the exam, and, without a doubt, I would recommend them. I think they even have an A+ course on their website, and I wished I knew about these guys back then.

I’m currently working towards my Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching certification. There’s two ways to get certified. You can take the 100-101 ICND1 and the 200-101 ICND2 exams, or you can take the 200-120 CCNA exam. The 200-120 CCNA is just a combination of the ICND1 and ICND2 exams. I’m actually planning on taking the two exam route, mainly because when you take the ICND1 exam, you become CCENT certified. If you were to take the 220-120 CCNA exam and passed, you wouldn’t become CCENT certified, but no one would care since it is a lower level certification. If you are CCNA, you know what I takes to be CCENT certified. Me, I just want to have myself a milestone of some kind in my journey to becoming CCNA certified, so the CCENT certification is my milestone, a halfway point really. The book I’m using is the Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 Official Cert Guide and Simulator Library. It is actually a bundle of the CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-101 Official Cert Guide, CCNA Routing and Switching ICND2 200-101 Official Cert Guide, and CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 Network Simulator. The networking simulator is just that, a networking simulator meant to help you pass the exams for CCNA. I am also using the videos from cbtnuggets to also help with passing.

After CCNA Routing and Switching, I plan on getting the CCNP Routing and Switching certification, then the CCIE Routing and Switching certification, Cisco’s highest level certification. According to Cisco’s website, less than 1% of all networking professionals (less than 1% of Cisco certified professionals) have a CCIE certification. I also plan on working my way up (CCNA, CCNP, then CCIE) on getting a CCIE Security certification, which include the same steps as the Routing and Switching one, CCNA Security, CCNP Security, then finally CCIE Security. I’m also planning on trying to get the CCIE Data Center certification, and then maybe even the Cisco Cybersecurity Specialist certification finally.

Vincent D.

Sitka High School

Class of 2015

UPDATE 04/29/2015:

On April 25, 2015, I passed my ICND1 test with a score of 854 (the passing score is 804). For an entry level certification, you would think, the test would be easier. Having 90 minutes to answer 50 questions and having a passing score of around 800 will show you know your stuff, but with the bulk of information you get tested on is crazy: how switches and routers make forwarding decisions, NAT, DHCP, subnetting, OSPF and even IPv6...