There are 2 constituent parts to the 640-802 'CCNA' accreditation: The 'ICND1' (640/822), & the 'ICND2' (640-816). ICND represents Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, however the 'ICND1' exam is also known as 'CCENT' ('Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician'). This may seem highly baffling, yet in essence the qualification is best tackled as a packaged examination - the 'CCNA' 640-802. Cisco trainees should find it enormously beneficial to begin their training with the 'CompTIA' qualifications 'A+' & N+ . That will give them extremely good vendor neutral training ahead of getting into the Cisco domain itself. Expect to put in around 400 to 500 hours of study time (around a year part time) to complete a program of this type. In accordance with all technical career training programs, be sure to pick one that delivers 24 hour real-time access to instructor assistance, to 'problem-solve' any learning difficulties that arise. Investigate also for the latest multimedia learning solutions, & the right exam preparation software.

A typical blunder that students everywhere can make is to concentrate on the course itself, and take their eye off the end result they want to achieve. Schools are full of unaware students that chose an 'interesting' course - in place of something that could gain them an enjoyable career or job. You could be training for only a year and end up doing a job for a lifetime. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of finding what seems like an 'interesting' course only to waste your life away with a job you don't like!

You must also consider your feelings on earning potential, career development, and how ambitious you are. It's vital to know what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, which certifications they want you to have and how you'll gain real-world experience. We recommend that students take guidance from an industry professional before making your final decision on some particular learning path, so there's no doubt that the specific package will give the skills necessary.

If you're like many of the students we talk to then you're quite practically minded - a 'hands-on' personality type. If you're anything like us, the painful task of reading endless manuals is something you'll make yourself do if you have to, but you really wouldn't enjoy it. Consider interactive, multimedia study if learning from books is not your thing. Research has constantly demonstrated that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

Interactive full motion video featuring instructor demo's and practice lab's will beat books every time. And you'll find them fun and interesting. Any company that you're considering must be pushed to demo some simple examples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a variety of interactive modules.

Go for disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) where possible. You can then avoid all the difficulties of broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.

You should look for accredited simulation materials and an exam preparation system as part of your course package. Don't go for training programs depending on non-accredited exam preparation questions. The way they're phrased is often somewhat different - and sometimes this can be a real headache in the actual examination. It's a good idea to ask for testing modules so you can test your knowledge at any point. Practice or 'mock' exams log the information in your brain - then you're much more at ease with the real thing.

Cisco's primary interest is in routers, 'controllers' & data switches. They're the devices which facilitate the information that passes through a network. PCs need an 'operating system' to communicate within their 'network ', but in addition the 'hardware' has it's own system that has to be installed and maintained. Trouble-shooting, on-going reprogramming & re-configuration is necessary to maintain the consistent running of an expanding 'network '. With the shift to full system integration of voice & information in modern business workplaces (in addition to armed service & other circumstances), Cisco is at the peak of most modern communications.

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