Completed the CCNA certification but not satisfied yet? Has it not awarded you the level of the platform that you deserved or desired? And now you are looking for some addition to your technological skills, go for the CCNP encore test. It is a higher-level professional certification test that provides you with an increased level of expertise and in-depth study of the fundamentals taught in the CCNA course. Holding this certificate increases your chances of landing your dream jobs with much ease and experience. Even the recruiters incline towards the candidate with a professional level degree than just a basic course holder. It is indeed a feather in the hat.
However, nothing in this world comes easy and so does the CCNP certification journey. You need to work very hard to complete this course with good marks. Given below are 5 simple ways to prepare for the CCNP encor test and emerge victoriously.
1. Get back to the basics
For any kind of advancement in your skills, you must have a good hold on the basics. Hence, before beginning with the study material of the CCNP course, revise your notes of CCNA. Have a thorough look at your previous course’s books and highlighted texts. This will help your mind to revive what you have studied and get a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses. CCNP courses are strongly based upon the basic concepts of CCNA and revolve around the same old topic to give you an in-depth knowledge of what you have studied so far. It refreshes the logics involved in CCNA sub-topics.
2. Sketch down a study plan and go topic wise
Unlike other professional courses, CCNP requires a candidate to have clear concepts. You cannot just mug and cram and then expect to pass it with flying colors. You should possess deep knowledge of each sub-topic. No matter how many times you need to revise, you must not move ahead without having a proper hold on previous topics. Take your time and go slow. Start from the very first minute of the very first day, don’t keep it all for the last day because mind you, you cannot just read the entire book in one go and understand everything. The concepts will take time to fit into your brain. Again, don’t try to just learn things but start observing the practical aspects of the topics, it will help you a lot to understand them better. You will feel more buoyant and self-reliant to move forward once you have understood the previous topics.
3. Don’t restrict your source of learning
This is an important aspect to understand. Don’t base your entire preparation of CCNP on the books only. As it is an extensive course, you will get good quality extra content on the online platforms as well. For example, Cisco provides forums for the nascent employees and aspiring candidates to get additional knowledge. You can follow their websites and blogs and stay updated with every recent happening in the networking domain. Youtube can also be referred and you can watch videos uploaded by CCEI professionals and try to gain extra wisdom from them. Connecting with these forums will not only assist you in your preparation but if you perform well, you might also get noticed for your caliber and your will to learn.
4. Don’t overlook the importance of Practical Learning
Till now, you might have understood that CCNP is not based on bookish knowledge, you need to have much more than that. Lab learning is very essential to prepare CCNP properly. If for some reason, you could not gain practical knowledge during your CCNA course, you must revisit and learn it from the basics and proceed only after that. Practice as much as possible in your CCNP lab, only then you can get the hang of Cisco CCNP devices. Bookish knowledge in addition to practical learning will help you pass the test with good scores.
5. Plan out your exam series
CCNP certification involves 3 modules of exams:
- 300-101-Route
- 300-115 Switch
- 300-135 TSHOOT
You have the power to decide the sequence that you want to follow. Most of the eminent experts advise attempting the most prepared module as the first exam. This boosts your confidence to prepare more nicely for the next exam. The exam series must be planned out well in advance.
Conclusion
Deal with your queries from a practical standpoint. Hard work summed with Smartwork will help you ace this test with flying colors.
