I decided I want to at least attempt to materially improve my life by working on a professional certificate that can hopefully land me a better paying job (car dependency is expensive), while I study for the exam I'll be placing all my notes from the textbook I'm using here as a self-study reference. My only hope is that if I can manage to read Hegel I can manage to think through this.
Here all mistrust must be abandoned
and here must perish every craven thought.
Today you have one and only one option to achieve CCNA certification: Take and pass one exam, the Cisco 200-301 CCNA exam.
To take the 200-301 exam, or any Cisco exam, you will use the services of Pearson Vue. Establish a login at the Pearson Vue website, register for, schedule a time and place, and pay for the Cisco 200-301 exam, all from the website. Take the exam at the VUE testing center. You will receive a notice of your score, and whether you passed, before you leave the testing center.
The Cisco CCNA and CCNP exams all follow the same general format, with these types of questions:
Multiple-choice, single-answer
Multiple choice, multiple-answer
Testlet (one scenario with multiple multiple-choice questions)
Drag-and-drop
Simulated lab (sim)
Simlet
The last two types of questions use a network simulator to ask questions so that you control and use simulated Cisco devices. In particular:
Sim questions: You see a network topology and lab scenario, and can access the devices. Your job is to fix a problem with the configuration.
Simlet questions: This style combines sim and testlet question formats. As with a sim question, you see a network topology and lab scenario, and can access the devices. However, as with a testlet, you also see multiple multiple-choice questions. Instead of changing/fixing the configuration, you answer questions about the current state of the network.
Before taking the test, learn the exam user inferface by watching some videos Cisco provides about the exam UI. Go to the Cisco website and search for 'Certification Exam Tutorial Video.'