Thursday 13 August 2009

CCNA Books - How to Choose Between the 2 Types

By Francis Teo

There are such a lot of CCNA books to help prepare for the difficult exam these days that it can be hard to choose. These books can be divided into roughly 2 categories - self-study books and exam certification books.

If you do not already have some networking knowledge, the self study books will provide the first steps to the world of computer and Cisco networking. This is because these books are very detailed and will take a close look at the concepts that you are expected to know for the exam. If you already have a job as a CCNA networks engineer, the understanding you gain will be extremely helpful.

The self study books may be too much, however, if you are a more experienced network engineer who is just looking for re-certification. This is because the self study series of books is not designed to be a quick reference but will go much more in-depth.

What you will find in the exam certification books is that they are well aligned with the objectives of the CCNA exam as published by Cisco. They are designed to be more as a quick reference and will not go as deep when you compare them to the self study books.

Since the exam certification books match exactly with the exam objectives issued by Cisco, you can be sure that they will prepare you well for the exam. It is extremely useful as a tool for CCNA exam re-certification.

If you are new to the networking world, you might find that the exam certification books do not go into that much detail as required. However, these books are still a very good reference if you are reading CCNA books in combination with taking a CCNA course with a Cisco authorized partner or academy.

If you are able to afford it, you should get both types of books. First, you can use the self study books to gain a comprehensive understanding of the CCNA exam material before you use the exam certification books for a quick last-minute review before you take the actual test.

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