Cisco offers five levels of certification, of which Cisco Certified Network Associate is second. Associates specialize in SP operation, design, voice, security, and wireless. However, the most basic CCNA certification denotes a specialty in routing and switching.
By Matt Murren
If your are currently an IT professional looking to advance your career, you should take a hard look at Cisco Certification. Cisco is the leader in networking and switching technologies. With VOIP and other growing internet technologies the use of networking equipment is only going to grow. There are a wide range of jobs that can be leveraged by obtaining a Cisco certification. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
The format and difficulty of computer certification exams is constantly changing. When I took my first certification exam (Novell NetWare 3.1x CNA, January 1997), there was no such thing as a simulator question, and my practical skills really were not tested. The exams then were much heavier on memorization.
One factor that helped make up for that was that the Novell exams were adaptive. If you missed a question on a particular topic, you would continue to be asked questions about that topic until you got it right. You couldn’t afford to be weak in any topic, because the exam would most likely find that out and keep hitting you with questions on that topic until you failed.
As a follow-up to our announcement in January, CompTIA is updating its certification policy for CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certifications. Starting Jan. 1, 2011, individuals will need to complete continuing education to maintain certification.
The new policy will only apply to candidates who:
So why did CompTIA change the policy?
Changing the policy brings CompTIA certifications in line with the practices of other major providers of certifications for IT professionals, such as Cisco, Microsoft, Project Management Institute (PMI) and Linux Professionals Institute (LPI).
Additionally, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ are accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a standard-setting institution which approves the procedures used by personnel certification bodies. ISO requires that CompTIA provides candidates a way to renew the currency of their certification on a regular basis. In CompTIA’s case, that renewal will occur every three years from the date the certification is earned.
With the rapid growth and expansion in the field of network technology there is increasing demand for skilled network professionals. Cisco Systems has long been the industry leader in the field of data networking and continues to grow market share in all major technology areas, including those areas of current high demand such as voice, video, and wireless. Gaining experience with and certifications in Cisco technologies can provide a safe harbor for your career in uncertain economic times such as these. While many technology professionals are interested in Cisco certifications there is often confusion as to the best path to take and how to achieve a quality certification experience.
Achieving that quality certification experience is the key. Many of us have been in the industry long enough to hear the term “paper certifications” which refers to a certification gained by an individual with little resulting practical experience and knowledge; the certification is said to be worth as much as the paper it is printed on. When you make the decision to pursue a Cisco certification you should make the decision to pursue a quality certification, to which you will commit the investment of your time and energy with the goal of gaining the technical skill set and knowledge to make you a leader in the field. Without the drive and determination to earn the certification you are doing nothing more than memorizing answers and taking tests. This is how “paper certifications” are born; little effort is put in to learning the technology and little effort is put in to earning the certification.
To aid you in earning a quality Cisco certification I have put together a recommended set of steps that will assist you in making the right decisions along the way. These steps are designed to build an in-depth knowledge of the network technologies you are studying to pass your certification exams, while allowing you to maintain that knowledge for application in real-world scenarios while on the job.