Any CCNAs here?

[undeterred]

I am going to be taking this in the next two weeks and wonder if you have any tips!

[undeterred]

1. nobody?

[TroubleMan]

2. I'm a CCNA, but I took the test in 2001.

I doubt if I could be much help anymore. Just study your ass off and you should be fine.

[0rganism]

3. Yes, I took it in July, and I have some tips for you

1. Don't spend too long on any one question. You have about 80 seconds per, on average, IIRC. If you can breeze through a few real quick, that will help you take your time on the ones you need to think hard about, and there will be some of those. This is the most important point. It colors everything else about the test. If it's getting down to the wire and you have 10 questions to go, then take your best guess on a couple of them just to gain back some time. Remember, you don't get to revisit the questions later with your leftover time, this is a one-shot deal, so don't be guessing unless you absolutely have to.

2. Use whatever simulators and shareware tools you can to prep. There is no shame in giving yourself every advantage you can. Whenever you take a practice test, be a hardass about your time limit, cf #1.

3. KNOW HOW TO SUBNET. Know all the common masks for class C, especially. This is stuff you learn early on, but you need to practice often to keep it quick. Your method needs to be smooth, like breathing, or you will freak. If binary arithmetic and masking just aren't your favorite things to do, use whatever writing resource the test center allocates for you to write out the decimal-binary conversions BEFORE you start the test. Then, you can just peek over and grab answers on the fly, gaining precious seconds, instead of fiddling around with powers of two.

4. Know why things break. If you've done any CCNA labwork, you've had some experience with advanced troubleshooting techniques, but you won't have enough time to do a full diagnostic work-up during the test. Especially on the simulation questions, you need to carefully apply the basics like arps and pings to see which router or switch or host isn't configured right. Focus your efforts, but focus them wisely.

5. Read every question carefully. Twice. Sometimes I thought the question was asking one thing, when it was really asking something else, and I only caught it on the replay. If you can have the answer in your mind BEFORE you read the choices, things get much easier -- assuming you have the right idea at the beginning. If you spend 60 seconds reading and re-reading the question and 20 seconds picking an answer, that is perfectly okay.

6. I can't emphasize this enough: tick-tock, tick-tock. You have a Need for Speed! The CCNA test truly rewards those who are Good and Fast. There's a little digital clock on the test screen, counting down from the moment you click "Start", and if that clock is not your ally then it is an enemy to be feared, if you catch my drift. Make that little clock a part of your regular study habits, don't let it surprise you when you see it on your exam screen.

It's a relatively difficult cert. People fail it regularly -- not as many as fail the infamous CCIE, obviously, but don't take it for granted just because it's a junior-level exam. You must overcome your ego and meet the test on its level or it will punish you.

edit: I see from the date that this advice has arrived too late, if I'm the only one who's offered it. Anyway, I hope you kicked ass and took names.