Chapter 17. Final Preparation

The first 16 chapters of this book cover the technologies, protocols, design concepts, and considerations required to be prepared to pass the 200-310 CCDA exam. Although these chapters supply the detailed information, most people need more preparation than just reading the first 16 chapters of this book. This chapter details a set of tools and a study plan to help you complete your preparation for the exams.

This short chapter has two main sections. The first section lists the exam preparation tools useful at this point in the study process. The second section details a suggested study plan now that you have completed all the earlier chapters in this book.

Step 1. Go to http://www.pearsonitcertification.com/register.

Step 2. Either log in to your account (if you have an existing account already) or create a new account.

Step 3. Enter the ISBN of your book (9781587144547) and click Submit.

Step 4. Answer the challenge questions to validate your purchase.

Step 5. In your account page, click the Registered Products tab and then click the Access Bonus Content link.

After you have registered your book, to access the companion website, all you need to do is go to www.pearsonitcertification.com and sign in to your account. From there, select the Registered Products tab and click the Access Bonus Content link.

Because you have purchased the print version of this title, you can purchase the Premium Edition at a deep discount. There is a coupon code in the sleeve in the back of the book that contains a one-time-use code and instructions for where you can purchase the Premium Edition.

To view the Premium Edition product page, go to www.informit.com/title/9781587144547.

To reach the Cisco Learning Network, go to www.cisco.com/go/learnnetspace, or just search for “Cisco Learning Network.” You must use the logon you created at Cisco.com. If you do not have such a logon, you can register for free. To register, simply go to Cisco.com, click Register at the top of the page, and supply some information.

Instead of just reading the tables in the various chapters, this book’s Appendixes D and E give you another review tool. Appendix D lists partially completed versions of many of the tables from the book. You can open Appendix D (a PDF on the companion website) and print the appendix. For review, you can attempt to complete the tables. This exercise can help you focus on the review. It also exercises the memory connectors in your brain; plus it makes you think about the information without as much information, which forces a little more contemplation about the facts.

Appendix E, also a PDF located on the companion website, lists the completed tables to check yourself. You can also just refer to the tables as printed in the book.

The plan uses five steps:

Step 1. Review key topics and DIKTA questions: You can use the table that lists the key topics in each chapter, or just flip through the pages looking for key topics. Also, reviewing the DIKTA questions from the beginning of the chapter can be helpful for review.

Step 2. Complete memory tables: Open Appendix D from the companion website and print the entire thing, or print the tables by major part. Then complete the tables.

Step 3. Review “Q&A” sections: Go through the Q&A section at the end of each chapter to identify areas you need more study.

Step 4. Subnetting practice: If you can no longer do subnetting well and quickly, without a subnetting calculator, take some time to get better and faster before going to take the 200-310 CCDA exam.

Step 5. Use the Pearson Test Prep practice test software to practice: The Pearson Test Prep practice test software can be used to study using a bank of unique exam-realistic questions available only with this book.

Step 1. Learn subnetting conceptually.

Step 2. Get really good at doing the math quickly.

Step 3. Pass the CCNA.

Step 4. Get a lot faster at doing the subnetting math.

Step 5. Study for the 200-310 CCDA exam.

Although subnetting should not be assessed as an end to itself on the 200-310 CCDA exam, many questions require that you understand subnetting math and be able to do that math just as quickly as you did when you passed the CCNA exam. If you are a little slow on doing subnetting math, before you go to the 200-310 CCDA exam, try some of the following exercises:

Practice finding the subnet number, broadcast address, and range of addresses in a subnet. To do so, pick a number and mask, calculate the values, and use your favorite subnet calculator to check your work. Look at the Cisco Learning Network for a calculator if you do not have one already.

Use the Cisco Subnet Game, also at the Cisco Learning Network.

Practice choosing the best summary for a range of subnets. Pick three or four addresses/masks. Calculate the subnet number and range. Then, try to choose the summary (subnet number/mask) that includes those three or four subnets, without including any more subnets than what is required. You can also check your math with a subnet calculator.

If you like using binary/decimal conversions when you work through these problems, but just need to go faster, check out the Cisco Binary Game, also at the Cisco Learning Network.

Study mode: This mode is most useful when you want to use the questions for learning and practicing. In Study mode, you can select options such as randomizing the order of the questions and answers, automatically viewing answers to the questions as you go, testing on specific topics, and many other options.

Practice Exam mode: This mode presents questions in a timed environment, providing you with a more exam-realistic experience. It also restricts your ability to see your score as you progress through the exam and view answers to questions as you are taking the exam. These timed exams not only allow you to study for the actual 200-310 CCDA exam, they help you simulate the time pressure that can occur on the actual exam.

When doing your final preparation, you can use Study mode, Practice Exam mode, or both. However, after you have seen each question a couple of times, you will likely start to remember the questions, and the usefulness of the exam database might diminish. So, consider the following options when using the exam engine:

Use this question database for review. Use Study mode to study the questions by chapter, just as with the other final review steps listed in this chapter. Plan on getting another exam (possibly from the Premium Edition) if you want to take additional simulated exams.

Save the question database, not using it for review during your review of each book part. Save it until the end, so you will not have seen the questions before. Then, use Practice Exam mode to simulate the exam.

Picking the correct mode from the exam engine’s user interface is pretty obvious. The following steps show how to move to the screen from which to select Study or Practice Exam mode:

Step 1. Click the My Products tab if you are not already at that screen.

Step 2. Select the exam you want to use from the list of available exams.

Step 3. Click the Use button.

The engine should then display a window from which you can choose Study mode or Practice Exam mode. When in Study mode, you can further choose the book chapters, limiting the questions to those explained in the specified chapters of the book.