How Do I Know I'm Ready?

CCNA 200-301

CCNP Enterprise

CCNP Security

CCIE Enterprise Lab

CCIE Security Lab

CCNP Service Provider

CCNP Data Center

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CCIE DC Lab

2019-10-08

One of the most common questions I see on social media is how long it takes to learn certification exams. The answer is not as simple as you expected.

In fact, no one knows how long it will take you to prepare for the certification exam. Everyone is different. Some people learn very fast, others learn very slowly. Some people need a lot of hands-on experience, while others need only one book to master. Some people have never seen a router, others have been managing the network for decades. Some people have a lot of responsibilities (school, spouse, children, work), others have no responsibility at all. Some people can continue to focus on learning for a few hours, while others need to change learning.

Therefore, it may take you less than 10 minutes to take the exam, and it may take more than a year. I guess you’ll be in the middle.

The set-to-person cut-off date may cause you to be overprepared or underprepared. For example, if someone says you should complete within three months, then you may have to apply pressure to yourself before you’re ready to try it. On the other hand, if you feel ready for a month, you may want to know which details have been lost, leading to unnecessary delays.

So how do you know when to be ready? That is the purpose of practical examination, such as the SPOTO Cisco certification practical examination. You should take each structured exam as if you were taking a real exam. After taking the exercise exam, please learn all the explanations, even if you answer the right question. Know why the correct answer is correct and why the wrong answer is wrong. If you have any weaknesses, use the Learning Guide and linked Resources to consolidate your knowledge.

Keep in mind that practical exams can accurately evaluate your abilities only when you see a batch of questions for the first time. After seeing a number of questions at a time, you will begin to remember the answers, which can artificially improve your test scores the second time you take a practical exam. So don’t take the exam over and over again until you get 100%. The most important thing is to understand the concept, not to remember the problem.

By the last structured exercise exam, you should do better than the first structured exercise exam, especially if you have learned these explanations. Your progress should give you confidence that you can solve practical problems.