Cisco Revs CCNA R&S Cert (V3.0); Leans Forward
Yep, it’s official. Cisco just announced (May 17, 2016) big changes to the #CCENT and #CCNA, that is, the Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician (CCENT) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching certifications. As with any big change, there are new exams, exam numbers, and changes to the exam topics. This post gives the overview, some links, and a promise of more posts in the next few days.
Exam Structure Unchanged, But Exam Numbers and Cert Names Change
First off, when Cisco makes a big announcement about one of their certifications, many aspects of the certification can change. Cisco always changes the exam numbers, and they always change the exam blueprint (the document that lists all the exam topics). They could also change details like the number of exams you must take, or even remove an old certification or replace it with a new certification.
For these May 2016 announcements for the CCENT certification and the CCNA Routing and Switching certifications, Cisco changed only the exam numbers and the exam blueprint details for those exams. No program details were changed. Simple enough.
To briefly review you have two options: pass both the ICND1 and ICND2 exams, or pass the CCNA Routing and Switching exam. With the new exam transition, you can pass a combination of old and new. (For CCENT certification, you just have to pass the ICND1 exam.) Figures 1 and 2 list those paths, along with the new exam numbers introduced in 2016.
Figure 1: Exam Path to CCENT (New Exam, May 2016)
Figure 2: Exam Paths to CCNA (New Exams, May 2016)
Content Changes in the Exams
From a content perspective, ICND1 + ICND2 = CCNA; that has been true for the last several versions of the exams. That is, the exam topics in the first exam plus the exam topics in the second exam in the two exam path cover the same topics as the single CCNA exam.
Even though Cisco revised these exams just three years ago in 2013, there are a surprising number of changes in the exams, many small, and some large. However, most of those changes exist in the ICND2 half of the equation.
Exam Content Comments Directly from Cisco
Interestingly, Cisco has not only published the exam topics for each new exam (which they always do), but they have also listed some commentary about those exam topics. You should read those details, bookmark the page, and read it again when studying. Here’s the link to the most detailed page:
Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching 200-125 Updates Data Sheet
Exam Content Comments from Me
As you might imagine, I’ve spent a lot of time over the last number of months updating the official cert guides for the exams. I wrote this blog post and several others in advance of the announcement.
Two upcoming blog posts will detail my own impressions about the content in the ICND1 100-105 exam, with two more posts about the content of the ICND2 200-105 exam. For those of you reading this post on announcement day, I intend to post those detailed posts within the first 24-48 hours after the announcement embargo is lifted (May 17th).
Just to get the big ideas out, and to whet your appetite, Figures 3, 4, and 5 show most of the big new content additions to each exam. (The figures do not show topics that have moved between ICND1 and ICND2, or have a higher performance level for the new exam, or that appear to have left the exams completely; I’ll get to those details in the upcoming posts.)
Figure 3: Important New ICND1 100-105 Exam Topics
Figure 4 Important New ICND2 200-105 Hands-on Exam Topics
Figure 5 Important New ICND2 200-105 Conceptual Exam Topics
Your Transition Plan for the New Exams
Every time Cisco changes the certification exams related to a certification, anyone studying for the certification needs to react. While there are fine differences in each approach, most people settle on one of three approaches:
Immediately Cut over to the New Exams: Stop studying for the old exams (ICND1 100-101, ICND2 200-101, and CCNA 200-120), and move on to study for the new exams.
Sprint to Finish the Old Exams: You have 3 or 4 months from announcement (depending on the exam) until the old exams go away. Your reaction? Sprint, now, to the finish with the old exams.
Keep Plugging Away: Continue working just as you have been. If the pass the old exams, that’s fine. If not, that’s fine. S’cool either way.
Your answer is probably affected by how far away you are from finishing, as well as how much time you have to finish. Cisco’s web site announced these last-date-to-take dates for the old exams:
ICND1 100-101: August 20, 2016 (about 3 months)
ICND2 200-101: September 24, 2016 (about 4 months)
CCNA 200-120: August 20, 2016 (about 3 months)
So, take a moment to consider how far along you are in your study towards CCNA R&S. What is your gut reaction to what you plan to do? And if you are willing to share, answer one of two polls with the same question. One poll is for those closer to finishing (for those at least half way through their study towards CCNA R&S), while the other poll is for those not yet half-way.
Poll 1: > 50% Completed, What is Your Plan?
Poll 2: <50% Completed, What is Your Plan?
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Brief Thoughts on the New ICND1 Content
All these changes need some further description and unpacking. For those reading this post before even the first few deeper posts are published to the web, here are a few thoughts about the changes.
For ICND1, RIPv2 is clearly the one big new topic. Interestingly, RIP had been a CCNA R&S topic since the first version of the exam, up until the CCNA 200-120 exam (the exam that Cisco is retiring here in 2016). Basically, Cisco removed RIP in the version of CCNA they announced in 2013, and now they are adding it back here in 2016.
The rest of the individual new ICND1 topics are small as individual topics. In fact, I estimate that from a study time perspective, the time to study RIPv2 to a troubleshooting level of skill will be more time than the combined time required to learn all the other new topics added to ICND1.
Brief Thoughts on the New ICND2 Content
The sheer volume of new ICND2 hands-on topics (those with verbs like configure, verify, and troubleshoot) increases the study requirements for ICND2. However, all of these topics can be studied and learned just like any of the topics you may have already studied for CCNA.
Some of the new topics may sound intimidating – external BGP (eBGP) comes to mind – but are actually pretty straightforward to learn. Others happen to require a little more attention just due to some of the configuration details or concepts behind the configuration. For instance, Layer 3 EtherChannels requires the need for a topic called routed interfaces on switches, which is another way to configure a switch to act as a layer 3 switch.
ICND2 also adds several big conceptual topics (some with the verb describe, and others with the verbs compare and contrast). In particular, the three exam topic areas will probably get a lot of attention from people transitioning to study for the new version of the exams: Quality of Service (QoS), Cloud and its impact, and Network Programmability. Besides having an entire chapter on each in my new books, I have planned a blog post about these three topics, and I also plan to discuss these on the upcoming webinar hosted by Learning@Cisco.
Books and Blogs
Ah yes, the new books.
The CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-105 Official Cert Guide (aka the ICND1 Cert Guide) is done and in stock at the publisher. (Note that this link won’t bring you to a page for the new book until 1 or 2 days after announcement.) The publisher can start shipping those to all the booksellers now that the exams are released. If you’re reading this post on the announce date, and don’t want to wait, the absolutely quickest way to get the book is to buy direct from Cisco Press. If you can wait for the time it takes for Cisco Press to ship the inventory to the various booksellers, you can wait to buy it from your favorite seller. (For instance, I’d expect to see the book on a physical bookshelf at a Barnes and Noble 10-14 days after announce day.)
Also, if you really want to see the book now, the Premium Edition eBook and Practice test version of the book (that is, eBook plus extra practice questions) is downloadable as soon as the Cisco Press web sites update, probably within 24 hours of the announcement.
For ICND2, as of today, I’m done with the content for the ICND2 book. Some of the last minute editorial work is still in progress. At our current pace, the print book will be in stock in early July, but it is orderable as soon as the web pages update. (I imagine the Premium edition ICND2 eBook may be available a little earlier than the print book, by the way, for those of you anxious to get started with the new ICND2.)
I will create a separate post about all the new CCENT and CCNA R&S products, and give you a run-down of what products are coming with links to them all. It normally takes 24-48 hours for the publisher’s web pages to update with listings for the products, so I’ll publish the blog post about the upcoming products once the links to those products are live.
More Coming – Stay Tuned!
I will be posting more announcement blog posts here, probably 6 to 8 in the first few days after announcement, and then probably and 6 to 8 over the next week or two to follow. Stay tuned for more updates!
Mr Odom, thanks for the updates, however, i have a few questions, and would appreciate your thoughts on this one.
1. I am 40% complete with my studies right now. been reading your books ICND1 and ICND2,the preious editions before these brand new ones. My books are brand new, i just bought them, i feel a little discouraged now, but i want to know, should i just continue and complete the two books and later grab the new ones and just brush through them for newer topics OR its not worth it?? Is the material so new that its going to even be more confusing?and i should just get rid of these ones and start all over again?
2. Obviously i am goin to buy the new books, but is there some sort of discount for those who have already bought similar yet older editions of your books?
Please, kindly help.
May you please reply to directly to my e-mail.
Thank you in advance.
Kev.
Hi Kev,
Well, we can’t back up the clock unfortunately, or I’d have suggested that you cut over to the new ICND1 book 3 months ago. But having finished roughly half of both the old books, that’s just a difficult choice of how to proceed.
Note that many of the chapters that appear to be about the same topics are substantively unchanged. I won’t say identical, because I did make adjustments as needed. However, both books have some clearly new chapters, and some chapters with more substantive changes. Given the point of your study, here are some suggestions.
1) If you’ve mostly read ICND1 and not ICND2, I’d say do this: complete the old book since you’ve started. Then make sure and read in the new book the obviously new chapters: 10, 19, 20, 23, 24, and 33-36. Then for the rest of the chapters in the new book, I’d do my review from the new book chapters instead of the old. That is, repeat the DIKTA quizzes, and do the review activities from there (including the new interactive review elements), to help make sure you catch any small tidbits added to those chapters that way.
If you’ve been reading in ICND2 as well, same idea there. The big new ones there are chapters 6, 12, 13,14 15, 18,20, 26-28.
2) To my knowledge, Cisco Press hasn’t offered a discount for the new books. It never hurts to ask directly, but there’s no program, so to speak. EG, if you asked, who knows, they might give you a big discount on the eBook of the new books, if all you really want them for are those new chapters.
Also, if you bought the books at a physical bookstore, I’d say ask the manager at the store. Bricks-and-mortar bookstores live and die by repeat customers, and having a generous return policy is one way they build loyalty. If you’re willing to return your old books and work solely from the new ones, the bookstore might even let you return obviously-used old books and get the new ones, believe it or not. (The bookstore can actually be reimbursed for those books in most cases, which is why it’s not as big a deal).
Also watch CiscoPress’s feed on social media, they’ll often run a 30 or 35% off on different books, in case that’s enough to matter to you.
Hope this helps….
How do I have to download the new books icnd1 and get in touch with the pratical test online?
Hi Alx,
To download the books you need to first purchase an eBook version of the book. The best option for eBooks (in my opinion) is to buy them direct from the publisher, because you get some extra practice questions when you do that. Just check in this post, about 2/3rds into the post.
http://blog.certskills.com/ccna/ann2016-10/
Wendell
Hi, I just passed my CCENT v2 last month. If I can’t pass the ICND2 v2 by Sept 24, can I take the ICND2 v3 to complete my CCNA?
Yep! Any combo of the old and new ICND1 and ICND2 work to get you to CCNA R&S certification.
i got the new books but the only difference is the adding of network management part but the few back learning guys looks pretty similar , where do i get the pratical exam of v3 ? beside the credit card option which other option cisco did offer to purchase? and what the difference with mearsup ?
I am just starting to study for CCENT and I have been wondering for weeks which book is best to buy to prepare for the exam. Can you please list the ISBN # for the combo set of ICND1 and ICND2, as well as the CCENT if it is separate. I’d really like to get started but I want to use those books as my main source to study from. Please help.
Hi Casey,
Sure! Thanks for asking. Just check out this blog post, which lists product details: http://blog.certskills.com/ccna/ann2016-10/
In that post, you’ll see details for the 2-book ICND1 + ICND2 set – a “library” – as well as links for the individual ICND1 and ICND2 books.
Wendell
Thank you so much! I was confused about how there are two new sets of books available and the link you shared cleared things up. Thanks!!