Everyone's familiar with the pyramids of Egypt. These wonderful things have stood for thousands of years, withstanding extreme heat and other obstacles that would bring down an ordinary structure.

When we look at these pyramids, we look toward the peak. We tend to do the same with the Cisco Learning Pyramid. If you're not familiar with this, Cisco uses a pyramid to illustrate how the CCIE is at the peak of the Cisco certification structure, with the CCNP in the middle and the CCNA at the bottom.

My suggetion to become CCIE Master is that, "Become a master CCNA and a master CCNP first". That answer is often followed by a puzzled look, as though I've mentioned some new kind of Cisco certification but not at all. The reason the pyramids of Egypt are so strong, and the reason they have lasted for thousands of years, is that their foundations are so strong. It's not the well-built peak that allows such a building to last it's the foundation.

The same can be said for your Cisco certification studies. As a CCNA candidate, you may not even be thinking about the CCIE yet.You may be looking ahead toward the CCNP. You must recognize, though, that the skills you will learn in your CCNP and CCIE studies are built upon the studies you do for your CCNA.

In all aspects, Your CCNA studies are the most important studies of your career. Let Me clear once agian, Your CCNA studies are the most important studies of your career. Look at some of the topics you'll have to master for your CCNP and CCIE, such as OSPF and using binary math. You cannot understand how the many types of OSPF networks work unless you understand how OSPF works in the first place. And how can you possibly use wildcard masks, access control lists, and the many other applications of binary math you'll encounter in your CCNP and CCIE studies if you don't get that fundamental understanding of binary at the CCNA level?

I know we work in a field where our customers tend to want things done yesterday. I know that it's hard not to be in a hurry when you're studying for your CCNA - I've been there! Keep in mind, though, that when you're studying for your CCNA, you're not just studying for a certification exam - you're building the foundation for the rest of your Cisco certifications and the rest of your career.

CCNA is the most respected Associate level Certification in the world today.Getting a CCNA will definitely help you to get a better job or at least get your foot into Professional Networking Field. When you meet a person that has CCNA degree you will notice that he or she knows something about Networking.This article will explain and give you some tips on how to successfully complete CCNA.

1. Mentally Get Ready: First thing you have to do is mentally prepare your self. What I mean by that is that you have to seriously think about on why are you ready to go for CCNA and why do you want to be CCNA Proffessional. You have to decide and believe that you will get CCNA within next 3-6 months or so.Try to budget your study time well. If you a very social person you will have to give up some of your social time for the next couple of months. Your friends and family will understand.

2. Choose the Right Study Material: Second thing you need to do is to get proper study material. There is lot of confusion around this and some people go overboard with study guides, books, and etc. I believe that two Cisco Press books INTR and ICND by Wendell Odom are enough as far as the books go. They are really well written and easy to follow. So Sign up at http://www.ciscopress.com and get those two books. Make sure you got the latest version.You will also want to get some kind of a simulator that will let you practice commands and that will also build up your confidence.You can buy real equipment but that could get expensive. I highly recommend that you become member of Cisco Certification forum.Forum is huge and you will get lot of helpful answers, tips and advices pretty quick.

3. Read books one more time to refresh.This is optional, but I highly recommend reading the both books one more time. If you read both books in a three week that will give you one more week before the test to cram which is subject of the next step.So by now you should’ve read both books three times over. I also suggest re-reading questions and answers from both books one more time.

4. BE Cool: This is the last part of your study and there is no turning back. Deadline is hanging around your neck like a noose. You should cram Q&A for no more then 10 days before you take the test.At this point it is really important that you get fresh and different questions then those included with your CD’s. Some people claims that brain dumps or Q&A are bad and evil. At this point you already firmly grasped the whole CCNA concept and Q&A will only help you. So get some Q&A exam question and cram, cram and cram them for a week. Don’t use books or CD’s anymore. There is no looking back. No worries, material from the books will return to you at the right time.-Don’t do any studying a night or a day before the test. Go out with your wife or significant other to a dinner and a movie. Relax. It is very important to relax and get a good night sleep since one of those testing boots could really be intimidating. If you did all the steps above and read books with intention to understand the topics and how stuff works and not just to pass the test you should be more then ready by now.

Conclusion
We came to an end of this short tutorial tips. I hope this article give you at least some ideas on how to approach studying for CCNA.If you fail CCNA first time, don’t get discouraged. You will have more knowledge and confidence when you attempt it the next time then the person who passed it on the first try. Whatever approach you take I wish you good luck and prosper career.

The CCNA certification (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is a certification that indicates a foundation in and learner knowledge of networking. CCNA certified professionals can install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and dial access services for small networks the use of protocols such as IP, IGRP, serial, frame relay, IP RIP, VLANs, RIP, Ethernet, and access lists. There are no requirement that are required for a CCNA certification. There are two options available for CCNA certification: 640-801 CCNA or 640-821 INTRO combined with 640-811 ICND. The 640-801 single exam option is the most popular route for earning the CCNA certification; however, a two-exam option has been present by Cisco since 2003.

There are several free CCNA study guides available on the market. Most of these sites provide free tutorials and study notes. While some sites provide free practice exams for CCNA, others include a section on tips for studying articles and tips and suggestions on how to get the maximum out of the studying time. Also, people residing in the U.S. or Canada can also get a completely free subscription to many computer magazines that can help them further in preparing for these exams.

Generally, each course includes a pre-assessment, course map, and post-assessment module. The course covers topics such as sub-netting, layered communication models (OSI, TCP/IP & Cisco), IP addressing, and hex and binary. Some free study centers not only include free study guides for CCNA but also provide interactive networking tools such as a sub-netting calculator and real IP address catcher for better understanding of networking concepts.

These free study guides are proven to be a good stepping stone towards preparation for the CCNA exams; it should be the first step of CCNA hopeful towards the certification