In my workplace (I work in an ISP provider in Europe) we always encourage junior network engineers to follow a Cisco certification path, either through the Routing and Switching path or other important technology paths such as network security and VoIP. I have been in this industry for more than a decade and I firmly believe that in order to succeed in the networking professional career one must earn relevant professional certifications.

Cisco is one of the leader companies offering professional certifications, which are highly recognized in the industry as excellent qualifications for an employee. Earning a Cisco certification means that you have a good grasp of the technology and most importantly you are competent to design and implement Cisco solutions and products. The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNA) certification is the entry level qualification and is very popular among junior engineers. To pass CCNA you need a high quality training and dedication towards your goal.

There are several training options available for CCNA preparation, such as self-study via books, instructor based training (boot camp style), video training, simulation exams etc. From my own experience when studying for my Cisco exams, and also from discussions with other certified colleagues, one of the best ways to study for CCNA is using a CCNA Video Training package. Especially when you combine a video training package with exam practice questions, you will have a complete preparation method for passing your exam. A video training package includes DVD quality videos with a real instructor teaching the course and guiding you through the exam objectives to help you pass.

The two best companies offering CCNA Video Training packages are Trainsignal and CBT Nuggets. Both training companies offer top-quality material and are very popular among technology professionals since they offer a wide range of vendor trainings (Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, VMWare etc). Especially for CCNA certification, the video training product from these two companies is an excellent choice. The two instructors (Chris Bryant for Trainsignal training and Jeremy Cioara for CBT Nuggets training) are highly experienced teachers who will help you tremendously to learn the CCNA material. Go ahead and check out those two training options and I’m sure you will not get disappointed. I have prepared also a comparison table between Trainsignal Vs CBT Nuggets for getting a better idea of the two training packages for CCNA.

If you’re wondering what the best way to study for you CCNA certification is, then this article will give you the best possible ways in which to map out the learning materials. In order to give yourself the best chances of successfully passing the CCNA certification program, then setting up a proper study routine is paramount in your planning.

You’ll not only need to have the right study materials, but also the right mind set in order to complete the certification. When you start with a plan, and then add consistent daily effort to that plan, well then your path will be that much easier. As you’ll realize, time is precious and goes by at light speed, so use yours wisely.

First off you need to set aside specific times each day for your studies. If you have a family, or another full time job, then your time is that much more valuable, and you have to use it accordingly. When planning your study schedule you need to set aside two or three hour continuous segments each day.

It’s always a good idea to keep cue cards with your study notes on them for easy reference anytime you have a spare ten or fifteen minutes. But this is not going to be enough study time to if you want to pass your CCNA certification. You need to have large enough uninterrupted time to really focus and concentrate, especially when doing the lab work that is required.

After you sort out your plan of action, time management, mind set etc as described above, the next step is to use the proper study resources and training material that will help you to pass CCNA. The book resources from Cisco Press are a good starting point for learning the theory required in the CCNA exam. However, book resources alone would not be enough for most people, especially for those who don’t have the required practical experience with Cisco networking equipment. In addition to reading the books, I would suggest also to use a CCNA Video Training resource to get visual examples and “instructor-like” training on a self-paced mode which will help you tremendously.

People pursuing the CCNA certification have many options for preparing for their exam. They can follow the completely self-study path by reading ccna books and solving practice questions or they can attend an instructor-based classroom training. There is an option somewhere in between also (which in my opinion is the best option). This is a CCNA Video Training. With this option you still have the self-study element available, but you also have the benefits of an instructor-based training. Basically you get a video training package which walks you through step-by-step with visual examples, configuration explanations etc in order to learn and assimilate the material better.
 
The two biggest players in the certification industry which focus on video trainings are Train signal and CBT Nuggets. In this post I will list and describe the features of the CCNA Video Training packages offered by both companies for having a quick view if you want to make a decision which package better fits your needs. I hope people looking to choose between Train Signal Vs CBT Nuggets will find the following comparison helpful. Just keep in mind that both companies are excellent on what they are doing so whatever your choice is you will get top-notch training quality from both. However, in my opinion you will get a better value for money if you go with Trainsignal since they offer free practice questions and exams from Transcender and also they offer the training material in different multimedia format (iPod Video, MP3 Audio) together with PDF instructor notes.

The CCNA Training Packages described below will help you for both ccna exam options (either the combined CCNA 640-802 exam or the two-exam option with 640-822 plus 640-816).

Check out the training companies by yourself:

TrainSignal

CBT Nuggets

Junior networking engineers often seek to earn a Cisco professional certification (CCNA, CCNP, CCSP etc) in order to prove their knowledge and get a better status in their career. I believe this is a wise move for network professionals since the journey you go through for obtaining your certification will teach you all necessary theory and background that is essential to have when working in the demanding and exciting field of networks.

Your study efforts for earning any Cisco Certification should include three elements:

1. Learning the theory behind the specific certification technology.
2. Getting practical hands on training for Cisco devices configuration.
3. Solving many practice questions related to the specific certification.

If you include the three elements above in your study efforts then you will have no problems in passing any Cisco exam. Parts 1 and 3 (i.e learning the theory and solving practice questions) can be carried out using books and other training resources. Part 2 can be obtained with practical experience at your workplace, with buying Cisco equipment for practicing (expensive option) or with software simulators. If you want to get all three study elements in a complete package then you will either need to enroll in a class-based instructor-led training (very expensive) or buy an inexpensive Cisco Online Training package (there are excellent Cisco Online Training packages for around $60-$70). These cisco online training packages are interactive courses which will teach you the theory for the specific certification, simulations will show you how to do things, question and answer sessions help you remember what you learned etc. Plus you study on your own pace, starting and stopping the online course anytime you want. I think for a measly $60-$70 for a complete cisco training course it’s an excellent price.