CCNA Books – How To Choose the Right Exam Preparation Book (Part 2)
by Francis Teo on July 20, 2009
in ccna books
Note: This is a continuation from the first post on CCNA books in this series. Please read that first if you have not done so yet.
CCNA Preparation Library (7th Edition) (Self-Study Guide) – Cisco Press
This is the CCNA Preparation Library from Cisco Press, one of the official Cisco study guides. This includes 2 books, 1 for ICND1 and ICND2. The books are from the Cisco Press “self-study” series of books, which mean that they are comprehensive and do not usually assume any prior knowledge. These are not to be confused with the “exam certification” series of books which are also very complete, however based on my experience they are more suited for review and re-certification purposes. The books are from Cisco Press, which mean that they are official authorized study material from Cisco, and you can be sure that they will not deviate from the official CCNA objectives. They also teach the same material as the Sybex book, but in a different way.
Please note that this book does not come with any accompanying PDF or test engine.
Features
- Official exam study material from Cisco
- Comprehensive exam coverage
- Hardcover books
- Comes with free 45 day access to Safari Books (online book reference library)
Get CCNA Preparation Library (7th Edition) (Self-Study Guide)
Which to Get?
So, which book should you get for your CCNA studies? In short, if you can, buy both of them. The Sybex and Cisco Press books teach the material in a different manner. Since everybody learns in a different way, it would be wise to get both. The Lammle book, as you know comes highly recommended. One note for consideration is past the CCNA exam (into the CCNP and CCIE exams), there are few books written specifically for the certification that are not published by Cisco Press. So if you are intending to go further, why not start learning the Cisco style now?
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P.S. I created a handy chart comparing the various CCNA books. Click on the link to compare and buy now.
Francis (@savvynetcert – Twitter)
CCNA Books – How To Choose the Right Exam Preparation CCNA Book
by Francis Teo on July 19, 2009
in ccna books
There are basically 2 broad categories of CCNA Books, those used for a quick review before the exam, and those designed for the relatively new person to the computer networking field of study. In this post, I’ll be reviewing the 2nd kind (more comprehensive CCNA Exam Preparation books). These very complete guides will provide an in-depth look at every one of the CCNA objectives. They usually go into far more detail than is required for passing the exam. However, this will build a strong foundation for future Cisco studies as well as allow you to be more effective in the job of the CCNA networks engineer. There are basically 2 excellent exam preparation guides that I recommend strongly here.
CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide: Exam 640-802 (Paperback) – Todd Lammle (Sybex)
This CCNA book by Todd Lammle is one of the most well known CCNA books today. You might have heard this CCNA book being referred to as the Sybex CCNA book. Todd Lammle is a well known author and this book is already in its 6th edition. I’ve used this CCNA guide in the past to get my CCNA certification and the CCNA material and objectives are brought forward in a easy-to-understand manner. In addition, the book comes in a softcover edition and thus is relatively cheaper than the equivalent Cisco Press book (which I will review below). In addition, this comes with 4 practice exams, electronic flashcards and a PDF version of this CCNA book. I always prefer to get books with an accompanying PDF version as this allows me to study for the exam during the long commute to and from work.
Features:
- Easy to understand
- Cheaper (soft cover book)
- Comes with PDF of the book
- Comes with practice exams
- Comes with electronic flash cards
Get CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide: Exam 640-802
This article is continued in the next post. Please subscribe to my RSS feed to ensure you get the latest updates. You can also follow my twitter stream to get notified when I have a new post.
Cheers,
Francis (@savvynetcert – Twitter)
P.S. I created a handy chart to compare the various CCNA books. Click on the link to compare and buy now.
[Updated 24 Jul 2009 : Link to 2nd part of post]
