I have been sitting on this for going on two years now. I believe I can pass the CCNA Composite exam, but i'm afraid to fail it. Not because I don't think I know my stuff, but because that's a good chunk of change to lose out on. I mean, it's nearly $300 for the exam and if I fail...I don't get that money back. In this economy, and having a family of 4 to support, that's not just a drop in the bucket for me, that's practically the entire bucket.
So, how did you get over that fear? How many practice exams, simulations, labs, books, and pages of forum posts did you read before you were comfortable enough to take that risk?

honestly I never have... I save to the point that I can stand to loose the money

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Right there with ya, brother. I've been working on the CCNA... since the turn of the frewaking millenia.

REALLY need to buckle down. Unfortunately I have a lot on my plate right now with work and the house....

I have failed a couple. Just go take it.

Maybe once you pass you’re CCNP or CCIE will you be 100% comfortable going into the CCNA.

I hear yah on $300 being a huge chunk of change but do what you need to do to get the money. Save your beer fund for the next couple months and study your ass off.

Don’t focus on the amount of material you are studying but select just a couple sources such as CiscoPress OCG and CBT videos. Drill those into your head over and over. Then lab, lab and lab. Then lab some more.

You can’t be afraid to fail. This is your first test and you don’t fully know what to expect. Get the money, set a date and bang through it.

Best of luck to you dude!

PS. If it makes you feel better I failed my CCNA 3 times before passing on the fourth!

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"Take CCIE first, then go for CCNA".

Funny guy..

Why not split it up into 2 tests, it seems like it would be less financially stressful on you

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+1

Split 'em up. The composite is great if you're, say, recertifying or have a wealth of experience, but the split approach minimises your exposure in case of failure. It also ensures that you get the easier stuff first, and have a chance to see the elephant before you get into the more difficult tasks of the second exam.

One thing about the split-up test is- it's twice as expensive...

IE: $270 per test, instead of $270 each.

That said, I see your point- but for the OP, who's got a new family, etc, I am understanding where he's coming from. It's the fear of failure, AND the expense of the thing.

But yeah- this is the way I'd do it if I was the OP. I have 12 years' experience in IT as a paid professional (I've been a "hacker" <NOT cracker!> for about 20 years though), and this is the way I am going at it.

Did prices go up recently? I paid $125 for my CCENT exam test

can we get the remote system ip-address using their mac address?????

Wrong thread?

I stand corrected. What on earth was I thinking?

Do the two test route. $150 each I believe. It will split the material up making it a bit easier to prepare for and if you do fail one you are only out $150 instead of the full $300.

Do the 2 test route. I was also worried about costs as I was working help desk and not making much after bills etc.

After I got my CCNA I found a new job that will be paying me double what I was getting on help desk (it's actually my last day as I type this), so try looking at the exams as an investment into yourself. Put the money in today, and reap the benefits later on.

thread should be called "get over the fear of spending money"

You have to take risks in order to succeed.

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http://danielhertzberg.wordpress.com - I blog about networks!

Oh snap, burnyd comin' through with the philosophical advice!

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"I will prepare and some day my chance will come." - Abraham Lincoln
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Got into a job 6 months ago that allots $5000 yearly towards certification costs and certification training. Now I can't justify my fear of failing anymore as monetary... I don't want to fail because I'd feel stupid.

That said, I work in Cisco enterprise equipment every day as a WAN data tech. I just need to fill in a few gaps in the LAN side (spanning tree etc) and I should be good to go.

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