How long do you guys give yourselves once you know you're ready for an exam before scheduling a sitting for the test? 1 week, 2 weeks? I was on Pearson's about ready to schedule the ICND1 test for November 28th and my hands got sweaty, looked at December 4th and thought "why do I need that much time if I know I'm ready?" I couldn't decide if I should take an extra week to review or just get it over with so I bailed. What are your guy's test scheduling habits?

ASAP

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usually the next available Saturday morning, so I don't have to take time off work.
Saturdays are usually 2 - 3 weeks out for me at my local test center.

I was looking at Dec 6th myself

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once I think I am ready I schedule it for the next day at the earliest time slot available

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Usually 1 week, although I have scheduled some the day before like dlots...the feeling of knowing that the next day will be THAT DAY is pretty amazing. And it doesn't matter if the test site for the next available test is 40 miles away, I'll drive it....because the feeling of driving that distance and passing the test is pretty cool too.

I actually read through the material quickly first and gauge how long it's going to take me. If I think 3 months, I book it for 3 months away. This gives me a date to work towards. I never change that date once booked

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Do you use that as a method to motivate/force you to finish on time or it's just your style?

Are you doing the CCENT or CCNA exam Scott?

There's a good book around, called 31 days before your CCNA exam and there's an ICND1 version too.
It outlines a lot of the revision topics and gives you a decent plan to go through.

If 31 days it too many, you could just double up on the revision and do 2 chapters daily.

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Just the way I've always done it. I've got a bad habit of procrastinating if I have no deadlines.

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CCENT

I considered just gunning for the CCNA, but because of the uniqueness of the situation I decided to go with the dual tests. My wife yelled at me tonight about not doing anything but reading and "playing" on my equipment.. Kinda pissed me off, makes me want to do the CCNP right after getting the CCNA.

She just doesn't like the fact your attention is divided. I say stab her.

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This will make her appricate that your not focusing all your attention on her

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Unless Scott is in the CCNA Discovery curriculum, is this book even worth it? I guess it could provide an outline but wouldn't the exam blueprint help out on that? Just curious...

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It's a helpful reference in terms of providing a structured outlay for revision, but not to the point where I'd pay for it (if you catch my drift).

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I email someone on the training team and ask them to find out about dates about a month out from when I think I'm ready. Of course, I have a certification test for IPS in just over a week and I don't think I stand a snowball's chance in hell.
Good thing I've got an IPS bootcamp booked next week.
Thanks work!

I totally get where your coming from with a wife and 2 kids myself. I get up, work from 8 to around 8ish, not including dialing in from home when there's problems with the network/servers/whatever and am on call 1-2 weeks out of the month(OMG You're always on call/working! It's not like you're a doctor!! ). After all that, trying to study when I get home until around midnight does not bode well...at all.

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Yeah this is a pretty tricky situation. I have struggled with it since i started my IT career. Id prefer to spend every night studying and working on my certs but I also know that i must focus time on my family.

My wife and i have worked out a schedule were i study MWF nights and one weekend day and the rest of the the time is for family. yeah you dont get through each test as fast but keep in mind what is most important in the long run, having certs or a family

as for scheduling a test...

I usually do it a few weeks out. I hit a point when I have reviewed all the material and feel very comfortable with each section. the last two weeks are for fine tuning everything.

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I'm in the same boat as you all, the only difference is I get the yelling from the girlfriend. So I guess it's going to get worse ...greeeat! I always hear it on the weekends "the gear is more important, the books are better than me, we never go out because you're in that lab of yours blah blah..." And the times I do end up going out, I start to think how this time could of been spent studying and labbing.

The journey to certifications has many obstacles, some of which aren't even from Cisco! Battle through gentleman!

As for the original topic, I definitely recommend scheduling the exam early during your studies. Why? Procrastination kills! Remember back in college we didn't have the option to push back an exam or reschedule it(unless you were a good bullshitter and had it good with your professor). So with that, we had a date that we had to meet and study for accordingly. Treat your certification exam the same way.

I feel sorry for you lot, talk about a ball and chain.

My girlfriend encourages me to study; she's even interested in what I do. So much so she actually started her own CCENT studies earlier this week while she's on break from uni now her exams are done.

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Study, study, study...
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At proper time, try some dumps!
Then succeed belongs to you!!