Certification Magazine - September 2007 - (Page 25) In addition, a CCENT certification presents clear evidence of a commitment to professional development, and it gives candidates access to the worldwide community of certified professionals. Changes to CCNA Along with the introduction of the CCENT certification, Cisco also has made significant enhancements to the CCNA curriculum, expanding it to include a wider range of networking topics, as well as a tighter focus on performance-based skills. The CCNA curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills to configure, operate and verify midsized routed and switched networks. Enhancements include broader coverage of security and an introduction to wireless terminology and concepts. Learning Path Certification is the practical link between skills acquisition and a successful career in technical networking. The CCENT learning path consists of the first half of the requirements for CCNA: • Required Exam: ICND1 640-822 • Recommended Course: Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, Part 1 The recommended course provides foundational networking knowledge and hands-on lab exercises. It prepares students to install a small network — including at least one router, switch and wireless area network (WAN) connection — and to implement basic security measures. The curriculum also introduces basic wireless local area network (LAN) concepts and terminology. An individual certified as a CCENT would qualify for jobs such as help desk representative and assistant network technician who could, for instance, install and maintain PCs, servers, racks and cabling. A CCENT candidate who wishes to acquire further skills can proceed to CCNA certification, which focuses on a comprehensive understanding of networking fundamentals. The CCNA is also a prerequisite to earning higher-level Cisco career certifications and specializations. Part 2 of the recommended course curriculum extends the participant’s skills to include configuration of midsized networks, advanced protocols and troubleshooting. The complete CCNA learning path is as follows: Required Exams • ICND1 640-822 and ICND2 640-816 or • CCNA 640-802 composite exam Recommended Courses • Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, Part 1 (five days) • Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, Part 2 (five days) There is a significant shortfall between the supply of qualified professionals and the demand for networking skills. In some regions of the world, demand exceeds supply by up to 40 percent. The second course, ICND Part 2, extends topics introduced in Part 1 to teach students the tasks involved in implementing a midsized enterprise branch network with multiple routers, switches and WAN connections. Knowledge and skills are developed through hands-on practice and labs. To assist candidates in their preparation for the CCENT and CCNA certifications, Cisco’s CCNA Prep Center is available to any candidate with a Cisco.com login. The center offers a variety of resources to accelerate learning for candidates, including practice questions, labs, simulations, advice, learning games, success stories and online discussion forums. INSIDE CERTIFICATION continued on page 38 September 2007 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE 25 http://Cisco.com
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