What is the best way to tackle the descriptive questions on the CCNA 640-801 exam?

I took the CCNA 640-801 exam last week and was not able to complete the exam within the specified time. I was short of 8 questions and got 790 marks. The difficulty I face is in descriptive questions, especially ACL and network troubleshooting. What is the best way to attempt these questions?

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You can (and probably should) take two different approaches to this matter.

One is to contact the testing center and let them know that you have issues with reading and comprehension (I'm guessing that perhaps English is a second language for you?). If you can make the case that this slows your reading speed significantly, most test centers are willing to contact the vendor and arrange a little extra time for you to complete the exam. This can take a while to work out, but special accommodations are almost always possible given sufficient advance notice and patience while waiting for an official response.

As far as the topics you mention specifically, I'd recommend one of more of the following resources:

  • Todd Lammle's CCNA study guide materials and his practice tests do a great job of covering these topics in depth, and if you can afford to take one of his classes, he's regarded as one of the best Cisco trainers around.

  • Wendell Odom's CCNA Certification Library from Cisco Press is also highly regarded, and includes lots of sample questions, along with companion practice tests to help you try out what you learn.

  • Andy Barkl also did a great review/overview of the exam for TCPMag.com that you'll probably want to check out here.

    By getting more time on the one hand and doing some more studying on the other, you should be able to pass on your next try. Good luck!

    • This was first published in April 2006

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