CCIE Routing and Switching Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack (CCIE Self-Study)

Rating:
Summary: Great for structured review if you already know the material
Review: I ordered this as soon as it was released back at the end of November. If you're already familiar with the topics in the 2.0 R/S Written blueprint, then this seems to be a really good and easy way to create a "structured review" before actually attempting the 2.0 350-001 exam on or after 1/19/2005. While there are some minor errors (typos and the like), I would not hesitate to recommend this book to someone who is preparing for the 2.0 written. The book comes with a CD containing a PDF of the "quick reference sheets", which are highly-condensed summaries of the key topics on the exam. Also on the CD is an OEM Boson exam that you do have to "activate" that contains 650 questions and answers. The OEM Boson exams are pretty decent for the most part, but I have found some screw-ups with answers that were clearly wrong, etc. Unlike the regular Boson exams, these do not provide a complete explanation as to why an answer is right or wrong. The questions printed in the book are different from -- yet complementary to -- the ones printed in the book before each quick reference section. The printed questions in the book DO provide a more detailed explanation as to why an answer is correct or not.

Oh yeah, I'm still trying to figure this one out: The pages are perforated in case you go batty, and decide you want to shred the book you just spent your $69.95 hard-earned cash on. I would suggest buying it here on Amazon.com with the free shipping deal if it's still available to save a heap off the inflated cover-price.

My strategy has been to answer (honestly) all of the practice questions in the book prior to reading through the quick reference section. Then after careful review of protocol topics in each quick reference section, I've gone back through the previous questions again, then re-read the quick reference section a second time. I've been through the book twice, and now I'm concentrating on the OEM Boson exam...

I'm stuck in the same position as many of us who have expired 1.0 written, and a couple of lab attempts under our belts... I feel like I'm ready right now for the 2.0 written, but I have to wait until at least 1/19 to take it. I wish Cisco would have delivered on their prior roll-out date of "before the end of the calendar year" for the go-live date of this exam... C'est la vie!

Lord knows if this book will have been an essential aid in my passing this exam on 1/20/2005, so I will re-visit this review sometime after that to let you know...

Rating:
Summary: Great Way to Review the Material
Review: If flash cards are your best way of learning something, here's clearly what you've been looking for. Of course you also have to be interested in the Cisco routing/switching philosophy. Specifically this set of 500+ flash cards is oriented around exam 350-001.

This book is made up of flash cards, yes, the kind you used to make in high school. If, of course, you are more computer minded, you might want to use the CD ROM instead. It has all of the flash cards along with the ability to shuffle the cards and to take a practice examination on your own PC. This is not a common form of book, but like I said earlier, if flash cards are your thing, this is the book for you.