Richard Deal
1 Enough to "pass" the 640-604 exam!
I just passed the 640-604 exam with a score of 815 on the
first try. The only book I used was this along with practice
tests. Since this book is geared toward the 640-504 test,
I was somewhat worried at first, but fortunately a lot of
the information applied. Granted, there were a few questions
that I felt weren't covered, but if you're only looking to
"pass"(as opposed to "ace") the 640-604, you *might* be able to
get away with this book alone. However, once the new 642-811
test comes along, I imagine you'll need a more up to date book.
Nevertheless, this book deserves no less than 5 stars
due to its comprehensiveness, readability and good
layout. I look forward to using more of Richard Deal's
study guides.
2 This exam prep is best i've used in awhile
Passed this morning wiht a 971. Tried reading through the sybex guide, the bcmsn book and the cisco press guide but most were just too long winded. The exam cram guide gets to the point of what you need to know. This book is not about learning to config catalysts but strictly passing the exam. Of the 79 questions i had on the exam, i can't recall one that wasn't covered in detail in the book. Pick it up on Saturday and you'll be one step closer to your CCNP/DP on Monday.
3 TMI?
I only used this book and previous experience and passed with a 926. The book is FULL of errors and mistakes, and I often thought there was Too Much Information; kinda like "ok, get to the point". You'll notice this book is thicker than others. However, TMI can sometimes be a good thing. Although I was not so sure about the book while I was reading it, I give it 4 stars because it did it's job well.
4 A Real Gem
I bought this book together with the one on Routing (640-503). While the book on Routing was merely average, this one rocks. The price was cheaper in comparison to other books on certification material, but the bonus was in the number of pages, the lucid explanations and the in-depth material.
The three authors left no stone unturned in presenting the material--I guess that as one of the authors is a long time Cisco insturctor--the presentation truly sparkles.
Interspersed with appropriate diagrams, I really loved the way the material is so easily digestible. This is all you need to pass the exam. Save your money and concentrate your studying efforts using only this book.
5 Outstanding
This is an outstanding book. It is well written with minimal typos. It reads well, quickly and easily and explains everything in good detail.
Everything on the test is in this book. A must have if you are doing 640-505. My score 960, if you know this book you cannot help but do well too.
Also, see Ricahrd Deal's other book Remote Access Exam Prep for the 640-505 test. I feel the Switching book is a better one but Remote Access is also excellent.
6 A Solid Review Text
Richard Deal does a nice job covering the material required for the Switching exam (640-504). I would, however, recommend that you use at least one other source for your exam preparation, even if you have extensive experience with Cisco switching products. I used the Exam Cram along with the BCMSN (Cisco Press) book by Karen Webb and scored well on the exam.
7 Great Review Guide
I just took the switching test and passed. I would not count on this book as a sole reference guide, but as a companion to whichever study guide you use. I used the Cisco Press BCMSN book as well as the Cisco material from the class and read those cover to cover. My last weekend of preperation consisted of reading the exam cram cover to cover. Some of the questions from the test came directly out of the book. You really need to know VTP, Trunking and Spanning Tree inside and out. The cram sheet on the first page was an excelent resource for that last minute review before sitting down to take the test. *** Note, you must do your homework before going out and taking any of the Cisco tests ***
8 Good enough to pass
I am currently using this book and the Sybex Switching book in preparation for the test. This book explains most concepts better than the Sybex book, using diagrams to visually explain the concepts. It gets to the point quicker (eg The tables summarize the material more effectively). It is easier to read because the material is broken down into shorter chapters. However, watch out for errors! For example, be wary of Ch 18, Multicasting, because it is riddled with serious blunders that led me to wonder if the author really understood multicasting. Also, don't let the end-of-chapter questions lull you into thinking you're prepared. I recommend supplementing this book (and the Sybex book) with Boson Tests.
9 901/1000, never touched a switch
I have never configured a switch and I read only Richard Deal's Exam Cram book before getting a 901/100 (you need a 699) on the switching exam (640-504). This book will get you where you're going.
10 Excellent cram
To the point. Covered subject well. Exam I had consisted of vlan, VTP, spantree, mls and multicast. No hsrp questions and a few general design questions.
11 Not recommended
A well-written book, but loaded with errors... too many to count.
12 The Most Accurate Exam Cram I've Read
This is a pretty good book and covers the topics well. I've read a few other books from this series and have always found errors. Certification books seems to always have a number of errors and this one has a few too; but nowhere near as many.
13 What else can I say???
Goodness gracious, is there anyone else out there who can pack so much information in so few pages about the essence of Cisco switching than this guy can?!? This man is simply awesome!! If you could not pass the exam with a perfect or near-perfect score, then you didn't read all the pages (or you simply forgot) - because this is ALL YOU NEED, period. Thanks, Richard!
14 With this book only you will ace this test!
I was just amazed by how much information that Richard fit in this book. Not only does he cover everything that you will see on the test but he does it in such a manor that it is so easy to understand. I am an instructor for both CCNA and CCDA courses and I wish I could teach like this book teaches you switching. The one bad thing I do have to say about this book is that don't use it as a resource because some of the commands in here are not correct. This book is all you need to not only pass the test but ace it. If you want a great book to use for a resource after you pass this test then buy CCIE Professional Development: Cisco LAN Switching (The Cisco Press CCIE Professional Development Series)
15 Maybe the only book you will need...
...for the new cisco Switching exam. I have read BOTH the cisco press and sybex study guides and would have to say that this book eclipses the both of them. Having said that though, using this book with the cisco press book (and the Bosons) would just about guarantee you success....(be sure to get at least some hands-on switch experience - at least for the commands and their output).
All in all - this book is truly fantastic. Buy it!
16 CCNP: Switching Exam Cram
After taking the BCMSN class, the instructor recommended this book for preparing for the test. He said that everything you need to know is in the BCMSN class materials, but highly recommended the book because of its concise review of the material and the question/answers supplied. Another great thing about this book is its inexpensive price. So I bought the book and wasn't disappointed. The tear-out sheet in the front of the book was my favorite part--it greatly helped me the 30 minutes before my test. Also, I really liked the format of the exam questions in the book--each choice was explained why it was correct or incorrect. I got a 978 on the test, so I have no complaints whatsoever with this book.
17 Probably sufficient
From hindsight, this book, despite very focus - might not necessary bring you examination success. I think it would be best if you refer to Kennedy Clarke's Cisco Lan swithcing for all topics covered in this Exam Cram- things like VTP, STP, Trunking, MLS etc. Suffice to say that I could not do it without Deal's book, I also could not do it without Clarke's book.
18 Good enough to pass
This is the only book I read on switching and I scored 956 out of 1000 on the 640-504. I was, however, fortunate enough to have the equipment to test all of the commands in this book, which helped me remember them. If you don't have the equipment to familiarize yourself with the commands, you'd better come up with a very good memorizing mechanism. I only saw 2-3 questions on the exam not covered in this book. Another 2-3 questions went a little deeper than what the book covered, but this book gives you enough info to make a very good educated guess at the least.
19 Very focus exam cram, you will burstthrough the real exam
Perhaps the most important contribution this book has to exam preparation is (A) the Exam Alert (B) the end of chapter questions. I have been using Kennedy Clarke's Cisco Lan Switching to perpare for switching exam - but when I test myself against the question in this book I failed miserably - probably not getting more than 50% of correct answers. Worst still, on those topic that I am fairly confident like STP, L3 switiching, I run into so many tricks and trap that in the real exam I could have already given out there an then. The author appears to successfully create the kind of blur, unspeakable, tricky, trappy, questions that you normally would encounter in certificaiton exam - the kind of question that sometime you don't know what they are trying to ask you - let alone answer it. Otherwise, the book is a real exam cram - every topic is trimmed to the max - this book is 98% re-written from author previous book on CLSC 1.0 exam - shorter, sharper -- and people with no switching backgroup will not be able to understand it well. No worries, you have Kennedy Clarke's book. ATM is completely thrown out of the book, FDDI is mentioned only on 2 pages, but VLAN routing/L3 switching get 4 chapters and multicast get 3 chapters. ALthough I have yet to sit for switching exam - I believe I will not fail with this book.
20 Excellent coverage of the exam objectives.
One of the leaders in certifications is Coriolis and the Exam Prep series of books. Also Coriolis stands out with the Exam Cram Series as a quick down and dirty review of major points and this Switching Exam Cram is the perfect example/
Covering each exam objective is what makes Coriolis stand out ahead of the others. This book is 450 pages of switching and while you'll need the Exam prep book to fill the details this is an excellent reference manual to have.
The book has a Cram Sheet right in the front of the book and review questions at the end of each chapter. The book covers topics like switching products, design and connectivity. You also learn about the CLI with switches, configuration, VLAN and spanning tree.
Finish up with Multilayer switching, security and multicasting. There is also a sample test included and a handy decimal to hexadecimal conversion chart. Once again Coriolis is in the forefront of the certification pack.
21 Worked for me...
I passed with a 945 using only this book. Even though the pages are small and the length of actually text a somewhat short ~400 pages, it has alot of good content. I know- "it's an exam cram" - but it is as good as many full length texts. Very consise and understandable.
22 Excellent Resource!!!
This book, along with the Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks by Karen Webb, allowed me to pass the CCNP Switching Exam on the first try. However, there are some grammatical and minor technical errors, but the reader can easily grasp what the author is explaining.
23 Excellent Study Source
I passed the test on my first try using only this book.
2 hours spent studying each chapter, followed by a ten hour review the day before. Per book's instructions, I spent the hour before the test reading and re-reading the cram sheet.
Good job Deal!
24 A Must for 640-504
I picked up the book the day before my test, and literally crammed for about six hours to prep myself for the test. The section on MLS was especially helpful, as this was a new section on the test versus the old switching test. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is prepping for the 640-504 test.
25 Above Average
A fairly decent technical book, well written with good examples. A few minor typos and inconsistencies, but better than average (the overall QA of tech books today is terrible). The fact that it only lists for $30 makes it a pretty good deal as well.
26 Excelent for the exam
This book in conjunction with the Courseware is the only thing I use to pass this test first take with 898 (needed 699). After reading the BCMSN Coursware, I sat down and used this book to focus on the material needed to pass the exam. It also helps to have real world switching experience.
27 Could not be any better..
This is the only book I used to study for the Switching exam, and it did an excellent job of getting me ready for the exam. However the exam is not at all like the questions in the back of the book, I still probably could not answer any of the questions in the back of the book, but after studying hard for a week I past the switching test with about 100 points to spare.
28 If you want to pass the test....get this book
I used this book to study for the switching test. This was a great companion to the actual coure material. Everything on the test was in this book. Highly recommend that you get it to supliment your hands on experience and other studies.
29 Excellent
I have passed switching 2.0 Last night. It is very helpful.
30 Excellent "exam cram"
This is an excellent study material for preparation toward CCNP 2.0. I used it together with Cisco Press book and it's everything you need to pass the exam. Also, for those interested in having a good knowledge of the so complex Cisco LAN world grab it fast! In 2 days you'll be a "MultilayerSwitched Campus Expert" over a "Collapsed GEC Backbone"!
