Dale Holmes
Certified computer engineers are always in demand, and the CCNA certificate is among the most popular. You can take intensive courses to prepare for the exam, but many people opt for the self-taught route, using books and CD-ROMs. New Riders'
CCNA Exam Gear CD-ROM is part of the process. A simple Windows application acts as a window into a database of exam questions, based on the questions used by Microsoft and Cisco. This CD-ROM covers the CCNA 1.0 exam.
The CD-ROM takes three approaches to testing your knowledge, each suitable for a different part of your study. The first approach is the Study Mode, which allows you to skip through a series of questions, which you mark as you go--you get an explanation for the correct answer if you make a mistake. Once you've got an understanding of the material that is being examined, you can try a fixed-form Practice Exam, which chooses a random selection of questions from the Exam Gear database and allows you to work through a timed exam. Since exams now use adaptive questions to test your knowledge, changing their question patterns based on how you've answered previous questions, New Riders also give you the opportunity to learn using a sample Adaptive Exam.
If you're about to start working on getting certified as a CCNA, these CD-ROMs will be a useful addition to your library of tools and texts. They won't help you pass the exams on their own, but will certainly help you as you review and prepare. --Simon Bisson, amazon.co.uk
1 Software out of date
This software is for CCNA 640-407, not 640-507. IT IS OUT OF DATE and should not even be sold any more. I haven't been able to find the ExamCram software for 640-507.
2 TEST Software that works
After using other numerous test-prep software it was nice to see on that was actually done by a real programmer. Although it did have some quirks in the area of presenting questions that were answered correctly/wrong more than once; It was otherwise a fine program. Only wish they would tell you exactly how many questions there are. You are lead to believe 501 but I am sure that it is much more than that.
3 Cisco CCNA exam meet examgear.
Cisco certification is one that I have been studying for, for over ten months and during that time I have reviewed several books and audio tapes. New Riders have given me the first software package that makes the certification process simpler.
The package is a manual install, although I think for the price they should have made it auto install. You have several hundred questions to learn from and the installation and configuration was fast and easy. The user interface is great and no special requirements are need in order to run the package.
After getting the application installed you are ready to choose from one of three modes. First is the study mode allowing you to learn and study the objectives at the same time. Next you have the practice mode where you can try your hand at an exam.
Finally you have the adaptive mode where the exam learns from you and this is one to try after you have become comfortable with the objectives of the exam. Overall a good product, the price may stop a few from buying but the value of the certification should outweigh this.
4 CCNA Examgear Covers the Subject Areas
If you are looking for something that is an exact question for question replica of the CCNA exam then this isn't it. Nor, I think, was it meant to be. Instead, you will find a very broad and detailed coverage of the subject areas that appear on the CCNA exam. The 500+ questions (and answers) in the Examgear make it an excellent study tool as well as allowing you to try your hand with practice tests of any length when you are ready. I had studied for the CCNA prior to using this tool but might well not have passed the exam without the information I learned from the Examgear.
5 Best Test Prep
For content, this is by far the best. If you you look you can probably get it for a price that beats the other test prep products. It's true there are no drag and drop questions, and the interface is not what you will see on the exam, but for me the content is what mattered. I also smoked the CCNA exam thanks to this product.
6 Just the answers
It may not be exactly like the real exam, but it is the best software I have found. Unlike the other s/w available it gives clear answers not references to a book. The different modes, study and exam are a good feature. The option of not asking questions you have answered correctly again and again is another winner.
7 Not like the exam, but still useful
I took the exam yesterday and scored an 878, which is not too shabby. Since the exam is fresh in my mind, I thought I would let everyone know this software is not like the test (and I am glad I used the questions from the Cisco Press CCNA book too). There are very few trick questions in the software. The test has a LOT of tricky questions. Also, the wording in the software's questions is always straight forward and there aren't any drag and drop problems. Not so on the exam!
For the money, go with the CCNA Prep book from Cisco Press. If you have lots of extra money, buy this software too.
