CBT IT Certification Training

Unlimited IT Certification Courses via Streaming Video

Login to this site requires ssl communication.
Click here to reload the page over ssl.

  • Lost your password?

  • Back to login
Loading
Login to this site requires ssl communication.
Click here to reload the page over ssl.

  • Lost your password?

  • Back to login
Loading
  • Home
  • Courses
        • Amazon
          • Solutions Architect
          • SysOps Associate
        • CompTIA
          • A+
          • Cloud Essentials
          • Linux+
          • Network+
          • PenTest+
          • Project+
          • Security+
          • Storage+
        • Juniper
          • JNCIA-Junos
          • JNCIA-SEC
          • JNCIS-ENT
          • JNCIS-SEC
        • TCP-IP
          • IP Subnetting
          • IPv6 Network Associate
          • IPv6 Network Professional
          • IPv6 Network Expert
        • Career
          • How to Break into IT
          • IT Freelancing/Contracting
          • Ace Your IT Exams
        • DevOps
          • DevOps Foundations
          • Docker Basics
        • Linux
          • CompTIA Linux+
          • Linux LPI Essentials
          • Linux LPIC1 Exam 101
          • Linux LPIC1 Exam 102
        • VMware
          • VCA Data Center
        • Wireless
          • CWNA
        • Cisco
          • CCNA Primer
          • CCNA Exam Coaching
          • CCNA
          • CCNP ENARSI
          • CCNP ENCOR Primer
          • CCNP ENCOR
          • CyberOps Associate
          • DevNet Associate
        • Google
          • Cloud Architect
        • Microsoft
          • MTA Database
          • MTA Python
          • MTA Windows 10
          • MTA Server
          • MTA Security
          • Azure Fundamentals
          • Azure Administrator
          • Azure Developer
        • Wireshark
          • WCNA
        • Cloud Computing
          • Amazon AWS Associate
          • AWS Sysops Associate
          • CompTIA Cloud Essentials
          • Google Cloud Architect
          • Azure Fundamentals
          • Azure Administrator
        • ITIL
          • ITIL Foundations
        • Security
          • Cisco CyberOps Associate
          • CompTIA Security+
          • Certified Ethical Hacker
          • Juniper JNCIA-SEC
          • Juniper JNCIS-SEC
          • Microsoft MTA Security
        • Web Development
          • PhP Fundamentals
          • CSS Fundamentals
          • HTML Fundamentals
          • MySQL Fundamentals
          • JavaScript Fundamentals
          • Learn Python From Scratch
  • Racks
    • vRack
    • Live Cisco Racks
  • Tour
  • Join
  • Join
  • Free Training
  • Meet the Trainers
  • Help
    • Helpdesk
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy
  • Products
    • Books
    • Audiobooks
    • My Products
  • Start $1 Trial
  • Login
  • Members
    • Account
    • Exam Coaching
    • Exams
    • Forum
    • Live Cisco Rack Training
    • Members Training
    • Member Bonuses
    • My Courses
    • Nuggets
  • Home
  • Courses
        • Amazon
          • Solutions Architect
          • SysOps Associate
        • CompTIA
          • A+
          • Cloud Essentials
          • Linux+
          • Network+
          • PenTest+
          • Project+
          • Security+
          • Storage+
        • Juniper
          • JNCIA-Junos
          • JNCIA-SEC
          • JNCIS-ENT
          • JNCIS-SEC
        • TCP-IP
          • IP Subnetting
          • IPv6 Network Associate
          • IPv6 Network Professional
          • IPv6 Network Expert
        • Career
          • How to Break into IT
          • IT Freelancing/Contracting
          • Ace Your IT Exams
        • DevOps
          • DevOps Foundations
          • Docker Basics
        • Linux
          • CompTIA Linux+
          • Linux LPI Essentials
          • Linux LPIC1 Exam 101
          • Linux LPIC1 Exam 102
        • VMware
          • VCA Data Center
        • Wireless
          • CWNA
        • Cisco
          • CCNA Primer
          • CCNA Exam Coaching
          • CCNA
          • CCNP ENARSI
          • CCNP ENCOR Primer
          • CCNP ENCOR
          • CyberOps Associate
          • DevNet Associate
        • Google
          • Cloud Architect
        • Microsoft
          • MTA Database
          • MTA Python
          • MTA Windows 10
          • MTA Server
          • MTA Security
          • Azure Fundamentals
          • Azure Administrator
          • Azure Developer
        • Wireshark
          • WCNA
        • Cloud Computing
          • Amazon AWS Associate
          • AWS Sysops Associate
          • CompTIA Cloud Essentials
          • Google Cloud Architect
          • Azure Fundamentals
          • Azure Administrator
        • ITIL
          • ITIL Foundations
        • Security
          • Cisco CyberOps Associate
          • CompTIA Security+
          • Certified Ethical Hacker
          • Juniper JNCIA-SEC
          • Juniper JNCIS-SEC
          • Microsoft MTA Security
        • Web Development
          • PhP Fundamentals
          • CSS Fundamentals
          • HTML Fundamentals
          • MySQL Fundamentals
          • JavaScript Fundamentals
          • Learn Python From Scratch
  • Racks
    • vRack
    • Live Cisco Racks
  • Tour
  • Join
  • Join
  • Free Training
  • Meet the Trainers
  • Help
    • Helpdesk
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy
  • Products
    • Books
    • Audiobooks
    • My Products
  • Start $1 Trial
  • Login
  • Members
    • Account
    • Exam Coaching
    • Exams
    • Forum
    • Live Cisco Rack Training
    • Members Training
    • Member Bonuses
    • My Courses
    • Nuggets

Darn IT Tests

February 13, 2013 By Paul Browning Leave a Comment

I've taken many IT exams at testing centres over the past 12 or so years. But every time I go there, I re-remember (is that a word?) about the strange little things which grade from minor annoyances to exam performance wreckers.

Just yesterday I took an exam, it was 90 minutes of torture and on the way in I asked if I could have some water. The lady behind the testing centre desk told me I wasn't allowed water in the exam! Er – you do know your brain works off water don't you? The testing rooms are dry and always well ventilated which keeps you cool but also makes you thirsty.

I suppose I should be grateful that it wasn't a two hour exam like the CCIE written.

Anyways. Here are some of the things you need to prepare for.

1. Keyboard

I work off a laptop. Many other people use ergonomic keyboards. Yet others use keyboards generic to their country. In the testing centre you get the cheapo rectangular, repetetive strain injury inducing variety. Worse though, I touch type but due to the layout I continually pressed the / key instead of enter.

2. Around the Bushes

The people asking the quesions want to test you but for some strange reason they like to do it in a perverted way. Like asking ‘which of these methods wont' work?' Great, now you are testing us on how not do to the job!

3. Simulators

This is especially true for Cisco exams. You are not working on live routers so they don't act as such. They almost act as such. I recently had to fix a broken network in an exam. I fixed everything but couldn't ping the final hop to the ISP in the diagram. It was in the routing table but not reachable from the ‘broken' router or the main HQ router. I had to eventually decide that it was a limitation in the simulator and move on.

Same with a VTP issue. Normally when you press on ‘show vtp status' you see the IP address the last update was received on. Not this time buddy. I even pressed the spacebar which scrolls to the next part of the output. I almost gave up but it would have left me down one mark. I finally found out that if you press the return key, the final part of the output appears!

4. Surveys

Before or after the exam. You are usually shaking with nerves or at least very apprehensive. You get ready to start the exam but no, you get asked a survey about how far you travelled to the exam today and where you heard about the vendor!

Paul Browning

Filed Under: Exam Tips Tagged With: Exams

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Copyright Reality Press Ltd . / Paul Browning