Taking the Exam

The exam room's cubicles are small, but you will be there for only a short time, even if it sometimes seems like much longer. All exam candidates are monitored , either via large windows or a closed-circuit video system, to preserve the integrity of the exam process. Different people might be taking exams on a wide variety of topics, not all of which are IT- related , although most seem to be. Regardless of the exam, most people try to limit any noise or disturbance out of courtesy .

The proctor will log you on to the system and open the test program. When you begin, you must agree to a nondisclosure agreement, or NDA. You agree that you will not disclose the content of the test to anyone . If you do not agree, you cannot take the test and your fee is forfeit. Cisco follows with a questionnaire or survey about your other certifications, degree of experience, and comfort level with the networking equipment that this test covers. Some people believe that minimizing their experience level and degree of comfort will lower the bar for them: They will not be held to as high of a standard as will those who claim significant experience and say they rarely need to consult documentation. Cisco will not comment either way, but they do make a substantial effort to preserve the value of their certifications. Therefore, it makes no sense to say that exam difficulty depends on what you say in the survey: You either meet Cisco's standards or you do not.

After the survey you are given an example of how the simulation program works, along with a possible example of how the drag-and-drop questions are answered . Work through the examples. In addition to seeing the details employed in these questions, you will get a feel for how responsive the particular system you are using is. Typically, testing centers use low-end PCs that seem dreadfully slowand compared to most office systems, or even home systems, they are dreadfully slow. Use this practice to get a little bit used to that.

Up to this point, the official clock has not started. The survey time does not count against you, nor does the practice time. The test engine makes quite clear when the clock begins, and a running clock showing your time remaining is displayed at all times. You can add comments regarding any question as you go through the exam; the clock stops for the time you do so. For the CSI Exam, you have 60 questions to complete in 90 minutes (although Cisco could change that between the time this is written and the time you are reading this book). Do not be surprised if you see the same question twice, sometimes even with the exact same words. If a question applies to two test topics, it could get drawn from the bank for each topic. (If there are 4 questions on topic 1 and 5 questions on topic 2, there are 20 possible pairings; 1 of those pairings is the same question, so there is a 5% chance that you will see that question twice.)

Each question has radio buttons (circles in which to place a dot) or squares (which are check boxes) by the answers. If you see radio buttons , there is only one correct answer. If you see check boxes, there is more than one correct answer, and the question specifies how many are correct. If it says that two are correct, you will not be able to check a third box until you delete the check from one you have currently selected. Unlike other exams you have taken in the past, you cannot mark and go back, nor is there a review at the end to provide one last chance to change your mind on any question. When you answer a question and elect to go to the next question, your answer to the first question is final. Most questions have only one correct answer. You will usually see four possible answers, but the number offered can go as high as seven (answer letters A through G).

The exam might include one or more drag-and-drop questions, in which you have a series of possible answers (perhaps the same number as you need, or perhaps more than you need). You must arrange them in an appropriate order by dragging each individual item from the left side of the display and dropping it into its proper location on the right side of the display. If you make a mistake and drop the item into the wrong box or slot, you can drag it back out or (usually) just reset the question and start over.

You can expect to see at least one multiproduct simulation in the CSI Exam. You must configure a secured communication or data exchange between two dissimilar products using a simulated command line or GUI at which you enter inputs rather than click on a choice. This is difficult: You must know what needs to be done and how to do it, without much in the way of help. The CLI Help function is available, but you have to know what you're getting help with for that to do you much good. However, if you read this book carefully and know how to create the configuration examples given, you will know what you need to know for this. Remember that the CLI response will be slow, in part because it is a simulation and in part because it uses an old system.

It will be very easy to get ahead of yourself if you keep typing and entering commands before the buffered display comes back. A little patience here can actually pay off because you will have to re-enter fewer commands because of a missed key or a minor syntax point. If you are patient, you will see the mistake and fix it right away; if you are impatient, you might have entered three lines of commands before you realize that the first one had an error, leaving you with three lines to reinput instead of one. Slowing yourself down can also make you think, and you might remember the details and have to fix fewer keystroke or syntax mistakes.

If you don't have equipment (a lab or rack rental) to practice with, practice with a pencil and paper. It might not be elegant, and you won't have the feedback from the CLI (like the always helpful "expecting a different input at the marker" display), but it will help you prepare to enter a configuration involving security on at least two different products in a simulation.