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CSIDS Exam Cram 2 (Exam 642-531) Authors: Newman D.P., Manalo K.M. Published year: 2004 Pages: 29-32/213 |
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In addition to the general exam readiness information in the previous section, there are several things you can do to prepare for the Cisco IDS exam. As you're getting ready for the CSIDS 642-531 exam, visit the Cisco Web site at http://www.cisco.com. Its open forum and technical tips sections are great places to ask questions and get good answers or to watch questions that others ask (along with the answers, of course). Also visit the http://www.examcram2.com Web site. You can sign up for question-of-the-day services for several exams, so watch for the Cisco IDS exam on these sites.
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After you have assessed your readiness, undertaken the background studies, obtained the hands-on experience that will help you understand the products and technologies at work, and reviewed the many sources of information to help you prepare for a test, you'll be ready to take a round of practice tests. When your scores come back positive enough to get you through the exam, you're ready to go after the real thing. If you follow the assessment regime , you'll know not only what you need to study, but also when you're ready to make a test date. Good luck!
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Terms you'll need to understand:
Radio button
Check box
Device simulations
Techniques you'll need to master:
Preparing to take a certification exam
Practicing to take a certification exam
Making the best use of the testing software
Budgeting your time
Guessing (as a last resort)
No matter how well prepared you might be, exam taking is not something that most people look forward to. In most cases, familiarity helps relieve test anxiety. You probably won't be as nervous when you take your fourth or fifth Cisco exam as you'll be when you take your first one.
Whether it's your first exam or your tenth, understanding the finer points of exam-taking (how much time to spend on questions, the setting you will be in, and so on) and the exam software will help you concentrate on the questions at hand rather than on the surroundings. Likewise, mastering some basic exam-taking skills should help you recognize and perhaps even outfox some of the tricks and traps you are bound to find in several of the exam questions.
Besides explaining the Cisco Intrusion Detection System (IDS) exam environment and software, this chapter describes some proven exam-taking strategies you should be able to use to your advantage.
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When you arrive at the exam testing center, you must sign in with an exam coordinator and show two forms of identificationone of which must be a photo ID. After you have signed in and your time slot arrives, you will be asked to deposit any books, bags, or other items you brought with you. Then, you will be escorted into a closed room. Typically, the room will be furnished with from one to six computers and each workstation will be separated from the others by dividers designed to keep you from seeing what is happening on someone else's computer.
You will be furnished with a pen or pencil and a blank sheet of paperor, in some cases, an erasable plastic sheet and an erasable felt-tip pen. You are allowed to write any information you want on both sides of the sheet. Before the exam, memorize as much of the material that appears on the Cram Sheet (inside the front cover of this book) as you can and write that information on the blank sheet as soon as you are seated in front of the computer. You can refer to your rendition of the Cram Sheet anytime you like during the test, but you will have to surrender the sheet when you leave the room.
Most test rooms feature a wall with a large picture window. This permits the exam coordinator standing behind it to monitor the room, prevent exam takers from talking to one another, and observe anything out of the ordinary that might occur. The exam coordinator will preload the appropriate Cisco certification examfor this book, that's exam 642-531and you will be permitted to start as soon as you are seated in front of the computer.
All Cisco certification exams allow a certain maximum amount of time in which to complete the work. (This time is indicated on the exam by an onscreen counter/clock, so you can check the time remaining whenever you want.) Exam 642-531 consists of 5565 randomly selected questions. You can take up to 75 minutes to complete the exam. To pass, you are required to achieve a score of 835 or better on a scale of 3001,000.
All Cisco certification exams are computer-generated and use a multiple-choice format. From time to time, you might be prompted to enter actual configuration commands into boxes or into actual IDS simulations. It is important not to abbreviate the commands in any way when this type of question is posed. Although this might sound quite simple, the questions are constructed not only to check your mastery of basic facts and figures about Cisco IDS configuration, but also to require you to evaluate one or more sets of circumstances or requirements. Often, you will be asked to give more than one answer to a question. Likewise, you might be asked to select the best or most effective solution to a problem from a range of choices, all of which are technically correct. Taking the exam is quite an adventure, and it involves real thinking. This book shows you what to expect and how to deal with the potential problems, puzzles, and predicaments you are likely to encounter.
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CSIDS Exam Cram 2 (Exam 642-531) Authors: Newman D.P., Manalo K.M. Published year: 2004 Pages: 29-32/213 |