Taking a Certification Exam

After you've prepared for your exam, you need to register with a testing center. The combined exam (640-801) costs $125, and if you don't pass, you can retest for an additional $125 for each additional try. Exam 640-811 costs $100, and the cost of 640-821 was not available at time of publication but you can expect a cost of $100 to $125. Again, you can retest for either of these exams but you will have to pay a full exam fee each time you retest. In the United States and Canada, tests are administered by Prometric and by VUE. Here's how you can contact them:

• Prometric ” You can sign up for a test through the company's Web site at www.prometric.com. Within the United States and Canada, you can register by phone at 800-755-3926. If you live outside this region, you should check the Prometric Web site for the appropriate phone number.

• VUE ” You can sign up for a test or get the phone numbers for local testing centers through the Web at www.vue.com/ms.

To sign up for a test, you must possess a valid credit card or contact either Prometric or VUE for mailing instructions to send a check (in the United States). Only when payment is verified or your check has cleared can you actually register for the test.

To schedule an exam, you need to call the number or visit either of the Web pages at least one day in advance. To cancel or reschedule an exam, you must call before 7 p.m. Pacific standard time the day before the scheduled test time (or you might be charged, even if you don't show up to take the test). When you want to schedule a test, you should have the following information ready:

• Your name , organization, and mailing address.

• Your Cisco test ID. (Inside the United States, this usually means your Social Security number; citizens of other nations should call ahead to find out what type of identification number is required to register for a test.)

• The name and number of the exam you want to take.

• A method of payment. (As mentioned previously, a credit card is the most convenient method, but alternate means can be arranged in advance, if necessary.)

After you sign up for a test, you are told when and where the test is scheduled. You should try to arrive at least 15 minutes early. You must supply two forms of identification ”one of which must be a photo ID ”and sign a nondisclosure agreement to be admitted into the testing room.

All Cisco exams are completely closed book. In fact, you are not permitted to take anything with you into the testing area, but you are given a blank sheet of paper and a pen (or in some cases an erasable plastic sheet and an erasable pen). We suggest that you immediately write down on that sheet of paper all the information you've memorized for the test. In Exam Cram 2 books, this information appears on a tear-out sheet inside the front cover of each book. You are given some time to compose yourself, record this information, and take a sample orientation exam before you begin the real thing. I suggest that you take the orientation test before taking your first exam, but because all the certification exams are more or less identical in layout, behavior, and controls, you probably don't need to do this more than once.

When you complete a Cisco certification exam, the software tells you immediately whether you've passed or failed. If you need to retake an exam, you have to schedule a new test with Prometric or VUE and pay another exam fee.

The first time you fail a test, you can retake the test 72 hours after the original.

After you pass the necessary set of exams, you are certified. Official certification is normally granted after three to six weeks, so you shouldn't expect to get your credentials overnight.

Many people believe that the benefits of CCNA certification go well beyond the knowledge gained by the newly anointed members of this elite group . We're starting to see more job listings that request or require applicants to have CCNA and other certifications, and many individuals who complete Cisco certification programs can qualify for increases in pay and/or responsibility.