Exam-Taking Basics

For every question, the best thing to do is read the question carefully. A single word could throw you off and cause you to get the question wrong. After reading the question once (twice if time allows), look at every answer available to you. It is not a bad idea to read the answers in reverse order (from the bottom to the top), to force your brain to look at every answer. This way, you do not hastily choose an answer on the top when there may be a better option below it. When you know the answer, select it and click the next button to proceed to the next question.

It is critical to note that Cisco exams do not let you navigate to previously answered questions! You also do not have an option to mark the question and review it at the end of the exam, as other certifications allow. You must make a guess on the question before you can proceed with the rest of the exam. Best practices dictate that you go with your gut feeling and select the best answer with confidence and move on to the next question.

If you are in a bind and cannot determine the correct answer, try using a process of elimination and rule out the answers you know are incorrect. You can sometimes distinguish these answers by their unrecognizable terms or by noticing that the answer is being used in the wrong context for the question. Try not to be lured in the wrong direction by assuming an unrecognizable term is the correct answer. The wrong answers are meant to be misleading, so do not take the bait if you can help it. After the removal of the incorrect answers, you can determine the most correct option from the remaining answers. In multiple-choice scenarios, using this elimination method can drastically improve your odds when all else has failed.