Juniper Networks Certified Internet Associate

The JNCIA-M certification is the first of the four-tiered M-series Routers & T-series Routing Platforms track. It is the entry-level certification designed for experienced networking professionals with beginner-to-intermediate knowledge of the Juniper Networks M-series and T-series routers and the JUNOS software. The JNCIA-M (exam code JN0-201) is a computer-based, multiple-choice exam delivered at Prometric testing centers globally for U.S.$125. It is a fast- paced exam that consists of 60 questions to be completed within 60 minutes. The current passing score is set at 70 percent.

JNCIA-M exam topics are based on the content of the Introduction to Juniper Networks Routers, M-series (IJNR-M) instructor-led training course. Just as IJNR-M is the first class most students attend when beginning their study of Juniper Networks hardware and software, the JNCIA-M exam should be the first certification exam most candidates attempt. The study topics for the JNCIA-M exam include:

• System operation, configuration, and troubleshooting

• Routing protocols—BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, and RIP

• Protocol-independent routing properties

• Routing policy

• MPLS

• Multicast

70 Percent Seems Really Low!

The required score to pass an exam can be one indicator of the exam’s difficulty, but not in the way that many candidates might assume. A lower pass score on an exam does not usually indicate an easier exam. Ironically, it often indicates the opposite—it’s harder.

The JNTCP exams are extensively beta tested and reviewed. The results are then statistically analyzed based on multiple psychometric criteria. Only after this analysis is complete does the exam receive its appropriate passing score. In the case of the JNCIA-M exam, for example, requiring the passing score to be higher than 70 percent would mean that the exam’s target audience would have been excluded from passing. In effect, the exam would have been more difficult to pass. Over time, as more exam statistics are collected, or the exam questions themselves are updated, the passing score may be modified to reflect the exam’s new difficulty level. The end result is to ensure that the exams are passable by the members of the target audience for which they are written.

Note 

Please be aware that the JNCIA-M certification is not a prerequisite for further certification in the M-series Routers & T-series Routing Platforms track. The purpose of the JNCIA-M is to validate a candidate’s skill set at the Associate level and it is meant to be a stand-alone certification fully recognized and worthy of pride of accomplishment. Additionally, it can be used as a stepping stone before attempting the JNCIS-M exam.