The 2 exams are 640-802, and they are split as follows - The 'ICND1' (640/822), and the 'ICND2' (640/816). ICND represents Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, but the ICND1 examination is also referred to as CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician). All these acronyms do nothing at all to clarify things for the trainee coming into I.T., however the most straightforward piece of advice is normally to look at the CCNA 640/802 as a combined accreditation. This particular track would greatly gain from being combined with the 'CompTIA A+' & N+ accreditations, as they will provide all of the necessary grounding prior to attempting the more specialised Cisco-specific exams. You'll want to allow roughly 400 - 500 hours of study-time for a combined program such as this. 'Technical' IT training courses should offer good qualified support. Be sure you select one with round-the-clock, immediate reply service. Check also for some of the most up-to-date multimedia study solutions, & the best exam preparation software.

Don't accept anything less than the latest Microsoft (or relevant organisation's) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages. As most examining boards for IT tend to be American, it's essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. It's not sufficient just answering any old technical questions - it's essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format. Practice exams are very useful for confidence building - so that when you come to take your actual exams, you don't get uptight.

It's important to understand: a training course or a qualification is not the ultimate goal; the career you're training for is. A lot of colleges seem to place too much importance on the actual accreditation. Don't be one of those unfortunate students that choose a course which looks like it could be fun - and end up with a certification for a career they'll never really get any satisfaction from.

Stay focused on what it is you're trying to achieve, and then build your training requirements around that - don't do it the other way round. Stay on target and begin studying for something you'll enjoy for years to come. Before setting out on a study course, it's good advice to discuss the specific job needs with an experienced industry advisor, to ensure the learning path covers all the necessary elements.

It's usual for students to get confused with a single courseware aspect very rarely considered: The method used to 'segment' the courseware before being physically delivered to you. Many think it logical (with most training taking 1-3 years to pass all the required exams,) that a training provider will issue a single section at a time, as you complete each part. However: Often, the staged breakdown offered by the provider doesn't suit. It may be difficult to get through all the elements within their timetable?

For the perfect solution, you'd get ALL the training materials right at the beginning - so you'll have them all to return to any point - whenever it suits you. Variations can then be made to the order that you complete your exams as and when something more intuitive seems right for you.