3 must know tactics to get a “Pass” score on exam day, as can be seen here on my ROUTE exam score printout (finally)! :D

Finally after my first two Failed attempts at the ROUTE exam, I have finally FINALLY passed it!!!

I have to say I took the first fail as a learning experience, but after some intense brushing up on all topics and failing again, I didn’t reschedule a 3rd attempt as I didn’t think I wanted to pay $300 to see a Fail grade again.

However I eventually got that chip off my shoulder and rescheduled it, and I am so glad I did, you can tell by the score that I passed by a SLIM margin but it was almost the best moment in my professional life!

So take it from me 1 year of studying and $900 later, do not give up on your pursuit for your CCNP Certification, because you can achieve it (as painful as it is at times)!

The most important to passing (all) Cisco exams: Process of elimination!

When I first look at a question, the first thing I read is the answers to find any commonality between them I can, so as I next read the question I know what I am looking for to eliminate as a possible correct answer(s) to the question.

You may need every second of your available time, you always want to answer a question as rapidly and confidently as you can, and reading the answers I believe both helps you understand the question more on your first read of it but also helps you to conclude the answer at the same time.

The second most important approach to passing: Logic!

What really pulled me through aside from process of elimination, when I was faced with configuration / verification output to answer the question, I would look at all output to find a common theme between them.

I can’t say the exact question type I kept getting hammered with, but there was one topic similar to IPv6 BGP Address-Family Peering or DHCP or something that I was just drawing a total blank, however the output like the answers will share a commonality that you must identify where that commonality is different / incorrect.

If you draw a blank when answer a question based on verification / configuration output, immediately identify the common configurations between the devices, so you can make the best educated guess as to the answer.

The last and most important approach to passing: Don’t stop attempting to Pass!

I almost did, but I now have ROUTE finished, and am moving onto SWITCH, and I cannot express how good it feels to have completed the most one of the most difficult Cisco exams in general from a consensus of the exam taking community that I’ve heard.

That is all for this one, hooray for me, and good luck to you! 🙂