Cisco CCNA exam question

[Vageetasjn]

My friend asked me this question, "Are we allowed to use a physical calculator and/or the microsoft windows calculator on the cisco CCNA exam?"

Thanks for input.

 

[azntiger0586]

No

 

[ScottMac]

NO, and you shouldn't need one.

Worse case, on your paper, draw the bit positions (right to left ....1, 2, 4, 8, ... out to 16 bits), then above that, write in the corresponding subnet mask (right to left 255, 254, 252, 248 ...).

The whole thing'll take you a minute, maybe two. It'll save you much more than that during the course of the test. There are / were many questions on "Which network does this host belong in?" and how many subnets of how many hosts, stuff like that.

Other than that, learn to count to 31 (in binary) on one hand (Pinky is 1, Ring finger is 2, both are 3, the middle finger is 4 .....etc).

Better yet, learn it until you have it all down cold. Subnetting is fundamental. It is the foundation of many more critical concepts later on.

FWIW

Scott

 

[ConantheBarbarian]

Question about CCNA:

I want to take the exam but I noticed this msg.

640-607 CCNA
Last Day to Register September 30, 2003

Does this mean that I am going to have to take the exam on or before Sept. 30 or can I register on or before Sept. 30 and take the exam a month from that date.

Thanx all.

 

[pcman2002b]

Who in their right minds would attempt to calculate IP addresses in the real world without calculators, first off the company isn't paying you to be a calculator and it takes longer, not to mention the waste of paper and margin for error. Cisco (the company) is a bunch of morons.

 

[networkman]

Originally posted by: pcman2002b
Who in their right minds would attempt to calculate IP addresses in the real world without calculators, first off the company isn't paying you to be a calculator and it takes longer, not to mention the waste of paper and margin for error. Cisco (the company) is a bunch of morons.

Well, those Cisco morons have probably got a whole hell of a lot more money than you do, so I rather think they're doing something right.

As for use of a calculator, yeah, in every day life you're probably gonna be using one, but for the test, you need to know how to do without - being able to do so shows a certain level of math competence - if you can't handle that, go back and take some basic math courses.

 

[ScottMac]

The level of "subnetting math" used in the test does not warrant the use of a calculator.

If you can't do that level of subnetting in your head or on paper, you don't deserve the cert ... even as basic as it is.

The principal knowledge demonstrated by answering the questions (properly) is an absolute "must know" to progress to higher levels.

No calculator is needed.

FWIW

Scott