Cisco CCNP Training Kit

Rating:
Summary: lots of bugs
Review: Basicly you are buying 1200 questions and answers, and an ebook which is not easy to navigate in. The testing software does not really explain if you get it wrong, when you click "explain" it just shoots you to page 1 of the ebook (EVERY TIME and thats it). And the "progress" tracking, its basicly a big outline of "smashed together" book, and you click on "finished" when your completed your reading (thats all it does). Its totally useless, its just a checklist, has no other functionality. Another bug, when you go to do the actual "test" it does not alow you to select a single exams. Who would want to be tested on all 4 exams at one time? The "test engine is just "exam gear" questions. the e-book is just an 800 page book, with info on all 4 CCNP exams smashed together. Boson exams are much better, they give information right in the software, and it sends you to the correct page on ciscos site. Dont waste your money on this, I bought it, but I cant return it, nor can I resell it. Furthermore, the questions are way too easy and simplistic.

Rating:
Summary: There Is An Update You Can Download!!
Review: Go to the Cisco Press website and download the CCNPTKUpdate1.exe file. This will correct most of the bugs. It gives you the ability to go directly to the reference pages and not have to search through the entire thing. Works great!

This is a very good product.

Rating:
Summary: Better be looking for something else! It is ridiculous...
Review: I can't believe Cisco put this one out for such a high Price. It is absolutely Insane. Some other testing software(ex: selftest software) provide a much better deal for the money.

I don't understand why such a high price software doesn't provide an explanation for the answers. Instead you have a link to search the whole pdf yourself! Not very nice considering that after reading the books you want to minize your time. An explanation would be right to the point, unless Cisco is thinking that reading the book a thousand time until you memorize it is worthed.

The exam mode is the worst I have seen. Even the worst company in the whole world has a better product than this one. Where does anyone expect to practice for the 4 CCNP exams simultaneously? certainly you want to be able to choose each individual test. That's what makes sense to a rational human thinking animal. Does Cisco think people are going to take all the CCNP exams on the same day? Again absolutely ridiculous. You can not choose individual practice exams.

My advice: don't spend a single penny for this pack. Its worth is on 20-35 dollars range. Buy anything else except this one. I demand that Cisco has a free update of the software for those who bought the product and got stuck with it. I was so mad about this product that I spent another 200 dollars to buy another testing software. Selftest Software is great and close to the real exam. Not mentioning that they provide real explanations and guarantee within 90 days of the date of your purchase. If you don't pass the exam they refund your money. That's how confident they feel about their product. That's what Cisco should have done...

Rating:
Summary: Buyer Beware
Review: I made the mistake of purchasing this product. No matter what subject you wished to start with in the book section the software would take you directly to chapter 2 of the pdf file. Thinking it was a problem with my machine I loaded it on another. Same problem though. I could not get any support from cisco press to resolve. Try to find a phone number or web url in the supplied documentationfor support. It does not exist.

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing!
Review: I Never expected anything like this from Cisco! The Books for CCNP are great but this Training kit is far from being a reasonable product! The Learning Mode is OK, but for the incorrect answers you have to dig yourself for the explanation thru the link they provide, which is painful. It would be great if the explanation is right there for you like most of the selftest software on the market. It would score on time saving and less pain on neck!

The exam mode is the worst feature of this product. You don't have the option to choose an indivual exam mode. This feature is annoying since you must accept to test for all the subjects weather you're going to take a single exam or Not. GREAT!

I don't recommend anyone to spend this much money on the product. Buy a selftest software that provides an answer and explanation, and you'll be glad you did!!!

Rating:
Summary: Needs some work to make this a real useful tool.
Review: Once completed with the CCNA track you will want to take on the CCNP certification and the four exams you will to pass require a great deal of study time and material to ensure you pass the first time. Cisco Press has produced a software application that will enhance the study process and with their exam guides you have the perfect combination.

While the software is easy to install and I found no complications I did have to disable my anti-virus software first. The cd includes reading assignments and the complete CCNP is on the e-book included.

The software has a couple of modes starting with the study mode which allows you to take practice tests on a specific section before moving on. The thing I most like was the open book testing method this mode uses. It allows the candidate to learn and find the answers rather than just memorizing the questions and answers.

There is also a practice exam mode with one exam for the each of the four CCNP exams. Although the exams are very good and seem to cover the topics and objective very well for the money you have been given more practice exams.

Rating:
Summary: Better be looking for something else! It is ridiculous...
Review: Over the past six months Cisco has made changes to most of the CCNA and CCNP exams and new exams have been released. This software is a good study tool for the CCNP exams. While the software covers the 640-5X series and should be updated to the 600 series I think you still have a excellent tool to work with.

There is over 1600 questions covering the four exams and judging from the content of the material you have questions that go beyond the exam objectives. I was able to install the software in Windows 95, 98, NT workstation, 2000 and XP Professional with out error or failure.

The package has you starting off with reading assignments and with the CCNP Prep and Certification libraries as go to reference guides you have one of the best tools available. After the reading section you then work in the study mode and then the practice exam mode, which makes for a good training layout.

I though the question were challenging and in some cases very tough to answer, since this a training kit I did use several resources to study with and a few questions I was unable to find and answer. Once updated to the latest tests, add a pdf version of the test(s) and correct a few grammar errors and this kit would be a the top of the lists.

Rating:
Summary: What a deciet!
Review: TOTAL LACK OF QUALITY CONTROL ON THIS PRODUCT.

I'd estimate that 20% of the test questions have mistakes - either typographical mistakes, questions that just make sense, but worst of all, so many questions HAVE WRONG ANSWERS given.

When the "reference" link is clicked, you are taken to THE VERY START a .pdf file that has NO index, NO Table of contents and NO pdf tags. You are left with no indication of how to find the reference other than to use the "find" function. And even then, so many times there is no reference related to the question you are having ifficulty with... The real pity is that the books that this product is based on are good books, so if you do eventually find the correct reference in the .pdf file, you can usually get some good information. But this is not what you buy - you are buying a training kit - and it should NEVER have got passed quality control.