Exam Review
By Design: The CID Exam
by Andrew G Mason
10/7/2000 --
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| Exam |
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Cisco Internetwork Design 3.0 (640-025) |
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| Certification, Vendor |
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CCDP, Cisco |
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| Status |
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Live |
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| Reviewer's Rating |
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"A difficult test that's hard to prepare for." |
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| Test Information |
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65 questions, 90 minute time limit, 65% pass rate, $185. |
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| Who Should Take This Exam? |
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Those pursuing the CCDP 2.0 title. |
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| Test Objectives URL |
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http://www.cisco.com/ warp/public/10/wwtraining/ certprog/testing/pdf/cid.pdf |
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Having just completed the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) three weeks before the Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP) test, and already having the Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) title, I decided just to brush up on my design skills and tackle this exam. The following is my brief tale of thwarted woe.
First, some background. Both CCDP 2.0 and CCNP 2.0 share some core tests: the Routing, Switching and Remote Access exams. Or, in their place, you can try out the monstrous Foundation Routing and Switching (FRS) exam. This leaves the CID exam to attain the CCDP, and Support exam to attain the CCNP qualifications.
I'd advise that you take the CID exam last if you're studying for your CCDP. My reasoning: The CID exam covers a lot of the basic technologies covered fully in those three core, common tests: Routing, Switching, and Remote Access. Unless you're highly proficient in Cisco router and switch theory and operation, you'll struggle with the technical aspects of 640-025. The CID exam takes the applied knowledge, extends it, and tests you from a design point of view. I'm a big believer in studying the basics, and the concentration on basics is evident in this exam.
A Tough Foundation
As usual, the best way to ascertain the topics covered on the test is from the published Cisco exam objectives. With those in hand, you'll discover that the main focus of the CID exam is the design issue surrounding internetworks using Cisco internetwork devices. The main content of the exam can be broken into two parts.
One part is network design theory. The topics include:
- Network design steps.
- Business and technical requirement analysis.
- Goals of internetwork design.
- Network design issues.
- Various internetwork design models.
The other part is technology design. You're expected to understand the design issues relating to specific internetworking technologies. These include:
- Campus TCP/IP
- Novell networking
- ATM
- AppleTalk networking
- Catalyst switching
- vLANs on routers and switches
- X.25
- SNA
- Frame relay
- ISDN BRI
You also need the underlying knowledge of the theory and practical application on Cisco internetworking devices in order to answer questions based on these criteria.
My Preparation
For some reason, the Cisco Internetwork Design exam appears to be the least popular of the core Cisco career certification exams. I surmise this from the distinct lack of study materials and books available on the subject.
First, read the exam objectives carefully to know what you're letting yourself in for. Frequent reference to a specific section in the exam objectives can help ensure you're studying the right topics. The objectives can be used as a simple checklist to measure your progress. Then once you've finished studying, go over the exam objectives again to ascertain whether you've covered everything. You should be able to look at every exam objective, read it, understand it, and relate it to an item of study.
Since I'd already studied for the FRS exam and considered myself pretty brushed up on my router and switch theory, I felt confident of my technical abilities. But the CID exam concentrates on the network theory and application of these technologies. You cover the basic design principles of the major technologies throughout the core exams, but you don't really touch upon the design theories behind them.
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'For some reason, the Cisco Internetwork Design exam appears to be the least popular of the core Cisco career certification exams. I surmise this from the distinct lack of study materials and books available on the subject.'
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So I plowed through the Cisco Internetwork Design book from Cisco Press, written by Matthew H. Birkner (ISBN 1-57870-171-6, $60). The material is based on the Cisco Internetwork Design course notes. I found this book an excellent read that covered some technical areas in a different format, providing me with a different angle on the technology. I picked up quite a few little snippets that were extremely useful for the real world. Since the exam appears to be based around the course, I suspect this is the best self-study resource to study from for the CID exam.
Since this was a design exam. I couldn't really see any purpose in practicing configuration skills. I believed that the knowledge gained from the CCNP was more than adequate for the technical hands-on content--and I was proven right.
I passed the exam with 68 percent on my first attempt. This is the closest I've ever come to failing any test! To be honest, I was so convinced I had failed, I spent very little time checking through my answers before submitting it. I usually have a fixed routine where I go back through every answer after completing all the questions. For this test, I was convinced I would fail, so I just hit the finish button. To my surprise I passed, if by only three percent.
Why my feeling of desperation? I found the exam to be full of "gray" questions. Usually, I consider technical questions as being "black or white"; there can only be one correct answer that you either know straight away or that you can take an estimated guess at it. The CID exam is full of that type of question where you might consider more than one answer to be correct; a lot of the answers are subjective and come down to a matter of opinion. This is the reason why I find the design exams harder than the technical ones.
Where To Next?
I've now finished all of the Cisco career certifications: CCNA, CCNP, CCDA, and CCDP. The natural progression from here is the CCIE Routing and Switching. I believe that the knowledge gained in studying for the CCNP and CCDP will really help me in the quest for the CCIE. I plan to sit the CCIE written exam in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! 
Reprinted from TCPmag.com, September 2000.
Have you taken this exam? Let us know what you think! Rate it below or enter our Forums.
Andrew G. Mason, CCIE #7144, CCDP, CSS1, CCNP:Security, CCSP, is the technical director of Boxing Orange, a U.K.-based Cisco VPN/Security partner specialising in the design and implementation of Cisco security solutions. Andrew has 13 years experience in the networking industry and has provided services for many large organizations worldwide. Andrew is the author of four Cisco Press books.
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