----- Original Message -----
From: Gulledge, Roger S
To: Dirk Fretz
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 9:24 PM
Subject: RE: Amazingly, Cisco Press replies.

I've had long conversations with Mary Beth and with Brett.  Cisco Press is part of Pearson Education, not Cisco Systems.  It's easy to see the disconnect between the Exam itself and their resources.  Consequently, we are adopting Todd Lammle's text "CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide, 5th Edition (640-801)", ISBN-13: 978-0782143911 to help those who what to actually get their CCNA.
 
We've also created a custom version of their mainstream product "Network Visualizer" call the RouterSim DeVry Edition.  It is upgraded from being strictly a CCNA prep tool to being one that better support the CNAP CCNA curriculum.
 
Here is a link to their private offering to DeVry students:
 
 
http://www.routersim.com/devryedition.html
 
 
At your service,
 
Roger S. Gulledge
===================================================
National Manager, DeVry University Cisco Regional Academy Program
Chair, Arizona SkillsUSA Internetworking Technical Committee
Associate Professor, Network and Communications Management 
 
DeVry University
2149 W. Dunlap Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85021
 
Cell Phone: 602-549-8304
Office Phone: 602-870-9222 x870,   Fax: 602-734-1999
===================================================
 

From: Dirk Fretz
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 6:49 PM
To: Gulledge, Roger S
Subject: Fw: Amazingly, Cisco Press replies.

Yesterday, I emailed my experiences, observations, and suggestions to the Cisco Networking Academy and to the following people that had a hand in the CNA books.

Cisco Press Contacts

From: Dirk Fretz
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 7:08 PM
To: Cisco Academy
Cc: John Kane; Bartow, Brett; Ray, Mary Beth
Subject: CNA CCNA - Observations & Suggestions for Improvement

Hello,

The attached document was also posted on the CNA USA Alumni forum.

If desired, I can provide additional examples from the book of where the CNA material is falling short and how it can be improved.

With proper writing and topic consolidation, these books can be cut down between 3/4 to 1/2 their current page content and still maintain instructional integrity.

Less over the top filler means more opportunity to provide meaningful and efficient network creation instruction and scenario skill building techniques.

CCNA 1 and 2 Companion Guide, Revised (Cisco Networking Academy Program), 3rd Edition

ISBN-10: 1-58713-150-1; ISBN-13: 978-1-58713-150-9;
Published: Jul 29, 2004; Copyright 2005;
Dimensions Special (all other); Pages: 1088; Edition: 3rd.

Sincerely,

Dirk Fretz
Phoenix, AZ
CNA CCNA Alumni

I really didn't expect a response, let alone one so soon. Well, I did get one and it's interesting to see that my pov and experience has been openly validated. I'm especially surprised of both offers and will definitely take the offer to review the new study material in the works.

From: Bartow, Brett
To: Dirk Fretz
Cc: Ray, Mary Beth ; Dusthimer, David
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 11:59 AM
Subject: RE: CNA CCNA - Observations & Suggestions for Improvement

Dirk,

Thank you for taking the time to document your experience. I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties in passing the CCNA exam. It is obvious from this document that you spent a great deal of time in preparing for the exam. Generally speaking, I would agree that there is no self-study material out there today that matches the difficulty of the actual exam. Cisco continually updates their exams, and, as you have observed, has added far more challenging scenario questions than previously existed in the exam.

Our best selling CCNA Exam Certification Guides were updated in 2005 (about 18 months after exam release) for this very reason. They had become out of step with the exam, even though the exam had not been updated with new topical coverage. Since this last update took place in 2005, these books have again fallen somewhat behind the exam, but they are better than anything else out there. I would be interested in hearing your opinion of these titles, as they were not in your list of books that you used to prepare for the exams.

We are in the midst of updating our CCNA materials once again to bring them more in line with these exams. Your input on the books would be most helpful in crafting study guides that better help candidates prepare for the exam. If you can send me your mailing address, I would be happy to send you copies of these books free of charge.

Furthermore, I would like to sponsor your next exam by covering the cost of your next CCNA exam attempt. Let me know when you are interested in scheduling a new attempt, and I will arrange a voucher or other compensation.

Best,

Brett Bartow
Executive Editor
Cisco Press