Every once in a while, a rumor floats that Cisco's getting ready to change the version number of their CCNA and CCNP exams, which also means the questions will be changed.

This prompts a flurry of posts to certification boards around the 'Net (and my mailbox!), with Cisco certification candidates in particular wondering if they should hold off on their studies until the next exam versions come out.

The answer is an unequivocal no. NO. You should never delay your studies for any reason, but especially this one.

Let's say Cisco changes the CCNA exams tomorrow. They're not going to remove questions regarding LAN switching. They're not going to take distance-vector protocols, OSPF, EIGRP, or subnetting questions off the exams. These are core subjects that everyone who works with Cisco technologies needs to know. And it goes double for anyone who wants to work with Cisco technologies.

The second reason is that studies that are delayed for one reason are often delayed again for another reason. "I'm too busy, it's summertime, etc.".

If you're serious about your Cisco certifications, start studying today. The knowledge you acquire every time you study does not become invalid because an exam version changes. It's not the certification that makes you valuable, it's the knowledge behind the certification - and you need to start building that knowledge today.

To your success,

Chris Bryant

CCIE #12933