Day 7: Exam Day

You're still a network technician on Sarah's team, and you haven't stopped studying since the night Marcus sent you your first lab.

It's been 3 months since that first lab.
You booked the CCNA the week after. This morning is the exam.

Figure 1 – 9:00 AM, Halverton City Test Center

The test center locks your phone in a locker.
You get one board and a marker, and a camera watches your screen.

The timer starts.
The first questions are multiple choice. They cover things you have already done on the job.

Next question is a lab.
There are three routers. Nothing routes between them.

Figure 2 – Topology

Lab Instructions

The three routers are cabled and addressed. Nothing routes between them yet.

• Configure OSPF

• From PC1, ping PC2 at 10.3.3.10

• Save the configuration on the three routers

Finish the lab, then type the flag below.

You submit the exam with eleven minutes remaining.

The result comes up: PASS

The supervisor prints out your score sheet, you sign the registration form, and then you retrieve your stuff from your locker.

You are back before eleven, with the sheet in your hand.

Sarah reads your score sheet: "Clean. Now apply for the open posting."

Figure 3 – Network Admin job opening

The posting asks for the CCNA you passed this morning.
It pays $72,000 to $88,000, with night shifts at the NOC and an on-call rotation.

Dave sees the certificate on your screen: "They will just give you more work for it."

Dave is right, there is more work.
You applied for it.