When I set out to take the Cisco 300-075 certification exam, I had no idea what to expect. Here is my personal experience with this test.
I have always had the dream of earning at least one Cisco certification ever since I was in college. However, after graduating, such plans somehow just vanished. I was caught up in the hectic nature of the world we live in and the idea of earning a certificate was nowhere close to my mind. It took at least three years before this plan resurfaced. I recall there is an application for a new job I wanted to make and among the key requirements were that I had to be certified. This requirement switched on that desire that had always burned in me throughout my campus days. I immediately started plans to become a Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP).
For those who may not be aware, the CCNP certification tests one’s ability to implement Cisco Unified Collaboration in a given environment. Earning the credential shows that you have covered what it takes to globalize call routing, work on URI and perform operations related to Automated Alternate Routing (AAR).
Exam structure
The first thing I had to do was to explore the manner in which the 300-075 exam is structured. Throughout my research, I got to learn that this test is divided into 8 sections as shown below:
- Implementing video mobility features – 9%
- Configuring a multi-site dial plan – 9%
- Configuring CUCM video service parameters – 9%
- Implementing centralized call processing redundancy – 10%
- Implementing bandwidth management – 12%
- Implementing call control discovery – 14%
- VCS control – 17%
I learned that each of these sections is assigned certain percentage weights and that the weights for each area represent their contribution towards the main exam. While preparing for the test, one pays more attention to the section with higher percentage weights. That does not mean that you should ignore the parts that have lower percentage weights.
Basic details
The Cisco 300-075 exam is tested in the English language only. The candidates are provided with a total of 50-60 questions, which are supposed to be answered in 75 minutes. The certification test is offered through a Cisco partner, Pearson VUE. I had to visit the official website where I created an account and then proceeded to schedule the exam date. Creating an account was pretty simple. All I had to do was accept the privacy terms and then provided some key personal details.
More preparation details
Getting to know the exam structure was one of the preparation processes. This is because it gave me an opportunity to know the sections to pay more attention to. However, the actual preparation began when I collected my study resources after which I made a study plan.
1) Obtained necessary resources
There is no way I would have managed to study for this exam without having access to the right resources. So I looked around the Internet to place my hands on any resource I thought would be useful. In particular, the following are the resources that I used:
- Books – The recommended book for Cisco 300-075 proved handy throughout my studies. Sold at $43.11, it covered all the key sections that I needed to know before sitting for the exam. I mostly read it while traveling back home from work and vice versa. I must admit that it was a perfect way of beating the city’s tough traffic jam. What made me prefer the use of books for studies was the fact that it gave me more flexibility.
- Online videos – being that this was my first time to take a certification test, I considered myself inexperienced and I needed someone with more authority on the matter to guide me through. I got one good online tutorial, which had a higher number of positive reviews. Offered through Prepaway, I was confident that this was the right course for me. It did not disappoint. There was a wide range of instructors, each covering different topics. These instructors were not just focused on delivering content. They also made some brief jokes, which made the lessons worth following along. The level of candidate engagement was just mesmerizing. This is a course I would recommend for anyone who wants to take the test. Just be sure to have some understanding of the 300-075 exam objectives. However, the introduction still goes over these objectives.
- Exam Dumps – a friend of mine had advised me that whatever resources I use for my study, I should not leave out exam dumps. Coming from someone who had taken 3 certification exams and excelled, I had no reason not to listen to her. The advice was worth it. The web resource I found on the internet was a real gem! Along with a perfect collection of video courses, I found the latest 300-075 exam dumps on Prepaway website. The questions I practiced covered all the exam objectives. Later, I found out that Prepaway’s dumps have been created by real exam takers. That’s why they are so valid! These dumps gave me an opportunity to gauge the manner in which Cisco sets its exams. Due to the prep materials, I found on Prepaway’s website, I developed full confidence in myself while fixing areas that I had not properly understood.
With such resources at hand and Prepaway in particular, there was no way I would fail 300-075 exam. The only thing remaining was to create time to make good use of them.
2) Getting study time
This is one of the biggest challenges that face individuals waiting to take a certification exam. Being that I am a busy IT professional with a family which needs my attention, getting time to certify my skills always seemed as though it is an impossible task. But I knew the benefits of getting certified, so I had no choice than to process on.
Typically, I wake up at 5 a.m. to get ready for work. I pushed my waking time to 4 a.m. so that I could have an extra hour of studying. I also squeezed my lunch hour to have some study time. Sixty percent of my weekends were dedicated to studying. I can remember my friends complaining that I was ignoring them. That is not true. I was literally making my future. When I passed the exam, I felt all these sacrifices were worth it.
Conclusion
If I was able to excel in the Cisco 300-075 exam, I believe there is nothing that can hinder you from excelling as well. All you need is the right drive and you are set.
