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Scenarios
--Located at the end of the chapter, the scenarios allow a much more in-depth examination
of a network implementation. Rather than posing a simple question asking for a single fact, the scenar-
ios let you design and build networks (at least on paper) without the clues inherent in a multiple-choice
quiz format.
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In addition, the companion CD contains a large number of questions not included in the book. You can
answer these questions by using the simulated exam feature or by using the topical review feature. This
is the best tool for helping you prepare for the test-taking process.
Approach
Retention and recall are the two features of human memory most closely related to performance on tests.
This exam preparation guide focuses on increasing both retention and recall of the topics on the exam. The
other human characteristic involved in successfully passing the exam is intelligence. This book does not
address that issue!
Adult retention is typically less than that of children. For example, it is common for 4-year-olds to pick up
basic language skills in a new country faster than their parents. Children retain facts as an end unto itself.
Adults typically either need a stronger reason to remember a fact or must have a reason to think about that
fact several times to retain it in memory. For these reasons, a person who attends a typical Cisco course and
retains 50 percent of the material is actually quite an amazing student.
Memory recall is based on connectors to the information that needs to be recalled. The greater the number
of connectors to a piece of information, the better chance and better speed of recall.
Recall and retention work together. If you do not retain the knowledge, it will be difficult to recall it. This
book is designed with features that help you increase retention and recall. It does this in the following ways:
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By providing succinct and complete methods of helping you decide what you recall easily and what
you do not recall at all.
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By giving references to the exact passages in the book that review the concepts you do not recall so that
you can quickly be reminded about a fact or concept. Repeating information that connects to another
concept helps retention, and describing the same concept in several ways throughout a chapter increases
the number of connectors to the same piece of information.
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By including exercise questions that supply fewer connectors than multiple-choice questions. This
helps you exercise recall and avoids giving you a false sense of confidence, as an exercise with only
multiple-choice questions might do. For example, fill-in-the-blank questions require you to have better
recall than multiple-choice questions.
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Finally, accompanying this book is a CD-ROM that has exam-like multiple-choice questions. These are
useful for you to practice taking the exam and to get accustomed to the time restrictions imposed during
the exam.
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