- [Instructor] Labs provide that hands-on learning
that is so important in preparing for your exam.
They can provide that a-ha moment
for topics that are not yet fully understood.
Some learning institutions create their own labs,
but most of them use Cisco sanctioned labs.
There are various types of Cisco sanctioned labs.
The first type you see here are the labs Cisco created
for their on-demand courses.
You will also use these labs
if you take the 200-301 course
at a Cisco learning partner institution.
As a Cisco instructor for the past 20 years,
these are my favorite labs.
Cisco has done an excellent job
explaining in easy to understand terms
the purpose of the labs,
the effect of the commands you are typing,
as well as other relevant information
that help you comprehend the topic.
It is a common occurrence with other labs.
The students just type line-by-line commands,
not really understanding what they are configuring.
Cisco also provides labs, as well as other resources,
through their academies.
Once again, Cisco does a great job
at explaining the purpose of the lab,
as well as the effects of the commands being entered.
Cisco Networking Academies are located worldwide.
You can learn more about them on their site.
You can purchase the lab manuals
without enrolling at an academy from Cisco Press or Amazon.
So far, only the first two lab manual eBooks
are available from Cisco Press.
UCertify by Pearson is another option for labs.
Although the labs for the 200-301 exam
are not yet available, they should be soon.
You can only purchase labs as part
of their 200-301 CCNA course.
MeasureUp is another product from Pearson.
The advantage here is you don't have to purchase
the entire course to get the labs.
These labs are available right now
and the current price is reasonable.
We've looked at a variety of choices
to allow you to gain hands-on practice
to prep for your exam.
The correct choice for you depends on the choice of courses,
or your decision to enroll or not enroll in a course.
These various options allow you to craft
your own learning plan.