Tips for Cisco Exam 642–832 TSHOOT: Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Networks

The format of Cisco Exam 642–832 TSHOOT: Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Networks is somewhat different from previous CCNP exams. Similar to the ROUTE and SWITCH exams, the TSHOOT exam has multiple-choice questions. In addition, it has multiple trouble tickets.

Cisco has provided a TSHOOT exam demo and a lab topology diagram so you can familiarize yourself with the network you’ll be troubleshooting before you take the exam. Be sure to check out the exam demo to get a look at the format of the troubles tickets as well. In fact, Cisco highly recommends that you make use of both the demo and the exam topology before taking the TSHOOT exam. You can find both on the Cisco Learning Network website.

In the exam demo, there are four trouble tickets. Just like on the exam, the main screen has three parts:

• Main scenario
• Topology tab
• Trouble ticket

The main scenario familiarizes you with what Cisco calls the master scenario.

The topology tab enables you to display the network topology. While that is helpful, familiarizing yourself with the topology before you take the exam will save you from using precious exam time going back to the topology tab.

The trouble ticket tab allows you to select a trouble ticket. Initially, the trouble tickets will be highlighted in blue. When you’ve completed a trouble ticket, it will be highlighted in red. Once you’ve completed a trouble ticket, you cannot reopen it.

Read the trouble ticket scenario to understand the network problem you are being asked to solve. You can use the topology tab and click on the console of any device in the network you want to access. For each trouble ticket, you will have to answer three questions:

1. Which device contains the fault?
2. Which technology is the fault condition related to?
3. What is the solution to the issue?

After you have answered all three questions within a trouble ticket, click on DONE. Do not click on DONE unless you have answered all three questions, because once you click DONE, the question will no longer be accessible. If you’re stumped by one of the questions within a trouble ticket, you can click on the ABORT button and then go to another ticket. You may then go back to that ticket later, as it will still be accessible. To be clear: if you click DONE, the ticket will not be accessible later. If you click ABORT, the ticket will be accessible later.

The lab topology diagram consists of three separate diagrams:

• IPv4 Layer 3 topology
• IPv6 Layer 3 topology
• Layer 2/3 topology

Again, Cisco highly recommends that you familiarize yourself with the lab topology before taking the exam. I would also recommend that you take the TSHOOT exam last in the CCNP series, as it utilizes information you will learn in the ROUTE and SWITCH curriculums. All of the knowledge you will gain from those courses will be put to the test on the TSHOOT exam.

Good luck!