Passed CCSA NGX

[jsond]

76%..pass was 70% or better.

More difficult than I expected. Many questions where it seemed 2 answers were correct and had to pick the best one. Of course many exams seem like that. For anyone interested in the exact exam topics the breakdown on my report had the following:

Content security, SmartDefense, Security Policy, Configuring VPN's, NAT, LDAP User management, Disaster Recovery, Monitoring traffic and connections, and Authentication.

The topics are also listed on Checkpoints web site but I was still unclear if site-to-site VPN and Remote access were covered or just site-to-site. I only had questions about site-to-site and did not see anything on SecureClient or SecuRemote.

Study materials were the Syngress book configuring Check Point NGX and all the pdf documents I could find on Checkpoints web site. For anyone taking the exam I highly recommend these documents, especially the SmartCenter user guide. They can be found at:

http://www.checkpoint.com/support/te.../docs_r60.html


I also used the Boson practice tests and the CCSA exam cram book (its for the NG AI but still plenty of info that is covered on NGX).

[ddarby1]

Congratulations jsond.

From what you've written, your experiences match almost exactly mine (I took the CCSA 2 weks ago).

If you're planning to take the CCSE exam, please post on the forum. I'm taking the exam in a few weeks am looking for any tips, but also happy to provide them.

[jsond]

thanks ddarby1!

I am holding off on the CCSE for now. Part of me thinks that might be a mistake since the Syngress book covers some of the CCSE topics. However I did not read the chapters on VoIP and SecuRemote or SecureClient. But I should be getting even more hands on use of checkpoint at work so that will keep all the stuff I learned fresh.

Actually I have decided to pursue the CISSP. That will definitely take some time but I don't mind as the topics really interest me and I want to get away from the technical-vendor related cert's for a while. After that I plan on going for the CCSE. So, while that not be for at least 4 months (if I pass on 1st try) or maybe longer. I will still be hanging around a bit and look forward to your thoughts on the CCSE.

[Sysreq]

Congrats,

I was on the NGX I and II courses last week and I can say that the Remote user VPN is on the NGX II exam. Don't know why they have split it that way but they have. I personally think that the LDAP management shouldn't be in the CCSA but it is......

Must go and book my exam soon

[Sunil]

Congrats,

I am preparing for CCSA AI Exam is Checkpoint official course ware is enough for pass the exam.