Study Materials and Methods

Current Study Materials:
CWNA Official Study Guide (PW0-104)
Train Signal CWNA CBTs (PW0-104)
GT Hill's CWNA Study Digest (www.gthill.com)
CWNA Exam Objectives
CWNA Exam Terms
Mental Case Ipod/Iphone App and CWNA Study Questions
802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition
Real 802.11 Security: Wi-Fi Protected Access and 802.11i
Hacking Exposed: Wireless


Some people can read a book once, and if the test is geared towards memorization, can pass easily. I myself are more of the read and take notes type. I do go back and review my notes after the chapter review questions, especially on areas that I have missed.

Having other books on 802.11 makes for great reference library as well. Sometimes the main study guides are just not enough. The more material you have, the easier it can make things. I have never heard anyone saying I had too much material to use to study from.

On days that I am not car pooling, I plug in the Ipod Touch and listen to the Train Signal audio. On breaks at work, I can run through a few questions from Mental Case.

Make use of online forums as much as possible. Both CWNP (www.cwnp.com) and TechExams (www.techexams.net) are two of my favorite sites. The material you can gather from these types of sites is priceless.

Study with a friend, if possible. I don't have anyone local, but I do have a good friend in Florida who is also working on the same certification. We are both just a phone call or email away from helping one another. Remember, you are not in this alone.

A good method I am finding, was one that was recommended to me by a Cisco trainer in one of his daily emails. Paul Browning outlines the power of the 50:10:50 method (http://www.paulbrowning.com/featured/the-power-of-501050/ ).

Paul writes “If you have important tasks to complete, the one thing which really gets in the way is interruptions. They can be our own fault such as checking e-mails or going onto Facebook (for example) or exterior such as family and children interrupting us. The 50:10:50 method is for when you want to get something done. You block out 50 minutes where you will do nothing but the task. You take 10 minutes to rest or have a coffee and then you go back for the next 50 minute block of time. Then you finish.”

Now, Paul is not the author of this method, he just was passing it along, and I have found it works, at least for me. I was recently on vacation, and brought along my study materials (I know, you shouldn't do things like that!). Being up early in the morning, I put this method to use. I would crack open the book or videos, read/listen and take notes. Then when my 50 minutes were up, I would slip outside on the deck of our cabin, and watch the Loons call from the narrows, or watch the family of ducks come up and see what they could scrounge up from the grass. Then when my 10 minutes was up, it was back inside to finish up my second round of 50. Only time it didn't work was when I caught a blur out of the corner of my eye, and it was a chipmunk running up and down the deck rail, stopping to look into the windows. This little guy got the nickname of “commando” as he was fearless. Would take bread from the ducks, would run up and sit on your shoe and look up at you while on the deck. Cute little rodent!

For those of you interested in learning Cisco, Paul has a great site called How to Network (www.howtonetwork.net). Paul also commissioned a well known UK therapist to develop a self hypnosis audio that you can listen to before ending your studies. Supposedly it helps you retain more of the materials you just went over. I will have to try it for the CWNA exam and see if it works. Could be very useful!