2011 Cisco NetRiders EMEA National Competitions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Transcription

1 2011 Cisco NetRiders EMEA National Competitions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) NOTE: This FAQ includes some generic answers for the National NetRiders competitions in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) for 2011 that lead up to the EMEA International NetRiders Competition being held on July 6, It is the responsibility of each Contestant to read the Terms and Conditions that are available for their specific national NetRiders. The Terms and Conditions (official rules) are something students click to accept when they enroll in the competition and a PDF of these can be found on the competition page they have access to after they register. Cisco Area Academy Managers and Technical Managers have copies of the Terms and Conditions to share with Instructors as needed/requested. WHO Q. Who is eligible to participate in Cisco NetRiders national competition? A. Below is a typical list of eligibility requirements for a national NetRiders competition in EMEA countries in 2011: Any Cisco Networking Academy student who meets all of the following criteria: (a) is a currently, validly enrolled Cisco Networking Academy student or former Cisco Networking Academy student who was validly enrolled in a CCNA Discovery or CCNA Exploration course within the 6-9 months prior to the Competition start date (see individual competition rules for actual months as it varies depending on proximity to International competition); (b) who is at least 18 years of age by December 31, 2011; (c) who provides a valid Academy Connection username and valid Academy Connection ID number when registering; (d) who has network access that supports participation; (e) who is a resident or is currently enrolled in a Cisco Networking Academy in the country or countries of that particular competition. Q: Who CANNOT participate in NetRiders? A: Individuals are NOT eligible for participation if they i) have an instructor role; ii) are direct or subcontracted employees at Cisco or are subsidiaries, agents, promotion partners, or affiliates; iii) are employees or inside contractors for Cisco iv) have immediate relatives that meet any of these conditions. WHAT Q. What is the Cisco Networking Academy NetRiders National Competition? A. An interactive IT/Networking skills competition that will take place in multiple countries in Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Russia & CIS, Middle East and Africa. Top scores from the national competitions will be invited to compete in the EMEA International NetRiders Competition on July 6, All contents Copyright 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 1 of 9

2 Q. What is the goal of the competition? A. To create a fun, educational challenge for students to compete with their peers in a real-time environment to showcase their IT/Networking skills. In addition, NetRiders helps to identify top talent for potential employment opportunities. Q. What type of material is covered in the competition? A: The theoretical exam focuses on CCNA-level knowledge and skills. The questions are based on the contents of CCNA Discovery (1-4), and CCNA Exploration (1-4), and are CCNA certification oriented which covers networking fundamentals, WAN technologies, basic security and wireless concepts, routing and switching fundamentals, and configuring simple networks. Please check the Cisco Learning Network for detailed skills information In addition, there is an integrated Packet Tracer activity and exam consisting of multiple-choice single and multiple answer items. (For the latest version of Packet Tracer, visit: e/english/generic_site_areas/library/course_catalog/ptcacheinclude.html) Q. What is the Enrolment Key? A. The Enrolment Key is needed to register for NetRiders. Students must obtain the key from their Networking Academy instructor. Instructors should have received the key in communications sent to them by their Cisco Academy Training Center (CATC). If not, the instructor can send an to the contact for their country with their Academy Connection instructor ID, academy and country to receive the key. These s can be found on the Contact Us page on Q. What is the process to compete? A. The interactive competition will take place in multiple phases: REGISTRATION Every Contestant must login a profile on the NetRiders site at and then enroll in a competition. PRACTICE ROUND An online activity prior to the actual competition that allows Contestants to test login, equipment and understand how the exam process works. This is usually open during registration and each registrant will have up to three (3) opportunities to take the practice activity. Please note that some national competitions have specific dates for the Practice Test. Dates are available on the competition page once you enroll in the competition. COMPETITION PERIOD: Consists of two 60 minute exams. A 100 question theoretical exam and a Cisco Packet Tracer activity and 15 question exam. Most national NetRiders will take place in a proctored environment on one specific date. Some national competitions will ask Contestants to log in to a free Cisco Webex session for the duration of the contest to participate in a LIVE presentation. Specific guidelines for each national NetRiders can be found in the Terms and Conditions on that competition page. All contents Copyright 2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 9

3 ELIGIBILITY Q. What is an eligible CCNA Discovery or CCNA Exploration course? A. Eligible CCNA Discovery courses are: Networking for Home and Small Businesses Working at a Small-to-Medium Business or ISP Introducing Routing and Switching in the Enterprise Designing and Supporting Computer Networks Eligible CCNA Exploration courses are: Network Fundamentals Routing Protocols and Concepts LAN Switching and Wireless Accessing the WAN Q. Can a student be enrolled in a CCNA Security or CCNP course and still be eligible to compete? A. Yes, but only if the student is either currently enrolled or was recently enrolled in a CCNA Discovery or CCNA Exploration course within the 6, 7, 8, or 9 month rule listed within the Eligibility requirements listed in Section 1 of the Terms and Conditions for their national competition. Q. Why do national competitions have different course requirement timeframes of having taken a course within the last 6, 7, 8 or 9 months? A. National competitions for 2011 are taking place between March and June Most national competitions will select students to advance to the EMEA International NetRiders Competition on July 6, The course eligibility requirement for the EMEA International NetRiders is 9 months. Therefore, depending on how close the national NetRiders competition is to the International competition will determine whether it is 6, 7, 8, or 9 months for the national competition. Q. What if my national NetRiders competition has a lower age eligibility than 18 years of age by December 31, 2011? A. Some countries decide to offer their national NetRiders to students who are under 18 years of age. Those students may compete in the national competition and be eligible for any prizes. But to be invited to advance to the EMEA International NetRiders on July 6, 2011 the eligibility requirement for that competition is 18 years of age by December 31, Q. Can a participant have both a student and instructor role and be eligible to participate? A. No, if anyone holds an instructor role in Academy Connection, they are not eligible to participate in NetRiders competitions. REGISTRATION Q. Where do students register? A. All registration is done online at All contents Copyright 2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 3 of 9

4 Q: How do I register for the competition? (written to share with students) A: Follow these instructions to register for NetRiders: Step 1: Obtain an enrolment key from your instructor. You must have an enrolment key to participate. (NOTE: Instructors will have received the Enrolment Key in communications sent directly to them through Academy Connection, from a CATC or their Cisco AAM.) Step 2: Students will need to go to and select Europe, Middle East, and Africa 2011 Step 3: Each competitor must login using their Academy Connection username and password. (NOTE: If a student is new to the site NetRiders competition site, create a new account by reviewing the pre-populated information and submitting all required information as instructed. If returning to the site, registrants must put in their NetRiders Compete site username and password. This will be done only one time to sync your Academy Connection username and password with your Competition Site profile. After that, Academy Connection username and password will be used to login moving forward.) Step 4: Agree to the Terms and Conditions. Step 5: Type in the Enrolment Key (contact your instructor for key) Competitors will now be enrolled in the Competition. Q: Can instructors register their students in the competition? A: No, each student must register their own profile on the site and then use the Enrolment Key to register. During this process they have to click to accept the legal terms and conditions of the competition which is why each student must register for themselves. (NOTE: We encourage instructors to have their students register using school computers because if there are any firewall or proxy setting issues accessing the site we want to troubleshoot them before the competition day.) Q: I am having issues registering on the site. What can I do? A: There could be a number of reasons you cannot register. If you are not a current student or recent alumni, the site will not allow you to register because you do not meet the eligibility requirements. If you do meet eligibility requirements and still have issues: 1. Clear your cookies and cache and try again especially if you are using Internet Explorer 8 2. Try another browser such as FireFox or Chrome 3. Check with your academy to see if there is a proxy or firewall that is blocking your access 4. Try to register from a different location other than your school and if that works, talk with your school about firewall issues because you will need access for the competition 5. If you are still having issues, please send a screenshot of the problem along with the Internet browser name and version number and a description of the problem to [email protected]. Please include your full name, Academy Connection username, the name of the competition you are registering for and the Internet browser and version number along with the operating system you are using. All contents Copyright 2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 4 of 9

5 Q: Will there be an opportunity for a Practice Test before the actual competition? A: Yes, normally open during registration (but can vary per national competition), participants will have the opportunity to take a Practice Test to become familiar with the log-in process and competition site. Each registrant can take the practice test up to three (3) times. We also have set up a Practice Site that instructors and students can access anytime. Q: Will I be able to see my scores on the individual questions on the Practice Test? A: No, we do not let you know whether your answer was correct or incorrect. In addition, we will not provide a final score for the Practice Test and your answers do not count toward your competition score. Q: What is the purpose of the Practice Test? A: The purpose of this Practice Test is solely to familiarize Contestants with the Competition site and format prior to the Competition Exam Period, test downloading and opening Packet Tracer files, and to test for any firewall or proxy setting issues. We strongly encourage contestants to complete this Practice Test on the computer and Internet connection which they plan to use for the actual competition. Q: How can students and instructors access the Practice Site? A: The Practice Site is accessible from the bottom of the home page post-login. Under the Competition Categories there is a link titled Practice Sites. You will need to enroll in the Practice Site and the enrolment key is available in the summary block on that page. Q: What is on the Practice Site? A: The Practice Site has two exam samples that can be accessed and taken. The first is a theoretical exam with multiple choice, fill-in, matching, etc, questions. It also includes a PT file that you will have to download and open in Packet Tracer but does not require configuration. The second exam is the PT Activity Exam where you download some PT files and complete configurations using Packet Tracer. Q: Why should I register on the Practice Site? A: While you get to see the types of questions that you will be asked in the competitions, the main reasons to register and take the exams on the Practice Site are to test the following in preparation for your Competition day: Bandwidth Graphics and Image viewing Firewall and proxy settings Packet Tracer files downloading, viewing and configuring All contents Copyright 2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 5 of 9

6 Q: Does it matter from where I access the Practice Site? A: We strongly recommend that you take the exams on the Practice Site at least one time from the computer and location (testing Internet, bandwidth, image or graphics loading and firewall settings) that you will use for the competition. We also recommend that this is done a few weeks before your competition day to allow time for your instructor or IT department to troubleshoot and fix any issues identified. COMPETITION ROUND Q. When will the Competition be held? A. Please see individual competition sites, Terms and Conditions or communications in regards to the exact dates and times for your national NetRiders competition. Contestants must login and complete the competition from beginning to end within the official times for your national competition. Q. Where do I go to compete? A. The competition is usually held in a proctored environment, normally your academy classroom proctored by your instructor. Some national competitions are held at one location and all participants are asked to meet at that location. Some national competitions will ask Contestants to log in to a free Cisco Webex session for the duration of the contest to participate in a LIVE presentation. Specific guidelines for each national NetRiders can be found in the Terms and Conditions on that competition page. (See Terms and Conditions for specific details for your country). Q. What is the format? A. Contestants will have two separate 60 minute exams. The first 60 minute exam is a 100 question theoretical exam consisting of multiple choice, fill in, and matching questions. The second 60 minute exam includes Packet Tracer files that will need to be downloaded to the computer and configured and then a 15 question exam based on the PT activities. Q. What is the instructor s role? A. The instructor will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following: proctoring the online exam during the exact scheduled date and time ensuring that equipment is running and that students can access the website ensuring that the most current version of Packet Tracer 5.3.x is installed on the students PC (as of March 25, 2011 the most current version is 5.3.2) acting as the proctor to verify all rules and time requirements are adhered to ensure that no external aids are used for the exams or Packet Tracer activity Q. Is proctoring required for a national NetRiders competition? A. Most national NetRiders competitions do require proctoring by either a Networking Academy Instructor or a Cisco employee. Students and Instructors are responsible to read the Terms and Conditions for their national NetRiders to see if they have this requirement. If proctoring is required, Cisco may contact instructors or students for proof and if sufficient proof is not provided, students may be disqualified from the competition. All contents Copyright 2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 6 of 9

7 Q. How do students compete? A. During the Competition date and times, students login to the competition page and click on the links to access the two exams. Detailed instructions are provided on the competition page. Each exam is 60 minutes and the time begins once you enter the exam password and click the OK button. The exam passwords will be available to participants once they click each exam link. Participants may not pause the exam once they have started it. Participants should use the save without submitting button as they work through the exams. They will be able to review their answers and make changes as long as they have time left. Q. How is the competition scored? A. Both exams are scored automatically on the competition site. The competition admin will add the scores for each exam together to come up with the overall performance score. Q. Can students or instructors see which questions were answered correctly or what the correct answer was if answered incorrectly? A. No, we do not provide any details on whether questions were answered correctly or incorrectly. Nor do we provide what the correct answer is if answered incorrectly. PRIZES Q. What are the prizes? A. They can vary per competition, but in general most EMEA 2011 national competition prizes are: 1 st Place the Selected Contestant with the highest score will receive a Flip SlideHD 16GB 4 Hour Video Camera (ARV: US $229.99) and a FlipShare TV (ARV: US$99.99). Total ARV: $ nd Place the Selected Contestant with the second highest score will receive a Flip SlideHD 16GB 4 Hour Video Camera. Total ARV: $ rd Place Subject to applicable terms and conditions, the Selected Contestant with the third highest score will receive a Flip Mino HD 4GB 1 Hour Video Camera. Total ARV: $ Q. How will the prize winners be determined? A. They can vary per competition, but in general for EMEA 2011 national competitions, the top three (3) scores will be determined by adding together the Exam score and the PT Activity Exam score to reach an overall Performance Score. Q. How will the prize winners be notified? A. Winners will be notified via on or before the date as listed in the Terms and Conditions. In addition, the winners names, academy names, and rankings will be posted on the competition site. All contents Copyright 2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 7 of 9

8 MISCELLANEOUS Q: How much does it cost to participate in this competition? A: Registration and participation in the NetRiders competitions is free of charge. Q: Why should I register using my academy s computer rather than my personal computer? A: Some school s block Internet access to websites. To ensure that your academy s computer is able to access the competition site, we encourage all students to register and take the practice test from their academy s computers to allow IT departments to modify proxy or firewall settings before the competition dates. Q. Are the events timed? A. Yes. Once a participant logs into the competition site and launches the exam, a timer will appear which counts down the remaining time. (See the Terms and Conditions for specific details.) Q. What happens if the online system freezes? A. The competition site will remember how much time remains. If there is a technical issue, please immediately send an with a description of the issue to the contact listed right on the competition page for that national competition. This should include a detailed description of the issue, the competitor s full name and username, their academy and country. NOTE: NetRiders administrators can tell when exams were accessed, by whom and for how long. Students can restart with the amount of time remaining. Q. Is there a test site for Instructors? A. Yes, we do provide an example competition for instructors to be able to view the different types of questions asked and to download and test the Packet Tracer file samples typical of what their students will experience in the NetRiders Competition. We encourage instructors to check this out at least a few weeks before the competition day so they can work with their IT departments if they notice any issues participating in an exam using their school s computers and firewall settings. Q. What other equipment steps should students or instructors take to make sure they are ready for the competition date? A. The Practice Test and the Practice Site allow students to test downloading a Packet Tracer file to make sure there are not any firewall issues and that Packet Tracer is installed on the computer they will be using for the competition. However, even though that test can be successful, when they open the Packet Tracer Activity Exam, they may come across other issues with the PTA or PKA files. Therefore, we recommend the following checks with instructors and IT departments: 1. Old install files of past versions of Packet Tracer on the machines. (Instructors or some IT departments have not read the alerts with full instructions on what to do when installing from v 4 to v 5. If these instructions are not followed completely, this can cause a sporadic problem where some files do work and others do not.) All contents Copyright 2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 8 of 9

9 2. If 5 or 10 participants decide to take the exams at the same time, some school firewalls will see an identical file download as a threat or a game. It is important for instructors to check with their IT departments on what is or is not going to go through and ways they can plan for the competition with multiple users. 3. Some schools have not answered the questions on the install as it first boots up or they are using a registry program that sets Packet Tracer (PT) up to go back to the default settings therefore causing an issue for files that PT can open or not. 4. Some firewalls block PTA files but not PKA files and therefore some work fine while others do not. Again, check with IT departments to test both sets of files. Q. How can students practice their skills prior to the competition? A. Students who have passed a core Cisco Networking Academy course are eligible to register as Alumni in Academy Connection where they will have access to Course Materials (Alumni Home Page) for courses they passed. Cisco Learning Network also provides study resource materials that are available to anyone with an account (free signup). Q. What are the potential reasons for a competitor to be disqualified from participating in Cisco NetRiders? A. Cisco reserves the right to disqualify any Contestant for any breach of the Terms and Conditions. In particular, Contestants should note the following reasons disqualification may occur: Failure to meet all eligibility requirements Failure to be currently or recently enrolled in a CCNA Discovery or CCNA Exploration course as outlined in Section 1 of the Terms and Conditions Enrolling in more than one national competition Failure to be proctored during Competition Period (if Terms and Conditions state that proctoring is required) Failure to provide proctoring Instructor contact information if asked by Sponsor Cheating, plagiarizing, engaging in any deception, or unfair playing practices Holds an Instructor Academy Connection ID number or Instructor role in Academy Connection, even if you also hold a valid Student ID number See Terms and Conditions for complete details Q. Who do I contact if I have any further questions? A. Please be sure to read the Terms and Conditions document in its entirety. Feel free to submit any questions to the contact that is provided on the competition page or the Contact Us page for your national competition. If you cannot find a contact for your national NetRiders, you can send an to [email protected]. You need to include your full name, country, academy name, and Academy Connection username along with your detailed question. Failure to provide all of the above details may cause a delayed response. All contents Copyright 2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 9 of 9