Customer Reviews

CCSA Next Generation Check Point( tm) Certified Security Administrator Study Guide (Exam 156-210)

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The one thing that I do with *all* of my certification exams is to condense the reference materials down to a 40-50 page study guide that I use for myself. It was no different with this book. If I fail the exam, I make sure to remember what I had trouble with so that I can go back to the book, look up the topics at hand, put it into my study guide, study further and pass the exam. This has been a flawless method thus far.

With this exam, I was completely lost the first time through, although I only failed by about two questions out of 75; so I went back through the book to read up on the topics that gave me problems. It turns out that some of the topics that are covered in the exam are not mentioned **anywhere** in this book.

This book claims 100% coverage. I think that the authors need to be legally cited for false advertising, because this book in NO way provides 100% coverage. By my estimate, it provides perhaps 65-75% coverage. I had to fill in the gaps by using the FireWall-1 administration manual and the Internet, since I could not find anything in the book!

Additionally, few of the ExamSim questions on the CD-ROM were relevant to the exam; however, the format of the ExamSim is nothing like the actual exam. The actual exam is a combination of multipe choice, multiple answer, and "select the best answer for the given scenario" with network diagrams and rule base examples. The ExamSim was 100% text-based, multiple choice ONLY and **in no way** was accurate to how the actual exam is presented.

At least my company reimbursed me for the purchase. I do feel badly because my company wasted the test fee on my first failed exam. Had the authors of this book not lied about its "100% coverage" and had the ExamSim been accurate as to how the exams are really delievered, I might have passed and my company might not have lost that exam fee.

In short, do not use this book except as a supplement to real experience and actual Check Point material. If you rely solely on this book to pass your exam, you're doomed to fail.

According to my understanding, The Certtrainer & ExamSim CR-ROM does not contain lab simulations and CBT software as advertised on front and back hardcover page.

The CCSA study guide is a good, but not perfect training guide for the CCSA exam.

As others have noted, this should not be one's sole guidebook for any type of exam preparation.

As to the book's claim of `100% Coverage', it does cover all of the major subject requirements for the exam. But this coverage can be scanty at times.

The book comes with a CD-ROM that includes an HTML version of the book and test preparation software. The software tests are simply Q&A repeats from the book itself. With that, the CD-ROM does give the potential test taker a real-world feel for the test.

Overall, the book is a good supplement to the Check Point documentation and other on-line resources. It should be not used as the sole guide for the test, since it is not comprehensive enough for that. That is not a knock for the book, but simply a reality since the test is far too broad to be covered in depth in a single book.

Overall, a very good study guide, but make sure to cross-reference it with other materials.

It is a good book for beginners. However, the part of NAT is not easy to read. The steps are not shown in details. If the author can show a real example from the installation, create a firwall object to antispoofing like Microsoft Press. I think it will become a bible of checkpoint firewall.

Checkpoint added a lot of new questions into the CCSA NG examinations. The questions are very good. It can fully test your practical knowledge. I got only 64. The passing marks was 69. So this book cannot provide a full pictures for the new requirments.

I noticed the other comments on this book and wonder, what sections are missing from this book? I am getting ready to take the exam and want first pass results.

I just finished reading cover to cover using SIMS, in-depth reviews and some labs (called exercises). Previous/current CPT NG exp., I produced and reported 9 errors (text or SIM-exams) within 2-3 hours (especially in NAT and authentication). I am sure I could have found more but I did not want to QA all night.
Use caution on what is written and what is shown in the examples, it could make the difference in a right answer and wrong answer.

A typically exam study guide should cover all of the exam objectives.

Based on the comments from others here, looks like I will have to get another book just to make sure I pass on first try.

This book probably not a total waste of money because there IS good content in this book, but it irks me that we pay full price for so-so material and still have to buy another book to study from too.

I sat through this exam and passed. If this book had been my only reference I probably would not have been successful. Fortunately I have other materials and hands on experience. The exam presented detailed questions about topics that were not even glanced over in the book.

I was hoping the CD would be useful. The CD is complete garbage. The audio is supposed to cover key exam points for use while in your car or what have you. Unfortunately, the audio tracks were composed of someone reading the two paragraph chapter summaries which isn't very helpful. There is a CBT review of sorts but it was watered down. It had very limited usefulness. I think that was what the cover refered to as the "Interactive tutorial". I had really been looking forward to the part of the CD that provided "lab simulations [that] give hands on experience". Guess what folks, it doesn't exist or at least I couldn't find it. Were they lying on the cover of the book? I really don't know. You'll have to decide for yourself.

I came across this book few months ago when I needed to get more insight on Checkpoint. It turned out to be an excellent investment. The CD alone is worth far more than the book. The knowledge I have acquired in the book helped me to upgrade my knowledge in Checkpoint.
Dr. Israel King, MCSE, MCDBA, CIW, MBA, Ph.D. Teacher, writer. Author of How To Keep A Man

I picked this one up recently and found that the coverage, while lacking in one or two areas, was decent. I used it, along with the other Syngress book on Check Point, and was very prepared for the exam. IMO this is not a bad purchase, and will help you in your studies.

This book is totally false advertisement. I sent email to the pulisher for an explanation and never got a reply. The CD-ROM doesn't cover lab simulations and only 64 instead of 250 questions as advertised on the from and back cover. It doesn't cover much detail for every topic in the book which should be rate as INTRODUCTION to CCSA NG in user level.