Roger Redding Study Guide 2013

What the Roger Redding Study Guide 2013 Actually Is

The Roger Redding Study Guide 2013 is essentially a condensed review resource for IT certification candidates, mainly targeting network and security related exams. It was designed to cut through textbook fluff and focus on what you actually need to know to pass. The material is organized by topic, with practice questions interspersed throughout. It's not a replacement for deep study, but it works well as a secondary resource when you already have a foundation. I used it back when I was prepping for my own certs. The layout is straightforward but the density of information in each section means you can't skim it. Some topics get two pages. Others get ten. The distribution isn't always fair to the exam blueprint, so cross-reference with the official objectives.

How to Use Roger Redding Study Guide 2013 Effectively

Start by taking a full-length practice test before opening the guide. This tells you where your gaps are. Then go chapter by chapter, focusing on the topics you missed. Don't read everything passively. Write down anything that surprises you. The guide includes answer explanations for practice questions, and some of those explanations contain the actual learning points you need. Read them carefully rather than just checking if you got it right or wrong. One thing I ran into that tripped me up: the 2013 edition still references some older RFCs and deprecated configuration syntax. If you're studying for an exam that has since updated its objectives, a few of those questions are misleading. I found the workaround by keeping the official exam outline open in a separate window and flagging anything that didn't match current material. That took maybe twenty minutes total but saved me from memorizing something irrelevant.

Practical Worked Example

Say you're reviewing the subnetting section. The guide walks through a /28 subnet question. You get it wrong on the first try because you forgot the block size for /28 is 16, not 32. Instead of just looking at the answer, go back and work through three more examples on your own without the guide nearby. That's where the actual retention happens. The explanation in the guide is useful, but the practice without the book is what locks it in. I also noticed that the guide's practice questions tend to lean slightly harder than the actual exam in some areas, especially around security protocols. Don't let that discourage you. It's better to be over-prepared on the hard stuff than under-prepared on the easy stuff. But don't spend more than an hour on any single topic unless your baseline test score shows you're below 60% on it.

Where It Falls Short

The biggest limitation is that it doesn't cover hands-on lab scenarios. If your exam includes performance-based questions or practical configuration tasks, this guide won't prepare you for that. You'll need a lab environment or simulation tool alongside it. I used a home lab with Packet Tracer and GNS3 to fill that gap. Another weakness is that some of the diagrams are low resolution and hard to interpret on a phone or tablet. Print it out or view it on a monitor if possible. The guide also doesn't explain the "why" behind every concept. It assumes you've already done the heavy reading elsewhere. If you're starting from zero, pair it with a more comprehensive textbook or video course. It's a supplement, not a standalone solution. If you're looking for a download, the original PDF circulated widely on study forums years ago. Search for the full title along with the year to find the most complete version. Make sure the file hasn't been altered or watermarked excessively. A clean copy is worth more than a annotated one that cuts off pages.