From: Jason Sinclair (sinclairj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Date: Tue May 07 2002 - 00:17:51 GMT-3
I would also add that a main part of your strategy should be to keep your
configurations manageable. Keep them neat and tidy, put comments and
descriptions in if that helps you and keep them maintained. Think about a
production network. You tend to keep your configs pretty clean, whereas in
your practice labs who cares if they are a mess? Well what i have seen a lot
of people do is treat the CCIE like a practice lab rather than a production
network and their configs look like a dog's breakfast. For me this was the
most important strategy.
And to also define strategy, Jay is absolutely right - it is a game plan for
taking the test.
Cheers,
Jason Sinclair CCIE #9100
Manager, Network Control Centre
POWERTEL
Ground Level, 55 Clarence Street,
SYDNEY NSW 2000
AUSTRALIA
office: + 61 2 8264 3820
mobile: + 61 416 105 858
* sinclairj@powertel.com.au
-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Hennigan [mailto:jay@west.net]
Sent: Tuesday, 7 May 2002 12:33
To: Nick Shah
Cc: ccielab@groupstudy.com
Subject: Re: OT : Whats Strategy ?
On Tue, 7 May 2002, Nick Shah wrote:
> I have heard a lot of people who attempt the lab come back
and say, they
> knew everything, but lacked strategy. Strategy is probably
the third factor
> (after of course the obvious ones, like not knowing enough
and time) making
> a difference between *making* it or *breaking* it.
>
> What exactly is the strategy ?
>
> * Is it the skill to read between the lines (as to what
the Q in the lab
> says) and determine a solution
I would say that this is part of a good strategy. Having a
study partner
and developing scenarios and questions can help here. The
strategic part
is, from the wording of the question, determining what the
exam writer
is asking for, specifically. Practice in developing
scenario questions
that you run by another person (or this list) will help to
get you "inside
the head" of an exam writer.
> * Or is it knowing all the relevant ways (official
standard IOS ways ) of
> doing a thing ? ( I call it ways to change a light bulb :)
This isn't what I would call strategy. It's knowledge.
Look for the
zinger out of left field that isn't necessarily "official
standard" as
well. I mean, people don't really put question marks in
hostnames or
filter networks with the third octet divisible by four, do
they?
> * Or is it absolute understanding of topics on hand ?
(well, I think this is
> required for core topics, but hell I dont seem to agree
that every CCIE out
> there would claim to have absolute understanding or even
closer to it for
> obscure topics)
Nope. Not strategy, but certainly one way to improve your
chances of
passing, and practically impossible for most humans.
> * I have seen really knowledgeable people (not just
claims, but they have
> exhibited it as well) failing the lab due to this reason
...
I would list strategy as a combination of the following:
* Being able to read between the lines of the questions.
* Time management skills.
* Point management/test taking skills. Similar to time
management but
with a different philosophy. Determine from the test what
points you
can get quickly, what high point items will take more
time, what the
dependencies are. Example: If I can't get section three
working, then
I'll lose all of section four because four depends on
three. Even though
three has a low point value, it's worth extra time because
of the
dependency.
* Know how to search the CD, and when to. Do you go to the
CD as soon as
you're stuck on something (probably not the best choice),
or first get
as many points as possible, then go to the CD for
something that has
dependencies, has high point value, or your solution is
working but it
doesn't seem to be what the question asks for.
* Knowing when to ask the proctor for clarification and how
to phrase
the question to show that you know how to solve it but are
trying to
resolve ambiguities in the question. How can I ask this
to get the
biggest hint or ensure I'm on the right path without the
appearance
of asking for the answer?
Strategy in the lab is very close to what is often called
"gamesmanship".
--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Administration -
jay@west.net
NetLojix Communications, Inc. - http://www.netlojix.com/
WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323
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