From: Deepesh Chouhan (deepesh@cisco.com)
Date: Fri Aug 01 2003 - 19:17:41 GMT-3
Hey folks
Finally - CCIE # 12046 (On July 31st in San Jose)
Few common/not-so-common tips and thoughts
Top 5 requirements for clearing this exam
=========================================
- Practice
4-5/4-5 rule - last 4-5 weeks before exam -
4-5 hours a day. each day
Varies from person to person
- Time management and discipline
Your job, your weekends, your social needs
Your playstation, skiing, football :)
Keep your priorities straight
- Sound theoretical knowledge
No ... you can't clear this exam just by practicing
OSPF commands for 1000 hours. You should know
theory behind the protocols. That will help you
in filtering out possible solutions for a lab question
- Browsing/Searching skills on univerCD
Always refer to CD first.
- How to read English - CCIE has its own english.
Questions are never like "config this". Read between the
lines, but don't try to dig too deep and try to read
other side of the page
What i used
===========
Books - Jeff Doyle I and II, Solie, Halabi, UniverCD, Cisco docs
Practice workbook - IP expert WB 4.0
(pros) 1. lab 36
2. good website and forum
3. labs 19-35 difficulty level is good, but does not cover all topics
(cons) 1. Solution errors
2. Repitive stuff in some labs
3. labs 19-35 difficulty level is good, but does not cover all topics
Disclaimer : Personal opinion follows :)
1. Does it matter - number of attempts
======================================
<snip from msnbc.com>
Her husband and their 8-year-old son would sprint past her in a race to the
mountaintop, and Laurel Blair Clark would amble behind, absorbing each smell
and sight nature could offer in the hikes she loved to take. She knew the
journey was more important than the destination, - Jon Clark, husband of
Columbia shuttle astronaut Laurel Clark.
<snip>
My journey took me whole 3 years and 4 attempts. Earlier, like everyone else
i wanted to race to the mountain top.
But with time i started enjoying the journey. Countless hours of practice,
technology, geek talk, ospf-dreams :)
that was so much fun ... no wonder i feel clueless today :)
You are a CCIE ... no matter how many attempts you had ... my number is
12046 and not 12046-4.
And there is a reason for it.
- you can't clear this exam, just by taking it again and again. 1st attempt
or 5th attempt - you can clear it only if are technically sound, have tons
of practice, expert search skills and good speed
- For most of us preparing for the lab exam is not our full time job. We
have our primary jobs with its own needs, emergencies and diving catches.
Time management and prioritizing is a key.
In my case i used the first 2 attempts to test the waters. (for a 2-day lab
format and 1-day lab format)
If you are just too worried about CCIE lab ghost stories, AND if you can
afford it, remove the stress and anxiety by trying it out. My 3rd was close
... CCIE English killed it.
2. Why should I do CCIE
=======================
If you are not a CCIE does not mean that you don't know anything. On the
other hand, if you are CCIE, that does not mean that you know everything.
For CCIE lab, you are not supposed to know everything. You should be able to
find solutions within the time constraints. Then why do it ?
CCIE is quantifiable achievement - something which you can express in
words - where ever you go. It is something which everyone knows about. It
will "Atleast" help you in getting your foot in the door.
3. Are there too many CCIEs
===========================
We get lots of "too many ccies" "market is getting saturated" emails.
But i think people who are worried about it, are those, who want to be CCIE
"only" for money.
Money part is controlled by market economics of demand and supply.
CCIE is about knowledge and empowerment it brings. Money is one of them
For the records - the topic i hated most on this mailing list - People
cribbing about not getting their CCIE plaque.
Dude - people are trying to study here. I promise I won't do that :)
Thanks
Deepesh
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