From: John Jones (acer0001@gmail.com)
Date: Sun Feb 11 2007 - 19:15:36 ART
Congratulations! Sounds like it was a hard-earned number!
John
On 2/11/07, Jim White <jim.t.white@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Groupstudy,
>
> I took the Lab exam in Brussels last Monday and thankfully got my number -
> #17409. I have decided to make a lengthy post to this group so that people
> can hopefully benefit from it so read on if you are bored!
>
> Background:
> The whole process of getting my CCIE number started in 2005 when I decided
> it was the right time for me personally/professionally to pursue this. I
> passed the written in Jan 06 and then decided to spend a few months
> getting
> a rack of kit together. The real serious prep was probably the last 6
> months
> for me when I gave priority to it over just about everything else, so
> needless to say Christmas 2006 was not one for the scrapbook!!
>
> Materials Purchased:
> Personally I think there's no "Silver Bullet" for passing this exam, its a
> combination of good study practices, dedication, and a bit of composure
> and
> luck on the day. I decided to purchase the CoD and Lab Workbook from
> InternetworkExpert. I found the quality of these products to be excellent.
> What I will say about the guys @ IE is that they have an excellent
> structure/quality to their products and the free prep seminars from them
> are
> worth watching. I also attended a 2 week bootcamp in Germany with Heiko
> Groeger and Heinz Ulm. I felt this was one the best training courses I had
> ever taken because at the end of it you really felt you were much better
> prepared than before it. Also, Heinz/Heiko were absolute gentlemen to deal
> with. I dont want to be accused of shameless vendor plugging here so I
> want
> to also thank Scott, Anthony, Brad, Narbik etc from the other vendors for
> their excellent posts on this mailing list and I know their products are
> of
> equally excellent standing.
>
> The Exam Itself:
> I found the Brussels facility to be excellent, and the proctor (Steffan)
> was
> a friendly bloke, very approachable. The canteen was excellent, there was
> lots of soft drinks, fruit etc if you wanted them and I felt it was a
> suitable environment. There was lots of space to work with and the
> computer
> was brand new. I approached the proctor about 6 times during my exam and
> found him to be both friendly and fair on each occasion. In fact I spent
> the
> whole of lunch just chatting with the proctor about the horrible weather,
> the price of Guinness, etc etc..
>
> My 10 tips from my CCIE Lab Experience:
>
> 1 - Learn each technology individually, then move on to the complex
> scenarios. Know what's core and what can be quickly retrieved from the
> DocCD.
>
> 2 - Research the lab as much as possible. Find out where the testing
> center
> is the day before, talk to people who have taken the lab so that you know
> the format of the day (e.g. start time, lunch time, type of keyboard,
> terminal emulator etc). Take as much advice on board as possible and
> always
> think positive.
>
> 3 - READ THE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY!!! I am convinced that some questions are
> put there just to see if you can do what you are told like in school! I
> found the questions to be very clear and understandable, my policy was
> always - if its not asked then dont configure it and if you are unsure,
> check with the proctor that you have interpreted the question correctly.
>
> 4 - The DocCD is not only an excellent resource in the exam, its a skill
> in
> itself. From talking to other CCIEs I work with they found that "mastering
> the DocCD" to find answers has been of great value to them even in their
> work. On the Heinz Ulm bootcamp we had DocCd Challenges which were a good
> laugh.
>
> 5 - "Remember that overnight success normally takes about 15 years or 2.8
> attempts!!" - Heinz Ulm
>
> 6 - At the end of the day its only an exam. Try not to get distracted with
> evil Cisco thoughts or over thinking a requirement.
>
> 7 - A Home Lab with a terminal server is a great investment.
>
> 8 - Spare a thought for people who don't natively speak English, imagine
> what its like for them.
>
> 9 - Remember, everybody's different. What works for me may not work for
> someone else so make your own decisions on what vendors you choose, don't
> choose a vendor just because someone else liked their materials, research
> it
> for yourself and then decide.
>
> 10 - I think the lab exam itself is about 60% Technical Ability and 40%
> Mentality. Approach it in a confident (not arrogant) manner, and when
> approaching the proctor make sure its a question that you have thought
> through in some depth. Always try to stay calm and get lots of rest before
> the exam.
>
> Thanks to all the regular posters on this list. I think groupstudy is a
> very
> useful forum so thanks to Paul Borghese for maintaining it.
>
> The very best of luck to all of you pursuing the number. It will be worth
> it
> at the end of the long road when you login to the site at 3am and see your
> number displayed back at you!
>
> Jim White
> (Cork, Ireland)
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Subscription information may be found at:
> http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Thu Mar 01 2007 - 07:38:46 ART