From: Loc Pham (ccie17030@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Feb 11 2007 - 20:39:03 ART
Congratulation for a # well deserved, Jim...
Hey, look at a bright side, you are very lucky to
... burn only 1 Xmas ! Lot of us have a few to spares
;-)))
What is up now ? Security ?
lP.
--- 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)
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Thu Mar 01 2007 - 07:38:46 ART