CCIE R&S v4.0 results on as good as I hoped

All,

I just got back from the lab yesterday and I have to say the above comments
in this post are right on 100%. IMHO there are no more so called core and
non-core tasks! You have to now go into the lab with a nearly perfect
knowledge of EVERY THING on the blue print. In my past studies I focused
very hard on L2, L3 & some of the smaller topics like services (i.e. ntp,
drp, netflow, etc) I knew well, but knew where they were in the DocCD.
***YOU CAN NOT DO THIS NOW!!!!****. With out breaking NDA, lets say you
have a question in trouble shooting on what in the past was a Non-Core
topic. You DO NOT have time to go to the DocCD. You have to be able to
spit out any solution both Core and Non-Core and any tweek on it with out
looking at the DocCD.

I have worked on my company's IT Emergency Response Team for a number of
years now, and I have to say the way the new Trouble shooting section is
designed made me feel like I was in a ERT swarm session. The time limit and
the clock counting down adds a TON of pressure!!! The only thing that was
missing was a VP, and CIO standing over my shoulder with a upset look on
their face!!!

I will agree with what everything people are saying about the Trouble
shooting Section. The question are VERY vague, but in my experience this is
the type of trouble tickets I get at work. Typically I get tickets from my
NOC that say network node "X" is unreachable, and that is ALL that is in the
ticket. I think the CCIE team must have asked customers for copies of there
NOC tickets and emulated them in the exam. This new Trouble Shooting
section really raises the bar and the focus on the CCIE exam. This is not
my first attempt at the lab, and I will say it is totally different that the
V3 lab.

I feel we all have to shift the way we study in order to pass the new exam.
I would not say memorize the Non-core tasks but learn them just as well as
core tasks. Focus on the Blue Print VERY VERY hard. If it is on the Blue
Print know it 125% If you see it on the Blue print you have to be able to
spit out every thing on the subject with out the DocCD for any help!!!

OEQ - Same old stuff, nothing new here. But I feel with the new Trouble
shooting section it is now pointless and a waist of time.

Config section - Just like every one has said, there are less sections, but
more tasks in each section. So basically the same old lab in a 5.5 hour
session. No time for the DocCD if you need help. You have to be in a rush
the whole lab. I really recommend that everyone goes any buys a stop watch
and start timing your config sections and find ways to shorten your time on
every study section.

My results - I dont have the official results yet, but I already know I
failed. I was not able to get enough trouble tickets done by the time
limit. I did the math and knew I did not reach the ~80% to pass. When
the clock hit and I knew I did not pass the TS it took me nearly 30 min to
pick my self up and continue on with the config section. Knowing that the
rest of my day was basically a waist of my time, I found it VERY hard to
bring myself to go through the pain of the rest of the lab, when I knew it
was in vain.

I am going to go back to study and shift my focus, and try again in maybe 6
or 9 months. Service Provider here I come!!!

I hope this helps everyone out there, and good luck!!!

Chris

Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net
Received on Sat Oct 31 2009 - 11:15:36 ART