Cisco CCIE - Exam Preparation Exam Preparation Written Exam Lab Exam Practice Labs CIM Training Index of Exam Numbers CCIE Exam Preparation 1. Preparing for the Qualification and Lab Exams 2. Exam Structure 3. Preparing for the written Qualification exam 4. Preparing for your Lab exam 5. Taking the Exam 1. Preparing for the Qualification and Lab Exams Preparing for your CCIE exams is a very individual process. How you get ready for the tests depends on your past work experience, training, and time available. Here are some suggestions that may help you prepare more effectively. 2. Exam Structure There are several different CCIE certification tracks to choose from: Routing and Switching, Communications and Services, or Security. CCIE candidates need to choose one of the above tracks and successfully pass both the qualification exam and the lab exam. The written and lab exams test different types of knowledge. The qualification exam is a 2 hour multiple choice computer based exam. It is available worldwide at Cisco authorized testing centers. Once a CCIE candidate has successfully passed the qualification exam, they can then proceed to book and attempt the lab exam. This lab exam is a 2 day hands-on practical exam and is offered http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/exam_preparation/preparation.html (1 of 5) [5/6/2001 6:19:20 PM] Cisco CCIE - Exam Preparation only at selected Cisco locations worldwide. 3. Preparing for the written Qualification exam The written qualification exam concentrates on theoretical knowledge about networking, although some knowledge of Cisco equipment commands is also required. The CCIE Qualification exams are administered by Cisco authorized testing centers in many locations around the world. The key skill required to pass the CCIE Qualification exams is knowledge absorption and recall. The most useful preparation resources are the recommended reading list and networking theory training courses for each track. Review the recommended reading lists and networking theory training courses for each track as well as sample questions for each track: ❍ Routing and Switching ❍ Communications and Services ❍ Security Keep in mind the reading list is only suggested - you may have other books or references that cover the same material. 4. Preparing for your CCIE Lab exam The hands-on lab exam emphasizes Cisco equipment command knowledge and network troubleshooting skills. In order to schedule time in a CCIE Preparation Lab or to schedule the CCIE Lab exam itself, you must first pass the Qualification exam. There is a time limit between passing the written qualification exam and attempting the Lab exam. Review the exam policies before scheduling any of the examinations. What makes the lab exam different from the written exam and many other certification programs is that merely "knowing" the correct command is not enough - you need to be able to get it working in a timed test situation. As a result, a successful exam preparation strategy focuses on http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/exam_preparation/preparation.html (2 of 5) [5/6/2001 6:19:20 PM] Cisco CCIE - Exam Preparation experience and self-practice with Cisco equipment. Your preparation strategy for the lab exam should consider three things: your current level of work experience, your training level, and your available time and equipment options for self-study. What makes CCIE lab exam preparation challenging is that the relative strengths of these three areas are different for each person attempting the exam. Experience There is no actual requirement regarding work experience before taking the CCIE exam. However, passing the lab exam requires a considerable depth of understanding of Cisco equipment and general networking. This understanding is difficult to get except with hands-on experience in a work situation. As part of your preparation, you will probably determine that your experience is high in some areas, whereas other areas will require more training or study to make up for a lower level of experience. . Training CCIE is not a training-based certification. While there is a suggested list of Cisco courses for each CCIE certification track, no specific training is required for any of the CCIE exams. In fact, training alone is generally insufficient to pass the CCIE Lab exam. However, training can help strengthen weak areas and expose you to key topics. You http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/exam_preparation/preparation.html (3 of 5) [5/6/2001 6:19:20 PM] Cisco CCIE - Exam Preparation can then work on these topics in more detail as part of your self-study. Self-Study Self-study for the CCIE Lab exam is probably the single most important factor determining success or failure. The CCIE lab exam is a practical exam - your self-study must be practical as well. Passing the CCIE lab exam requires knowledge of the Cisco command set and a facility with using the commands that only comes with repeated practice in different scenarios. A prerequisite for this study, and a stumbling block for many candidates, is equipment to practice on. One of the first steps in your preparation should be arranging access to a mix of equipment suitable for your exam. An equipment list for each exam is available for review for each examination: ❍ Routing and Switching ❍ Communications and Services ❍ Security Familiarity with the structure of the Cisco documentation, specifically the command reference manuals and the configuration guides is another important element for CCIE Lab exam preparation. The exam assumes that you can configure the more common protocols and technologies with little need to check documentation. For less common topics the Cisco Documentation CD and the standard Cisco documentation set in hardcopy will be available in the exam lab. Since time is a critical factor in the exam, the ability to find a command directly with minimal searching will pay off during the lab exam. One way of organizing your self-study is to take each section of the configuration guide (BGP, for example), develop a scenario to test that topic, and then try to add in as many commands from that section as possible into your scenario. This provides insight into relationships between commands that aren't always obvious from merely reading the documentation. Checking related debugging commands for each section at the same time is also useful. http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/exam_preparation/preparation.html (4 of 5) [5/6/2001 6:19:20 PM] Cisco CCIE - Exam Preparation Another aspect of self-study is timing. Since facility and familiarity with both commands and documentation are vital, you should time your preparation so that your most intense period of study occurs just before taking the lab exam. Otherwise, you may find your ability to quickly recall key commands and get them working will start to degrade. 5. Taking the Exam Now that you've done your preparation and you're ready to take the CCIE lab exam, here are some suggestions to make taking the exam a little less stressful: ❍ If you're traveling to take the exam, arrive the day before and check the route from the hotel to the exam site. ❍ Don't book yourself on a flight close to the end of the second day of the exam - the test can run overtime. ❍ Most of the exam involves building a network to a specification. If you aren't sure what the specification requires, ask the lab engineer/proctor for clarification. ❍ There are many rumors circulating about the CCIE exam. If you can't find a satisfactory answer on the CCIE Web page, contact the CCIE Program Coordinator for your region: North and South America: ccie@cisco.com Europe, Middle East and Africa: ccie_emea@cisco.com Asia and the Pacific Rim: ccie_apt@cisco.com All contents are Copyright © 1992 2001 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Important Notices and Privacy Statement. http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/exam_preparation/preparation.html (5 of 5) [5/6/2001 6:19:20 PM] Cisco CCIE - Routing and Switching Routing & Switching Communications & Services Security WAN Switching ISP Dial SNA/IP Integration Design Index of Exam Numbers CCIE Routing & Switching 1. Overview 2. Required Evaluations 3. Routing & Switching Qualification Exam ❍ Format ❍ Blueprint ❍ Sample Questions ❍ Recommended Reading List ❍ Additional References on cisco.com 4. Routing & Switching Lab Exam ❍ Format ❍ IOS Versions ❍ Exam Content ❍ Frequently Asked Questions ❍ Equipment List ❍ Suggested Training Courses ❍ Practice Labs ❍ CIM Expert Labs 5. Recertification 6. For More Information 1. Overview The CCIE Routing and Switching exam covers IP and IP routing, non- IP desktop protocols such as IPX, and bridge and switch related technologies. It is recommended that you read the section on Preparing for your CCIE Exam before reading this page. You can also find information on test policies in the Policies Section. http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/certifications/routing.html (1 of 7) [5/6/2001 6:19:52 PM] Cisco CCIE - Routing and Switching 2. Required Evaluations The two requirements to become a CCIE are a passing grade on the Routing and Switching qualification exam and a passing grade on the Routing and Switching lab exam. The qualification exam is a prerequisite for attempting and scheduling the lab exam. 3. Routing & Switching Qualification Exam Format The two-hour, multiple choice exam is computerized and administered at Cisco authorized testing centers. The exam is closed book and contains 100 questions. No reference materials are allowed in the exam room. Find out more about scheduling your Routing and Switching Qualification exam (#350-001) and an authorized testing center near you. Blueprint Please see the Routing and Switching Blueprint for details. Sample Questions The sample questions from the Routing and Switching qualification exam are included here to give an approximate idea of the level of difficulty of the exam. Recommended Reading List ❍ Internetworking Technology Overview Available through cisco.com at MarketPlace under doc # DOC-785777 ❍ ITM from the Cisco Connection Training CD (DOC-CCTCD) Order ITM online ❍ Cisco Documentation ❍ Internetworking Technologies Handbook (Ford et.al.,Cisco Press) http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/certifications/routing.html (2 of 7) [5/6/2001 6:19:52 PM] Cisco CCIE - Routing and Switching ❍ IP Routing Primer (Wright, Cisco Press) ❍ CCIE Professional Development, Routing TCP/IP Vol 1 (Doyle, Cisco Press) ❍ Cisco CCIE Fundamentals: Network Design and Case Studies (Cisco Press) ❍ OSPF Network Design Solutions (Thomas, Cisco Press) ❍ Internet Routing Architectures (Halabi, Cisco Press) ❍ BGP Command and Configuration Handbook (Parkhurst, Cisco Press) ❍ Cisco Router OSPF Design and Configuration Guide (Parkhurst, McGraw-Hill) ❍ LAN Protocol Handbook (Miller, M&T Press) ❍ Interconnections: Bridges & Routers (Perlman, Addison Wesley) ❍ Internetworking with TCP/IP, Vol. I (Comer, Prentice Hall) ❍ Routing In the Internet (Huitema, Prentice Hall) ❍ The Complete Guide to NetWare LAN Analysis, Third Edition (Chappel) ❍ Computer Networks, Third Edition (Tanenbaum, Prentice Hall) ❍ ATM Resource Library, Volumes 1, 2 And 3 (Black, Prentice Hall) ❍ ISDN : Concepts, Facilities, and Services (Kessler/Southwick, McGraw Hill) ❍ Sonet and T1 : Architectures for Digital Transport Networks (Black/Waters, Prentice Hall) ❍ TCP/IP Illustrated : Volumes 1, 2 and 3 (Stevens/Wright, Addison Wesley) Additional References on cisco.com http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/certifications/routing.html (3 of 7) [5/6/2001 6:19:52 PM] Cisco CCIE - Routing and Switching ❍ Designing ATM Internetworks ❍ ATM Technical Tips ❍ Cisco Service & Support Technical Tips ❍ LAN Technical Tips ❍ LAT ❍ Bridging ❍ IRB with VLANs ❍ DLSw+ Reference Guide ❍ WAN Technical Tips ❍ Frame Relay ❍ X25 Technical Tips ❍ ISDN ❍ Routing Protocols ❍ Configuring IP Routing Protocols ❍ OSPF Design Guide ❍ LSA Synchronization ❍ BGP Tech Tips ❍ EIGRP ❍ IGRP ❍ Router Management ❍ Security Technical Tips ❍ Voice and Multimedia Technologies Also, many other commercially available reference guides and text books are available, and Cisco highly recommends that the candidate study native vendor text and reference guides, RFCs and other sources of pertinent technical information. (i.e. Novell, DEC, Apple, IBM, Sun, etc.). 4. Routing & Switching Lab Exam Format The Routing and Switching lab exam is a two day practical exam. Find out more about scheduling your CCIE lab exam and testing sites near you. The CCIE candidate will be presented with a complex design to implement from the physical layer up. Candidates are not required to configure any end-user systems, but are responsible for any device residing in the internetwork, including hubs, etc. Network specifics, point values and testing criteria used to assess correctness of the individual configurations are provided. http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/certifications/routing.html (4 of 7) [5/6/2001 6:19:52 PM] Cisco CCIE - Routing and Switching Upon completion of the implementation, the candidate will enter the troubleshooting portion of the exam. In this section of the test, the candidate is required to recognize, diagnose, and resolve faults that have been inserted into an internetwork by the lab engineer. Each configuration scenario and problem has pre-assigned point values. The candidate must obtain a minimum mark of 80% to pass. IOS Versions IOS features up to and including version 12.0 will be tested on the exam. Exam Content The Routing and Switching Lab exam tests any feature that can be configured on the equipment in the Equipment List, except as noted below. Effective immediately, the following topics have been removed from the lab exam content: ❍ LAT ❍ DECnet ❍ Apollo ❍ Banyan VINES ❍ ISO CLNS ❍ XNS ❍ ATM LANE ❍ X.25 Effective February 1, 2001, the following topic will be removed from the lab exam content: ❍ Appletalk NOTE: These changes only affect the Routing and Switching Lab exam. Some of the test topics may continue to appear on the Routing and Switching Written exam. Readers are advised to consult the Content Blueprint for the Routing and Switching Written exam for a detailed list of topics tested on the written exam. http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/625/ccie/certifications/routing.html (5 of 7) [5/6/2001 6:19:52 PM] [...]... Tel: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-4 525 Fax: 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 166 r Sao Paulo, Brazil Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com Scheduling: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-4 0378 1-7 517 Payments: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1939 2-4 525 Fax: 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 166 r Singapore Tel: +86 10 6526 8899 ext 5710 Fax: +86 10 8518 2096 Email: ccie_ apt @cisco. com r Tokyo, Japan Tel: +8 1-3 -5 21 9-3 439 Fax: +8 1-3 -5 21 9-6 030... Email: ccie_ emea @cisco. com http://www .cisco. com/warp/public/625 /ccie/ exam_ preparation/ lab.html (2 of 6) [5/6/2001 6:21:30 PM] Cisco CCIE - Lab Exam r Research Triangle Park, North Carolina Scheduling: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1939 2-0 210 Payments: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1939 2-4 525 Fax: 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 166 Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com r San Jose, California Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com... http://www .cisco. com/warp/public/625 /ccie/ exam_ preparation/ lab.html (4 of 6) [5/6/2001 6:21:30 PM] Cisco CCIE - Lab Exam Email: ccie_ emea @cisco. com r San Jose, California Tel: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 210 Fax: 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 166 Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com 8 How do I schedule the SNA/IP Integration lab? The CCIE SNA/IP Integration Qualification and Lab exams will be retired in 2001 The lab exam. .. Important Notices and Privacy Statement http://www .cisco. com/warp/public/625 /ccie/ exam_ preparation/ practice_labs.html (3 of 3) [5/6/2001 6:20:49 PM] Cisco CCIE - Lab Exam CCIE Lab Exam Scheduling Exam Preparation Written Exam Lab Exam Practice Labs CIM Training Index of Exam Numbers 1 What is the structure of the CCIE Lab Exam? 2 Can I schedule my lab on-line via the web? 3 How do I schedule and pay for... exams will be able to schedule for the Communications and Services lab exam starting in June r Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 704 5670 Fax: +32 2 704 6000 Email: ccie_ emea @cisco. com r Chatswood, NSW, Australia Tel: +61 2 8446 6135 Fax: +61 2 8448 7980 Email: ccie_ apt @cisco. com r Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Tel: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-4 0 3-7 8 1-7 517 Fax: 1-9 0 2-4 9 2-3 926 Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com... ext 5710 Fax: +86 10 8518 2096 Email: ccie_ apt @cisco. com r Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 704 5670 Fax: +32 2 704 6000 Email: ccie_ emea @cisco. com r Chatswood, NSW, Australia Tel: +61 2 8446 6135 Fax: +61 2 8448 7980 Email: ccie_ apt @cisco. com r Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Tel: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-4 0 3-7 8 1-7 517 Fax: 1-9 0 2-4 9 2-3 926 Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com r Johannesburg, South Africa... regarding program changes to ccie @cisco. com To schedule the SNA/IP Integration Lab facility, please contact the CCIE Lab Exam Administrator by telephone, fax or email r Research Triangle Park, North Carolina Tel: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 210 Fax: 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 166 Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com 9 What information will I need to supply when scheduling my lab exam? With your scheduling request... Email :ccie_ apt @cisco. com Beijing, China Tel: +86 10 6526 8899 ext 5710 Fax: +86 10 8518 2096 Email: ccie_ apt @cisco. com 4 What do I need to provide when scheduling a university or Cisco CCIE Practice Lab? If you are interested in scheduling a CCIE Practice Lab http://www .cisco. com/warp/public/625 /ccie/ exam_ preparation/ practice_labs.html (2 of 3) [5/6/2001 6:20:49 PM] Cisco CCIE - Practice Labs or a Cisco. .. Jose, California Tel: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 210 Fax: 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 166 Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com 7 How do I schedule the WAN Switching lab? If you are a candidate for CCIE WAN Switching, you have until August 31, 2001 to take the lab exam Please see the What's New page for more information To schedule the WAN Switching Lab facility, please contact the CCIE Lab Exam Administrator... http://www .cisco. com/warp/public/625 /ccie/ ccie_program/whatsnew.html (2 of 5) [5/6/2001 6:23:07 PM] Cisco CCIE - What's New 5 Optical Qualification Beta Exam The CCIE Program is proud to announce the upcoming beta release of a a new qualification exam: the CCIE Optical Beta Exam (35 1-0 20) This qualification exam is one of eight qualification exams that candidates can choose from to pursue the CCIE Communications . 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1 9- 39 2-0 210 Payments: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1 9- 39 2-4 525 Fax: 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 166 Email: ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com ❍. ccie_ ucsa @cisco. com Scheduling: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-4 0 3- 78 1-7 517 Payments: 1-8 0 0-8 2 9-6 387 (select option 2) or 1-9 1 9- 39 2-4 525 Fax: 1-9 1 9-3 9 2-0 166 ❍ Singapore Tel: