Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE)

Overview of the program
- Prerequisites
- Part One: Written
- Part Two: Practical
Various CCIE Tracks / Specializations
Exam Preparation and Study Groups
10 Tips for Taking the Lab Exam
Salary Information for Cisco Engineers

Overview of the Program

Source: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccie/index.html

For over ten years, CCIE has identified networking professionals with the highest level of expertise. Less than three percent of all Cisco certified professionals earn their CCIE. Experience is the best preparation for the hands-on CCIE lab exam.

Cisco states, "the focus is on identifying experts capable of understanding and navigating the subtleties, intricacies and challenges of end-to-end networking. To become certified, you must pass both a written qualification exam AND the corresponding hands-on lab exam."

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites for CCIE certification. Other professional certifications or training courses are not required.

Part One: Written

Written exams are computer-based, multiple choice exams lasting two hours and available at hundreds of authorized testing centers worldwide. You must pass the written exam before you are eligible to schedule the lab exam. The topics covered on written exams can be found on the Track Details pages, links provided on this page.

Part Two: Practical

Lab exams are eight-hour, hands-on exams that test the ability to configure and troubleshoot networking equipment and software. The topics covered on lab exams can be found on the Lab Exam Blueprints:

[ Return to top of page ]

Various CCIE Tracks / Specializations

There are currently five "flavors" of the CCIE certification, including:

Routing and Switching (R&S)
- Most popular CCIE track
- Expert knowledge of networking across LAN and WAN interfaces and variety of routers and switches
- Solve complex connectivity problems to increase bandwidth, improve response times, maximize performance, and support global operations
Security
- Expert knowledge of security and VPN solutions
- Solid understanding of Windows, Unix, Linux and HTTP, SMTP, FTP and DNS
- Core IP routing not required, but must demonstrate in-depth understanding of Layer 2 and 3 network infrastructure
- Capable of configuring complex, end-to-end secure networks, troubleshooting integrated environments, and understanding common attacks and mitigation techniques
Service Provider
- Expert level knowledge of IP fundamentals and technologies
- Expertise in building an extensible service provider network infrastructure to deliver rich managed services
- Advanced skills related to packet architecture and technologies important to service providers, such as service provisioning, MPLS, VPNs, service level agreements and basic security
Storage Networking
- Expert knowledge in the implementation and troubleshooting of storage area networks
- Skilled with LANs, MANs and WANs over Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCIP and FICON
- Core IP routing not required, but must demonstrate in-depth understanding of Layer 2 and 3 network infrastructure
Voice
- Expert knowledge of Cisco Voice over IP (VoIP) products and solutions in an enterprise environment
- Capable of building and configuring complex end-to-end telephony network, troubleshooting and resolving VoIP-related problems
- Core IP routing not required, but must ensure quality of service using in-depth understanding of Layer 2 and 3 network infrastructure

In the past, the R&S track has been the most popular. Since many of the technologies covered in this track also crossed over into other tracks, the R&S remains a popular "first choice" for CCIE candidates. Now, the trends are for engineers already CCIE-certified with the R&S designation to pursue another track specialization, and many candidates are choosing to bypass R&S and pursue another specialization directly.

To illustrate the trends in the CCIE community, Cisco maintains a web page that provides statistics on the numbers of CCIEs according to track and geographic location. While these statistics are usually a month or two outdated, they are very interesting!

[ Return to top of page ]

Exam Preparation and Study Groups

Since IPexpert was founded in 2001, the company has honed its focus and expertise on training solutions for Cisco's CCIE Certifications. We are proud to lead the market with the most comprehensive portfolio of CCIE Lab preparation products and courses in the world.

IPexpert leads the market in several ways:

We employ the most experienced and accomplished team of experts to create, maintain and constantly update our products. It is common for other companies to contract an outside engineer to teach their course... after that, they leave. IPexpert's engineers are full-time employees, living and breathing Cisco technologies every day, with a focus on their CCIE track of expertise.
We have a structured group of professionals that make up our executive group, sales, marketing, customer service, order fulfillment and technical support teams. Our clients enjoy the peace of mind knowing that we are here to support them after their purchase, and our solid foundation ensures that IPexpert is here to stay.
We structure our courseware and materials on up-to-date topologies built around the latest and greatest Cisco gear.

Boasting a wide range of self-study products, clients can choose professionally formatted and produced Workbooks, Audio products, Class on Demand, and eLearning products. For students that prefer live instruction from qualified, industry-recognized CCIEs, our Boot Camp courses are second to none.

We welcome you to browse this website to learn about our extensive offering and contact our team for more information.

Peer Group and Support Outlets

IPexpert offers several outlets and options for those pursuing the Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) and the various Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE) certifications to gather and communicate.

Certification Talk is an online forum that allows you to post questions and receive answers from your peers, as well as the renowned CCIE instructors at IPexpert. Although this forum is intended for those using IPexpert products to study, registration is free and open to anybody. Get started now!

Online Study List allows you to subscribe to email lists that are specific to your track of study. You will receive a wealth of knowledge in your inbox every day. When you have a question of your own, simply write an email and send it to the list. The IPexpert instructors will receive the email along with many other CCIEs and those preparing for the lab as well. Subscribe right now for free!

[ Return to top of page ]

10 Tips for Taking the Lab Exam

Source: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccie/rs/lab_exam_tips.html

Read the entire exam first and check for addressing issues. Do not skip any details or sections.
Manage your time. Make a plan to cover all the sections in the time provided. Work out how much time you will spend on each section, keeping in mind the point value of the questions. Don’t forget to allow time at the end to verify your solutions.
Clarify the requirements of each question. Don’t assume requirements that aren’t mentioned in the question. During the lab, if you are in any doubt, verify your understanding of the question with the proctor.
Do each question as a unit. Configure and verify before moving to the next question. You may want to redraw the topology with all the details available. This will help you visualize and map the network.
Troubleshoot. You must know how to troubleshoot using the tools available. Although troubleshooting is important, don’t lose too much time working on a 2- or 3-point question. If you’re caught off-guard by an unfamiliar topic, don’t let it absorb too much time. Work on the things you are more comfortable with and go back to difficult items later.
Keep a list. During the exam, make notes on configurations and settings as you move through the exam. Make a separate list for items you have not been able to address or where you have not achieved the desired result which you’ll need to revisit.
Test your work. Never rely on a configuration done in the early hours of the exam. There is a possibility that an item you configured a few sections earlier can become broken and non-functional. Keep in mind that points are awarded for working configuration only.
Save your configurations often.
Don’t make any drastic changes in the last half hour of the exam.
Speed is vital on the exam. Review and practice core material the week before the exam to ensure you can move quickly through the less challenging questions.

[ Return to top of page ]

Salary Information for Cisco Engineers

Source: http://tcpmag.com/salarysurveys/

"Across the board, averages for all Cisco certifications are up -- and not just by a few thousand. For example, the average salary in 2004 for those of you who held a CCNA was $60,000 -- now, that number has jumped to a little more than $76,000. Higher-end Cisco certifications are also doing well, with, for example, the average CCIE reporting a salary of a little more than $116,000, up from $102,000 a few years ago."

Click here to visit the TCPmag.com report in detail.

[ Return to top of page ]