In terms of CCIE certification, there isn’t any single formulation or recipe for fulfillment. Don’t be misled, nonetheless. You aren’t by yourself. Incomes an Professional-level Cisco certification takes loads of labor, however the assets, steering, and help you must keep on monitor are all accessible to you. In reality, it’s possible you’ll even really feel overwhelmed by the variety of choices that declare to be ‘the most effective’ for serving to you put together on your CCIE certification exams. In spite of everything, making ready for the 8-hour, hands-on sensible lab shouldn’t be for the faint of coronary heart.
The journey to changing into a CCIE is extremely difficult. Belief me—I do know. And never solely as a result of I’m CCIE licensed: because the director of Cisco certifications, being an professional on the CCIE lab and what it takes to cross it’s my accountability. So, I’m going to share some recommendation on find out how to put together for CCIE certification. On this weblog, you will discover ideas, steering, and assets that may show you how to put together for the written and sensible exams. I’ll additionally provide my ideas on what it means to be a CCIE certification holder. So, with out additional ado, let’s see you probably have what it takes to grow to be a CCIE.
Getting ready for CCIE certification is a life choice
Earlier than you start your CCIE journey, it’s essential that you just notice the extent of this endeavor. Changing into an professional and incomes your CCIE certification is greater than a profession transfer. It’s a life choice.
Getting ready for CCIE certification takes hours upon hours of research that can impression your private time. Being diligent usually interprets to sacrifices. Sacrificing time with household and mates, sleeping late on weekends, lacking out on occasions, and many others.
I’ve been there. I’ve skilled the lengthy nights of finding out and the nerves that precede a take a look at. However, I’ve additionally skilled the satisfaction and pleasure that comes from persevering and passing the exams. I can say with absolute certainty that it was all value it. If you grow to be CCIE licensed, the reward on your dedication is unparalleled.
The place your CCIE journey begins
When you determine to take the leap into making ready on your CCIE certification, it’s time to start out planning your studying journey. And like with any journey, you can not plan forward for those who don’t know your place to begin: your present expertise and data. Meaning you have to know your self. Or, because the Greek thinker Pausanias wrote, “Know thy measure.”
You are able to do this by downloading and reviewing the examination matters for any certification examination on the Cisco Studying Community. These accessible examination matters, or blueprints for our written and lab exams, are a wonderful place to begin. Whereas they gained’t offer you solutions to the examination questions themselves, they offers you an thought of what you’ll be examined on. You could take an trustworthy stock of your expertise and data, contemplating the issues you recognize and what you don’t.
Reaching the purpose the place you’re feeling comfy taking an Professional-level Cisco certification examination is an unbelievable achievement. Nonetheless, let’s assume that you’re nonetheless removed from that stage. What’s most essential—proper now— is the approach you get there. So, upon getting grow to be acquainted with the examination matters, it’s time to take the following step.
Into the CCIE studying matrix
I’m glad you selected the pink tablet. Now, it’s time to see how deep this rabbit gap goes with a studying matrix. Making a studying matrix is like creating your grasp CCIE studying plan, or plot, for how you’ll study the entire CCIE examination materials. Don’t fear, you don’t have to start out from scratch: the Cisco Studying Community has a matrix for every Professional-level certification, which you’ll be able to obtain and edit without cost. (I’ve offered hyperlinks on the backside of this put up).
Lay the muse on your CCIE studying plan
When you obtain the matrix on your CCIE expertise area, you will note that studying assets have already been pre-populated by examination matter. Contemplate these a beginning off level that will help you kickstart your studying. Extra assets could also be required to advance your strengths and bolster your weaknesses, so I like to recommend utilizing this format as a template you’ll be able to (and will) construct upon.
As you customise and construct your plan, you’ll be able to establish the precise areas you must give attention to main as much as your take a look at date. Should you haven’t scheduled your examination, your CCIE studying matrix is a superb approach to estimate how a lot time you must put together based mostly in your data, coaching strategies, and studying tempo. Bear in mind, each studying journey is completely different, so attempt to keep away from the widespread pitfall of evaluating your self to different CCIE candidates and certification holders.
Construct a powerful community of supporters
As I discussed earlier, you aren’t by yourself—removed from it, in truth. The Cisco studying and certification neighborhood is huge, educated, form, and accessible.
While you’re visiting the Cisco Studying Community to obtain your studying matrix, take a second to browse the neighborhood discussions by matter. The Cisco Studying Community neighborhood is comprised of material specialists, CCIE candidates, certification holders, and extra who can help your CCIE journey each step of the best way. As you browse, bookmark the neighborhood discussions that pertain to your CCIE expertise monitor so you’ll be able to seek advice from them later.
You’ll find boundless data within the Cisco studying neighborhood from those that have been there, executed that. Generally one of the best ways to achieve your targets is to ask how others how they did it themselves. It sounds easy, proper? Effectively, that’s as a result of it’s. Don’t underestimate the facility and boundless data contained inside this neighborhood, nonetheless. I can not overstate the impression a community of likeminded friends can have in your CCIE certification journey.
Analysis CCIE coaching, instruments, and assets
Studying is a journey; an exploration. To this point, you’ve got explored the examination matters on your CCIE certification examination(s), began constructing your studying plan, and mirrored in your current strengths and weaknesses. Now it’s time to search out the most effective coaching assets on your studying fashion.
Understanding your method to problem-solving is as important to success as discovering dependable studying supplies. Deciding on the coaching, instruments, and assets on your CCIE prep is way simpler when you recognize which strategies and supplies work finest for your studying fashion.
Select correctly, then customise and mix
Nowadays, there isn’t any scarcity of choices accessible that will help you get exam-ready. Again after I was making ready for CCIE certification, the huge catalog of coaching, programs, bootcamps, reference books, movies, and many others. Cisco has in the present day didn’t exist but. So, use them to your benefit. They’re designed by individuals who have executed what you’re doing and skilled the onerous work and dedication essential to succeed. Mix these completely different assets to suit your studying fashion and particularly goal the areas you recognized for development.
As you analysis your studying and coaching assets, achieve this brazenly and truthfully. Be trustworthy about what you’re good at and the place you legitimately want to enhance. In spite of everything, Professional-level sensible exams don’t take a look at what you suppose you’re good at. They take a look at your precise talents.
Fingers-on follow is essential
The CCIE lab is all about hands-on complicated community setup, so be sure to get loads of follow in a lab. Nonetheless, a standard problem for CCIE candidates is that they don’t have entry to the gear, pods, and infrastructure they should follow within the first place. So, we created CCIE lab leases for sensible examination preparation.
CCIE Follow Labs is a brand new provide for CCIE candidates making ready for the lab. After getting handed the expertise core examination, the prerequisite for taking the sensible examination, you’ll be able to hire a CCIE Follow Lab. Labs can be found in 4-hour blocks of time for US$50. This lets you get hands-on follow utilizing topologies just like what you’ll see within the precise lab.
CCIE Follow Labs can be found for CCIE Safety, CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure, and CCIE Service Supplier certifications, with extra on the best way.
What the CCIE lab is actually testing you on
The CCIE lab examination is greater than a take a look at of data. It exams how effectively you’ll be able to merge your conceptual understanding with sensible expertise. You could possibly recall rote particulars and ideas, however can you set them into follow? Together with the deep experience wanted to cross the lab, you have to be capable of translate, synthesize, and clear up issues. When confronted with novel issues in the true world, are you able to clear up them satisfactorily? Basically, your experience needs to be far higher than the sum of the elements that comprise it.
Incomes the CCIE certification means you’ve got the psychological agility, confidence, and deep experience to course of via complexity, suppose critically, innovate, and ship options successfully. If all of this sounds scary, it shouldn’t. But it surely does provide perspective on the extent of success achieved while you grow to be CCIE licensed.
Do you’ve got what it takes to grow to be a CCIE?
Now that we’ve established the idea for what it takes to grow to be a CCIE, you’ll have a newfound respect for many who are Cisco Licensed with two (or extra) Professional-level certifications.
Attending to the purpose the place you’re contemplating taking a CCIE examination is an accomplishment. And as you learn this now, you have already got what it takes to get licensed on the Professional degree. I do know this as a result of each CCIE certification holder is made. We’re not born specialists. We grow to be CCIE licensed due to what we’ve got given to reaching our targets. You could discover the trail that empowers you to give what it takes—the time, dedication, persistence, and want—for CCIE certification success. If you’re prepared and keen to dedicate your self to incomes the CCIE certification, then you’ve got what it takes.
I hope you discovered this weblog useful in understanding what it takes to grow to be a CCIE and find out how to construct a powerful, structured method. You’ll discover helpful hyperlinks under to study extra about our Professional-level certifications, the testing expertise, and assets that will help you take your studying to the following degree. I want you the most effective in your path and invite you to depart a remark under if any of my recommendation resonates with you. And in case you are already on the best way to incomes your CCIE certification, I might love to listen to about your expertise.
A particular word for CCIE candidates attending Cisco Dwell 2023 Las Vegas
If you’re becoming a member of us in Las Vegas, June 4–8, 2023, I extremely advocate attending a Cisco Professional-Degree Certification Techtorial at Cisco Dwell, the place you’ve got a singular alternative to take a deep dive into particular Cisco expertise tracks. We designed these 4-hour periods for attendees who’ve superior technical area data. So, in case you are able to pursue (or you’re already in flight) a CCIE, CCDE, or DevNet Professional certification, I strongly advise you to make this a precedence.
*If you’re an energetic Cisco certification holder, these periods are eligible for Persevering with Training (CE) credit you’ll be able to apply in direction of recertification.
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