CCIE Lab Strategy

tinu_karki

Hi,

I recently passed my R&S written and now fully committed to doing the lab. I have bought Vol5 workbooks, ATC videos and rack rentals. Most importantly I have an understanding wife who knows how much social life needs giving up.

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed as to how to start. I read INE's strategy on how to study (How to pass the CCIE R&S with INE's 4.0 Training Program). However I wanted to hear from any CCIE's out there on what their strategy was? and on any tips that you might have from your experience?

gorebrush

Well I don't have a CCIE but on and off I've been attempting this for four years, so I hope you will find my response helpful. I started my latest attempt in May 2013 and passed the Written exam in August. Since then it's just a case of chipping away at it.

First of all, when do you want to attempt the lab? You now have 18 months to make your first attempt at it. Mine will be in October of this year in London. So lab preparation for me will be 14 months, if I pass. I would go through the ATC videos first and try the exercises in the workbook as you go through them. So as you've done the Switching videos, attempt the switching exercises and so on.

INE have posted the first foundational labs - but by the time you've done the ATC and the ATC labs - you'll be ready to move on. I believe the ATC is now around 90 odd hours of content with the RS5 videos added to the bottom. I have an All Access Pass and have been tempted to take the live class thats running at the moment but the vast majority of the stuff I've already seen as I have access to the v4 ATC and the transition videos.

There is a fairly logical approach to the topics in order - follow the workbook layout, it's done for you.

Figure you need to spend, on average, 500 hours reading and 1000 hours practicing.

I can see you have CCNA and CCNP so I would imagine you have a fairly good base level of knowledge going in, and of course you've passed the written.

tinu_karki

Hi Gorebrush, Thanks for the reply, I'm in London as well. Good luck for October!

I'm hoping to sit it in early/mid 2015. I am thinking of taking a two month sabbatical from work to study towards the end of the year. I have the INE material but just hoping that they will release more v5 content. At the moment especially the workbooks need updating, there arent any full labs for v5. I "think" i can dedicate around 30hrs per week, so lets see how it goes. It would be handy if there was meetup/study group in london for people going for the lab but havent really found anything of that nature.

gorebrush

Heh I wish I was in London... I'm in Wales so even less chance of a meetup group. Well offline anyway. I wouldn't panic about the lack of v5 content if I were you, it'll all be updated soon and you have a bit more time to go.

Practice practice practice is about the best advice I can give. I spent today and yesterday going through RIP and EIGRP from the books and command line and its surprising how much of the little bits I refreshed...

I've been getting into the DocCD more. It really is a very good resource. Learn to love it.