Passed CCIE Security Written Exam

My result is online and I got into the exclusive CCIE area of the Cisco web site. I checked May 1st and there are 3 slot open for the CCIE Security Lab in San Jose... but I don't think I can find a Cat-sitter by then.

Plus it's time to get back "on plan." I'm targeting the CCIE R&S first -- so I'll be doing the R&S written sometime in May (hopefully).

I hadn't actually planned on even getting my CCSP before an attempt at the CCIE R&S written -- but that CCSP exam change they announced last September threw off my plan -- I had already bought the CCSP books for the "old" exams.

Taking the CCIE Security written exam was more of a result of failing the IDS exam by 5 points... Even though I passed the replacement IPS exam with a 988, the sting of that one failure wasn't going away. Hum.... yeah, passing the CCIE Sec written helps!

TeKniques

Congrats, what a great accomplishment! Best of luck on obtaining your CCIE

Jiggsaww

kool.......well all the best for the R&S Written........:D

mikej412

Webmaster wrote:

Any suggestions for study material and other preparation advice you can share with us?

I'm still trying to get over the fact I took and passed the CCIE Security written exam..... I had rescheduled from last month when work demanded all my non-sleeping time (got down to 4 hours of sleep at one point). I saw an opening in my work schedule, and I went for it.

I forgot about my "take the week off before the exam to review" plan -- and I'm definitely going to do that for the R&S written exam.

The recommended reading list was good... Like the R&S list -- I already had most of the non-Cisco Press books in my networking library.

There is the overlap with the R&S list -- Routing TCP/IP (v1&2), Malik's Network Security Principles and Practice, and Troubleshooting IP Routing Protocols -- so I saved a bunch of study time there.

I had already read Network Security Architectures & Designing Network Security because I felt cheated by the CCDA/CCDP -- security is important, but not enough to cover it well as part of the certifications. So that was a plesant surprise to find my reading list even shorter.

Since I had just recently gotten my CCSP, I decided to save the CCIE Practical Studies: Security book for Lab Exam study. The CCIE Practice Labs book was also an obvious "wait for lab study" choice. Troubleshooting VPNs is a "re-read" for Lab Study.

The Practice Exam questions from the CCIE Security Exam Certification Guide were useful, as was the book.......

.... and all the other books I didn't mention could have waited. I don't think there was anything in them needed for the written exam that I already didn't know from the CCSP.

The 2 biggest things that helped with the CCIE Security written exam -- the CCNP and CCSP. The CCNP (and probably studying for the CCIE R&S Written) helped a lot. For a security exam, they have an awful lot of R&S stuff in the exam blueprints (written and lab).

The 2 things that hurt me for the exam -- not taking those 5 days to refresh the CCSP trivia in my mind -- and not using more time to take the exam ( I used 65 minutes out of the 120).

The funky thing I didn't expect on the exam -- "Mark" and "Review" options. I found the "Previous" button distracting. I made it through all these previous Cisco exams without that option -- why would I want it now? Finishing the exam and getting that review page, rather than my score, was annoying.

The final submit left the computer churning and chunking away for a while -- I thought the computer had eaten my test........ then sweet relief when I got my score.

Now, for the final weirdness -- I got 2 certificate notifications in my email and new CCNP and CCDP "Paper Kits" seem to be pending -- including an option to pay money and "DHL" the certificates to me in 4 or 5 days (rather than wait 4-6 weeks to see what the heck is going on here). But nothing on the CCSP or the CCNA/CCDA certs..... wierd. I'm assuming that is just the fullfilment house screwing up and hopefully I will get some CCIE info in the mail instead -- even though I have poked around and found the links to follow to schedule the Lab Exam.

Ricka182

congrats!

Webmaster

Thanks for the extensive feedback!

The funky thing I didn't expect on the exam -- "Mark" and "Review" options. I found the "Previous" button distracting.

That is weird, though thoughtful of Cisco to make it an option for the CCIE written exam for those who do want to review.

And good luck with the upcoming exams, sounds like you are go to put a couple of cherries on top of your collection of Cisco certs!

mikej412

ed_the_lad's post about the survey before the BSCI caused me to have a CCIE Security Exam flashback.......

I accepted the Cisco agreement thing.... and hit next. I decided I better jot down the power of 2s and stuff on my marker pad, I figured it couldn't hurt since I didn't really know what to expect on the exam. I turned back to the screen expecting to see the survey or demo or what ever comes next -- and there was question 1 on the screen and the clock was ticking! No Survey or Demo on the CCIE Security Written.

No Survey -- No Demo -- and you can mark and go back to previous quesions and review...... I'm sorry, but after all the other Cisco exams, I figure Cisco has to be screwing with people that take the CCIE -- must be a psychological exam too.

porengo

Woohoo! Congrats mikej41!

One of my TeamTechies Associates had also passed his written, but has yet to pass the lab portion of the certification (he's on his second try).

Good luck on your lab. I know that I speak for everyone on this forum when I say that we're all pulling for you.

wildfire

Well done Mike good job.

I am going to to the CCIE R&S written next, chugging through routing TCPIP II at the moment. I ditched the CCDP idea for the moment.

Is it true that in the multi choice it doesnt specify how many like the other cisco exams, ie choose all that apply (this is my worst feer ha!)

Anyway good luck with the RS and the security lab.

methoselah

mikej412

wildfire wrote:

Is it true that in the multi choice it doesnt specify how many like the other cisco exams, ie choose all that apply (this is my worst feer ha!)

It still told you how many answers it wanted -- but with the mark and review, I don't know if it warns you if you've answered too few and hit next. I did page through the review at the end and look for yes in the completed column so I assume I didn't miss any answering any questions. It did warn me I had selected too many when I was trying to change an answer on a "choose 2."

I've scheduled the R&S written -- in 2 weeks (hopefully, if work permits, and I pass) I'll know if the lab schedule for R&S is as "open" as Security.

A couple of things about R&S that I've been pondering, now that I've taken a CCIE level written exam.......

All the written exam is good for is to get in to schedule a lab -- no certificate, no free cup of coffee, no free mouse pad. If the exam only cost $125 (and it wasn't already past reschedule time today) I'd take it tomorrow. I don't see a benefit to knowing answers to all the possible trivia questions..... but its still a good idea to study enough to pass.

Oh, and if the exam was $200, I'd take it this week Wed-Fri (work permitting). But even at $300 for the exam -- I'm thinking this might be the first time I take a scheduled exam and move it up.

For the Sec written, someone who did CCNA-CCSP would get nailed with a bunch of new stuff and would need the R&S books on the reading list -- but I think as I said -- the CCNP & CCSP seemed to cover everything for the Sec written

For the R&S written exam -- I'm expecting wireless to be the "new stuff." And now I'd guess that IPv6 may be beefed up for the written exam, so I'm reading Deploying IPv6, and will read it again "hands-on" for lab practice. My current working theory for the R&S written: 80-90% of the stuff will be CCNP stuff (and covered in all the CCNP Cisco Press books). That said, I expect to be asked the QoS stuff that wasn't asked in the CCNP exams. But I am betting that the QoS & BGP stuff on the R&S written will be easier than the QOS & BGP exams.

Plus there was all the "hard stuff" that could have been asked on the CCNP exams, but wasn't -- I expect a bunch of that to be on the written.

I've got MPLS scheduled for 6 days after the R&S written.... so if I get bored with R&S, I can play with MPLS. Plus my home MPLS lab easily converts into a CCIE lab when I'm done.

wildfire

I've got MPLS scheduled for 6 days after the R&S written.... so if I get bored with R&S, I can play with MPLS. Plus my home MPLS lab easily converts into a CCIE lab when I'm done.

Your just a lean mean exam passing machine!!!

Sa'ad

Congrats Mike! Job Well Done!!!!!!!!