Passed CCIE R&S Written Exam

mikej412 · May 2006

At 9 questions in I was feeling good....

At 24 questions I was thinking of taking a break and warming up for the Dilbert Engineer Victory Dance -- except I wasn't wearing boxers and there were 2 other people testing...

At 50+ questions I had to remind my self to "focus."

At 70-something I was thinking I had a pass if I didn't get nailed by anything unexpected.

At 90-something I consided "punting" on the last few questions to get to my score... I was feeling good!

Oh yeah -- that "disney kid too excited to sleep" feeling was right on -- those 90s questions weren't needed!!

I'd say the exam was 65-70% CCNP.

Having done the QOS & BGP exams for practice helped a bunch.

As for the reading list -- Doyle, Doyle, um... and Doyle & Friend.

If you aced BGP in the BSCI exam.... you still might need some stuff from Halabi/McPherson (which I had re-read for the BGP exam).

I had tossed Developing IP Multicast Networks into my CCIE reading list to supplement the CCNP and Doyle stuff...... and I am now adding it to my "re-read" list for the lab (along with Doyle and Halabi). I did okay on Multicast.... but I think they were being mean with some of the questions -- if they ever offer a separate Multicast exam for anything -- take it. If this was a sample of what to expect -- I'm doubling my effort on Multicast for the Lab.

I had overstudied QoS for the CCNP..... and probably could have passed the QOS exam if I taken it right after getting my CCNP and had not been targeting the design certs next. I thought the QoS exam was a fine little exam...... but whoever wrote the CCIE exam questions was a raving maniac -- gotta wonder about "luck of the draw" on these questions. I used the Cisco QOS Exam Certification Guide in place of the supposedly old-obsolete DQOS book on the reading list -- possibly the ONLY MISTAKE I made studying for this exam. The only questions where I wasn't sure what they were asking were the QoS questions..... but I still did fine -- thanks to studying for that QOS exam

Oh -- they really need do a CCWA and maybe a CCWP. I'm glad I read the wireless books in the reading list -- but the wireless trivia questions were kind to me.

But I am adding a wireless access point to my CCIE lab.

Having taken the CCIE Security written did help with knowing the level of trivia that could be asked for the exam. I didn't take the 5 days off before the exam that I had hoped -- but going through the CCNP Flash Cards at least once might have added 5 points to my already fine score. But expecting the trivia probably did give me 5 more points than I would have gotten if I hadn't been expecting it. Hopefully the trivia I did pay attention to while studying for this will be useful during Lab Exam preparation.

Yeah.... I could find room in my schedule to take this exam every 2 years..... (to re-cert those stupid 2 year CQSs.... and hopefully a CCIE or two

).

I am off tomorrow.... so I have time for

and

I've got MPLS scheduled for next week (which will give me the CCIP).... and then I decide whether to pull the IP phones off the top shelf (where I wouldn't play with them) and the Call Manager off the living room coffee table... and knock out the CCVP before I get serious about that lab thing...

So far my only plan for the Lab -- R&S first. Go throught the Practical Studies books to burn the basics into my brain (the CCNP and then the CCIE versions, including the first 400 pages of the Security Practical Studies since it is R&S as Darby had posted). Then try the first practice lab from the Cisco Press book -- not worring about time. Then fall back and regroup from here. Other than a sample on a vendor workbook site, I don't have a clue what to expect (other than what others and Darby have posted -- which implies twisted mess). I'm sure I'll spend $ on at least one, maybe two vendor workbooks for the practice labs for my first attempt...... and then probably buy every workbook for the 2nd attempt..... and then hit the lab bootcamps for the third+ attempts.

Hopefully I'll have access to the R&S Lab schedule tomorrow.... I'm going to page through it to get an idea of availability, but I don't think it will show December yet. I'm thinking I might like to consider the possibility of maybe scheduling an attempt at the R&S lab sometime this year..... which then can be reschduled and rescheduled and reschduled up to 18 months out from today.

sprkymrk · May 2006

Way to go mikej412!

Great job!

Webmaster · May 2006

Congrats on the 'easy' part!

mikej412 · May 2006

sprkymrk wrote:

Great job!

Thanks! Were you just sitting waiting for me to post..... I fixed one typo and you were already here

mikej412 · May 2006

Webmaster wrote:

Congrats on the 'easy' part!

Whooo.... this must be prime time!

Lets see if I can get to that 3rd

before anyone else posts.

sprkymrk · May 2006

It's not often I get to be the first to congratulate someone, this is only the second time in 3 months.

wildfire · May 2006

Well done mike! Wow I dont know how you fit all these exams in a short space of time. Do you actually live outside work? lol

anyway Im taking a run at this in 4 weeks, nervous already, thanks for the Tip on QOS, Id better buck my ideas up on the Qos, that could be the nail in my coffin.

Incidently with the wireless do you really think adding a WAP is the way to go? I didnt think the aironet was in the lab exam equipment blueprint? and on the Gold partner E-learning connection the CCIE R&S has CBT for all but Wireless.

What would you reccomend 1240 series? more cash

Enjoy those drinks, I might even take a break to have one on your behalf

mikej412 · May 2006

wildfire wrote:

Incidently with the wireless do you really think adding a WAP is the way to go? I didnt think the aironet was in the lab exam equipment blueprint?

Hum -- just checked the Lab blueprint.

There is the NDA.... but lets just say I got, uh, surprised, by wireless on the CCSP?!?!?!?!..... but you are right -- probably don't need an AP for the R&S CCIE now that I look at the LAB BLUEPRINT!

But there is that unfinished business from the CCSP that I need to take of.... so I probably should do that retiring wireless CQS or the replacement so that I can sleep at night

WHAT!! IPv6 is gone from the Lab BGP section? I had copied the lab blueprint before I took the CCIE Sec written 3 weeks ago.... Okay -- check the blueprint at least once a week is now on my to do list.

But I'm still planning to go heavy on IPv6....

Ricka182 · May 2006

congrats!!

keatron · May 2006

Congrats on a great accomplishment.

mikej412 · May 2006

keatron wrote:

Congrats on a great accomplishment.

Thanks!

But where is Keenon? Now there is someone I really need to thank for all those CCIP posts that were so very useful.....

TeKniques · May 2006

Congrats mikej412 on a job well done! Best of luck on your upcoming lab when you decide to take it!

TheShadow · May 2006

Congratulations. Now on to the climb before you talk yourself out of it.

eastp · May 2006

Congrats!!!

Kind regards.
Eastp.

DW [banned] · May 2006

Very interesting.

Alien · May 2006

BRAVO!

Its seems the exams are taking you rather than the other way around. This is way beyond luck and i must admit i'm wondering whether you have posters of all these stuff stuck up on every inch of your wall.

Congratulations

.

TonyATL · May 2006

Congratulations!!

I plan on taking the DP exam in the middle of June, and from there I plan on giving myself a 4 - 5 month window to complete the written portion. Both you and DarbyWeaver are good inspirations. Continue and I'm praying to be right behind you.

keenon · May 2006

mikej412 wrote:

keatron wrote:

Congrats on a great accomplishment.

Thanks!

But where is Keenon? Now there is someone I really need to thank for all those CCIP posts that were so very useful.....

you called

i have been laying low getting ready to schedule bsci and soaking up alot of financial/wealth building information.

i'm glad i was able to help for a while there i thought noone saw the info as usable.. i will post more resources

mikej412 · May 2006

My CCIE R&S exam popped into the Certification Tracking System web site yesterday just before 9am.

The R&S finally appeared on that CCIE status/lab scheduling page this morning.

The bad news -- The drop down for selecting "Lab Type" is now showing me 2 Routing & Switching choices.... not an R&S & Security. I'm pretty sure I'm not the first person to have 2 active CCIE written exams for Lab Scheduling. You think that over the years Cisco would have worked out the kinks in their lab scheduling system and web front end.... and if this is a new system, they probably should have tested it some more.

I'll wait a couple of weeks and check it again before I worry about it. Maybe the hampster that powers one of their database servers is taking a break.... I was planning to attempt the R&S Lab first anyways.

I did check out R&S Lab availability at both San Jose and RTP.... Next week has some openings. There are a couple of early June days at San Jose. And then nothing until August for both. Yet there were Security slots most of the days at San Jose, but only a few at RTP in October & November..... I guess Cisco's scheduling methods and logic can remain a mystery until I schedule a lab visit -- though by that time I may be too distracted to care.

alois · May 2006

Congrats!!!!

DW [banned] · May 2006

Mike, my drop down has always showed two Routing and Switching Selections.

I took the written twice may be why?

mikej412 · May 2006

DarbyWeaver wrote:

Mike, my drop down has always showed two Routing and Switching Selections.

That's just silly and poor programming..... I can see both my written exams in my Status..... But I did find that it clears my login info after a bunch of hours... and I can log back in with my Security info. I still see both exams in my status, but then only get a single Security in the drop down. Oh well -- at least I can check both schedules.

When I get bored I'll log in from two different laptops at the same time and see what happens.

I guess I'll try and check every day for a while to get a feel for when (and if) they post cancellations.... and see if its weekly that they advance the schedule. I'm not sure I could take that 28 day wait

but if the sechedule is always this funky for R&S I guess I might have to play the schedule and re-schedule game and hope I can peak at the right time...

Humper · May 2006

Congrats mike!

You are an inspiration to many newbie networkers

Good luck on the CCIP! Let us know how thats goes:)

Passed CCIE R&S Written Exam

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