The road to CCIE

Book learning takes a backseat to hands-on knowledge.

By Jeff Shapiro
Network World, 05/14/01

Wow, has it been a year already? It seems like just yesterday I started working on Cisco's top-level certification, the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert. During the past year, I've learned my way from the basement (Cisco know-nothing) to the rooftop (Cisco Certified Network Professional), and I've already started hiking toward the mountain peak (CCIE). I was hoping to make it to the top in September, but early December is looking more likely. What a Christmas present to myself.

I finished the exams necessary for the CCNP certification at the end of last quarter. The four exams seemed to get easier as I went along. But from here on, it gets much harder. The CCIE exam is actually two parts: the written qualification exam and the two-day-long, hands-on practical exam.

Up to this point, most of my work was theoretical. My hands-on experience with many of the devices covered by the exams was limited, mostly by lack of access. Still, studying, practicing where I could and using practice exams was effective.

Lean on Cisco

Here's a tip: The stuff you don't have you can borrow. My local Cisco office offered me access to a demonstration lab, and when I need to get familiar with bigger boxes, I'll take advantage of that. Cisco wants (and the industry needs) more CCIEs, so you'll find many Cisco offices are friendly to advanced students.

As you prepare for the CCNP exams, review the exam topics on Cisco's Web site. You'll know what to expect, and you'll see the way topics are presented. They're all action items, such as this one from the Routing exam: "Configure policy-based routing using route maps."

This indicates you need to be comfortable with policy-based routing, not just know the right commands to pass the exam. Yes, you could play Polly Parrot and probably pass, but would you have really learned anything useful? If you're not well-acquainted with the subject matter, you're going to find CCIE a huge and possibly insurmountable hurdle.

The past few months have been really different than what I expected. I knowingly took the shortest path to get the CCNP, but it would have been better to go the in-depth route first. I ended up with a lot of technical knowledge but little practical knowledge, which is absolutely essential for CCIE. Becoming a CCIE isn't only about technical knowledge; it's about familiarity and instinct.

As reader Scott Keoseyan (CCIE #5885) advised me, "In the final analysis, it's not about issuing a finite set of commands into a router that you can read in a manual somewhere.

Rather, it's all about knowing the protocols and topologies well enough to know what needs to be done on the router in a methodical, measured fashion. This is the mark of a CCIE. If you take this approach, I believe you're going to find that the road to CCIE is going to be smoother, but is also going to be a lot more satisfactory."

Learning, unlearning and relearning

I've now relearned almost everything I previously "knew," this time with emphasis on understanding and integrating all the parts of internetworking theory. Practice is tough.

I spend two to three hours an evening posing myself problems and then working with the limited equipment I have to solve those problems.

Soon I'll take the Cisco Voice Internetworking and Cisco ATM Networking classes at my home away from home, Global Knowledge Networks. Next, I'll work on getting comfortable with the new material, drilling and filling the gaps and focusing on the intricate stuff. I plan to take the written CCIE exam in September, then will spend the next two months practicing.

Finally, I'll be ready for the CCIE practical exam - two days of fear, sweat and concentration. I can't emphasize enough how different this phase is than what has come before.

From June 25 to 29, I'll be at Cisco's Networkers 2001 Los Angeles conference, an event I recommend for those who are serious about their careers as internetworking experts.

Say "howdy" if you see me there.