“Expanded” Tips for Passing the CCIE Lab Exam, Part 2 of 3

Here is a continuation on my series expanding on the tips provided by Cisco for passing the lab exam: 4. Do each question as a unit. Configure and verify before moving to the next question. You may want to redraw the topology with all the details available. This will help you visualize and map the network. Yes – here are three tips for the price of one! You may need to break each task down into several units – and then configure and verify each unit. Since you might not have received a diagram at all to help you with the task, be ready to diagram anytime you feel it might help you. The proctor will provide you with as much scratch paper as you need! 5. Troubleshoot. You must know how to troubleshoot using the tools available. Although troubleshooting is important, don’t lose too much time working on a 2- or 3-point question. If you’re caught off-guard by an unfamiliar topic, don’t let it absorb too much time. Work on the things you are more comfortable with and go back to difficult items later. Lots of candidates like to use some type of Task Tracker. I sure did – mine was the Skipped Task Tracker and it listed those non-core tasks that I was indeed skipping that might cost me too much time initially. This tracker listed the Task Number, the Topic, the Number of Points, and an approximate difficulty rating (my assumption anyways). 6. Keep a list. During the exam, make notes on configurations and settings as you move through the exam. Make a separate list for items you have not been able to address or where you have not achieved the desired result which you’ll need to revisit. Yeah – this was also part of my Skipped Task Tracker – it would contain notes on tasks that I did attempt to solve, but that I needed to return and visit and double-check. I will be back soon to polish of this list of “expanded” tips!