CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert) is the highest level of certification in the Cisco certification system, and is regarded as the top certification in the global internetworking field. This certification provides the expertise engineers need to operate Cisco devices in today’s rapidly changing network environment. Obtaining CCIE certificate not only brings you recognition of the whole industry, but also is an indicator of your mastery of the latest network knowledge. You will become one of the most competitive persons in your professional field after you pass CCIE certification.
CCIE is divided into five parts:
- Routing and Switching 2. WAN Switching 3. ISP Dialing 4. SNA and IP Integration 5. Network Design
To obtain the CCIE certificate, you need to pass the following examinations:
- CCIE qualification exam (the written exam, lasting for three hours) 2. CCIE experimental exam (lasting for one day).
Note: Those who have not participated in CCIE certification training and have not obtained other certificates can also directly apply for CCIE certification.
CCIE certification exam is divided into three categories:
1. CCIE Routing and Switching Exam (CCIE R&S).
2. CCIE Communication and Business Exam (CCIE C&S).
3. CCIE Network Security Exam
The CCIE Routing and Switching Exam covers IP and IP routing, non-IP desktop protocols (such as IPX), bridge and switch related technologies.
CCIE R&S:
CCIE R&S exam is a traditional CCIE certification exam, which involves routing and LAN/WAN switching. To become a real CCIE, candidates must pass a 2-hour written exam and a one-day laboratory exam.
The R&S written exam is a closed-book exam, which includes 100 multiple choice questions. The exam takes two hours, and is held Prometric or VUE centers. The registration fee for the exam is 300 dollars. The score line for passing the exam is set by statistical analysis – usually 65% to 75% of the total reference population will pass the line. Therefore, the more people take the exam, the higher the pass score will be. On the contrary, if the reference number decreases, the corresponding score line will also decrease.
The exam content is included in the knowledge structure diagram. The knowledge structure diagram of CCIE R&S will be introduced in the later chapters of this book. This certification exam covers the operation of Cisco network equipment, general network theory, bridging and LAN switching, LAN and WAN media, IP theory, IP routing protocol, network performance and traffic management, network security and multi service, etc.
CCIE C&S:
The CCIE C&S certification exam replaces the previous CCIE WAN switching exam and the CCIE Internet ISP dial-up exam. CCIE C&S includes a two-hour written exam and a one-day laboratory exam.
There are many directions of CCIE C&S written exam which you can choose from, but the laboratory exam is always the same. You only need to pass one written exam before taking the laboratory exam. In the written exam, 50% of the contents are about general network knowledge, while the other 50% are about some changeable knowledge, including:
● Optics
● Cable
● DSL
● WAN switching
● Dialing
● Wireless network
● Voice transmission
● Network components
Half of the content of each C&S written exam can be found in the C&S knowledge diagram. This diagram is a subset of the entire CCIE R&S exam diagram. It includes the operation of Cisco network equipment, general network theory, bridging and LAN switching, WAN media, IP theory, IP routing protocol and network performance management.
CCIE certification certifies the expert level of individual’s network ability. All candidates who have passed the two-hour written exam and the two-day experimental exam can obtain the CCIE certificate and use the CCIE mark on their business cards.
