Exam Day

The CCIE lab exam tests not only your practical and theoretical knowledge, but also your ability to use that knowledge under pressure. You are in for an intense day, so do not add unnecessarily to that pressure:

• Be aware that most people fail the CCIE exam on their first try. Have a contingency plan for taking the exam a second time. This strategy can help you stay calm during your first try and might make your contingency plan unnecessary.

• Arrange your travel plans so that you arrive in plenty of time the day before the exam. Arrange to leave the day after the exam, not the same evening. You don't want to think about your travel schedule during the exam.

• Locate the test facilities the evening before the exam. You don't want to show up for the exam flustered because you got lost.

• Do no more than a light review on the evening before the exam. If you try to "cram," you will make yourself nervous and sleepless.

• Eat a good dinner, with no alcohol, and get a good night's sleep.

• On the day of the exam, eat a good breakfast. It is an established fact that eating correctly will help you perform better.

• Dress comfortably. There are no points for appearance.

Before the exam, you will be required to submit an online nondisclosure form stating that you will not divulge the details of the lab. The exam is eight hours long with a break for lunch. Although other CCIE candidates will be working on their own labs in the room, you will be working alone. In all likelihood, the other candidates' assignments will be different from yours. You will be assigned a network topology and a set of questions and configuration requirements that must be fulfilled within the eight-hour lab.

If you do not understand a particular requirement during any part of the exam, do not hesitate to ask your lab proctor. The proctor is there not only to test you but also to help you. Most important, relax and stay focused.

The lab is graded after hours, and the results are usually sent the next business day after the exam. You will receive an e-mail telling you that your results are available, and you can access your online candidate profile to see the result. If you have passed, you will see your CCIE number; if not, you will see a score report.

When you have won your CCIE, you will have accomplished something to be proud of. If this book or the advice in this appendix has helped you reach your goal, please e-mail me so that I can share your pride.