Foreword

"The will to succeed is useless without the will to prepare"

” Henry David Thoreau

The CCIE program is designed to help individuals, companies, industries, and countries succeed in an era of increasing network reliance by distinguishing the top echelon of internetworking experts. If that sounds like a lofty mission, then our standards for excellence are equally high.

To achieve CCIE certification is to ascend the pinnacle of technical excellence in the IT profession. While CCIEs inevitably gain extensive product knowledge on their way to certification, product training is not the program objective. Rather, the focus is on identifying those experts capable of understanding and navigating the intricacies and potential pitfalls inherent in end-to-end networking, regardless of technology or product brand.

Individuals must first qualify by taking a challenging qualification exam designed to assess their knowledge across the complete range of technologies and topologies relevant today. If their scores indicate expert level knowledge, candidates then become eligible to take part in the CCIE Certification Practical Exam. Administered only by Cisco Systems, this exam truly distinguishes the CCIE program from all others. Candidates must demonstrate true mastery of internetworking through a series of hands-on, performance-based exercises under intense conditions simulating today's mission critical IT world.

Becoming a CCIE requires significant investment in education and preparation by each candidate. Moreover, a rigorous and mandatory biyearly recertification process ensures the commitment is long lasting and helps guarantee program integrity. These rigid requirements ensure that CCIEs are leaders with a proven and enduring commitment to their career, the industry, and the process of ongoing learning.

Cisco does not require candidates to complete specific training in preparation for CCIE certification because the program is intended to identify hands-on experience and acquired expertise rather than the completion of specified course work.

If you have committed yourself to achieving CCIE certification, CCIE Practical Studies can help ensure that your preparation time is invested wisely. An ambitious undertaking given the complexity and scope of material covered, CCIE Practical Studies is the first volume in a series of books focused on CCIE Practical Exam preparation. The first of its kind, this series is written specifically to help individuals practice for the CCIE Certification Practical Exam. Although it's no substitute for experience and acquired expertise, CCIE Practical Studies can help motivated candidates successfully achieve certification by honing and reinforcing the skills and acquired knowledge they already possess.

Lorne  Braddock
Director,  CCIE  Programs
Cisco  Systems,  Inc.