更新后的CCIE R&S v5.0的考點(diǎn)數(shù)量可能看上去有明顯的增長(zhǎng)，包括新增了一些更大型網(wǎng)絡(luò)拓?fù)浼叭聦?shí)驗(yàn)考試的第三模塊。我能夠理解，新考生會(huì)覺(jué)得CCIE R&S v5.0考試比之前的版本更難，之前的版本考點(diǎn)更少，每個(gè)拓?fù)渖婕暗脑O(shè)備更少，實(shí)驗(yàn)考試模塊也更少。當(dāng)然，其實(shí)試圖界定“困難”本身就是一個(gè)很有趣的討論題目。 :)
這篇文章中，我們將會(huì)探討到初該如何開(kāi)始備考CCIE。如果你已經(jīng)有多年的IT工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)涉及對(duì)網(wǎng)絡(luò)機(jī)架及技術(shù)管理（希望是路由器及交換機(jī)），那么獲得CCIE認(rèn)證并把CCIE號(hào)碼加在你的名片上必定能夠幫助你在網(wǎng)絡(luò)工程師群體中脫穎而出并終幫助你的職業(yè)發(fā)展。這篇博客將幫助你驗(yàn)證你的期望值以及計(jì)劃你的備考策略。你的備考旅程是怎樣的？你為什么要投入此備考旅程？你如何開(kāi)始你的第一步?
如果你已經(jīng)開(kāi)始了CCIE備考，這篇博客將給你一些重要的備考提示。
你可能已經(jīng)熟悉思科的職業(yè)認(rèn)證課程（CCNA，CCNP，CCIE等），也在網(wǎng)絡(luò)上搜尋到很多CCIE培訓(xùn)課程以及技術(shù)培訓(xùn)內(nèi)容。這些不同格式的培訓(xùn)內(nèi)容包括學(xué)習(xí)輔導(dǎo)書(shū)，在線課程，自學(xué)課程，講師課堂，實(shí)驗(yàn)機(jī)架租賃以及實(shí)驗(yàn)室測(cè)評(píng)等等。無(wú)論如何，思科專(zhuān)家級(jí)培訓(xùn)課程－CCIE路由和交換（Cisco Expert-Level Training for CCIE Routing and Switching）是一個(gè)思科授權(quán)的CCIE培訓(xùn)項(xiàng)目，幫助考生掌握專(zhuān)家級(jí)網(wǎng)絡(luò)技術(shù)，順利通過(guò)CCIE認(rèn)證考試。該培訓(xùn)項(xiàng)目整合了現(xiàn)場(chǎng)講師指導(dǎo)，自學(xué)培訓(xùn)模塊，動(dòng)手實(shí)驗(yàn)等等，來(lái)培養(yǎng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)專(zhuān)家。
讓我們近距離審視CCIE R&S v5.0考試，從非技術(shù)范疇開(kāi)始說(shuō)起吧。
如同考取駕駛執(zhí)照一樣，你會(huì)想知道考試的內(nèi)容還有我們應(yīng)該如何準(zhǔn)備考試。而且你需要在決定是否要獲得駕照之前知道這些。
如何吃掉一頭大象？
考生們很可能要和他們的丈夫妻子和朋友們解釋他們?yōu)楹螘?huì)在地球上人間蒸發(fā)數(shù)星期集中備考，以及為何要花錢(qián)參加培訓(xùn)和考試。
你是不是了解CCIE備考旅程的要求，意義以及影響？ 你是否投入CCIE備考？
無(wú)論你目前取得了多少工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)或證書(shū)，通過(guò)專(zhuān)家級(jí)實(shí)驗(yàn)考試無(wú)疑是個(gè)非常具挑戰(zhàn)性的目標(biāo)。
Himawan Nugroho，持有3個(gè)CCIE認(rèn)證以及CCDE認(rèn)證，傳說(shuō)中的企業(yè)家和博客專(zhuān)欄作家（http://www.himawan.nu），是我在Cisco Live的合作演講人之一，他的演講主要涵蓋如何備考CCIE。作為3個(gè)CCIE認(rèn)證以及CCDE認(rèn)證的持有者，你可以想像，他必定有很多參加專(zhuān)家級(jí)實(shí)驗(yàn)考試的經(jīng)驗(yàn)。他喜歡用那一句簡(jiǎn)單但有趣的比喻來(lái)分享他的考試經(jīng)驗(yàn)：“如何吃掉一頭大象？”
講到大象。。�？上攵惚仨毟冻龊艽蟮呐Σ拍艹缘舸笙�。，縱觀考試大綱列表的長(zhǎng)度，你就會(huì)知道你需要對(duì)很多考點(diǎn)作出深入的研究。如果你已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備好了參加CCIE R＆S V4.0的考試，你可能只需要增加學(xué)習(xí)幾個(gè)新的考點(diǎn)并忘掉一些舊考點(diǎn)，并注意一下全新考試規(guī)則。
你準(zhǔn)備好了嗎？先決定你的期望吧。
你還記得你的駕照考試嗎？一般是有兩個(gè)獨(dú)立的測(cè)驗(yàn)- 第一個(gè)是筆試（考理論，選擇題），然后是真實(shí)的駕駛測(cè)試。如果你的駕照考試是完全不同的，那就先想象一下吧。當(dāng)開(kāi)始考試時(shí)，你知道考試規(guī)則嗎？你是不是感到既興奮又緊張？在通過(guò)實(shí)際的道路駕駛測(cè)試前，你是否覺(jué)得自己信心已經(jīng)知道如何進(jìn)行安全駕駛？
事實(shí)上，你很難說(shuō)出你能對(duì)這些考試還有加上那些考試規(guī)則有自信。簡(jiǎn)單來(lái)說(shuō)，你不能在不懂開(kāi)車(chē)的情況下通過(guò)駕駛測(cè)試。一個(gè)成功的考生或一個(gè)低限度合格的考生都應(yīng)該能夠完成考試中要求的任務(wù)。
步入CCIE備考旅程意味著去努力獲得考試結(jié)構(gòu)類(lèi)似于駕照的證書(shū)或認(rèn)證，但該考試具有非常不同的格式和要求。大多數(shù)考生需要通過(guò)大量的深入學(xué)習(xí)來(lái)掌握數(shù)量龐大的技術(shù)知識(shí)。大多情況下，準(zhǔn)備考試不是一種選擇，而是一個(gè)要求。即使有極少數(shù)考生不需要備考技術(shù)內(nèi)容但仍需要了解考試的規(guī)則并應(yīng)當(dāng)規(guī)劃相應(yīng)的考試策略。
學(xué)習(xí)？我不怕！
就像做項(xiàng)目一樣，我們需要計(jì)劃活動(dòng)并評(píng)估資源，成本和風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。不幸的是，對(duì)于需要多長(zhǎng)時(shí)間來(lái)準(zhǔn)備CCIE考試并沒(méi)有神奇原則。這一切都取決于你的背景，技能，培訓(xùn)，測(cè)試條件等。請(qǐng)記住，成為一個(gè)成功的考生比你擁有技術(shù)知識(shí)更為重要！考生需要了解考試結(jié)構(gòu)和設(shè)計(jì)以便制定考試策略和學(xué)習(xí)計(jì)劃，例如你需要了解考試打分和時(shí)間規(guī)則，考試中每道題的分?jǐn)?shù)分配或者考試指南和限制。
底線：有的考生具有非常深厚的技術(shù)功底但還是沒(méi)有通過(guò)考試。在許多情況下，它要么由于考生在考試上不良的時(shí)間管理或是沒(méi)有注意考試細(xì)節(jié)，或兩者兼而有之。對(duì)考生來(lái)說(shuō)，這當(dāng)然是很不幸的，但同樣，作為一個(gè)專(zhuān)業(yè)考試，實(shí)驗(yàn)考試除了考核技術(shù)內(nèi)容，同時(shí)也測(cè)試效率指標(biāo)，如工作量（任務(wù)數(shù)量），時(shí)間（完成工作所需的時(shí)間），以及資源評(píng)估和分配。從你備考開(kāi)始就謹(jǐn)記這些非技術(shù)范疇，這將大大提升你的考試能力。因此，你不但需要學(xué)習(xí)并練習(xí)網(wǎng)絡(luò)技術(shù)考點(diǎn)，并且要練習(xí)達(dá)到考試要求的效率指標(biāo)。
什么是專(zhuān)家水平？
備考時(shí)，你會(huì)問(wèn)，你應(yīng)該對(duì)每一個(gè)考點(diǎn)有多深入的了解。然后你可能會(huì)問(wèn)自己"究竟什么是專(zhuān)家”？專(zhuān)家是否必須了解每項(xiàng)技術(shù)的所有點(diǎn)滴以及每個(gè)協(xié)議的所有數(shù)據(jù)包？當(dāng)然，專(zhuān)家一定“理解他們的工作”并且能夠“比其他人做的更好”。但是說(shuō)到底，究竟專(zhuān)家和非專(zhuān)家之間的區(qū)別是什么？
回答這個(gè)問(wèn)題有很多方式，其中受歡迎的答案就是對(duì)于任何一個(gè)問(wèn)題，專(zhuān)家總能找到一個(gè)解決方案- 特別是當(dāng)他們不知道答案時(shí)。專(zhuān)家可能會(huì)使用故障排除技術(shù)，查找使用文檔或?qū)で笏藥椭鷣?lái)獲得解決方案。當(dāng)然，為了解決問(wèn)題，專(zhuān)家必須知道網(wǎng)絡(luò)設(shè)備是如何正常運(yùn)作的。專(zhuān)家比非專(zhuān)家知道能夠達(dá)到目標(biāo)并更加迅速準(zhǔn)確的多種方法。正如我在之前的博客中提到的，在CCIE領(lǐng)域區(qū)分專(zhuān)家的因素是故障排除技能（包括診斷技能）。但是，這并不是說(shuō)CCIE實(shí)驗(yàn)考試中的配置模塊沒(méi)有在考核專(zhuān)家級(jí)的技能！所有三個(gè)考核模塊都在測(cè)試專(zhuān)家級(jí)網(wǎng)絡(luò)工程師在不同技術(shù)領(lǐng)域的能力。
So you’re getting ready to jump in the CCIE R&S v5.0 journey?
If you’re starting the journey to earn your CCIE number, there’s a good chance that you might feel a bit intimidated just by looking at the size of the current list of exam topics (previously known as exam blueprints), right? And even more if you do not currently use most of these technologies in your daily job.
The recent changes to CCIE R&S v5.0 exam topics may appear to have considerably increased the size of the list. And, on top of that, add bigger network topologies and a whole new third module to the lab exam! I can understand that overall, this new R&S v5.0 exam might seem more difficult to new candidates as compared to previous versions with apparently fewer topics, fewer devices per topology and fewer exam modules. Well, of course trying to define “difficulty” is a whole discussion in itself – maybe for another post?
In this article, let’s focus on the early steps of starting the journey to earn your CCIE number. If you have a few years of work experience with networking gear and technology (hopefully, with routers and switches), and have recently decided that adding a CCIE number to your resume could help differentiate you from others in the marketplace and eventually advance your career, then this post (and the second part) might help you validate your expectations and initial strategies. What exactly are you stepping into? Why do you want to do it? How should you get started?
And, if you are already well advanced in your studies, this article might reinforce some important considerations.
There is a good chance that you are already familiar with the Cisco Career Certifications program (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, etc.) and some quick online searches for CCIE training products will quickly uncover countless sources of technical training content from many vendors. This huge offer of learning products comes in any format, including book-based, web-based, self-paced, instructor-led, including rack rental, graded assessment lab, etc. Keep in mind that the Cisco Expert-Level Training for CCIE Routing and Switching is the only authorized training program to develop the Expert-level networking skills that are required for Cisco CCIE certification. This blended learning program combines live instruction, self-paced training modules, hands-on practice, and peer interaction to develop network experts.
So let’s do something original and take a closer look at some nontechnical aspects that are most likely of great interest to any candidate who is actively studying for the CCIE R&S v5.0 exams.
Just like when starting to prepare for a driver’s license, you will want to know what exactly is being validated, how it is being tested and how to prepare for it – and, most likely, you’ll want to know this before making your decision whether to pursue the license.
How to eat an elephant?
Candidates will likely have to explain to their husbands and wives what’s ahead. About why they’re going to pretty much disappear from the landscape during weeks and spend some serious dollars on exam fees and collateral!
Are you really fully aware of the requirements, implications and consequences of stepping into the CCIE journey? Are you ready to commit to the work ahead?
Regardless of your current work experience or certifications’ credentials, passing any Expert-level lab exam is certainly a challenging goal.
Himawan Nugroho, three-time CCIE (as well as CCDE) certification holder, legendary entrepreneur, and blogger (http://www.himawan.nu), has been one of my co-speakers at Cisco Live and usually covers the exam preparation section of the presentation, in addition to other items. Of course, with three CCIE certifications and a CCDE certification, you can imagine that he has quite a bit of experience in taking Expert-Level lab exams. He shares his approach to preparing and studying for the lab exams with this short yet powerful metaphor: “How to eat an elephant?”
With all respect to elephants… the “l(fā)evel of effort” to accomplish the task is huge! Looking at the size of the exam topics list, you will realize how many topics you will need to study in depth. If you were ready for CCIE R&S v4.0 lab exam, you might just need to adjust to a few new topics and forget some older topics and consider the new non-technical exam-centric rules.
Are you up for it? Let’s set some expectations.
Do you remember taking your driver’s license exam? It probably had two separate tests – first a written exam (theoretical, multiple-choice) and then a practical driving test. If your driving test was very different, then let’s imagine something like that. When starting the test, did you need to know the exam rules? Were you excited and stressed at the same time? Even before passing the practical test, did you feel that confidence that you already knew how to drive well?
It probably goes without saying that feeling confident with both the technical content of the exam and with the exam-centric rules is crucial when taking the exam. You can’t pass a driving test without having any driving skills. At a bare minimum, a successful test taker – a minimally qualified candidate – is able to perform a set of tasks as described by the test’s design and requirement documents.
Stepping into the CCIE journey means to pursue an accreditation or certification that has a similar test structure as the driver’s license test, but with very different stakes, formats and requirements. The sheer volume and depth of technical knowledge certainly requires a very substantial study for most candidates. In the vast majority of cases, preparing for the exam is not a choice, it’s a requirement. Even the very few candidates who don’t need to prepare that much in terms of the technical content will still need to understand the exam’s rules and should plan a corresponding strategy, hopefully consciously…
Studying? Yeah, I’m not afraid of the work!
Just like for any project, it is valuable to spend some time planning the activities and evaluating resources, costs and risks. Unfortunately, there are no magic rules about how long it takes to prepare for the CCIE exams. It all depends on background, skills, training, test conditions, etc. And remember, there’s more to being a successful test taker than technical knowledge! There are a number of nontechnical exam-centric design attributes that a candidate should take into account when planning its test strategy and formulating study plans. Examples of these attributes include the intended use of the test scores, the overall scoring and timing rules; the visibility of test items when starting the test and the item’s point value or the test guidelines, constraints and validation tests.
The bottom line: some candidates with very deep technical knowledge still fail the exam. In many cases, it’s either due to poor time management or lack of attention to the details, or both. This is unfortunate, but again, being a performance test, the lab exam includes performance metrics such as quantity of work (amount of tasks), time (duration required to complete the work), and resources (level of effort) in the assessment logic, in addition to the technical content. Keeping these nontechnical aspects in mind from the very beginning of your studies will greatly help down the road. So, expect to learn and practice many technical topics, but also practice to reach the performance level of the exam.
Expert-level, what does it mean?
While studying, you’ll soon ask yourself how deeply you should learn each topic. And that raises the question of what exactly is an “expert”? Is it someone who knows all the bits and bytes of every technology and all the packet types of each protocol? It certainly is someone who “knows their stuff” and can “do things better than someone else.” But what exactly is the differentiator between experts and non-experts?
There are many ways to answer the question, and a popular one is claiming that an expert will find a solution to pretty much any problem – especially when not readily knowing the answer. And an expert will either find it using troubleshooting techniques, using the documentation, or talking to someone who can help. Of course, in order to resolve issues, an expert must “know how it works when it’s not broken.” An expert knows multiple ways to achieve the same goal and performs faster and more accurately as compared to a non-expert. As discussed in my previous blog post, the differentiator in our CCIE context is the troubleshooting skills (including diagnostic skills). But this is not saying that the configuration module of the CCIE lab exam is not assessing Expert-Level skills as well! All three modules assess a different set of skills expected of Expert-level network engineers.
My next blog post, “The Expert’s Mindset – Part 2,” will discuss how to spring into action. You can subscribe to this blog in the right under Actions once you are logged in: “Receive email
