You should be prepared well for the exam, needless to say – it is split into two parts, with the first one testing your theoretical knowledge and the second focusing on testing if you know how to use your skills in the real world. INE does offer you a guide on how to pass the R&S lab exam using their popular 4.0 program, though you are generally not obliged to go through those – however, doing so improves your chances of getting certified. You also need to keep in mind that even though the two parts of the exam are not linked and you can take them separately at your own discretion, you need to take the written exam first and then go through the lab exam within 18 months, otherwise you would have to repeat the written exam.
Bear in mind that it is not cheap to get certified either – the lab test by itself would cost you around $1,500 for each attempt. However, knowing how the CCIE is going to benefit you later on in your journey to a better career, you should save up the money and go through it. It is recommended that you’ve built up some professional experience before attempting the actual lab exam – about 3-4 years are suggested in most cases – so you should be able to invest this kind of money by that point.  This also gives you time to go through lower level certifications, though not necessary for your CCIE they will help you have a better foundation on where to begin your journey.

Plan your exams well in advance, too – the lab test can only be taken at certain places around the world, and you should take into account the various travel charges and other extra costs associated with moving around for the purpose of taking your examinations. For the same reason, you should apply well beforehand as well – otherwise you risk being denied a spot in your desired location as they tend to fill up quickly.
If you are having trouble finding accommodation, you should get in touch with the service providers running the exam in the area and ask them for directions – in most cases they would be glad to help!

Ready to get certified? The best way to get started with any Cisco certification is with the INE’s all access pass.  No matter what track you are working on they have all the training you need for only one low price.  Check out the All Access Pass now.

If you are a tech and looking for things to do after your CCIE exam, look no further than the beautiful city of Brussels. Brussels, also known as the capital of Europe, is the administrative center of the European union. The business sector in Brussels abounds with international agencies that took root in the city. When sight seeing in Brussels, one will see blocks lined with a variety of international businesses with their steel and glass high rises. A short distance away, as if stepping into another world, there are cobbled stoned streets. and beautiful medieval architecture that reflect the city’s rich and flavorful past

Brussels is about the food. Brussels has the largest restaurant area in the world. Every building on the Petite Rue des Bouchers, or the street of butchers is a restaurant.

Brussels, Belgium

Throughout this beautiful and historical city are restaurants, quaint cafes, and eateries that offer enlightening flavors to satisfy every palate. Of course, there is plenty of French and Flemish food, however, because of the coming of immigrants, Brussels now has a variety of foods from other countries and cultures from around the world. The streets of Brussels offers Lebanese cooking, Western cooking Mexican cooking and Greek cooking.

Brussels has over 1,000 years of beauty and history that is sure to intrigue any individual visiting the city. So when you want to find things to do after your CCIE exam, consider sight-seeing. Sight-seeing in Brussels is plentiful with the many 15th and 17th century buildings throughout the city. All these buildings are intricately designed with a wonderful view no matter where you look. With the boulevards, parks, picturesque squares, and very active cultural life, there is something for anyone visiting Brussels. You can also enjoy a movie, a play or enjoy dinner in one of the many niche restaurants.

Update
We try to keep our rack rentals up to date with the actual hardware used stated in the latest Cisco Exam blueprint. This year we had significant hardware upgrades in preparation for the CCIE Routing & Switching V4 Blueprint. Due to these hardware changes we have increased the base price of R&S Rack Rentals by 5 tokens. This is still a great savings compared with other rack rental companies.


We still offer dynamic pricing for your rack rental, and if you are flexible with your study time you can rent a rack after the session has started or just before the session begins.

When taking special exams for certifications, some of them can take over eight hours and it is a good idea to be prepared for such a long exam. Each exam that takes this much time will have different rules for breaks, so this article will simply cover the basics of what is to be expected, and how to handle things in case you don’t get a long break during the exam.

Most long exams will work one of two ways. They can have separate sections, such as a written exam and a hands on exam, and you can take a break in between the sections to get food and take time to use the bathroom if need be. Other exams don’t allow for these breaks because they have to be careful about people studying for the exam during the break. It will be a good idea for you to learn what the policy is for the exam you are taking.

Exams that let you take breaks are ideal because it puts less stress on you. You will need to know if food will be provided, which is the case for many long exams, or if you will have to bring your own meal. Some places will give you the option of bringing a meal even if food is provided, while other will require that you eat what they serve. These exams are so strict because they don’t want anyone bringing in outside materials that could have studying tools in them. Bathroom breaks may be given at designated times, probably during the time between each section.

An exam that doesn’t give breaks will be a bit more complicated and require more preparation on your part. The morning of the exam, you will want to make sure you eat a big breakfast at least one hour before the test. Also make sure you limit how much you drink during that same hour because you don’t know when you’ll be able to get a bathroom break. You want to eat and drink early before the test so that you have time to use the bathroom before you go to the exam. You may be able to pack some snacks as well for during the exam, but again you will need to check on the policies for that specific test.

Besides prepping for being confined in a room for eight hours, you also need to be ready for the test itself. You should have already been studying for the exam, but have you been preparing for sitting that long? If you can, take a practice exam so you get a feel for the long hours. When you go to the test, make sure you take extra pens or pencils so that if one breaks or stops working you’ll be able to continue with the test. Having both types of utensils will let you be prepared if they require one or the other for taking the test. You may also want to bring other supplies such as a ruler and a pencil sharpener, or extra lead if you use mechanical pencils. By doing all of this you should be ready for a very long exam.

Thanks to PolyLabs (6 tries) and one full lab I have successfully
passed CCIE R&S in a first try . Without it, it would be much more
difficult…  Mariusz Kazmierski CCIE#: 25082

We would like to congratulate Mariusz on getting his CCIE and we appreciate him sending us this message.  This is the reason we are in business after all.  To celebrate his success story we are offering all customers a $5 off coupon towards the Poly-Lab.  So if you haven’t tried it, now is a great time.  Just use Mariusz’s CCIE number as the coupon code: 25082.  Buy a poly-lab assessment now!

Coming soon we will be providing more details on the Poly-Lab. Update: New story regarding the CCIE Poly-Lab Assessment has been finished, you can find it here.  If you have received your CCIE and would like to send us a success story about one or more of the products used from gradedlabs, contact us here and let us know.

When you are preparing to sign up for one of the Cisco CCIE certification courses you will notice that there are no formal prerequisites required. Most of the other professional certifications are no longer required by the Cisco training course administrators. The students selected are expected to have an understanding of the various subtleties and the challenges that the networking systems would involve. It is strongly recommended that you have at least three to five productive years on the job in that field prior to attempting to become certified. In order to obtain your CCIE Routing and switching certification you will be required to pass a written qualification exam as well as hands on lab evaluation. This assures that you are qualified and capable of performing the job at hand.

To those who may not be completely knowledgeable of what CCIE stands for. It successfully identifies those verified experts who have the necessary skills and the experience to enable them to handle just about any assignment in the networking field. The CCIE exams receive constant evaluations and are continually updated in order to assure top quality graduates who are favored within the industry. During these revisions the exams are centered upon the most current technology in the industry making Cisco graduates some of the more popular and most desired on the market today.

CCIE is recognized as the most high-level certification one can obtain in the industry today. When applying for a position dealing with networking most industry leaders look favorably upon CCIE Routing and switching certification. Value to the company generally translates of increasing salary in ones paycheck as well. What this boils down to is a great way to increase job security for you and your family’s future.

Often times when it comes down to a selection of possible candidates for a position the difference remains with the Cisco graduates. Various corporations and business tie up a considerable amount of money in their computer network systems and as such they want to ensure that anyone who may be handling this equipment is highly qualified to maintain it. Maintenance of the company’s networks is basic towards protecting their assets and ensuring continual operations. As the various computer environments become more and more complex the need for these qualified professionals is quickly becoming greater than ever before. Certified CCIEs are in high demand in the industry today.

Passing a CCIE exam is not as easy as one may think. Earning the honored CCIE certification requires passing the lab test successfully and there is only one way to prepare for this exam and that is by hands on experience.
Cost wise you will find that the average CCIE student has spent thousands of dollars and a minimum of eighteen months in their efforts to obtain their certification. In fact obtaining this certification is so difficult that the candidates are likely to attempt the lab more than once before they finally achieve their certification but it can be done and the rewards are well worth it.

Ready to get your CCIE? Click here to begin your training.