- Exam Details / Strategy and Trouble Spots
- Preparation Hints / Recommended Study Resources
- Exam Objectives
Preparation Hints
From an overall preparation and strategy point of view, it is important to look at the VAST overlap between the CCIEv5 Written Blueprint and Lab Blueprint. This is not a coincidence. This means that your preparation should keep that in mind. Prepare for both exams at the same time.
A good study plan involves a mixture of modalities (methods of information input) such as reading, watching videos, taking courses, and doing hands-on work. The hands-on part is obviously more critical to the Lab Exam preparation, but if your Written Exam question contains output from a show command that you have never heard of, it may become difficult to answer.
In Experiential Learning, the adage of See One, Do One, Teach One may well help in preparation for these exams. They are expert-level exams, and although you will be taking your test individually, I would recommend having a study partner or study group to maximize your efficiency of studying. Although you don’t need to be a formal classroom instructor to teach, the idea of presenting a subject to others is equally valuable. It may take that pressure/exposure to realize whether you truly know a subject.
The current CCNA and CCNP exams are also valuable to study. Although not at the same level of detail, they do pretty much follow the same subject matter.
Recommended Study Resources
Although not required for certification, the current CCNA and CCNP certifications can be valuable for information in smaller doses. I would recommend studying them.
Consider the following books for reference:
- CCIE Routing and Switching v5.0 Official Cert Guide Library, 5th Edition (contains Volume 1 and Volume 2), by Narbik Kocharians, Peter Paluch, and Terry Vinson
- Routing TCP/IP, Volume 1 (2nd Edition), by Jeff Doyle and Jennifer Carroll
- Routing TCP/IP, Volume 2, by Jeff Doyle and Jennifer Carroll