Trouble Spots
You have eight hours to complete the lab exam: two hours of Troubleshooting (TS), followed by a six-hour Configuration section. If you finish the TS lab section in less the two hours, you can start working on the Configuration section; however, the remaining time you did not spend on the TS lab will not carry over to the Configuration lab: it is still limited to its six hours. Also, all the questions on both lab sections will be presented electronically on-screen for you; there are no booklets with a paper doc with the questions.
Time management is crucial for your success during both lab sections. You must be well prepared not to waste time on those questions you find easier or moderate in difficult level. You should avoid getting stuck on a question, so balancing and tracking the time is very important. Be sure to contact the lab proctor as soon you suspect something is wrong, such access to an IOU virtual router in the TS lab or a physical router on the Configuration lab.
Since the exam is graded based on outcomes or working results (functionality), you can virtually grade your exam as you go. For example, if a TS trouble ticket states “router A cannot reach (ping) router B”, you find the issue, and you are able to ping between router A and router B, then you know you answered correctly.
Consider taking a couple of sort breaks during the exam. It is a long exam, and it is easy to get your mind exhausted. Many times, I have seen candidates stuck on a question because a configuring mistake (for example, a routing protocol), and they cannot see what is wrong. Just taking a five minute break can help you refresh your thoughts, and you may find what is wrong.