CCIE

CCIE Routing and Switching certification is for expert-level engineers who need to plan, operate and troubleshoot complex, converged network infrastructures.

There are no formal prerequisites for CCIE certification. Other professional certifications or training courses are not required. Instead, candidates must first pass a written qualification exam and then the corresponding hands-on lab exam. You are expected to have an in-depth understanding of the topics in the exam blueprints and strongly encouraged to have three to five years of job experience before attempting certification.

You must pass the two-hour, written qualification exam, which covers networking concepts and some equipment commands before you are eligible to schedule the lab exam.

The eight-hour lab exam tests your ability to configure actual equipment and troubleshoot the network in a timed test situation. You must make an initial attempt at the CCIE lab exam within 18-months of passing the CCIE written exam. Candidates who do not pass must reattempt the lab exam within 12 months of their last scored attempt in order for their written exam to remain valid. If you do not pass the lab exam within three years of passing the written exam, you must retake the written exam before being allowed to attempt the lab exam again.

To earn this Cisco certification, you must pass:  CCIE Written Exam (400-101 CCIE Routing & Switching)

The CCIE written exam is a two-hour qualification exam, taken at a Cisco authorized Pearson VUE testing center. The exam uses a combination of multiple choice questions and simulations to assess the skills listed under Exam Topics. Exams are closed book and no reference materials are allowed.

The eight-hour lab exam tests your ability to configure actual equipment and troubleshoot the network in a timed test situation.