[Ejikman]

Hi Guys,

Please see article below to get more infor about the changes to R&S lab exam.

Effective February 1, 2009, Cisco will introduce a new type of question format to CCIE Routing and Switching lab exams. In addition to the live configuration scenarios, candidates will be asked a series of four or five open-ended questions, drawn from a pool of questions based on the material covered on the lab blueprint. No new topics are being added. The exams are not been increased in difficulty and the well-prepared candidate should have no trouble answering the questions. The length of the exam will remain eight hours. Candidates will need to achieve a passing score on both the open-ended questions and the lab portion in order to pass the lab and become certified. Other CCIE tracks will change over the next year, with exact dates announced in advance.


Effective February 17th, 2009, candidates will also see two other changes in CCIE written exams. First, candidates will now be required to answer each question before moving on to the next question; candidates will no longer be allowed to skip a question and come back to it at a later time. Second, there will be an update to the score report. The overall exam score and the exam passing score will now be reported as a scaled score, on a scale from 300-1000. This change will not affect the difficulty of the current set of exams and will assure CCIE written exams will be consistent with Cisco’s other career certification exams.




http://ciscocert.cus...&p_new_search=1

[ManishBehal]

I think is a massive step in the correct direction by Cisco, I can see this spreading to other tracks quickly.

[CertBuster]

ManishBehal, on Jan 14 2009, 06:32 PM, said:

I think is a massive step in the correct direction by Cisco, I can see this spreading to other tracks quickly.

Will it be effective on new CCIE Security BluePrint v3 as well??

[marishshah]

CCIE Lab: Short Answer questions impact to exam score to CCIE lab (Effective February 1, 2009)


Question
Do the short answer questions affect my overall CCIE lab exam score?


Answer
Yes. All sections on the exam and their results are taken into account when determining the overall exam score

CCIE Lab: Skipping the Short Answer Questions (Effective February 1, 2009)


Question
Can I skip the short answer questions and go back and answer them later?


Answer
No, the short answer questions must be completed before the candidate moves on to the configuration scenarios


CCIE Lab: Are Rereads Available for Short Answer Questions (Effective February 1, 2009)

Question
What if I don't agree with the grading on the short answer questions? Can I appeal the results of the short answer section?


Answer
Because short answer questions are open-ended, responses are manually graded and the grading guidelines will allow for some variation in response. If a candidate requests and pays for a Lab Exam reread, a second proctor will review the entire exam responses and issue a second opinion. There will be no option to purchase a reread of only the short answer results.


CCIE Lab: When Short Answer Questions Will Appear (Effective February 1, 2009)

Question
When will candidates begin to see the short answer questions on the lab?


Answer
Candidates in all lab locations can expect to see short answer questions on their exams beginning in (TBD 2009).


CCIE Lab: How Many Short Answer Questions (Effective February 1, 2009)

Question
How many short answer questions will be asked, and how long should candidates expect to spend on them?


Answer
Four or five short answer questions will be asked and candidates can expect to spend about 10-12 total minutes on them.


CCIE Lab: New Short Answer Question Format (Effective February 1, 2009)

Question
What is changing on the CCIE Lab Exam?


Answer
To increase the security & integrity of the CCIE R&S Lab exam, there will be a series of open-ended, short answer questions added to the lab exam in all global lab locations. The addition of these questions does not change the lab exam blue-print, nor does it require time be added to the total exam time. At this point the questions are being added to the Routing and Switching lab; lab exams in other tracks will be announced in advance



CCIE Lab: Studying and Change to Blueprints (Effective February 1, 2009)

Question
Will the short answer questions be added to the CCIE blueprints? How can I prepare (study) for the questions?


Answer
The short answer questions cover material already listed on the CCIE lab exam blueprint. The questions are intended to be answered easily and quickly by well-prepared candidates.

[akyuznet]

Why Cisco changed the lab exam?

[ManishBehal]

I think we will see a marked decline in the pass rates, which will perhaps add (more) credibility to the certification in the long run in order to wrestle back the value of EXPERT in the word CCIE. It does not take a genius to work out why the biggest IT company in the world is doing this. It does not take a genius to work out that other tracks will follow very quickly.

Why?

If it was easy then everybody would be doing an CCIE. If it brings "riches" and "gets you a good job" then everybody will be doing a CCIE. Everybody is doing a CCIE for those reasons that's why Cisco are doing what they are doing and that is not healthy for the industry.

[scblueeyedguy]

It's going to suck for the people who fail the lab because they screwed up the questions. Hopefully they will give an example or two, so we knew what format they are going to go for.

[ManishBehal]

scblueeyedguy, on Jan 14 2009, 09:12 PM, said:

It's going to suck for the people who fail the lab because they screwed up the questions. Hopefully they will give an example or two, so we knew what format they are going to go for.

hxxp://blog.internetworkexpert.com/2009/01/14/ccie-rs-lab-sample-oral-exam-questions/

[scblueeyedguy]

ManishBehal, on Jan 14 2009, 04:14 PM, said:

scblueeyedguy, on Jan 14 2009, 09:12 PM, said:

It's going to suck for the people who fail the lab because they screwed up the questions. Hopefully they will give an example or two, so we knew what format they are going to go for.

hxxp://blog.internetworkexpert.com/2009/01/14/ccie-rs-lab-sample-oral-exam-questions/

Thanks. That doesn't look bad. I would be more worried about mixing up terms from just being nervous than the questions he posted. If people study properly, they will be prepared for these questions. I spend some of time looking over theory just in case I get a task I don't known well, but I could work my way through by breaking it down. Now that practice will help me on the oral portion.

[zoonyspaz]

This just adds unnecessary pressure before the start of a very gruelling test. Say you are asked 5 questions and you cannot answer two.... you are going to spend the rest of the lab mulling over how that;s going to affect the test with the inevitable result that you may end up screwing up a task or a couple of tasks . There has to be a better way of maintaining the security and integrity of the test

There are many people out there who are very very good at what they do ... but just cannot seem to be able to open their mouth when needed ..... what happens to these guys ... they are paying the price for Cisco not being able to ensure the integrity of their tests.

Cisco should at the very least let the candidate know what percentage of their test score depends on these questions. Instead of putting pressure on a test taker on the day of the test.. cisco should probably verify work experience based on the submitted resume of the candidate ...I guess ... or have the interview at the end of the lab ( maybe .. but i guess the candidate would be spent by then ... but at least you start the test without the added pressure) .... I don't know ... maybe intorduce more troubleshooting in the lab ... have thr proctor break stuff during the break or after a certain period from the start of the 8 hours.. and give the candidate time to troubleshoot. So even if a candidate is taking the test to memorize the questions , the troubleshooting tasks are always going to be different depending on the proctor and what he/she breaks .

Equal emphasis on configuration and troubleshooting would be fair ... and that should weed out the cheaters quickly ...but I guess if Cisco wants to do that they would have to have more proctors and the number of labs in day would be reduced due to the added reponsibility of breaking the lab . I guess Cisco chose this option because it is the easiest to implement ..

I guess I have ranted enough... but i feel strongly that this is not the right way to do this.

karthik

[bdrake]

The other thing to consider is that if you can't survive the verbal questions, it's less likely you will ever pass an interview and get a job as a CCIE either.
I think this is a good thing, and well prepared candidates have nothing to fear.

--Barry

[cool_lai]

if you look at the FAQ on certificate support, you will see that even if you fail the open ended portion, you can still take the lab. but you need to pass both portions to pass the lab now.

This post has been edited by cool_lai: 15 January 2009 - 03:17 PM

[Ejikman]

I have gradually realised something about preparing for the CCIE lab, which is that you just cant escape knowing the theory of the required technology inside out. Copy and paste configs wont work here. So, if you know your theory pretty well, you shouldn't have any problems with the open ended questions.

Back to the trenches!

[BanderGoing4CCIE]

Well, this is a good thing. At least this way CCIE's will be what people expect from CCIE's. I myself sit for the lab somewhere this year (probably august) and trust in my skills 100%. I know I am studying right and will be able to answer every question trown at me when finished studying. This is what a CCIE is all about and this is what Cisco is trying to get back: quality people.

Oh, and if you fail you can be sure that you aren't ready to become a CCIE.

[Ejikman]

BanderGoing4CCIE, on Jan 15 2009, 11:14 AM, said:

Well, this is a good thing. At least this way CCIE's will be what people expect from CCIE's. I myself sit for the lab somewhere this year (probably august) and trust in my skills 100%. I know I am studying right and will be able to answer every question trown at me when finished studying. This is what a CCIE is all about and this is what Cisco is trying to get back: quality people.

Oh, and if you fail you can be sure that you aren't ready to become a CCIE.

I was planning to sit for the R&S Lab in June this year, but i've had to go back and reread so many theory and haven't even started the labs on IE workbooks. I think i have to shift my date to maybe Q4 this year or Q1 next year

[sandeepbaviskar]

I think they are starting this with R&S Lab

[ManishBehal]

Yes, it clearly says RS lab only. And:-

" Other CCIE tracks will change over the next year, with exact dates announced in advance"

This post has been edited by ManishBehal: 15 January 2009 - 09:32 PM

[MPLS_TE]

I am studying for CCIE SP Lab in Feb this year! I was just wondering HOW ON EARTH CAN YOU CHEAT THE LAB???? I know with all written and other level Cisco and other vendor theory exams there is crap like P4S etc....but the Lab??? Nah!!

[computer]

Guys,
I am a month out from my SP Lab Date in Brussels - I also have to disagree with this new requirement - I know a number of CCIE's who find it hard to articulate concepts but put them in a network room with a console cable and a laptop and they will solve all kinds of issues - Also others who are nervous at public speaking and interviews.

My opinion - do what the PMI do for PMP Applications - You have to submit documentation that proves you have worked for 4500-7000 hours of real world experience ahead of scheduling the exam - 20% of applications are audited and they must be signed off by your boss and couriered to the PMI. Once the audit is done you get a unique serial number to allow you to schedule your exam date.

Also - does this mean the Security, SP and Voice guys get an extra 10-15 minutes? Do we walk in and leave the R&S guys outside being asked questions? Do the R&S Guys now have 15 minutes less time for the same labs they would have got? If there are 2 proctors, how long does it take to test and mark 8 R&S candidates for example? What happens if a candidate hotly disagrees to the proctor about a question as the pressure might be getting to them? What about a candidate being asked questions in a foreign language?

No, this has been badly thought out!
Regards,
Steve

This post has been edited by computer: 15 January 2009 - 10:42 PM

[study2show]

ManishBehal, on Jan 15 2009, 11:28 AM, said:

Yes, it clearly says RS lab only. And:-

" Other CCIE tracks will change over the next year, with exact dates announced in advance"

i welcome the new ''Oral examination'' that was added to CCIE R/S lab exam. i was surprise recently how people who say they have passed the lab, suggesting all you need to pass is just ''so and so workbook from IE,IPE,Nariks,NMC,NMS or CCBC''. How can u truely be effective in the workplace if u don't understand the ACADEMIC side of the exam, oh yes the academic side-- clear understanding of the technological protocols behind the technologies u will be implementing.

just y/day i watch and listen to godfather Jeff Doyle interviewing Jerold(Jay) Swan on the ''Strategies for CCIE Exam Preparation'' from ciscopress website, the interview took place at CiscoLive 2008 last year. Jay talk and emphasis the need to understand the theory, ask yourself question like ''why these protocol work these way and these other protocol work that way'' and ''how they interoperate in an multiprotocol environment'' before think of jumping into the HOWTO.

Have you guys wonders how Petr Lapukhov from IE could pass 4 CCIE within 18months, he famous or know to read books from cover to cover and before joining IE, he has being used these technologies when he was working and teaching in Russia. So guy let us all go back to the basics study more and more, u will not have problem pass the ORAL and Practical Lab.

Regard,
Study2show.