CCIE is the Industry's Most Respected IT Certification

For over fifteen years, CCIE has identified networking professionals with the highest level of expertise. Less than three percent of all Cisco certified professionals earn their CCIE. Experience is the best preparation for the hands-on CCIE lab exam. According to recent surveys, CCIE is one of the highest paying certifications in the Technology Industry and Average annual salary for a CCIE holder is $93,500 per year.

Cisco CCIE Routing and Switching

Certifies expert-level knowledge of networking across various LAN and WAN interfaces, and a variety of routers and switches.

Requirements for Certification

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.

Step One: CCIE Routing and Switching Written Exam

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.

CCIE Routing and Switching Written Exam #350-001

The written exam is a two-hour, multiple choice test with 90-110 questions covering Routing and Switching networking theory related to topics such as IP, IP routing, non-IP desktop protocols, bridging and switch-related technologies, and includes some equipment commands. The exam is closed book and no outside reference materials are allowed.

Cost

Written exams are administered by independent vendors at cost of US$350. Costs may vary due to exchange rates and local taxes (VAT, GST).

Expiration

Candidates must make an initial attempt of the CCIE lab exam within 18 months of passing the CCIE written exam. Valid passing scores on written exams expire after 18 months.

Locations

Written exams are taken at any worldwide Pearson Vue testing facility. See their website for more details.

Results

Written exam results are Pass/Fail and are available immediately following the exam. The passing score is set by statistical analysis and is subject to periodic change.

Step Two: CCIE Routing and Switching Lab Exam

The eight-hour lab exam tests your ability to configure actual equipment and get the network running in a timed test situation. You must pass the lab within three years of passing the written to achieve certification. Your first lab attempt must be made within 18 months.

 Effective February 1, 2009, CCIE R&S lab exams will begin with a brief Core Knowledge section consisting of four, computer-delivered short-answer questions. Candidates will type in their answers, which typically require five words or less. Questions will cover topics included on the current lab exam blueprint. Candidates are allowed a maximum of 30 minutes to complete the questions and may not use the Cisco documentation which is available for the remainder of the lab. Well-prepared candidates should be able to answer the questions in 15 minutes or less and move immediately to the configuration section. No extra time is being added to the eight-hour exam. All candidates must pass the Core Knowledge section in order to achieve CCIE certification.

Cost

Lab exams cost US$1400 per attempt, not including travel and lodging expenses. Costs may vary due to exchange rates and local taxes (VAT, GST). You are responsible for any fees your financial institution charges to complete the payment transaction.

Lab Exam Grading 

Each question on the lab has specific criterion. The labs are graded by proctors who ensure all the criterion are met and points are awarded accordingly. The proctors use automatic tools to gather information from the routers to perform some preliminary evaluations, but the final determination of a correct or incorrect configuration is done by a trained proctor. 

Results 

You can review your lab exam results online (login required), usually within 48 hours. Results are Pass/Fail and failing score reports indicate major topic areas where additional study and preparation may be useful. 

Reevaluation of Lab Results 

You may request a reevaluation of results for Routing and Switching, Security and Service Provider labs for up to 14 days following your exam date. Use the link next to your lab record called "Request for Reread". Due to the equipment used, rereads are not available for the Voice and Storage Networking exams. Each reread costs US$250 plus any applicable local taxes. Payment is made online via credit card and your card will be charged upon receipt of the request. You may not cancel the reread request once the process has been initiated and refunds are only given when the results change from Fail to Pass.

A reread consists of a second proctor loading your configurations onto a rack to recreate the test and rescore the entire exam. This process may take up to three weeks after receipt of payment. Only one reread per lab attempt is permitted. The result of the reread is an updated score report with success rates for each major section. Be aware that scores may decrease. Exams receive a Pass mark only when the total exam score exceeds 80%. Before requesting a reread, consider that, historically, only 0.3% of exams have been changed from Fail to Pass.