The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, or CCIE, is a technical certification offered by Cisco Systems. The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) and Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) certifications were established to assist the industry in distinguishing the top echelon of internetworking experts worldwide and to assess expert-level infrastructure network design skills worldwide. Holders of these certifications are generally acknowledged as having an advanced level of knowledge. The CCIE and CCDE communities have established a reputation for leading the networking industry in deep technical networking knowledge and are deployed in the most technically challenging network assignments. The expert-level certification program continually updates and revises its testing tools and methodologies to ensure and maintain program quality, relevance and value. Through a rigorous written exam and a performance-based lab exam, these expert-level certification programs set the standard for internetworking expertise.[1]
The program is currently divided into six different areas of expertise or "tracks". One may choose to pursue multiple CCIE tracks in several different categories of Cisco technology: Routing & Switching, Service Provider, Security, Collaboration, Data Center, and Wireless.
CCIE candidates must first pass a written exam and then the corresponding hands-on lab exam. Though there are no formal requirements to take a CCIE certification exam, an in-depth understanding of the topics covered by the exams and three to five years of job experience are expected before attempting certification.[2]
There are two test sets for the requirement for certification:
Details: The CCIE Routing and Switching Lab exam consist of a 2-hour Troubleshooting section, a 30-minute Diagnostic section, and a 5-hour and 30-minute Configuration section. The format differs per track.
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.
The CCIE lab exam was first introduced in 1993 with a two-day test. As there was an overwhelming demand for CCIE certification, the waiting time for taking the lab exam was at least six months. In October 2001, Cisco updated the two-day lab exam to one day by removing some of the testing measures like diagramming, IP addressing, and troubleshooting.[3]
When the CCIE lab test was two days:
To configure the devices correctly, you should be aware of the core technologies. There are various hazards that you should understand as well as demonstrate basic networking knowledge and practical experience. The Proctor would observe your process and let you know whether you can attend the afternoon exam session for the troubleshooting field before the end of the day.[5]
The current CCIE exam consists of eight hours within a day.[6] [7]
You would receive the result of the lab exam within 48 hours. The failing score reports incorporate the details of your mark on the primary topic ranges. If you pass your lab exam, you will receive the passing result without the details of the statement.
Many lab centers across the US (e.g. California) have been closed down, leaving only Richardson, Texas open. As of 2020, these are the only available cities, worldwide, in which you can take the lab exam:Bangalore, Beijing, Brussels, Dubai, Feltham, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Krakow, Mexico City, Moscow, Richardson, Riyadh, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto.
There are seven tracks of Expert Level certifications. It was designed for the requirement of the industry. It was updated over time, and the latest tracks should be verified on CCIE official website.
Active CCIE holders are able to apply for CCIE Emeritus status when they reach their tenth anniversary of CCIE certification. Lifetime Emeritus tenure is applicable to candidates who maintains their CCIE Active or Emeritus status for 20 consecutive years.[15] It is necessary to submit the application of CCIE Emeritus within 60 days of the due date of the license expiry date.[16]
The Continuing Education Program is an alternative way of re-certification for the CCIE license instead of passing the written exam. This program is managed according to three core principles: Flexibility, Diversity and Integrity.
Regarding a new approach to networking with software-defined networking,there are some critics about CCIE certifications that challenge corner-case scenarios of written and lab exams. However, the principle of networking is still the same regardless of whether a router or a switch is a physical device or just a piece of software, the fundamental networking operations remain the same in the real-world internetworking. CCIE holders are still relevant to the software-defined networking era.[18]