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Cisco certified internetwork expert is one of the certifications from Cisco where candidates from the information technology will certify for getting a job change or high paid salary jobs etc. Totally there are 15,000 candidates around the world have successfully certified with this CCIE certification program. Since it is a challenging course, candidates should invest their time as well as money in order to certify successfully with this program.

CCIE certification program requirements:

For certifying with this certification, there are no special prerequisites required to the candidates but it is mandatory that candidates should have their work experience in any level of organization. There are two examinations that candidates should pass. One is theory examination and other one is CCIE laboratory examination. Cost of written exam is approximately 350 USD and the cost of lab examination is approximately 1250 USD. Theory examination is just 2 hours exam that consists of 100 questions with multiple choices. There are no case study type questions. Only after completing the theory exam, candidates can take the 8 hour lab examination.

CCIE job roles:

Regarding the job roles, candidates can get placed in high paid salary in top fortune companies around the world. Since the demand is always high for the CCIE candidates, companies are ready to hire talented CCIE certified candidates with high salary paid. Network expert, network architect, senior lead network engineer and lead network engineer are some of the job roles included for this certification program.

CCIE job salary to the candidates:

As already mentioned, CCIE candidates are always in demand in the multinational companies and hence, candidates can get placed in high paid salary. Average salary for the CCIE candidates in the United States is around 60,000 USD/ year. If the performance level is extremely good and also with 2 to 3 years experience, then candidates can demand for more than 125, 000 USD per year.

The CCIE Routing & Switching certification is one of seven currently active CCIE tracks offered by Cisco Systems. The routing and switching track is by far the most popular of all CCIE tracks, making up about 85% of the total number of CCIEs worldwide (as of 3/5/2010). According to Cisco, a CCIE in routing in switching certifies the skills required of expert-level network engineers to plan, operate and troubleshoot complex, converged network infrastructure 350-001.

Prerequisites - There are no formal prerequisites to attempt the CCIE Routing & Switching, but Cisco strongly recommends in-depth understanding and three to five years hands on experience before attempting the exam. Cisco also has said the average candidate will spend 12-18 months of time and several thousand dollars preparing for the CCIE. The routing and switching CCIE is often looked on as the gateway to just about any other specialization within the Cisco arena because in reality the topics covered are much more broad than simply routing and switching. Having a CCIE in routing and switching lays a solid foundation for an engineer to move on and pursue other avenues of specialization.

Like any CCIE track, the CCIE routing & switching certification requires that the candidate pass two separate exams — written & lab exam.

Written Exam - The first exam is the CCIE 350-001 written examination, which is a two hour test, comprised of roughly 100 questions. The written exam also serves as a qualifier to sit the lab exam. Written exams are taken at any worldwide Pearson VUE testing facility. Current cost of the written exam is $350 per attempt

Lab Exam - Passing the CCIE written exam is a pre-requisite to sit the CCIE lab exam. One must attempt the lab exam within 18 months of passing their written exam. The CCIE lab examination is an 8 hour hands on lab proctored by Cisco at one of 10 locations worldwide (Bangalore, Beijing, Brussels, Dubai, Hong Kong, Raleigh, San Jose, Sao Paulo, Sydney and Tokyo) & the current cost of the exam is $1400 per attempt.

Current Exam Format

The current incarnation of the CCIE routing and switching lab consists of three different sections. First, the candidate must face four open ended questions related to routing and switching exam topics. The candidate must type their answers into a text box, and their answers are graded by a proctor. The candidate must score 3 out of 4 correct in this section. Secondly, the candidate will face a two hour troubleshooting section. The troubleshooting section will consist of a series of troubleshooting tickets that must be solved the candidate in the given time. It is widely known that the troubleshooting section is implemented on virtual hardware such that no single problem affects any other problem. Because of this, the troubleshooting section may consist of many routers (25 to 30 devices would not be uncommon). The successful candidate must score 80% in their troubleshooting section. Finally, the candidate will face a 5.5 hour configuration section where the candidate will be required to configure a variety of Cisco technologies on equipment within the given amount of time and according to very specific requirements. The candidate must score 80% in the configuration section to pass. In summary, the student must pass 3 out of 4 open ended questions, 80% of their troubleshooting tickets, and 80% of the configuration section to earn a CCIE #.

Unlike its predecessors, this incarnation of the CCIE lab (v4.0) is all done electronically. There are no hard copies of exam materials given out. All the examination questions and diagrams are delivered electronically through the user’s computer terminal.

The CCIE certification is done to become a Cisco Certified Internetwork Engineer and this is what CCIE stands for. It is a universally recognized certification offered by Cisco. Though Cisco offers many prestigious certifications, which reflects the proficiency of a professional in respective fields of expertise but CCIE Certification is the highest accreditation ever offered by Cisco. This is a very rare certification because there are only 15000 individuals all across the world possessing CCIE certification. This is why the CCIE community has earned a very high reputation. Network Engineers holding a valid certification are well recognized for their expertise in engineering skills. Cisco introduced the CCIE certification in 1993 to distinguishing the top echelon of internetworking experts worldwide. Today, this Cisco certification has become a global standard for many IT companies. The CCIE certificate continuously revises and updates its testing tools and methodologies, to maintain its unparalleled quality, relevance and value.

To obtain this prestigious CCIE certification one needs to successfully get through the written exam followed by corresponding hands on lab exam. The written exams are computer based exam lasting for about 2 hours. All the questions are basically Multiple Choice Type. Payment and scheduling of the written exams is done online via Pearson VUE primary test delivery partner. The cost of the written exams is $350 USD each, and beta exams, when available at a discounted price of $50 USD. The cost may also vary due to exchange rates and varying local taxes. If you fail in your first test, you have to wait 5 days before retaking it. After clearing the written exam you need to attempt the CCIE lab exam within a minimum of 18 months. The lab exams are eight-hour, hands-on exams which test the proficiency in configuring as well as troubleshooting networking equipment and software. The cost of the lab exam is about $1,400 USD each.

Though the cost of the CCIE certification is extremely high, recent salary surveys have indicated that this certification holders are most likely to be recognized and rewarded globally and their earning is around 10% more than their non-CCIE certified peers.