Well, I finished my first lab attempt, and unfortunately no numbers for me this time. I did really well on the configuration section, but I didn't pass the troubleshooting section. I've already scheduled my retake for November, so I'm back at the books. I thought I would double back and answer my own questions now that I have first hand experience. Hopefully this information will help someone else setting out for their first attempt in RTP. On a side note, I stayed at the Hotel Indigo in RTP and I would recommend it to anyone. It was reasonably priced at $99 a day and the room was nice and clean with free wired and wireless internet access. As for me, I'll be back up there in November. So, without further delay, here are the answers to my own questions:
On Tue, Aug 16, 2011 at 9:17 AM, Don Pezet <[email protected]> wrote: > Good afternoon everyone, > > I have my first lab attempt this Thursday at the RTP facility. I have a few > last minute questions that I can't seem to find answers to. They are > completely silly questions, I know, but at this point they are the things > that are floating around in my mind. If any of you have experience with > testing at the RTP, North Carolina location I would love to pick your brain > for a moment. Any help is much appreciated. > > 1) I don't want to rely on the hotel shuttle, so I have rented a car. Are > the parking lots open parking, or are they metered spots? I want to make > sure I have proper payment if necessary. I saw in Joe's video that there > were visitor spots outside building 3. Does anyone have experience with > whether those spots are full at 6:30AM? > Parking was free, no passes required. I drove right on campus and parked without issue. I arrived at 6:30AM and the campus was empty so parking was definitely not a problem. > > 2) What is the temperature like in the lab room? Do I need to bring a > jacket? I'm used to cold server rooms so anything above 70F is fine for me. > The temperature was comfortable. It was probably in the high 70's. I took a sweater, but I never put it on. I wore shorts and a polo to the test so that I would be comfortable which worked out well. > > 3) I have heard that lunch is complementary, but I haven't found > confirmation of that on Cisco's web site. Anyone know for sure? If it isn't, > does anyone know how much it is? > Lunch was catered and complementary. It was served in a break room directly attached to the testing area. My fellow testers and I ate lunch with our proctor. Conversation was light as nobody really knew what we were allowed to talk about and no one wanted to get in trouble :) Lunch was only 20 minutes, so it was back to the labs pretty quickly. > > 4) I have heard that snack and drink vending machines are available for > use. Are we allowed to eat and drink while taking the exam, or are they > limited to breaks only? Also, does anyone know the price of a soda in the > machines? I know the general rule is that you cannot take anything into or > out of the lab, so I am assuming I cannot bring food or drink with me. > I was allowed to bring snacks in and to have them at my testing station. I brought a bottle of water and some granola bars. The proctor said there were vending machines down the hall, but I never went to use them. I drank my bottle of water in the morning and I brought a can of soda back to my station from the catered lunch. In hind sight, I wouldn't have done that because I felt like I made entirely too many bathroom trips which all cost me time. > > 5) I know you are not allowed cell phones and other devices, but what is > their policy on wrist watches? I wear an analog watch normally, is that > allowed? Some of the Vue testing centers prohibit even them. > The proctor was very strict on this. We were allowed nothing beyond snacks and clothing at the testing station. Lockers were provided for us. Cell phones had to be turned off and placed in the locker. I had to remove even my analog watch. This turned out to be a non-issue, however, as the workstation had a clock displayed on screen at all times. I had my snacks in a plastic grocery bag, and while I was allowed to take the snacks to the station, I did have to put the back in the locker. > > Like I said, mostly silly questions, but I'm at that point now where OSPF > sham-links and CoPP have lost their mystery, but the exam room is still a > grey area. > > Thanks for all your help, > > Don Pezet > All in all, even though I didn't pass it was a great experience. I went in to the exam with so many unknowns due to the secrecy of the exam. Now that I have my first attempt under my belt I will be much more prepared the second time around. It was a $1,400 lesson, but I think it will be worth it in the end. Good luck everyone, Don Pezet _______________________________________________ For more information regarding industry leading CCIE Lab training, please visit www.ipexpert.com Are you a CCNP or CCIE and looking for a job? Check out www.PlatinumPlacement.com
