Following is a major excerpt from the e-mail sent from Cisco. As you can
see, the tack taken is that those on the CCNA/CCNP track should already have
skills that are currently covered in the CCIE lab.
It's no secret, and everyone who has been through the Lab will agree, that
there are certain tasks that fall into the BS / CS category. I am hopeful
that if this category is eliminated, then what is left will require a
demonstration of expertise, and that the Lab will remain every bit as
difficult and meaningful as it is today.
Chuck
--------------------
Begin excerpt from Cisco e-mail
> The CCIE Program team has been working hard to redesign, and greatly
improve
> our nine year old, performance based, certification format. We have
several
> objectives in mind including improved: efficiency, relevance,
effectiveness
> and challenge. We also want to properly position the CCIE level
> certification content with that of the CCNA and CCNP certification tracks
> which came into being well after the CCIE expert level program was
> established. From the standpoint of our exam architecture, we needed to
> migrate toward a model that will scale to demand and position us to take
> advantage of innovative delivery options that better utilize technology
and
> reduce the need for travel. Primary among all these objectives is our
> determination to maintain the legendary quality that is implicit in the
CCIE
> name and reputation.
>
> We began the process by identifying those aspects of our current CCIE lab
> exam that are effectively covered in Cisco's CCNA and CCNP certification
> programs. We also identified those skills that are tested several times
> within the current exam. Content was evaluated based upon the objective
of
> ensuring that we were sufficiently covering all relevant topics. Where
> appropriate, we shifted some of the lab's more fundamental, but still
> necessary, questions into a new and expanded qualification exam. The
> objective here is to do a better job of screening out candidates who would
> have passed the current written qualification test with no realistic hope
of
> passing the lab exam.
>
> After strengthening the written qualification exam, eliminating
duplication
> and lower level tasks, we discovered that adding an additional hour of lab
> time would allow us to deliver a higher quality CCIE lab exam in one
> expanded day. The overall testing process is reduced by far less than a
day
> yet there is no longer a need for customers to invest in a second travel
> day.
>
> There is no single consideration more important then the quality and
> efficiency of this new exam so we have engaged several highly respected
> industry notables in our beta testing process. It's too early for me to
> announce the outcome of that process but I will say that the initial signs
> look very good. We hope for and expect to get their constructive
criticism
> and plan to implement changes where necessary. If all goes well we will
be
> in a position to move forward with this improved format in August.
>
> In review, our new testing format is a vast departure from our traditional
> approach in that it takes into account the existence of Cisco's CCNP and
> CCNA certification programs. There is no longer a need for the CCIE exam
to
> certify a customer's proficiency in the area of intermediate networking
> skills. Our charter is to certify at the expert level and we now assume
> that, if the customer has passed our enhanced written qualification exam,
> their fundamental skills exist. By designing this recognition into our
lab
> exam, we can eliminate time consuming questions that test and give points
> for demonstrating lower level skills. If the customer does not have those
> skills, they will simply fail the lab due to their inability to deal with
> the pace and complexity of the enhanced CCIE lab exam. Solid trouble
> shooting skills are also a required part of the customer's ability to
master
> the enhanced lab exam so there is no longer the need to devote an entire
> section to trouble shooting. An individual who knows what they are doing
> will find our enhanced lab exam quite challenging. Someone who has yet to
> fully develop their skills will find it impossible. The net result of
this
> format is greater efficiency in testing coupled with greater respect for
our
> customer's time and resources. We see that as a win for everybody.
>
> Most people who are worried about the new CCIE lab exam format are
concerned
> about the ongoing integrity of our program. Rest assured that no one
cares
> more about the integrity of the CCIE program than we do. This new CCIE
lab
> exam embodies the best of what we have learned over the nine years this
> program has been in existence and, from that perspective alone, it's the
> best of the breed. Importantly however, this new format also positions us
> to do some innovative things going forward that would not be possible
> without these changes. The revised and improved format will position us
to
> handle the kind of exponential growth the CCIE program is seeing without
> having to make another significant program change for years to come.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of
Howard C. Berkowitz
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 7:04 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: A post in alt.certification.cisco all should read [7:9286]
>it's all over the CCIE list. Cisco is going to a one day lab. Speculation
is
>that they are eliminating all the B.S. and C.S. stuff. Some of us are
>guessing that a candidate will walk into a router/switch pod that is
>preconfigured with the basic stuff, and that to prove your CCIExpertise,
you
>will have to accomplish advanced tasks like redistribution, adding voice
and
>VPN's, maybe adding BGP, and fixing a couple of complex bugs. Pure
>speculation at this point. I believe I read somewhere that Cisco will be
>making a major announcement on the web site next week.
>
>Chuck
Far be it from me to suggest they would do something so sensible, but
wouldn't it help if they added simulation of the "basic stuff" on the
written (or maybe call it the pretest?)
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 6:42 PM
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: A post in alt.certification.cisco all should read [7:9286]
>
>Hi All...
>
>There is a post on the Usenet news group alt.certification.cisco that
anyone
>interested in the CCIE certification should read. The post is titled
>"Changes to CCIE Exams Upcoming". I would just cut and paste it here, but
>frankly it appears to be a email for the director of the CCIE program that
>was not intended for the public.
>
>HTH
>--
>John Hardman CCNP MCSE
Message Posted at:
http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=9351&t=9286
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