Since I can't add an attachment I copy and pasted Caslow's response as
presented to me
when I e-mailed Lorne at Cisco regarding my concerns and Cisco's motivations
for
changing the lab format.
Date: July 10, 2001
To: Lorne Braddock, Cisco Systems
From: Bruce Caslow, Mentor Technologies
Subject: A Review of the New One Day CCIE Lab Examination Format
After reviewing the new one day CCIE lab examination format, I report the
following
observations:
When I was first asked to review the new one day CCIE lab examination
format, my first
reaction was that
many of the tasks that are currently in the traditional two day CCIE lab
would be
removed from the new one day lab and as a result, the new one day lab format
would be
easier than the traditional two day lab. When I actually reviewed the new
one day CCIE
lab exam, my first presumption was affirmed however my second presumption
was not. Yes,
tasks that are in the current two day CCIE lab exam have been removed from
the proposed
one day CCIE lab exam. However, the new one day exam is not easier to pass
than the two
day exam. From the very beginning of the test, the new one day CCIE lab
forces the test
taker to immediately begin configuring a hefty load internetworking topics.
For the
entire period of the one day test, there is a relentless pressure to
complete an
extensive list of configuration tasks. One may ask the following questions,
What
topics are covered in the new one day CCIE lab exam format? Is the list of
topics used
to create the one day CCIE lab exam different from the list of topics used
create the
current two day exam? From an internetworking configuration requirements
perspective,
there seems to be no difference between the two day CCIE lab exam and the
one day CCIE
lab exam. Every internetworking topic that is considered fair game in the
two day
CCIE lab might also appear in the new one day exam format. Therefore, from a
breadth of
topics to study perspective, the new one day CCIE lab exam is identical
with the two
day CCIE exam.
Quite simply, the new one day CCIE lab exam format is a rigorous single day
of
performing a series of configuration tasks on the same wide range of
internetworking
topics that are found in the current two day CCIE lab. Emphasis of the
previous sentence
must be placed on the word CONFIGURATION. In the two day CCIE lab the
following tasks
are encountered:
Day One
1. Review examination tasks
2. Examination equipment rack cable up
3. Terminal server configuration
4. IP address planning
5. Configure of a range of internetworking technologies for the remainder of
Day One
Day Two
6. Review examination configuration tasks for Day Two (Redundant with Step
1in Day One)
7. Continue configuring a range of internetworking technologies for the
first half of
Day Two (Redundant with Step 4 in Day One)
8. Troubleshooting the second half of Day Two
The new one day CCIE lab examination format consists of the following tasks:
1. Review examination tasks
2. Configure a range of internetworking topics
When comparing the two day format with the one day format, it is obvious
that the
following tasks have been removed from the new one day CCIE lab exam:
Examination equipment rack cable up
Terminal server configuration
IP address planning
The explicit troubleshooting section
In the two day CCIE lab exam, the explicit troubleshooting section consumed
one half of
a day. Also, the two day CCIE lab exam required test takers to perform the
following
three morning of the First Day tasks: (1) cabling up the equipment rack,
(2)
configuring the terminal server and (2) planning an IP addressing scheme.
Performing
these three morning of the First Day tasks consumed at least one hour.
When the
explicit half day troubleshooting section as well as the three above
mentioned morning
of the First Day tasks are removed from the two day CCIE lab, what is let
is the heart
of the CCIE lab exam: approximately nine hours of rigorous CONFIGURATION
tasks. The
identical core of the current two day CCIE lab an extensive set of
configuration tasks
involving a wide range of internetworking topics- is found in the new one
day CCIE lab.
While the two day CCIE lab provides approximately nine hours to perform a
set of
configuration tasks over a one and one half day period, the one day CCIE lab
provides
only 7.5 hours in a single day.
It appears that the formula the Cisco CCIE testing team used to create one
day CCIE lab
is the following:
1. Take the current configuration tasks used in the existing CCIE Two Day
Lab exam and
reformat them into a one day format.
2. Apply the configuration tasks mentioned in Step One above to the exact
same rack of
test equipment used in the existing two day CCIE Two Day Lab
3. Remove the follow tasks from the CCIE lab:
Examination equipment rack cable up
Terminal server configuration
IP address planning
The explicit troubleshooting section
By removing the tasks above, at least four hours of time needed to take the
two day CCIE
lab has been reduced. This leaves approximately nine hours time to perform
configuration tasks in the two day CCIE lab exam. The nine hours of
configuration tasks
in the two day CCIE lab have been compressed into the 7.5 hour time length
of the one
day CCIE lab exam. This compression may require the reduction of the number
of
configuration tasks to perform in the one day CCIE lab when compared to the
number of
configuration tasks performed in the two day exam. However, the
configuration tasks of
the one day CCIE lab will be selected from the same range of topics as the
two day CCIE
lab.
In summary, the core of the two day CCIE lab is retained in its entirety in
the new one
day lab exam. The exact same configuration tasks and equipment racks that
were used in
the two day lab exam are being used in the one day exam. The exact same
range of
internetworking topics that are relevant to the two day CCIE lab exam are
relevant to
the one day exam. Therefore, CCIE candidates that are studying for the one
day exam will
need to study just as hard as those that have taken the two day exam.
Conclusion
The one day CCIE lab does not make attaining the CCIE certification any
easier. It has
streamlined the CCIE certification testing process so that more people can
take the
test. This will help Cisco address its CCIE lab exam administration backlog
problem. At
any point, if Cisco feels the one day CCIE lab exam has gotten too easy, it
can easily
adjust the test to make it more difficult while keeping the test in a one
day format.
There seems to be no absolute correlation between the level of rigor of a
test and the
number of days of a test. It is possible to make a single day test
extremely difficult.
It is also possible to make a two day test extremely easy. The key factor in
measuring
the level of rigor of a test is the test content itself and not the test
length. Cisco
seems committed to retaining the high level of challenge associated with
attaining the
CCIE while shifting the test length to one day.
Enid Sorkowitz wrote:
> I am posting this per Lorne Braddock's request. Please don't directly
> respond back to me or Lorne because we simply can't reply to everyone
> and don't want to appear disrespectful.
>
> Regards,
>
> Enid Sorkowitz
> Manager, Customer Service
> CCIE Program
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The CCIE program team at Cisco Systems, Inc. recently announced a
> revised lab exam format and that sparked a good deal of discussion on
> this study group alias. I personally do not belong to the alias but one
> particular message was brought to my attention because it was not only
> inaccurate, it was potentially damaging. Someone posted what they
> represented as being valid test score results achieved by Phil Remaker
> and Bruce Caslow during their voluntary review of the our new CCIE lab
> exam format. Those were NOT valid test scores so the information posted
> by this individual was not only inaccurate and inappropriate, it was
> misleading and had the potential of professionally damaging the two
> individuals he was attributing the scores to.
>
> Because I do not personally belong to this forum, I elected to contact
> the individual who posted the misinformation to make him aware of the
> real facts. I was careful to explain that I had no problem with
> individuals expressing their personal point of view but, posting
> inappropriate, inaccurate and damaging information about someone else
> was in no ones best interests. I gave him the facts and asked him to
> post a clarification. By doing so, he would correct the records, gain
> personal credibility and send a clear signal that facts and not rhetoric
> are important. He assured me he would consider my request but, for
> reasons known only to him, he apparently decided to let the
> misinformation stand. I will not.
>
> I am the person who approached Bruce Caslow and Phil Remaker with the
> request that they evaluate our new CCIE lab exam format. I approached
> them along with a couple of other Internet notables because of their
> reputations and the industry wide credibility they possess. Both Bruce
> and Phil welcomed the opportunity to conduct such an evaluation because
> they sincerely care about the ongoing reputation and success of the CCIE
> certification program. Both men willingly donated their time, and good
> names, to this evaluation. They were also willing to document their
> findings and make them available to the interested public. In my
> opinion, their's is the kind of activism and involvement that is
> beneficial to all who are and aspire to be CCIE certified.
>
> Bruce and Phil were asked for their opinion on the test's relevance,
> degree of challenge, clarity and overall quality. I wanted their
> opinion as to whether this test set the proper standard of excellence
> for a CCIE level certification exam. Was it as good or better than it's
> predecessor? I told both of them that I did not expect, or want, them
> to take the lab exam for scoring purposes. It was the new lab exam
> format I wanted evaluated, not them. The analogy is as if I was asking
> a world class marathoner to jog a new course I mapped out to see if it
> suitable for world class record setting purposes. Is the course
> challenging enough, is it fair, does it test each athlete thoroughly?
> That's what I wanted their opinion on. Neither Bruce nor Phil studied
> or prepared in any way other than to clear their calender for the day.
> Of the two of them, Phil was the only one to even mention a score and he
> did so in a self deprecating way. Bottom line, no valid scores were
> tallied or posted. No score should be attributed to either one of them.
>
> Lorne Braddock
> Sr. Manager, CCIE Programs
> Cisco Systems
Message Posted at:
http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=13838&t=13789
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