Open-Ended Questions - by Darby

Guys...

The Open-Ended Questions are "General Questions" about the fundamental
operations about the various technologies a candidate might be expected to
face in the CCIE Lab.

Simple as that.

After much research, deliberation, qa, and making my own questions for the
process and yes like everyone else I bought the others and tried IPExperts'
version. My thought process is better to have than to "have not"...

Some things start to occur to me.

1. A well-qualified candidated would be expected to know the technologies of
the CCIE Lab and thus these short answer questions would not be considered
much of a bother.

2. I've reviewed a lot of Networkers slides.

3. A formerly common resource I used to refer to a lot is no longer
available.

4. The Cisco 360 Program has emerged.

5. A few more things I'm not telling you publicly, but hey... you wanna
know what I know you gotta sell your soul and promise to never sleep again
till you die. Your choice.

So...

My recommendations:

1. If you have access to the Networkers / Cisco Live Techtutorials - I'd
recommend you take a peak under the hood.

2. If you ever heard of a guy named Caslow - you might remember he once
offered a book for sale and it is filled with Core Knowledge that might be
expected to be "Common Knowledge" of many of the technologies that are still
offered today. Not all but most of the ones most of us will probably need
to be concerned with.

3. Cisco offers something called Frequently Asked Questions about the "Core
Knowledge" of each Routing Protocol and/or technology and they are amazingly
"FREE" and they also happen construct a nice sized little book if printed
out - Save a tree.

4. Cisco offers little Tech Notes and some of these also contain well-known
caveats - The kind of caveats every CCIE Candidate might be expected to know
and to know well. Hmmm? Ya think?

5. Having been to the lab a few times before this and answering a million
questions about "Core Knowledge" in every corner of the Internet - even the
deepest and darkest crevices... it comes to my attention that certain
concepts trick the mind and play games...

Example:

Split-Horizon - Give an example in OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, and RIP.

Now take this example and amplify it.

Give a practical example of each and explain why.

Now go back and read the question again... Many will fail this series and
lineup of questions.

Why? Because they have not considered all of the issues with each protocol
and perhaps may think that one or none of them is applicable to the
question. Common Knowledge - Common Mistake by the "Less than Expert".

No suppose I asked you about the basic underpinnings of each protocol
commonly seen on the CCIE Lab... We all know them... those of us who
studied. Gunmen may or may not be expected to be able even guess at them.

Read that again...

Nope, I don't think you got it.... Try again.

Ok - Now go and do your homework.

That's what this is going to come down to.

How many CCIE's feel comfortable explaining the "Technology" to a peer, a
junior tech, a boardroom, or even their spouse?

Yep - you got it... and that is why even a question about Split-Horizon,
Mutlicast, or IPv6... and the basic operation of each technology is scaring
the hell out of the majority of everyone.

Now - Candidates will say it is unfair if they fail and easy if they pass.

Hah!

Perception is in the eye of the beholder.

Hindsight is 20/20.

I hear a lot of people say... I found 1 of the 4 or 5 in a CCNA book
somehwere and I knew 1 or 2 of the others... and I don't know how they
expected me to know the last one...

Or... I interpretted the question wrongly.

Yep - If you are like me and the Internet is your playground then you may
well have heard (I daresay) every story on the net by now.

The biggest rumor I like is that the questions are valued at explicitly "21
points".

And the test is now only 79 points.

Hmmm...

Ok - I heard something to that effect from an authority.

Sorry, I don't buy it.

I like the other story better:

4-5 questions and then go take the lab.

Score Report said... Passed.

Score Report said either 0, 75, or 100% for the live questions.

And x percent for the rest of the questions...

Hey - You can drink whatever coolaid you need in the morning and before you
go to bed.

Effectively if you fail the questions - they might as well be 21 points.
Agreed.

However, if you do well on that section... I think you still better plan on
chalking up your 80 points.

I won't know with my own eyes till I get back in the ring with the beast.

All things in due time.

Go back and rre-read this and if you can read between the lines - and are
strong in the ways of the wind.... what I've written is as clear as glass if
not it is going to sound like I'm behind a steel wall.

Hint: If you still don't know what I mean... You'd better stand up and
scream, cause there's things going on that you don't know.

Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net
Received on Thu Apr 23 2009 - 10:22:30 ART