Common Reasons for Lab Exam Failure

Reason 1: “I was on no/little sleep!”

• Nerves
• Caffeine
• Abnormal routine
• Cramming
• Abnormal environment

Reason 2: “I ran out of time!”

• Practice, Practice, Practice
• Speed drills
• Overall strategy approach
• Specific strategies
• Adherence to time management practices

Reason 3: “The proctor was not helpful at all!”

• Be Nice!
• Demonstrate knowledge
• Be specific
• Communicate you are not looking for an answer – request clarification
• Try another – try again

Reason 4: “I got tons of topic XYZ!”

• FOCUS ON YOUR WEAK AREAS!!!!!!!

Reason 5: “Too stressed out at that point in my life!”

• Stress mitigation techniques
• Rescheduling the lab

Reason 6: “I was physically sick for the lab!”

• Stress mitigation techniques

Reason 7: “I had absolutely no chance to pass that lab!”

• Formalized CCIE training!

Reason 8: “I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I FAILED!!!!”

• Task misinterpretation
• Poor verification techniques