Timing is Everything
One of the challenges inherint in the CCIE Lab Exam is the fact that you are really, really pressed for time. You simply cannot afford to spend too much time on any one task, since you have such a shortage of time overall.
One of the keys to my success was using a Skipped Task Tracker where I would record any non-core tasks that I might struggle with and that I decided to skip until the end of the day. After all, as the day draws to a close, you have a much better idea of how much time you have to spare.
I constantly get asked in class, "where should I be when they call the lunch break?" and "How much time should I have left after all configurations are made?" While the answer varies, here is a good rule of thumb:
You should have full connectivity prior to the lunch break. This means you should have the following topics done (except non-core tasks you might have skipped) - Switching, Frame-Relay, RIPv2, OSPF, EIGRP, IPv6, Redistribution.
On the day I earned my number, I was stunned that I had 45 minutes after completing my skipped tasks. This was more than enough time to:
- Save all device configs again
- Reboot all devices
- Re-run the TCL Script
- Solve any issues with connectivity
Some readers will finish their skipped tasks and have hours to spare, while others out there will finish right at the buzzer and still pass. The purpose here was to provide a rule of thumb. I hope you enjoyed this post. Obviously comments are ecouraged - as always. :-)
