My First CCIE

There’s been a lot of turmoil going on that’s sucked up a lot of time from my studies. Job changes. Family vacations. Health care reform. Paula leaving American Idol.

I’m almost done with the Cisco QoS book, which was very helpful. It’s been a while since I’ve done a lab so I started busting them out again. Oof. Very rusty. Not as bad as when I first started, but I’ve definitely forgotten some syntax. So.. I’ve been hammering through them. My scores are significantly higher now and I just have to stay sharp. I haven’t been timing them because I just haven’t really had 8 straight hours to sit down and lab. Today’s project is finishing another lab and babysitting my infant nephew.. who I’m pretty sure can’t come to RTP with me.

Let’s get back to a hot topic. Testing. I’m really not sure I’m going to. As much as I’d love to get my numbers, it was always about being a better engineer. I saw a post the other day from a gentleman who took the lab, passed it with blazing colors.. and FAILED. What?? Yup.. failed. He requested a re-read and Cisco said, “nope.. you don’t qualify for a re-read”. Well, through a lot of persistence (now that he was ticked off about blowing a bunch of money and being told.. apparently arbitrarily. that he failed).. he got his re-read and passed. (Big congrads, by the way!) But here’s the question… did his answers suddenly become right? We’re not talking about him being border-lined and open to interpretation. They told him ‘no.. you failed’. Several times. Being the passive-aggressive that I am, I would have walked away with the failure. (Complained about it forever… but accepted it nonetheless) Perhaps re-reads are a profit center??

So, I’m becoming very disillusioned with the thought of testing. It just seems arvitrary and flawed. Of course, the ‘know thyself’ side of me has to ask if I’m not just scared of the test anyway. To be honest.. perhaps. Although I know at least one numbered CCIE who agrees that the process is hosed. Still.. there are a lot of people passing. Many on the first try. Hmm. I wonder if it works the other way.. how many people fail and are accidentally passed? “No.. I’m sure I failed that test. I want a re-read!”

Enough musing for now. The nephew is sleeping and I have a few minutes to roll out some BGP. Time to smack that AS.