13 July 2006

Change to CCIE R&S Lab Equipment and IOS

Effective November 13, 2006, CCIE Routing and Switching labs will begin replacing the Catalyst 3550 by introducing the Cisco Catalyst 3560 Series enterprise-class switches.

All CCIE R&S candidates taking exams on or after that date should be familiar with the new switches and associated IOS, although installation of the new equipment will take place over several months and some candidates may not see the new equipment in their exams right away. No changes are being made to the lab exam blueprint at this time and candidates should continue to refer to the existing CCIE R&S Lab Exam Blueprint for exam topics.

For additional details, see R&S Lab Equipment and IOS Versions on the CCIE website.

13 July 2006

Cisco Revises CCIE Service Provider Track

Cisco is announcing changes to the CCIE Service Provider track to align more closely with the complex packet-based networks used to deliver rich managed services . The changes include release of a single comprehensive written exam including additional topics and the introduction of new equipment in the lab. The new SP written exam will eventually replace the eight current written exams candidates choose from to qualify for the lab exam.

All changes will be announced in advance of their effective dates to allow candidates sufficient time to study.

Specific changes included in this announcement are:

Lab Exam: Effective November 1st 2006, all CCIE Service Provider labs will begin introducing Cisco Series 7200 routers into the lab. All CCIE candidates taking Service Provider lab exams after November 1, 2006 should be familiar with this equipment. The worldwide installation of the routers will physically take place over several weeks and it is possible that some candidates may not see the new equipment in their exams. Candidates should refer to the CCIE SP Lab Equipment and IOS Version web page for details. Please note that the CCIE Lab Exam blueprint remains unchanged at this time.

New Written Exam: Also on November 1st 2006, Cisco will introduce a single, comprehensive written exam which will focus more on packet architecture and other technologies used to deliver rich and flexible new services to SP customers. Candidates interested in the new comprehensive exam should review the new CCIE SP Comprehensive Written Exam Blueprint (351-029) on the web. Initially this exam will be available as a choice among the existing written exams. Eventually, as the current SP written exams are either repositioned for recertification only, or retired (see table below), exam number 350-029 will become the only available qualifying exam for the SP track. The transition to a single written exam is expected to be complete on February 1, 2007 and candidates planning to take their written exam on or after that date, should prepare using the new blueprint.

Beta Test: A beta test of the new comprehensive CCIE SP Written Exam (351-029) will be available at all worldwide, Cisco-authorized testing centers from August 1, 2006 through August 29th, 2006. The beta exam will be offered at a discounted price of US$50, with full recertification or lab qualification credit granted to all passing candidates. Candidates preparing for this exam should refer to CCIE SP Comprehensive Written Exam Blueprint (351-029) for a detailed outline of topics covered. Please remember that candidates may only attempt a beta exam once during the beta period and individual scores are generally available six to eight weeks after the close of the beta period.

Current Written Exams: Other changes to written exams are summarized in the following table.

31 May 2006

Changes to CCIE Security Lab and Written Exams

Effective January 2, 2007, there will be some important content changes in the CCIE Security Lab and Written exams. All CCIE exams are revised regularly in response to changes in networking practices and feedback from customers and partners. Candidates for written and lab exams scheduled on January 2, 2007 or later should prepare using the v2.0 blueprints below. Candidates prior to January 2 should continue using the prior blueprints (now known as v1.0).

• CCIE Security written exam blueprint, v2.0
• CCIE Security lab exam blueprint, v2.0

Troubleshooting techniques will now be integrated into the lab exam. In addition, the following changes--shown in the posted blueprint--will be introduced in the lab effective January 2, 2007:

• Upgrade of Cisco PIX Firewall Appliance to Software Version 7.x.
• Addition of two ASA-5510 Firewall Appliances running v7.x.
• Upgrade of Cisco Intrusion Prevention System to Software Release 5.x.
• Upgrade of Cisco VPN3000 Concentrator Series to Software Release 4.7.x.
• Upgrade of Cisco Catalyst 3550 switches to Software Release 12.2SEE.
• Upgrade of CiscoSecure ACS to Software Version 4.0.
• Addition of PC to test Remote Access VPN, admission control, packet capturing and various other applications.
• Eliminate preconfigured ACS and require candidates to configure.