CCIE R&S, or the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Routing and Switching certification tests the skills required to plan, manage and troubleshoot converged, complex network infrastructure. It is important to note that this credential doesn’t require any prerequisites despite the fact that it is an expert-level certificate.
Are you ready to move to more professional and advanced level? Do you want to become a CCIE certified specialist to boost and promote you career? If so, this article will help you prepare for the written exam associated with this Cisco certification.
The Cisco CCIE 400-101 Exam is considered to be one of the most challengingtests. This certification examination consists of 90-110 questions that should be answered within 2 hours. It certifies an individual’s ability to configure, maintain, and troubleshoot compound network infrastructure, and transfer dynamic requirements into concrete device configurations.
This test might stress people out when they’re preparing for it, but without this examination you cannot be an expert-level network engineer. Don’t be upset, thousands of people all over the world have successfully passed it, you definitely can do it as well.
To make your preparation process effective and thorough, follow the below-mentioned tips:
1) Prepare yourself well
There is a lot of information you need to learn, i.e. routing and switching technologies, new technological developments, how infrastructure components correlate, or translating functional needs into device configurations. It is important that you understand what is required to study and cover it all.
You will receive a list of topics and information you need to study when you apply for the exam. Take your time in going through the list of topics and understanding each of them. There is no reason to rush through these topics and start immediately begin to study.
2) Plan your time and create a schedule
As mentioned in the previous point, there is a lot of information that you need to cover and study. However, you won’t face issues if you plan your time well. You are going to have months to prepare for the exam (it is advised to apply 7 to 8 months before the actual exam), so this gives you plenty of time to cover the required materials.
When you receive a list of the topics you have to study, create a schedule so you organize your time effectively. Of course, there will be times where things come up and you can’t strictly follow the schedule like getting sick or family emergencies, but as long as you follow it 90% of the time, you are going to be more than fine.
3) Use other resources
There are plenty of resources available online that you can use, whether it is online forums or practice questions. This will also help you in communicating with people who have previously done the Cisco CCIE 400-101 exam or are currently preparing for it. There are many experts and students who have videos on YouTube where they share their tips and experiences.
4) Give yourself a break
Preparing for an exam like this can be stressful and even though you must take it seriously, it is essential that you give yourself at least a day to enjoy yourself and do the things you love. Your mental state greatly affects how well you study and perform in the test so giving yourself a break is crucial. Remember, someone who is preparing for a marathon isn’t going to run every hour.
5) Schedule practice tests
You know what they say, practice makes perfect! This is why you should schedule Cisco CCIE 400-101 practice test before your test date. Not only is that to help you in continuously revising the material you learnt, it is also going to assist you in discovering the various topics where you have to enhance your skills.
In addition, you will get an idea of what the exam looks like which will remove the shock factor in the test. When you are doing the practice tests, make sure that you work on your time management skills as well. There are 90-110 questions that you need to solve in the CCIE 400-101 exam, and you will have about 1 minute for every exam.
Put a timer or alarm next to you when you’re solving the practice questions. If you find difficulties in one of them when you’re practicing, just pass it and come back to it later if you have extra time.
6) Regularly refresh the information you study before your actual exam
The last couple of weeks before the exam should be spent solving questions, not studying new material. You have already had months to do that and if you organized a schedule as mentioned in tip #2, then you should have successfully covered all the need materials. Something you can do is search for new types of questions in online forums.
Many of these practice tests will enable you to find your results right away so this is going to enable you to have an idea of how well you are performing.
7) Rest well before the exam
You have studied for months, you have covered all the required material, and you’ve done all the Cisco CCIE 400-101 practice questions. The day before the test, you should focus on briefly going over important points and then you should rest well. The last thing you want is to be so tired in the exam to a point where you can’t focus well or solve the questions correctly.
Make sure you at least get eight hours of sleep the day before the examination so you don’t waste all the hard work you put in during these months. Don’t forget to drink to stay hydrated and eat well.
Bottom Line
Overall, the CCIE R&S 400-101 exam will change your professional career if you successfully pass it, so it essential that you prepare well. It is completely normal to feel stressed because it is an important test, but as previously mentioned, thousands of people have successfully passed it.
As long as you follow the tips mentioned in this article, we have no doubts that you will take and perform this certification testwithout ceremony.
Article by Vishal
Meet Vishal Gaikar, the tech wizard hailing from Pune, India, who's on a mission to decode the digital universe one blog post at a time. When he's not tinkering with gadgets or diving deep into the digital realm, you can find him concocting the perfect cup of chai or plotting his next adventure. Follow his tech escapades on Twitter and buckle up for a wild ride through the world of innovation and geekery!
