About the CCIE Routing and Switching Lab Exam

About the CCIE Lab Exam

The CCIE lab exam is an eight-hour, hands-on exam which requires you to configure and troubleshoot a series of complex networks to given specifications. Knowledge of troubleshooting is an important skill and candidates are expected to diagnose and solve issues as part of the CCIE lab exam. You will not configure end-user systems, but are responsible for all devices residing in the network (hubs, etc.). Point values and testing criteria are provided. More detail is found on the Routing and Switching Lab Exam Blueprint and the list of Lab Equipment and IOS Versions.

Cost

The Lab Exam cost does not including travel and lodging expenses. Costs may vary due to exchange rates and local taxes (VAT, GST). You are responsible for any fees your financial institution charges to complete the payment transaction.

Current Lab Exam cost is 1500 USD  

Lab Exam Grading

Each question on the lab has specific criterion. The labs are graded by proctors who ensure all the criterion are met and points are awarded accordingly. The proctors use automatic tools to gather information from the routers to perform some preliminary evaluations, but the final determination of a correct or incorrect configuration is done by a trained proctor.

Lab Format

The CCIE R&S lab exam consists of a two-hour Troubleshooting section, and a six-hour Configuration section.

Results

You can review your lab exam results online (login required), usually within 48 hours. Results are Pass/Fail and failing score reports indicate major topic areas where additional study and preparation may be useful.

Reevaluation of Lab Results

You may request a reevaluation of results for Routing and Switching, and Service Provider labs for up to 14 days following your exam date. Use the link next to your lab record called "Request for Reread". Due to the equipment used, rereads are not available for the Security, Voice, Wireless, Data Center or Storage tracks exams. Each reread costs US$250 plus any applicable local taxes. Payment is made online via credit card and your card will be charged upon receipt of the request. You may not cancel the reread request once the process has been initiated and refunds are only given when the results change from Fail to Pass.

A reread consists of a second proctor loading your configurations onto a rack to recreate the test and rescore the entire exam. This process may take up to three weeks after receipt of payment. Only one reread per lab attempt is permitted. The result of the reread is an updated score report with success rates for each major section. Be aware that scores may decrease. Exams receive a Pass mark only when the total exam score meets or exceeds the required passing score. Before requesting a reread, consider that, historically, only 0.3% of exams have been changed from Fail to Pass.

Troubleshooting

The CCIE R&S lab exam features a two-hour troubleshooting section.  Candidates will be presented with a series of trouble tickets for preconfigured networks and need to diagnose and resolve the network fault or faults.  As with the configuration section, the network must be up and running for a candidate to receive credit.  Candidates who finish the troubleshooting section early may proceed on to the configuration section, but they will not be allowed to go back to troubleshooting since their equipment will need to be reinitialized for the configuration portion.