One Network Engineer's journey to the CCIE

So after freaking out for a few hours the other day about my lack of preparation, I decided to get the TestKing material. My first problem was the fact that this stuff is only made for Windows machines. I have converted to a strictly Mac environment, so it was a bit annoying to have to fire up my Windows7 VM whenever I want to do my tests. That being said, the total price for the testing software was $189.99. According to their site, you can download it and use it on 2 PC’s. As of now, I have only used it on my Windows VM. I have been using the testing software for a few days now and so far so good. I have only sat through 2 full practice exams. They have 2 different modes of operations: Virtual Exam and Practice Exam. The Virtual exam is when you sit down and take a timed test very similar to what you would take in a real environment. The practice exam is a 90-minute, 50-question test that you can take to just test your knowledge. The good thing about the software is that you can just answer the question and move on, or you can have it show you the correct answer as well as why the other questions are wrong. As of now, I think the purchase has been a good one, but I will update this blog with more information in about another week when I have been using it more extensively.

Update: I have added a screenshot of what the test report looks like at the end of the exam. It gives you a detailed output showing you what you did well/poorly on and can give you an idea of what areas you need to improve on. In my case, I got a 50% and I need to learn more about Implementing IP Multicast as I got 4/4 wrong.

As my test date approaches, I have been wanting a supplement to my CCIE written studying. A friend of mine suggested the TestKing CCIE Written software, but I have seen alot of information about them being outdated, old, etc. From the INE Online Community forums, there is a thread concerning additional study material and it seems that some members of the community look down upon the TestKing software. One member mentioned NetMasters CCIE Written material, but I havent had a chance to have an in-depth look at it. From their website, I like the way they discuss their product and clearly tell students how it is not a replacement for – but rather a supplement to the Odom book. The price difference between TestKing and NetMasters is $189 for the TestKing material versus $99 for the NetMaster material. I will be deciding in the near future as to which supplemental material I will be going with, and I will post about it when the decision gets made.