Cisco recently announced that the CCIE, the next-level certification, has been updated. According to the vendor, the CCIE Routing and Switching exam (R&S), will be updated from version 4.0 to version 5.0 in order to better address industry needs for network professionals, particularly engineers working in global enterprise environments. This revision should reflect both technological changes and the evolution in job roles for CCIE certificate holders.
June 3, 2014 will be the last day to take both the CCIE Written exam v4.0 (351-001) or Lab exam v4.0 (350-011). From June 4, 2014, the CCIE R&S Written and Lab exams v5.0 will be available. If you have been preparing for the current CCIE exams, you still need 6 months to register and take the CCIE exams v4.0.
The new Cisco expert-level training materials will be available next month.
New Exam Topics and Changes
The new exam curriculum organizes topics into six large domains. This basically means that the entire structure will be restructured (v4.0 currently has 11 sections). The following domains will be included in the V5.0 curriculum:
Network Principles – Foundational topics covered only in the Written exam.
Layer 2 Technologies – LAN switching, WAN circuit technologies.
Layer 3 Technologies – Interior and exterior routing protocols (RIPEIGRP, OSPF), ISIS, BGP), addressing. Fundamental routing concepts.
VPN Technologies – Tunneling (MPLS’sL2andL3 VPN and DMVPN,IPv6Tunneling, and encryption (IPsecwithpre9 share key for both the Written Exam and Lab exam, and GET VPN only for the Written exam) sub-domains.
Infrastructure Security – Device Security, Network Security (both focusing only on features supported by Catalyst 3Ks witches and ISR routers). Topics that rely on dynamic crypto (PKI), or any remote servers are excluded.
Infrastructure Services – Network Services, Quality of Services (QoS), and Network Optimization. The Written exam covers Layer2 QoS topics. This allows the Lab exam to be focused on platform-independent concepts.
The weighting factors for each domain should be considered. These are the relative amounts of subject knowledge and focus required for each area in either the Written exam or the Lab exam. Level 3 Technologies is the most important domain, with 40% weight.
Topics Added to CCIE Routing and Switching v5.0 Written Examination:
Describe the basic differences in software architecture between IOS and IOS XE
Identify Cisco Express Forwarding Concepts
Explain General Network Challenges
Explain IP, TCP, and UDP Operations
Describe Chassis Virtualization and Aggregation Technology
Explain PIM Snooping
Describe WAN Rate-Based Ethernet Circuits
Describe BGP Fast-Convergence Features
ISIS (for IPv4 & IPv6)
Describe Basic Layer2 VPN Wireline
Describe BasicL2 VPN LAN Services
Describe GET VPN
Translate IPv6 Network Address
Topics Added to CCIE Routing and Switching v5.0Written and Laboratory Exams:
Use IOS Troubleshooting Tools
Use Troubleshooting Methodologies
Interpret Packet Capture
Implement and troubleshoot bidirectional forwarding detection
Implement EIGRP (multi-address) Named Mode
Optimize, Troubleshoot, and Implement EIGRP and OSPF Convergence.
Implement and troubleshoot DMVPN (single hub).
With pre-shared keys, implement and troubleshoot IP sec
Troubleshoot and Implement IPv6 First Hop Security
IOS Software and Lab Equipment List
Cisco’s new CCIE Lab exam checks any feature that can configure on the following equipment or the IOS Software versions indicated below. Although you may see similar platforms and older IOS versions in the lab, you will not be tested for new features of a release unless specified below.
Cisco ISR 2900 Series routers with IOS version 15.3T Universal Software
Catalyst 3560X Series switches using IOS version 15.0SE Uni
