Which Cisco CCIE written exam is easier to get for CCNP qualified?

CCIE certifications are recognized worldwide and if you are planning for CCIE as your career pursuit, this will become one of your best career achievement, however, keep in mind that becoming a CCIE isn't that easy task because it requires a lot of study, patience and project planning. You will have to come up with a clear plan to execute your career pursuit. Once you have passed this CCIE certification, both Cisco CCIE written exam and lab, this will be a life changing event for you and your family.

These days Cisco is facing much competition with other emerging technologies and strong non-Cisco network solution providers. So why do we even bother doing CCIE by investing a lot of time and money involved in such certifications? The short answer to this question is that Cisco certified professionals have the in-depth knowledge which the others don't.

Initially, if you have planned for becoming a CCIE expert, then you should ask the following from yourself;

·         How much time you can spare for this certification. Prepare a target and project the target deadline for your own.

·         Which resources I can consult and what will be the outcome.

·         What are the related options and in how much time I will be able to achieve this certification.

·         Don't overlook the market stats as they will show you an honest figure of how many CCIE prospects appearing in the exam and their passing ratio.

Honestly speaking, preparing for the CCIE exam can take up to three to four years depending on the individual’s capacity to learn and adapt to the knowledge-based working environment. The written exam can be passed but the lab exam seems to be more time-consuming. Many candidates usually fail in their first attempt, so the recommended plan to take up the lab exam is when you find yourself confident enough to pass this exam.

So a simple calculation of projecting three years of preparation will conclude that the individuals have more than a thousand hours of hands-on practice in toggling:

·         Online Training Courses

·         Books, Self Study Materials

·         Making notes and reviewing them

·         Buying practice exams and going through them every week.

·         Going through virtual labs in order to get proper knowledge of commands.

 These three year time is an ample time frame and it has been noticed that some of the brilliant students also managed to earn CCNP certification in the due course of time.

The CCIE Routing and Switching track being the foundation of all the seven CCIE tracks is a recommended option due to many reasons:

It is the evergreen track and is easy to start because it comes up with no formal prerequisites, it does not either require any industry experience to start.

Being a newbie in CCIE, your role will be mostly in routing and switching which then makes sense because you will be learning about all the basics of the networking industry.

During the first year of studies, the individuals are able to complete their CCNA and then CCNP as well. This will make the individuals more close to their CCIE certification, the rest of the two years should be invested in going through the CCIE R&S certification which one passed will unlock more rewarding opportunities in the future.

The CCIE certification is an expert level certification and the CCIE certificate holder, no doubt, enjoys unlimited benefits so, in my opinion, three years preparation is not a big deal to ensure a prosperous future. It will also differentiate you from other non-Cisco certified professionals in your enterprise in terms of knowledge, salary, perks, position etc.