We’ll call this post CCIE attempt number 1. I’ve completed my first attempt at the CCIE. I’m not sure how high in number these posts will get.

I sat down, read through the test.. and then said WTF on about 4 or 5 of the questions. Most everything was doable… but some of it was completely out of left field and I would have had no way to study or prepare for it without having taken the test and seen that specific question.

I completed everything but 4 questions out of a 25 page test. The stuff I finished I tested and then tested again.

My rough estimate has me passing.

Cruise Control Alert:

I MIGHT NOT KNOW MY SCORE UNTIL MONDAY THE 26TH SINCE THE PROCTOR IS GOING ON VACATION.

/cruise

That’s a little frustrating. Waiting 6 days to find out if I passed or not after MONTHS of studying and preparation. We’ll see if I get notification sooner, but I don’t think I will.

I feel completely drained. I haven’t been on a normal schedule in over a month. I was on site at Cisco in the lab or working on cases for the past 30 days straight. Sometimes pulling 12 hour days just studying, or working then studying.

It will be a great relief to wake up and know I don’t have to go study or be responsible for any kind of mental activity.

I hope like hell I pass to have this over with. I think I made a pretty good attempt.

The part that surprised me was how nervous I was during the entire test. I didn’t have a calm “you’ve done this before. just repeat what you’ve practiced” moment. I sat down, read through the test, freaked out a little, then continued to rush and mess things up.

I can’t count the number of times I typed

dp shwo rnu

instead of

do show run

or some such similar goofup. So much nervous energy.

The night before I went to bed early.. like 8:40. I woke up at 12, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:50, 3:00, 4:00, 4:30, 4:50, 5:20….

then at 5:30 I decided enough was enough.. no more sleeping for me.. and showed up early. I felt confident walking in, I even felt confident walking out knowing I didn’t complete some of the questions. The ones I did complete I think I completed well.

Seeing the test format fucked me all up. It wasn’t what I was expecting. Word problems never are.

If you’re going to make me do something, put it in a logical order.. or make a giant diagram

I sat down.. read the whole test.. then tried to make some sort of a game plan.. at that point I felt like i was already behind though.. that’s when the nervousness kicked in.. :-/

anyway… we’ll wait and wait and wait.

I’ll try to enjoy my Thanksgiving and get some serious relaxing in. Maybe I’ll play some WoW… or read some books.. I would love to read something that wasn’t Voice CCIE related.

FUCK.. I’m going to do that right now. Time to get past the second chapter of “Atlas Shrugged”

Wish me luck. Let’s hope my configs don’t get erased before they grade my shit (which has happened before).