BlueWolf's Howl

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January 30, 2017

A Swing - and a Miss

After yesterday's post - I sat and thought about it for a while. I had just gone through 90% of the blueprint and all I had left was one measly book to read. I had gone through a number of videos on the material - so just that one book. And it was only 10% of the exam. I really didn't want to waste all that effort. With just a little push...

So I scheduled the exam. I spent the entire day reading that book. Yes, 450 pages of technical material read in one sitting. I finished the book at 2:30 am. The exam was scheduled for the afternoon - so I was able to get some sleep. And then I got up and reviewed my notebook. I was as ready as I was ever going to be for this exam.

There were a lot of positive signs. I knew the material. I had gotten some sleep. I got to the testing center early.

I did not pass. Once again, it seems that I had studied for one version of the material and the actual test was very different. As I went down the blueprint, I sought out things that would make good questions. It wasn't that they didn't ask what I expected - they asked different TOPICS than I expected. It was very frustrating. But at least now I know that I did at least take a swing at it - even if I "wiffed." I think that's a lot better than wondering what would have happened "IF" I took the test. [woulda, coulda, shoulda]

I'm really just shaking my head at this and wondering how to tackle the dissonance between what I'm seeing in the blueprint and what I'm seeing on the exam. And that's only the beginning of it.

So now the current version of the CCIE Security Written is version 5.0. There is no Study Guide available for version 5. There are no videos to watch on version 5 topics. INE does have a "bootcamp" for version 5. The first class starts at the end of March and is sold out. The next class is at the end of July. It costs $5000. There are no version 5 racks to rent and no version 5 workbooks to work through.

This is worse than being between seasons of Game of Thrones!

So the best I can do is get my study site re-organized and start with the version 5 blueprint. All I can do is take those topics and research each one. I have to create my own Study Guide and create my own practice exercises - with whatever equipment may be available in the version 4.0 racks. Some things might be able to be practiced, some may not. I will do what I can - while I can. And when the materials finally do become available I will use them - but I can't wait on them.

There's one more other curious thing that happened today. All the signs for this were positive. Yet, the immediate outcome was not what I expected (based on those signs). The last time that happened, something _else_ came of it that was actually more positive than the original action. Guess this is something that I'm going to have to wait to see play out. Stay tuned.

Posted by BlueWolf on January 30, 2017 09:21 PM