My CCIE#53599

My journey started in 2013 when I decided for a CCIE in voice. One never really knows what they are in for when starting down this road to CCIE Village. I tried my first attempt when I failed. Here is the link for it: http://netzwerkccie.blogspot.com/2014/02/about-me.html

My heart was broken in 100000 pieces. Then I finally decided that I cannot leave things as they are .. I need to compete it anyhow, I approach my manager and said I need to complete  CCIE which is now called as "Collaboration".

As my written was expired thus I need to give my written paper again, So finally I visited few blogs & got the online material and purchased few books.

I started seriously when I booked my paper for CCIE Written.

I can still remember the day clearly. I had my written exam scheduled at the nearest testing center which was 4 hours away. In the early morning , I started my journey. Everything worked out and I was able to pass the written. It was definitely the most challenging written test I had taken up to that point. I remember there seemed to be several “trivia” style questions that I was not sure I would have ever encountered. I still don’t know if I got those questions right. I must have made some good educated guesses.

Now that the written was behind me. I made some online survey & search and found CCIE Home & had word with Arshad Dhunna & he make me talk to Maqsood(Ex-Cisco Engineer). I paid for the CCIE Collaboration bundle that included all the workbooks, videos and rack rentals.

On Dec 2015, I finally decided to give the LAB paper on 18 Jan 2016. I was working very hard for it but my Instructor said I am not ready for the paper yet & still need more time for it. I was kind of in Limbo, I wasn’t sure how to study or what to focus on to clear the LAB.
I knew there were only two options either to try for it else postponed it both ways It was a shocked for me. After lot of thinking I finally decided to go as per My Trainer & withdraw the paper. 

I keep on working as per study material which allowed me to stay focus.

 I tried to catch as many as online session and live sessions as possible. This really helped me, Then I meet Gulfam in the Institute who help me alot in bring the desired level as per requirement. Soon after this I started gaining momentum for the CCIE Train. Way Headed straight to CCIE-Club. I spent nearly every free minute studying CCIE & CCIE.

I was eating CCIE, drinking CCIE and dreaming CCIE. I was really living only with CCIE. That’s give me confidence that I was getting close. Holy Smokes all over me.......

Maqsood was very helpful person. He gave me lot of moral boost and provided all the tips and trick for the CCIE lab exams & help me clearing my doubts. Even some time he loses patient & faith in me & shouts. Many times he says I am not performing well & do silly mistakes. Things went on & on like this with all up and downs.

Many were now my friends in the Institute and they also help me growing with the CCIE level.

And finally the day arrived then need to travel for HongKong to give the LAB, I practiced everything I can think off & got final set of instructions from Maqsood & closed all my notes and books.

I reached HK one day in advance and I visited the place where I need to give the lab in the evening. I come back to hotel and relaxed, I called up my Instructor as ask him if I can again try lab practice one more time & he help me out. I check myself each and everything then relaxed myself and went for early sleep. I didn’t sleep very good that night.

Next day I get up in the early morning,  As you can imagine, I was pretty nervous. It almost seems like it didn’t happen. I remember way to the hotel and checking out, taken a little nap by eating Biscuit & cup of oatmeal because I didn’t want to rely Cisco Lunch.

I meet with another CCIE candidate (SP TRACK) at the famous Cisco Building . When we got there, it was about 6:45. Luckily, there was another candidate already there inside. We sat in the little lobby. When I getting nervous, I started talking with some basic conversation with the two other gentlemen there with me. They were receptive and we had a good talk for about 15 minutes.

Other candidates started rolling inside and before we knew it there were 10 of us in the lobby. Most were somewhat talkative asking what track we are. I was there for first time. I was stating to get calm and underconfident. In my head I was getting focused. Talking was helping calm my bloody nerves. I think if you can, talking is a great way to really shake the nervious off.

I was the only person who went from India to HK for doing of the LAB remaining where all local person from HK itself.

OK – now is when it really, really starts feeling if you are still here! & reason you have come.

At 7:15 – out popped a lady. She informed us that the Proctor, Eric is coming to come soon. She asked us to get our Drivers License or ID proof and she would call our names to come up and get us signed in.

I waited patiently as the first person was called and he did his thing, then the next, then the next, and the next, and then there was just me and one other person. She called his name and last was me, we all check in,  then the Proctor said “OK Everyone, follow me and we will get started”. He has given the set of instructions and told there will be changes in the LAB as done by you as in Cisco consider this as Super Experts in our domain & we need to fix the configure changes, the first thought I have in my mind was Bul-Shit, it's already very difficult to crack the lab and now Idoit saying he will modify the LAB.

I was shaking and my stomach was in full of knots. I was the most agonizing for few minutes of my life, but finally, I was at my PC and was ready to begin my lab. I was nervous but confident about my work. I took a few deep breaths, stretched my arms for a minute and just tried to gather myself. I had to tell myself that it was no big deal and to just do what I had been practicing the previous 3 months. I had a plan and all I needed to do was. “Stick to the plan” is all I kept saying in my head as I clicked the green button that read “Begin Lab”.

I closed my eyes for one sec and said to myself, “ let’s do it Man”. I open the paper . I read the questions twice and finally drawn plan which one to attempt first.

I started working for it and then next Que, I was completing one by one as per my best knowledge. I forget about time, but I was trying to staying focus and precise as told by Maqsood.

Which in-turn helps in removing error and mistakes. While I was attempting paper was remembering that My instructor tips were very helpful in solving the paper. Then Eric announced that we will have lunch break in next 15 min & need to save all work. I saved my entire work and look in the question paper I said to myself…” Still lot of work” we all went out for Lunch & Eric was inside the Lab only(Manipulating the all Labs I think).I was praying to GOD to save me from this F…..….. :)

We were back in lab room first thing I did was to check for the changes in my LAB.. There we quite few of it. Once I rectify them, I reversed the changes. Then I attempted the remaining questions for Call routing, Presence, Jabber, TEHO, Voicemail, UCCX etc.

The big issue for me Call Recording & Scripting, once I was able do it .I was Pretty satifised. With 2.5 hrs left I had almost cover all the core topics & things everything appeared to have reach ability where it needed to be. I caught myself thinking that I just might actually pull this off.

However those thoughts made me more nervous cause at the same time I didn’t want to screw it up. My hands started shaking more with each task that I completed. But finally I was able to complete my LAB, then it was the turn of testing now, which I started doing one by one, question my question. I look in the clock it was 1.2 hrs left for Final HIT.

In my opinion this was Minute difference between Pass and Fail. As I was going back re-verifying tasks and matching output to the Lab sheet. I find several silly mistakes that I had made, that would have cost me lose points for that task. I had a couple outputs that were working but upon closer inspection they didn’t match exactly what was in the lab desire output. I found the places that needed modifications and made the correct changes. I verified again and all looked good.

I had around 10 minutes left when ERIC come back in the lab and said Guys you need to save the work, as time is about to finished.

So I was struggling with billion of technical thoughts & combinations & my Lab was about to over and I was handing my sheets of scratch paper the proctor which to be shredded. My head was filled with thoughts, did I do enough to pass, were there more silly mistakes that I didn’t catch that would cost me too lose another match. I felt good in a way. My mind was racing about things that I could have done differently or what if Cisco wanted it this way or what if I broke some rules I didn’t notice were in place.

Now all that I was left is to wait for the official results. I think waiting for the results is more agonizing than waiting to start the lab. It was a pleasant ride back to hotel. Time pass & pass I was waiting for my result very badly, then I got the call from Trainer Maqsood & ask about the paper I told him whatever I did. He said "Chil ker bhai"[Keep calm of yourself] chances are there that "You will Pass". I have been waiting but there was no result coming on the www of Cisco, which increased my heart beat. Couple of friends who took the lab exam recently told that they had to wait until at least 2 am the next day for their results. I had also heard that if you got your results very quickly then you will pass else not.

My heart started beating very fast with every passing second of the time.I tried to relax for a couple hours before going to dinner. I called up few of friend to know I was finished and to give them a little bit of info. on how I did. Still didn’t know if I had got enough points to pass. Still no result finally I called My Manager and let him how things went. Then I figured cross, I would just laid on the bed and relax a little and rest a tired and boiling fried brain. I can remember laying there and my phone dings with the “new email” sound. My phone only dings for my work e-mails so I thought I had better check it. It was 7:25 pm local time at this point. I opened up my e-mail and there was an e-mail saying my CCIE score report was ready and to view my results I had to log into the CCIE portal.

That time I think I could beat Supersonic Fighter Jet also as my heart was beating. My hands started shaking so bad with the thought that I had failed. 

 It was less than 4 hours since I had ended the exam and I was ready for my results?!?!?!?! I was sure I failed now, the Cisco must have detected too many mistakes and kicked my lab back with a fail mark.

I opened my laptop, signed into the CCIE portal with trembling hands, waited as the portal loaded, and then there it was, my results. I didn’t know where to look my eyes where not stable that time, I couldn’t see the results. Then finally I saw in the bottom corner, a “PASS”, but where was my number? Had I really done it from past 3 months, this was what I need in my life? 

As my eyes are flying all over the Cisco page I spot the small lines at the top “Your CCIE status is Certified (CCIE#53599)”.

I let out a small scream of Joy. I was trembling all over, my mind was going crazy. “I did it, I did it, I did it” I kept repeating. I immediately said "Thanks to God".I was getting emotional and allowing myself to have a few little “man tears”. I was so far beyond happy. I had ever experienced this feeling in my Life.    Even today, its still hard for me to believe this part of the journey is over and I have my digits on my back. I finally made it. I know that the learning does not stop here and that this is just the beginning of a new chapter, but I am so thankful to have finally arrived in CCIE Village .

Thanks to CCIEHome, Specially Maqsood and Gulfam, the Best teachers, instructors and friendly guys. Without them, this journey would not have ended the same. I am forever grateful for all your Teaching and Instruction!

This journey would not have been possible without all the very detailed videos and through labs CCIE HOME