Few weeks ago, May 31, 2011, I sat my CCIE lab exam and failed. I knew I was going to fail but somewhere inside just want to keep trying and wanting to know how far I would get. This exam is not an impossible exam. Yes, it is hard, but not impossible to achieve. I’ve seen all of the technologies but I didn’t know it enough to pass.

Enough for the rant, I’m starting my INE WB from the beginning and it feels like things are keep unlocking itself and I have lots of Aha moments. I guess whatever I read before still inside, somewhere.

Previously I studied like a running train and tried to read as much as I could but not necessarily trying to understand it. That’s why I failed. I can be efficient to read more but it wasn’t effective enough to make me to understand it. This time is different, I have that eagerness to know more and don’t really care about the time, as long as I can learn 1-2 hours a day and make it count, it will be much better rather than learning until 2am in the morning but understand nothing.

Just before the exam, I was quite lucky to be able to attend Narbik’s 5-day Bootcamp, for those who wants to know what is it like in details, please visit this article. From my own point of view, this training has opened my eyes that CCIE is not for the faint-hearted, no shortcuts and you have to walk the process. I’m planning to join his 5-day bootcamp again in December 2011.

For all of those CCIE candidates out there, it’s hard but not impossible.