Effective January 4, 2010, CCIE Service Provider, Storage and Wireless lab exams will begin with a brief Core Knowledge section consisting of four, computer-delivered short-answer questions.
The Core Knowledge section was added to CCIE Routing and Switching, Security and Voice in 2009. Candidates will type in their answers, which typically require five words or less. Questions will cover topics included on the current lab exam blueprint. Candidates are allowed a maximum of 30 minutes to complete the questions and may not use the Cisco documentation which is available for the remainder of the lab. Well-prepared candidates should be able to answer the questions in 15 minutes or less and move immediately to the next section. No extra time is being added to the eight-hour exam. All candidates must pass the Core Knowledge section in order to achieve CCIE certification. For more information, access CCIE Lab Exam Q&A.
