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22
Many people studying for CCIE are looking for a solution to better memorize Tweet
and retain the new information. The biggest enemy of good memory is the fact that
speed of forgetting is directly proportional to the amount of information learned. One
can actually start off this and write a simple ordinary differential equation that models
the forgetting process:
dY(t)/dt = V – aY(t)
where Y(t) is the amount of information memorized at moment t and V is the speed of
the new information being memorized. The component -aY(t) demonstrates the
forgetting effect described above (speed of the forgetting is directly proportional to
the amount of information learned). Integrating the equation we easily obtain:
Y(t) = V/a+const*exp(-at)
knowledge volume will decay with the speed of exponent. Not the best news in our
already uneasy world!
Active Reading
Active learning has many forms. The most basic involves transforming knowledge in
the series of questions that could be answered in a short manner. For the
demostration, look at the following blog post:
Read every paragraph, and come up with a few questions for each.
And so on. The first time you will probably read over a body of knowledge without
any questions. Take another pass, and this time write down your questions. Try doing
it so that the answers are short and easy to remember. Do not mix multiple concepts
in the same question. Your first pass will probably result in many questions and it
should be the most intense one. However, as time passes and you return to the
material for repetition, you will probably condense the amount of questions. It’s a
good idea save any images and figures, as they are good anchors for your visual
memory. Of course, the “asking questions” procedure could be applied to any
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material, for example CCIE technology-focused practice labs. You can use IOS code
samples as answers to questions like: “How would you configure GDOI profile?” Do
not forget to type in the code samples, don’t simply copy-paste them. This approach
might look simplified and indeed, there exist other, more complicated, methods of
active reading, such as SQ3R. All active reading methods require intense
concentration and practice, but the result surely worth it. Now, to the next stage:
Spaced Repetitions
While active reading greatly helps in learning, you still need repetitions to keep your
knowledge fresh. There has been some research done on the optimal repetition
intervals, and you can find it on the Internet. Personally, I prefer using the algorithms
developed for SupeMemo application. I highly recommend anyone reading the
following article: Using Supermemo method without a computer. There is a table
there, suggesting the optimal repetition intervals – in 4, 7, 12, 20 days and in a
month. The list continues into the scales of years, but for the purpose of exam
preparation you may stop at 20 days or a month. When repeating, abridge the
number of questions, condense the information and retain only the key concepts.
Focusing on core facts will reduce the information load but still help you remember. If
you’re practicing IOS configurations, make sure you type in your configurations using
the “notepad” copy & paste method during 2nd and 3rd repetitions. You may not
even use the actual routers when doing 3rd and further repetitions. Starting with 4th
repetition, just skim over and make sure you clearly recall the core concepts. If you
find this routine too time consuming, you may leave just 3 spaced repetitions.
The link provided above would give you recommendations on proper training
schedule. You may want to optimize it using some modern calendar software (or
even getting the free/commercial versions of SuperMemo software). For instance,
you may use Google Calendar service as your organizer (what is cool is that you
may share your calendars with friends and see how all of you progress). Suppose
that you are working with ours IEWB-RS VOL1 (technology focused labs). Choose
the amount of material you can easily practice every day, without putting too much
stress on yourself. For example, today you spent some time practicing IEWB-RS
VOL1 Labs 13.1-13.5 (Section IP Services) using the active learning approach. As a
result, you ended with a series of condensed questions & answers for every lab.
After that, you add notes to your calendar to repeat the same labs in 4, 7 and 12
days. Therefore, you get some work scheduled already. Keep in mind that repetitions
took less time than the full-blown practice. Thus you may easily combine 3rd and 4th
repetition with practicing another five labs, e.g. 13.6-13.10. It is not mandatory to
practice all labs from the same section. You may “interleave” QoS and IP Services
focused labs, or even combine the full-scale labs from IEWB-RS VOL2 with
technology focused labs from VOL1, provided that you already have good technology
coverage.
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A few tips on working with our VOL2 labs. There are total of 20 labs, and you may
spend quite some time working through all of them, as every single lab might take
about 8-16 hours. You may use the following guidelines:
a) Do not start working with VOL2 labs unless you’re confident with most
technologies from VOL1. This is important, as VOL2 is not designed to be an “easy
reading”
b) Mark the tasks that you found hard on your initial attempt. During your second
repetition, work though the core section of the labs (Switching, IGP and BGP) plus
the marked non-core tasks.
c) During your third repetition, skim over the lab texts and solutions, focusing on the
tasks that you marked as “hard”. It might not benefit you to repeat more than three
times, but if you got a lot of free time, you can do even four repetitions.
During your final stage of preparations, you will probably find yourself repeating the
condensed information from VOL1/VOL2 labs. Before attempting the lab exam, you
may want to take at least one or two Mock Labs to gauge your readiness. The Mock
Labs are not designed to be “repeated” – you should probably schedule a new lab
every time to get more unbiased result. However, if you want a testing tool that
adjusts to your level of readiness plus changes every time – you may want to try out
Polymorphic Assessment Lab, which automatically generates different labs on the
same physical topology.
Now, the final part: if you want to retain the knowledge learned, keep repeating the
information on monthly and yearly basis. This may end up in a life-long schedule, as
you will keep adding new information to your calendar of repetitions. The process
worth itself as the active learning methodology and optimally spaced repetitions are
proven to be an extremely effective learning tool.
in the world to have obtained four CCIEs in under two years, passing each on his first
attempt. Petr is an exceptional case in that he has been working with all of the
technologies covered in his four CCIE tracks (R&S, Security, SP, and Voice) on a
daily basis for many years. When not actively teaching classes, developing self-
paced products, studying for the CCDE Practical & the CCIE Storage Lab Exam, and
completing his PhD in Applied Mathematics.
1. Nizami says:
March 22, 2009 at 1:28 pm
like that
i don’t think that the less you know will be the key to your success. You just need
to properly balance your knowledge,not to overstudy,have usual breaks,test in
real scenario if possible.
Reply
Well, you know what they say – the less you know, the better you sleep!
However, this is not the key idea of the post You probably need to read over
the remaining part.
Reply
3. Vlad says:
March 22, 2009 at 3:47 pm
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Reply
Are you heading State side soon to do some bootcamps? Or the Brian’s have
you locked up some where in Siberia working on those Workbooks? ;-(
Reply
5. B says:
March 22, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Thank you for the post.. I find immediate value in repetition myself, and I’ve
combined a number of labs that I’ve gone through several times over, really
dissecting certain scenarios, and doing “another solution” to the same problem
with a different set of engineering lines.. going through my verification
procedures an such.. In short, repetition helps.. But question regarding the
Mocks, you mention that those are not meant to be repeated.. Why is that.. I
mean I have repeated the ones I’ve done similarly to what I’ve done with VolII..
is this not a good practice.
Thank again.
Reply
The mock test is supposed to be a “surprise” to you Sure thing you may
take different mock labs one after one. However, repeating the same lab
again would give you more biased results, as most of the tasks will be
familiar again. You may take “similar” labs that vary in details – like our
polymorphyic lab assessment – which is good to test yourself on the same
topology with different “preconditions”.
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“but if you got a lot of free time, you can do even four repetitions”… hm…
It seems you advise to spend something about 1000 lab hours for exam
preparation.
Reply
Well, firstly, the time to be spent on every next repetetion decreases almost
exponentially, provided that you properly condense the information. Next,
you may go take your lab exam at any time The schedule is designed to
work for years, helping you retain your knowledge.
Reply
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Expertise-Cognitive-Performance-
Improvement/dp/0787988448
Reply
Your study approach is excellent. At this time i am one month from my lab, what
is your advice? Thanks
Reply
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Well, this probably means you have no chances to move your exam date
Thus, the best thing you can do is practice speed and accuracy in core
topics. If you want, take a few mock lab exams to spot your weak areas. By
the end of the month you should be able to configure core labs topics
(Switching, IGP, BGP) in 3 or even better 2 hours. Make sure you are good
at analyzing the lab exams, making diagrams etc. Last few days before the
exam, take a break and relax. Make sure you are not getting behind your
sleep during the last month!
Reply
9. Burhan says:
March 22, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Reply
One of the biggest issue (at least in my case) is the lost of motivation. I know, I
know…it’s nice to be a proud member of CCIE group (and to hold the
knowledge of a CCIE holder)! But for me is a like a long long war, when
suddenly in the middle you are awake and say “hey, for what I’m fighting here?”.
Compared with CCNP, CCIP where you learn 2-3 months, take an exam (get an
impulse if you pass…or be more motivated if not)…CCIE take you much more
longer time to prepare and somewhere on this path you might have some fall
points in which you cannot remember what have you read in your first month of
preparation.
Maybe you understand me…maybe not, anyway it’s my personal opinion.
Reply
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2/6/2018 How to study for your CCIE
Calin,
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in other word,
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I am glad that i read this post, i am reading too many things, lots of information
and i’m sure this will help me a lot.
best regards
Reply
Petr, what do you think, only technical studys conserve technical knowledge(in
our example networking stuff) or any other learning(for example foreign
languages) too?
Reply
Well, in general, only the things you are actively “using” remains clearly
memorized. This is why repeating or everyday practice (e.g. with the foreign
language) is crucial to achieve good memorizing.
However, I didn’t mention another “dimension” of knowledge mining – the
law of diminishing marginal returns. Simply put, the utility function of the
same “type” or knowledge is concave, and thus,
the more you know about something, the less increment in utility you obtain
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with every new thing learned. This is why diversifying your knowledge
proves to be more useful then simply getting
“too much” specialized in one area. For example, getting 2 CCIEs might be
good enough; However, 3rd CCIE does not worth as much as getting say
RHCE or CISSP or learning a foreign language.
Reply
different vendors’ certifications have positive effect from the career standpoint
Reply
Reply
Hi Petr,
Thank you for the great post. I have a question.
We would use Active Reading for a particular technology, for example reading
about FR. Would you apply the Spaced Repetitions also for the technology? Or
would we just use the Spaced Repetitions for labs in the various workbooks?
Wondering what your recommendation is.
Thanks in advance,
Sanjeev.
Reply
Reply
Hermann Ebbinghaus
Reply
I should add that my way of understanding and learning is the answer to this
question – “What is the key/solution to comprehend mass amount of
information?”
Reply
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21. How to study for your CCIE - IT Mehfil says:
May 13, 2009 at 11:44 pm
[...] this article in internetworkexpert website and thought of sharing it . you can
find the same @ How to study for your CCIE – CCIE Blog may be most of you
have seen this but may benefit others for their reading stuff its really good [...]
http://blog.ine.com/2009/03/22/how-to-study/ 11/18
2/6/2018 How to study for your CCIE
Reply
Reply
23. ShaneKillian.net » Blog Archive » Study Update – EIGRP says:
November 10, 2009 at 4:40 pm
[...] the information. I’ve been trying something similar to the spaced repetition
method outlined over here on the Internetwork Expert CCIE [...]
Reply
24. Remembering… « Kpjungle’s Weblog says:
November 12, 2009 at 2:17 am
Reply
The more you know, the more you realize you DON’T Know.
nuff said!
Reply
26. How to Supercharge your Learning | Voice Journey says:
February 12, 2010 at 6:00 am
[...] was reading this post by 4x CCIE, Peter Lapukhov about a learning
technique he uses during CCIE preparation. It helps you [...]
Reply
Hi Petr,
First off I want to say that I enjoy your blog posts and am inspired by your
multiple CCIE’s.
I am going for my 2nd CCIE in Voice, and was thinking of applying your
Supermemo learning technique.
1. During your reading exercises, do you formulate questions that have short
and simple answers, or are they long and complex?
For example, would this be a good question to ask, or is it too open-ended?:
What are the benefits of a link state routing protocols versus distance vector
routing protocol?
3. When preparing for the lab, do you repeat the same practice labs over and
over again, and if so, do you use the the same repetition
schedule as your questions?
Reply
I have a doubt, do we really need to learn all the rubbish theory sections for a
ccie preparations or learn the technology and its usage is enough for it..?
Reply
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2/6/2018 How to study for your CCIE
[...] I was re-reading this book recently, I decided I would provide students with
my list of Active Reading questions I developed. I would recommend you feed
these into your SuperMemo app, or use one of the [...]
Reply
30. VoIP Active Reading Queries – Sampling Voice | CCIE Blog says:
July 22, 2010 at 11:42 am
[...] form that is required for Voice over IP transmission through the converged
network?” These active reading questions tell the story – enjoy! Me Singing in
the [...]
Reply
31. Blog Post Catalogue | CCIE Blog says:
September 24, 2010 at 3:08 am
Reply
32. Recurso de INE en "CCIE en castellano" says:
December 8, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Reply
Hi Petr,
I was looking for a method to help remember the vast amount of information and
saw your blog, I had one question, you mentioned “However, as time passes
and you return to the material for repetition, you will probably condense the
amount of questions”
Why would you condense the information, wouldnt you want to remember all the
question/answers? Or do you mean initially you may try and remember the
detailed questions and answers and then condense say 5 questions into 1, and
remembering the answer to one will refresh your memory for all 5? i.e u answer
all 5 that way.
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2/6/2018 How to study for your CCIE
Rgrds
Tarek.
Reply
Hi Peter,
Reply
Reply
36. Resurse: Networking « NMWLS says:
August 9, 2011 at 9:51 am
Reply
37. hogyan tanuljak?! « hun_cisco_blog says:
February 19, 2012 at 10:55 am
Reply
38. CCIE Security: как сдавать, чтобы сдать? « Cisco Russia says:
August 7, 2012 at 4:43 am
Reply
39. Why start? « journeytoccie2015 says:
August 7, 2012 at 9:12 pm
Reply
40. Revisiting 2012 Goals « Network Jutsu says:
November 18, 2012 at 1:41 pm
[...] and videos at the same time. Only reading the material doesn’t stick. Petr
Lapukhov wrote a blog post on how to study for the CCIE exam. and repetition
was mentioned there and I agree. I remember when [...]
Reply
41. Objectif 2013 - CCIE | NetworkLife says:
December 24, 2012 at 7:45 am
[...] également ces deux articles “How to Pass the Routing & Switching CCIE
Lab Exam” et “How to study for your CCIE” écrits respectivement par Brian
DENNIS et Petr Lapukhov. Je m’en suis inspiré pour [...]
Reply
Really useful post. Thanks. I’ll start using this for my CCNP study, may as well
get into good habits.
Reply
43. Блог Cisco: Россия и СНГ » CCIE Security: как сдавать, чтобы сдать?
says:
June 26, 2013 at 2:31 am
Reply
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