Karl Solie, CCIE

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Passing the CCIE practical exam is the second - and most difficult - requirement for earning the coveted Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) title. CCIE Practical Studies Volume 1 is the first Cisco endorsed material covering this hands-on lab exam. We recently caught up with author Karl Solie, CCIE #4599, for the latest advice on the exam and how his new book can help candidates prepare for it.

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GoCertify: How is the CCIE different from Cisco's other certifications?

Karl Solie: I think there are a couple of aspects of the CCIE certification that really set it apart from other Cisco Certifications. First, the qualification test, or written portion, is tough enough to earn you a certification by itself. Unfortunately, Cisco does not award anything for "merely" passing the written exam. What really makes the CCIE certification really different is the legendary lab, or the hands-on practical portion of the test. This is an 8 1/2 hour test, where the CCIE candidate designs and configures a very complex internetwork under very demanding time constraints. The lab is so difficult that Cisco lists only 6,909 active CCIEs in the world today.

GoCertify: A year or so ago CCIE was the hottest certification going, with reported salaries of 100,000 plus for those skilled enough to earn the certification. Do you think that is still true (or was ever)?

Karl Solie: The backlog to take the test is still quit high, so it seems that there are a lot of people wanting to become CCIEs. I think the demand for CCIEs is higher in companies that are Cisco channel partners, because Cisco requires certifications of all types, CCNA, CCDP and so on, to become a channel partner, people in these positions are usually generating revenue as consultants or by performing installations. As far as salaries go most jobs that require a CCIE certification have and still are paying over six figures. I've seen jobs in Saudi Arabia paying over 200k, of course that's Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, I've seen jobs dip as low as the 80s.

GoCertify: How is your book different from other CCIE preparation books?

Karl Solie: Our book, and I like to use that word because I'm not the sole author and I had a lot of help and input from nine other CCIEs during the writing, is different in its approach to teaching advanced router configuration. We like to think of it has a Cisco Configuration Guide, with more background on the protocols/technologies and detailed explanations of why a technology is configured that way.

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