CCIE Collaboration certification is an expert level certification offered by Cisco to tests the design, implementation, and troubleshooting of complex collaboration solutions skills of the candidates. It is aimed at Voice and Video Network Managers, Collaboration Architects, and Unified Communications Architects.
The CCIE Collaboration certified professional is not only capable of integration, interoperation, and configuration of collaboration solutions but also capable of troubleshooting them in complex networks. They can handle challenges of video, mobility, and presence as the foundation for workplace collaboration solutions.
The certification consists of two exams one written exam and the other is the corresponding hands-on lab exam. The candidates need to take both the exams to obtain the certification. The written exam needs to be taken first and then the corresponding hands-on lab exam needs to be taken by the candidates.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for CCIE Collaboration certification. However, five years of job experience is recommended before attempting the certification exam.
Exam Details
The CCIE Collaboration certification consists of two exams, 400-051 CCIE Collaboration Exam and CCIE Collaboration Lab Exam. The details of these exams are as follows:
- The 400-051 CCIE Collaboration Exam: The exam 400-051 is a written exam that consists of 90 - 110 multiple-choice questions that need to be answered in 2 hours. The maximum marks for the exam are 1000 and you need to score 300 marks or better to clear the exam. The exam tests the candidates' skills in deploying collaboration system and services to improve the customers' experience.
The exam tests the candidate's knowledge and skills in the following domain. The percentage of syllabus from each domain is as follows:
- Cisco Collaboration Infrastructure (10%)
- Telephony Standards and Protocols (15%)
- Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM)(25%)
- Cisco IOS UC Applications and Features (20%)
- Quality of Service and Security in Cisco Collaboration Solutions (12%)
- Cisco Unity Connection (8%)
- Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (4%)
- Cisco Unified IM and Presence (6%)
CCIE Collaboration Lab Exam: The CCIE Collaboration Lab Exam is an 8 hours exam that tests the candidate's skills in common protocols and technologies to configure and troubleshoot a series of complex network problems and implement Cisco Collaboration infrastructure.
The candidates must make the first attempt to take the CCIE lab exam within 18 months of passing the CCIE written exam. If the candidates fail they should make the next attempt within 12 months of the last attempt to keep the written exam valid. The candidates can try to pass the exam within three years of taking the written exam. If failed, then the candidate will have to retake the written exam before attempting the lab exam again.
The exam tests the candidate's knowledge and skills in the following domain. The percentage of syllabus from each domain is as follows:
- Configure and Troubleshoot Cisco Collaboration Infrastructure 5%
- Configure and Troubleshoot Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) 40%
- Configure and Troubleshoot Cisco IOS UC Applications and Features 25%
- Configure and Troubleshoot QoS and Security in Cisco Collaboration Solutions 7%
- Configure and Troubleshoot Cisco Unity Connection 10%
- Configure and Troubleshoot Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (UCCX) 5%
- Configure and Troubleshoot Cisco Unified IM Presence 8%
The labs are graded by the proctors on the basis of a specific criterion. The proctors use various tools to gather information from routers to perform the preliminary evaluations. The final evaluations are done by the trained proctors and then the lab results are announced. The candidates get the lab results online with 48 hours.
Benefits
The CCIE Collaboration allows you to:
- Deploy collaboration systems and services.
- Have command over collaboration technologies and can implement a collaboration infrastructure efficiently.
- Increase user productivity by providing the seamless user experience to the customers.
- Get yourself recognized globally for being a highly motivated and a strong professional.
- Become more knowledgeable, get hired fast, and stand distinct among peers.
Expert Review
You can't imagine the respect CCIEs get when they finally pass both written and lab exams. After a few attempts, I was able to pass CCIE collaboration. I got promoted with a 40% increase in salary. However, the satisfaction I got was priceless. In this emerging field, the CCIE Collaboration track is a very valuable commodity for today's employers.
Robert Tyson - Unified Communications Architect - Harland Wisconsin Technologies Consultants
