12/12/2005 -- Cisco Systems today announced the launch of the CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) Assessor Lab for Routing and Switching, the first online CCIE practice lab exam offered by Cisco’s certification program.

The four-hour practicum simulates the format and difficulty of the hands-on network configuration scenarios of the longer, eight-hour CCIE Routing and Switching lab exam via a Web browser, through which test takers can remotely access live equipment.

“[Cisco] wanted to provide the same kind of testing environment on a smaller scale for potential CCIE exam takers without the expense of the exam and getting on a plane to get to one of our sites,” Mike Reid, senior manager of Cisco’s CCIE program, told TCPmag.com.

During the test, candidates can get immediate feedback through an automated system on where their configurations are correct or incorrect. Upon completion of the test, they will also “receive a detailed assessment of their performance, including correct command lines and suggestions for further study,” according to a statement from Cisco. The report will describe “point by point” the candidates’ mistakes, Kathe Saccenti, CCIE product manager, said in an interview. In addition, they will also receive an e-mail with the report’s details.

“[The CCIE Assessor Lab] gives a sense of the actual lab experience … [of] not only the technical aspects but also that baptism-by-fire feeling,” Saccenti added.

The CCIE Assessor Lab for Routing and Switching is available worldwide through Cisco’s CCIE Web site. Cisco is offering the practice exam for $279, a discount of $70 off the list price, until March 31, 2006.

For more information, go here. -Dan Hong