CCIE Routing & Switching: Where to Start

#1 Make sure you know everything on CCNA / CCNP inside out before you even think about CCIE.

#2 Read books or watch videos, do some labs on your own to learn about the topics that are on CCIE written but that you haven't seen before in CCNP (things like Multicast, MPLS, QoS and more).

#3 Do the writtem exam, just get a book specifically for the written exam and get it out of the way. The written exam by itself doesn't mean anything...it just allows you to book a lab seat.

#4 Get vendor workbooks...don't waste your time building labs on your own when you want to prepare for the real lab.

#5 Make a time schedule...you'll need anywhere between 800 - 1000 hours or so doing labs to prepare yourself. That's about 6 months of studying 40 hours a week. Make a schedule that works for you.

#6 Book your lab seat...make it real instead of some "future date" that will never happen...

#7 Hit the workbooks...use rack rentals, don't waste your time building your own lab.

#8 When you completed all workbooks, practice the things you have difficulty with again and re-do some of the labs. Try the lab.