The CCDE is considered for the expertise-level network design engineers, expertise-level network leads of IT infrastructure teams, as well as expertise-level network leads of architecture teams which would be working in job roles that would be required for them to translate business needs, budget, and operational constraints into the design of a converged solution. So here are some tips about how to clear the CCDE Certification Exam:

1. Studying your own way at your own pace
A surprising revelation was that 68.9% of all survey respondents have studied alone prior to their first or only CCDE practical exam attempt. Out of which 25.9% of the CCDEs who failed their first attempt decided to change their study strategy in this aspect; of that 71.4 % who have started studying in a study group or with a partner and the other 28.6% have studied alone. I would say that you should take that studying in a group could fill blind spots in areas outside the “on-the-job” experience, and it would seem, to be quite an underrated study option.

These are the recommendations that are provided by the CCDEs around this topic:
• Deriving Multiple Solution Options for Architecture Situations.
• The key to clearing this exam is to be good at the analyzing part. Analyzing requirements and constraints. Of course, you would have to gain the knowledge of technologies of well enough to form a decision based on this information.
• 1. You would have to read all the required books which would be describing the technology and different migration exercises.
• 2. You would have to Study CVD or the best practices.
• 3. You would have gain experience close to the practical exam. You should go through all available situations from CCDE training vendors. You are needed to check forums, blogs to get familiar with the practical exam as much as possible.
• You need to join a good training provider, like that of the SPOTO, the most important for the preparation.

2. CCDE Books for Preparation:
When you have been asked what the three most important resources which would be used to prepare for the first attempt of the CCDE practical exam were, in first place with 89.1% of all the respondents was books, and in second place with 48.9% of all the respondents was Cisco Live presentations. Considering that most CCDEs in this survey have studied alone, it would seem to be quite natural that one would be utilizing individual resources of learning or enhancing knowledge of technology.

3. Network Design Experience:
48.9% of all survey respondents would be more than 7 years of design experience before their first CCDE practical exam attempt. Furthermore, 37.1% of the CCDEs who failed their first attempt would have to spend between 6 and 12 months between their first attempt and their passing attempt would be tightening their experience.

33.3% of all the survey respondents would already be the architects before their first CCDE attempt, and another 28.8% have been involved in the senior network design job role.

The on-the-job experience was cited that 51.1% of all survey respondents as the third most important thing which would be prepared for their first or only CCDE practical exam attempt.

4. CCDE Bootcamps and Publications
One aspect that I found quite interesting in this survey was, the CCDE Candidates who failed their first attempt of the CCDE practical exam who have remained faithful to preparing by reading books and watching Cisco Live presentations. However it seemed that the candidates are more successful, who would have joined the CCDE Bootcamps, which provide them with the best training, as you could gain at SPOTO.