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Tag: CCDE

CCDE Journey (Take 2)

Posted on by mytechgnome

Back in 2020 I was planning to take the CCDE exam, but those plans were derailed by a little thing called a global pandemic. With test centers closed for an unknown period, I decided to wait until things calmed down before I started to really dig into it. Then, in 2021 it was announced that the CCDE was moving to version 3.0. I didn’t want to get end up in a race against the sunset of the v2 exam, which meant waiting until the release of v3. Add in some travel, a new job, and a handful of other events that distracted from my CCDE plan, and here I am, ready to give this another go.

I’m planning to continually add content as I’m learning new things, both as a way to help me remember what I’m covering, and hopefully in a way that might help others that are either working towards the CCDE or just looking to pick up bits of information along the way.

Study Materials

I have a handful of material that I’ll be using for the CCDE prep.

Primary resources:

Additional resources:

The CCDE covers a massive range of topics. It will be a fun process working my way through all of it!

Starting the CCDE journey

Posted on by Dan Kelcher

I’ve finally decided to start the trek toward the CCDE.  With the upcoming changes to the CCNA/CCNP/CCIE programs it made the decision easier.  I wasn’t going to finish a CCIE before February, so that route wasn’t an option.

Step 1: Figure out what to study

Cisco has provided a reading list here: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-1673

There’s also a learning matrix here: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications/ccde/written_exam/study-material

I went through both and compiled a book list.  I already had physical copies of most of the books.  I was able to find some use copies that were under $10.  Other books were out of print, or difficult to justify spending the money when only a chapter or two were needed.  I also found that some of the books were available through Safari’s online library.

My library

Step 2: Study

I am hoping to take the written exam in the summer, so I have a lot of reading to do.  As I go through the different books I intend to detail some of the more challenging concepts here.  Doing so helps me reinforce what I’ve learned, and it might help some future reader grasp a topic.  I’m also planning to put more detail around what material I found helpful, and what I thought wasn’t a good use of time.