I was very excited to read about the possibility to attend CCDE bootcamp in London the next August...
The reason for which I never seriously took in consideration the possibility to try the CCDE practice exam was the lack of information about the exam structure. Since my CCNA exam 10 years ago I know that 50% of the success probability in any Cisco exam is about to know the structure and the caveats of any single exam, even if is terrible to tell, I think that many good network engineers with years of real world experience will fail even the CCNA exam if they will not be ready to the fantastic Cisco key words science... and I don't want to speak about CCIE exams where the preparation against time constraints and about the lab strategy is the foundation of the success.
Of course the deep technology knowledge stay the most important requirement, but this is even the funniest part so it never scared me.
Now I don't know if to try this CCDE exam, I'm CCIEx2 in R&S and SP with good knowledge of the Cisco Security Architecture with some interesting real world experience on a carrier grade mpls network, more I'm official Cisco Instructor so I know in deep what Cisco likes and which kind of technology are suggested in many scenarios, and more I think that to teach something is the best way to understand that in deep. For sure I will read some more book, 2 or 3 in the Petr suggested reading list, someone I read in my previous study. I know all this sounds good, but I'm doubtful. I just started to study CCIE Security, for sure it will take me more hours of study in confront of CCDE, simply becouse I don't think I can learn the design in one year studing, I think you can learn this studing but it's a long process, made of reading, thinking, designing reading; but about the CCIE I know how to do, I have a consolidated working method, that if not on he first try, will bring me on success the second... about CCDE it's a blackhole, if I will fail, what I will do in order to improve my knowledge? Read some more book? Mmmm I don't think it's the key.
So what I would ask to someone that attended the exam, how much is doable? And I would like to ask to some INE person, how much the Bootcamp will give me a chance in my position?
I know that it's hard to tell, but any advice will be very apreciated.