Cisco waiving OEQs for students of their 360 training program – that blows
Jason Rowley
Jason Rowley
Jason Rowley is a Senior Internetworking Engineer with Nuvox (soon to be Windstream), a large SMB focused CLEC. He has been in telecomunications since leaving college to start a successful ISP with a partner in 1993. With perfect timing, he sold it in 1999, just prior to the bubble bursting. From there, Jason joined tw telecom in 2000 and then Nuvox (then FDN Communications) in 2004.
Not to leave self employment completely, Jason also owns several small companies that provide consulting and development services, mostly through word of mouth referrals, and is an investor in several other ventures.
Jason currently holds a JNCIS certification and is scheduled to take (pass!) the CCIE SP lab in May 2010. From there, he will go on to obtain his JNCIP and ultimately, JNCIE certifications.
In his spare time, Jason enjoys photography, hiking, visiting beaches in the Caribbean, and lazy afternoon naps.
Jason's blogs can be read at http://blog.jason-rowley.com (CCIE SP study focused) and http://blog.synacknetworks.com (general technologies).
So, I wake up my normal 3 hours before work this morning to get some reading time in and just happen to see this in my email.
“Cisco 360 Learning Program Core Knowledge Waiver”
“Beginning April 1, 2010, Cisco will allow Cisco 360 Learning Program students who attend a Cisco CCIE® Routing and Switching or CCIE Voice workshop to request a waiver and skip the Core Knowledge Section of the CCIE lab exam.”
What The Freak?
Hear I am killing myself to prepare for my pending 4 questions of doom and despair while partners with $$$ to spend can take a “pre-assessment” and get out of these. Are they also going to get 15-30 minutes extra lab time?
Now, I’ve grown to like the idea of OEQs in the lab. I have learned a lot that I’ve either forgotten over the years as well as some more obscure stuff that I probably wouldn’t have had I not started reading everything I can.
What burns my britches is that Cisco is now watering down the CCIE certification by allowing those who take their classes to immediately take pre-assessments and on approval, get out of something the rest of us have to do.
It comes down to business. Cisco is happy to take your money for their own training. As a benefit, you’re essentially buying a portion of your CCIE digits. That is a really crappy move, Cisco.
What’s next? 360 Advanced II classes going to let students get half day waivers? Take a 360 program and get a free CCIE?
As most of us have been literally burning ourselves out, others are getting free rides. It really sucks and is making me reconsider my certification goals. I have been in this industry for 16 or so years. I didn’t need a CCIE before. I don’t need one now.
If I don’t pass my upcoming attempt, I’m seriously considering not attempting again. Not at $1400 a pop when others are getting benefits that we don’t get. It’s not that I don’t want a CCIE certification, it’s just the principle that Cisco is now diluting their premier certification after trying to make it worth something again.
If that’s how Cisco wants to unfairly treat people, I’ll get my JNCIE.
Ok, enough grumbling. Its too early in the morning to be bitchy.