Final Edit: Overall the session today was very informative about the upcoming changes for RSv5. Cisco will be posting a demo for the new format of the exam soon. I'll be posting a recap of this session and others after Cisco Live has concluded at the end of the week.

09:45 PDT - Mobile labs will start to have more seats. It's unlikely that the lab will be delivered at regular Pearson Vue sites.

09:40 PDT - On the new retake policy. It's not yet clear if it's effective retroactively. E.g. if you fail twice now do you have to wait 90 days after August? Bruno said an official announcement will be coming out shortly.

09:20 PDT - On configuration section "more preconfiguration is going to be there." For example IPv4/IPv6 addresses, VLANs, etc. "for example show vlan brief before starting." "The questions are inter-dependent by nature." No visible countdown timer, refer to the proctor's clock. "Most of the time we have obvious explicit requirements and then hidden implicit requirements." "Focus on the technologies and not the topologies."

09:19 PDT - On diagnostic section “All tickets are visible before starting” “no partial grading just like other sections” Format is “still multiple choice but different from the written exam.” “for example you could have two scenarios each with three questions” “you’re going to be playing the role of a support engineer” Could include design specifications, emails, topology diagrams, console outputs, packet captures.

09:11 PDT - On grading "We are not reloading your rack, we are not reloading your session. We're grading in the exact state that you leave your rack."

09:05 PDT - On troubleshooting section "We're not going to check which solution you used." "Big rumor is we're expecting a special CCIE solution." "It's very much based on output." For example "regardless how you arrive that the route is there we only care that the route is there."

09:00 PDT - On point weighting per section "Scores are visible in each section." "You don't have to get all points in the exam." "If you get stuck move on." "Troubleshooting questions are meant to be independent." "Configuration section is the only one with inter-dependencies."

08:58 PDT - On the new scoring "You still have a chance of passing even if you screwed troubleshooting." :)

08:56 PDT - On timing of sections "Only diagnostic is fixed to 30 minutes." "If you finish troubleshooting in an hour you get the remaining time automatically credited to your configuration section."

08:50 PDT - On diagnostic module, it's used to "assess that you can come to the conclusion of what the root cause is." "What process did you use to get to the root cause?" "What information do you need to ask the customer for example from the help desk?" "Diagnostic is about assessing practical skills."  "It's going to be more difficult for candidates that don't have actual experience.  That's what the diagnostic section is about."

08:45 PDT - On delivery "Delivery is web based. There is no more printed workbooks."

08:42 PDT - On IPsec - "We're not testing PKI or dynamic crypto." "Only the most basic IPsec configurations using a pre-shared key."

08:40 PDT - On packet capture - "We can give you a sniffer trace and ask you to do something with it". "It's not collecting the capture it's using the capture." "We're going to be using a web based version of WireShark."

08:37 PDT - IS-IS is in the written but not the lab, because it's relevant for new technologies like FabricPath and OTV. If you haven't heard of OTV before, don't worry, it's just a Fancy GRE Tunnel ;)

08:35 PDT - In case you've been living under a rock for the past 6 months ;)

08:30 PDT - Per Bruno "In configuration the topologies are going to be much bigger".  "In v5 it's going to look like an actual network."

08:25 PDT - The session PDF can be found here.

08:15 PDT - Rule #1 - "Know what you don't know" :)

08:00 PDT - TECCCIE-3000 - CCIE Routing & Switching Version 5 Techtorial is starting now.  If you have any questions you want me to ask the CCIE team please comment below.