What does it take to become a CCIE?

It is both very simple and very difficult to become a CCIE. Simple because there are only two requirements. Difficult because each requirement requires money, mental effort and time.

To get a CCIE all you need is to pass the lab exam. In order to take the lab, you have to pass the written exam. You only have to pass two things, unlike the CCNP, CCVP, CCSP or CCDP certifications with 4 or 5 tests.

The written: You must pass the written exam in order to schedule the CCIE lab. The written exam costs 300$ and is 100 questions long. I took a beta and studied about 2 weeks at 3 hours a night (except one night), so I studied just under 40 hours. I narrowly failed that exam and think that probably about 100 hours of studying would be about right to pass the exam. It helps if you have years of hands on experience with networking and the type of technology that the CCIE exam covers. You can take the written at any certified testing center (probably 1000s of locations around the world). It takes 120 minutes or less for the exam.

The lab: The lab exam costs $1250 per attempt, not including travel and lodging expenses. There are currently ten locations in the world to take the lab, so it is very likely that travel and lodging will be an expense. Most people fail the first attempt. So on average you will pay about $3500 to get a CCIE in just exam costs. Training materials, labs and cram courses may cost you more. A budget of $5000 to pass the CCIE is probably on the cost conscious side. The lab used to be two days, but now it is one day, about 8 hours.