My understanding is that the CCNP ones just went through major changes earlier in 2011 (to ROUTE, SWITCH, and T-SHOOT), so unlikely that they'll have more changes anytime in the next couple years.

CompTIA: A+ (WfW 3.11), Network+
Microsoft: MCSE+I (NT4)
Novell: CNE (4.11, 5.0)
Citrix: CCA (Metaframe 1.0)
Working on MS 70-642 then CCNP...

Dude---that's the magic behind their fight against brain dumps---they used to not change the IE written, but now they change them every few months, sometimes within the same month! I know a few people who have wasted their $$$ trying dumps that they say only had like 4 questions on there from the dumps. Needless to say, they fail miserably.

Then you have the real people like me, who actually study the right way. Experience really really really pays off...if not at works, then in labs (even better IMHO).

Hell, it took me FOUR TIMES to pass the NA (when there was only the 801 single NA exam), and I finally did with a 987! I studied for a year, the last 3 months at least 4-6 hours a day, for the NP exams (when they still had the BCMSN, BSCI, BCRAN and the CIT 5 years ago. I failed the BSCI the first time, passed the 2nd time in the 900's, and passed the rest the first time in the 900's.

The CCIE Security Written---110 questions, 120 minutes. I finished with 2'53 sec to go, passed with 734/1000 (699 is passing) the first time. I passed the NA Security in '09 after a week Global Knowledge bootcamp the first time. Then I passed the ISCW right after to renew the NP. Both of those and the next 1 1/2 years of intense studying,lab work and experience prepared me for the IE written.

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burtsbees,
    Thanks! I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who failed. Gives me the confidence to try again. I read, study, work the lab, and have never used a brain dump. I want to know how it really works, not just memorize stuff.

Thanks again for sharing your experience, very, very helpful.

Iolair MacWalter
Network Engineer