A CCIE is Cisco's highest professional certification level and opens the door to many unique career opportunities. There are three different levels of Cisco Certification, each with their own sub categories, Associate, Professional, and Expert. Expert describes the CCIE certification level. It is estimated that there are only about 17,000 professionals in the entire world that hold this level of certification which is considered to be the highest level of IT certification, and has the highest salary track record in the profession.

While there is no formal requirement for taking the two part certification test, it is recommended that candidates have at least three to five years of IT experience. Many candidates build labs of their own to practice in, or rent time at locations where they can hone their skills. Passing the CCIE requires in-depth knowledge of many real-life networking situations. There is simply no substitute for being exposed to, designing, deploying, and troubleshooting a wide range of complex, real-world networks.

Candidates must also pass a qualifying exam to apply for CCIE certification, and then must pass the CCIE expert exam in their given track, as well as a laboratory component in which candidates demonstrate skills in different pressure-intensive scenarios. Candidates should be able to install, configure and maintain Voice solutions over IP networks. The CCIE Voice track, however, does not certify an understanding of the infrastructure over which VoIP solutions are implemented. Candidates need to keep in mind passport and visa details if traveling to another country to take the CCIE lab exam as well as factoring in the cost of the travel.

In addition, candidates must demonstrate a high level of expertise with devices such as SAN switches and directors, routers, switches and management solutions. The new CCIE builds on the success of three specialist certifications offered by Cisco to validate storage networking design, support, and sales skills. A high level of expertise with devices such as SAN switches and directors, routers, switches and management solutions. The new CCIE builds on the success of three specialist certifications offered by Cisco to validate storage networking design, support, and sales skills.

With the proper preparation it is possible to obtain this coveted certification. Extensive preparation is required, but the successful completion will provide greater career opportunities. It is estimated that some individuals even hold multiple certifications, which means that their possibilities for advancement and earnings increase in the IT field are virtually unlimited.