CCIE training and courses
Cisco requires no course for the CCIE certification — you can book the core exam with no prerequisites. But the eight-hour hands-on lab makes training more important here than for most certifications. This page sets out the training Cisco itself lists for CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure, what each option is for, and how to judge any other CCIE course before you pay for it.
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What is CCIE certification?
CCIE stands for Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert — the expert level of Cisco’s certification programme, above CCNA and CCNP. A Cisco CCIE certification is earned per track: Enterprise Infrastructure, Security, Wireless, Automation and others each have their own written core exam and their own eight-hour lab or practical exam.
For CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure, the two exams are 350-401 ENCOR (US$400, 120 minutes) and the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure lab exam v1.1 (US$1,600, 8 hours). The certification is valid for three years. Everything below is about preparing for those two exams.
Source: Cisco — CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
CCIE training Cisco lists itself
Cisco’s exams and training page for Enterprise Infrastructure names three kinds of official CCIE training:
- Cisco U. — guided learning paths created by Cisco, practice labs on real Cisco products, pre- and post-assessments and practice tests
- Instructor-led training — classroom-style learning online or in person, through Cisco and its authorised Learning Partners, plus e-learning in Cisco’s training catalog
- Cisco Press — books from Cisco’s authorised publisher
Source: Cisco — CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure exams and training. Checked 9 October 2026.
Lab-specific training: practice labs, Graded Labs, Expert Prep
For the lab, Cisco’s expert certifications page lists three options with prices: CCIE Practice Labs at US$50 per four-hour slot, Graded Labs at US$1,000 or 10 Cisco Learning Credits, and the Cisco Expert Prep Program, listed as free.
Cisco describes the practice labs as online, hands-on environments with pre-configured scenarios that simulate the actual exam environment — and states plainly that they do not replicate the exact questions or difficulty of the live exam. Treat them as rehearsal for the environment and a way to find weak domains, not as a score forecast.
Source: Cisco — Expert certifications: exams and training. Checked 9 October 2026.
Online CCIE course or classroom?
Both formats are official. Cisco offers instructor-led classes online or in person through Cisco and its Learning Partners, and Cisco U. and the practice labs are online by design. An online CCIE course suits the ENCOR phase well, because ENCOR can itself be taken online.
The lab is different: it is in person only, at Cisco lab locations. Whichever CCIE training online you choose, make sure it includes hands-on time on equipment, because that is what the lab examines. CCIE online training that is only video lectures covers the knowledge, not the skill.
Source: Cisco — CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure exams and training. Checked 9 October 2026.
How to judge a CCIE boot camp
A CCIE boot camp compresses preparation into an intensive block. Judge any boot camp against Cisco’s own documents:
- Is it built on the current lab blueprint version (v1.1 for Enterprise Infrastructure) and the current ENCOR exam topics?
- How much of the time is hands-on lab work, rather than lecture?
- Is it delivered by Cisco or one of its authorised Learning Partners?
- Does it cover automation throughout? Cisco states lab candidates are expected to program and automate the network within the exam.
- How does it measure readiness? Cisco’s practice labs and Graded Labs are the official reference points.
Source: Cisco — CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure exams and training. Checked 9 October 2026.
Is a CCIE bootcamp worth it?
A CCIE bootcamp works best late, after you have passed ENCOR and covered the blueprint once on your own, when the remaining gap is speed and troubleshooting under time pressure. Early on, it repeats what Cisco U. or a standard CCIE course covers at a fraction of the intensity.
Budget it alongside the exam costs: US$2,000 in exam fees if both exams pass first time, plus travel, since Cisco’s lab fees do not include travel and lodging. A boot camp does not change any of those numbers.
Source: Cisco — Expert certifications: exams and training. Checked 9 October 2026.
CCIE automation training
CCIE Automation is a separate expert certification with its own exams: the 350-901 AUTOCOR core exam (US$400, 120 minutes) and the CCIE Automation practical exam v1.1 (US$1,600, 8 hours). Cisco describes the practical exam as testing your ability to plan, design, develop, test, deploy and maintain software solutions in complex automation-driven network environments.
For CCIE automation training, Cisco lists the same three routes: Cisco U., instructor-led training through Cisco and its authorised Learning Partners, and Cisco Press. If you are on the Enterprise Infrastructure track, automation is still part of your lab — but the dedicated Automation track goes much further into software development.
Source: Cisco — CCIE Automation certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
CCIE Enterprise Wireless training
If you are looking for CCIE Enterprise Wireless training, note that Cisco’s certification page now headlines it as CCIE Wireless, with the 350-101 WLCOR core exam (US$400, 120 minutes) and the CCIE Wireless lab exam v1.1 (US$1,600, 8 hours). Cisco U. is listed for training.
Cisco’s pages are not consistent on the core exam: the ENCOR exam page still says ENCOR meets the core requirement for CCIE Enterprise Wireless. If you plan to use ENCOR toward a wireless CCIE, confirm with Cisco which core exam applies before you book.
Source: Cisco — CCIE Wireless certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
Where Certsqill fits
Certsqill is not a CCIE course. It is the practice layer: expert-developed practice questions with an explanation for every answer option and a readiness score per domain. The CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure question bank helps with ENCOR and blueprint knowledge; the lab still needs hands-on equipment.
Source: Cisco — 350-401 ENCOR exam. Checked 9 October 2026.
CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure training & courses: questions people ask
What is a CCIE certification?
CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) is Cisco’s expert-level certification, earned per track with a written core exam and an eight-hour lab or practical exam. Source: Cisco, checked 9 October 2026.
Do I need to take a course before the CCIE exams?
No. Cisco lists no prerequisites for the ENCOR core exam and does not require training for the certification. Source: Cisco, checked 9 October 2026.
What official CCIE training does Cisco offer?
Cisco U. learning paths, practice labs, assessments and practice tests; instructor-led training through Cisco and authorised Learning Partners; Cisco Press books; CCIE Practice Labs (US$50 per four-hour slot), Graded Labs and the free Cisco Expert Prep Program. Checked 9 October 2026.
Is there online CCIE training?
Yes. Cisco U., the CCIE Practice Labs and instructor-led classes are available online. The lab exam itself is in person only.
What should a CCIE boot camp include?
The current lab blueprint, mostly hands-on lab time, automation throughout, and a way to measure readiness against Cisco’s blueprint. Check whether it is delivered by Cisco or an authorised Learning Partner.
