only regain the certification by starting from scratch. Re-certification can occur up to 2 years before the expiration date. After certification/re-certification, a CCIE must wait 6 months before re-certifying. CCIE Lab Exams are administered only at special CCIE Lab Test Centers around the world. However, all the tracks for testing may not be available at a lab location. CCAr The Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) certification assesses the experience and competency of network designers who can support the increasingly complex networks of global organizations and effectively translate business strategies into technical strategies. The Cisco Certified Architect certification is administered as a board exam. Candidates propose and defend an architecture solution to a set of business requirements. Candidates are asked to modify their proposals "on the fly," based on additional requirements presented by the board. Prerequisites include a CCDE certification, approximately 10 years of industry experience, and acceptance into the program via an application process. Responsibilities of the Cisco Certified Architect: Lead creation and evolution of enterprise architecture Analyze technology and industry market trends Establish governing principles for Enterprise networks Selection of technology and products Identification of organization resource needs Lead the development of communication and education plan for enterprise network architecture CCIE Routing and Switching Routing and Switching seem by far the most popular track, with 35,272 worldwide certified individuals as of May 18, 2012. The certification covers a variety of networking concepts and protocols. CCDE CCDE runs in parallel with the more established CCIE program, in some areas providing a higher skill-set than CCIE. Specifically, CCDE identifies network professionals who have expert network design skills. Network design translates business requirements into end-to-end network designs and a solutions approach to network expansion and integration. CCDE focuses on network architecture and does not cover implementation and operations. CCDE supplies a vendor-neutral curriculum, testing business requirements analysis, design, planning, and validation practices. The course came about because employers needed a way to identify experienced network designers and architects who could address all aspects of existing and new networking technologies and trends. While engineers (including many CCIEs) had fulfilled this role, certification had not advanced beyond the CCDP certification. CCDE numbering adopts a different format than CCIE and appears split into a year and number within that year. It uses the same CCIE tools to verify qualified status. CCDE certified individuals can use CCIE qualification exams to re-certify and vice versa. CCDE provides advanced