The event featured dozens of intense training sessions on the latest Cisco hardware and software, as well as a keynote address from company CEO John Chambers. But the main event for many of the thousands at Networkers was the chance to take a standardized certification test in a classroom setting.

A total of 2,808 people took tests at Networkers, and many who preregistered were able to take them for no charge, although fees normally range between $125 and $350, according to a Cisco spokeswoman. The fee is nonrefundable if test takers fail the exam. The written test is only Part One of the overall exam and is followed at a separate time and place by a notoriously difficult eight-hour practical lab test. CCIEs must take the written test every two years to stay qualified, but they need to pass the lab test only once.

Some companies require their networking engineers to attend Networkers for training or testing as part of their annual reviews, several IT managers said. None said they ever heard of an employee getting fired or reprimanded for failing an exam. But all said that having a certification can greatly boost chances for a promotion or other advancement.

Jon Campbell, CIO at FirstHealth of the Carolinas in Pinehurst, N.C.., said he had been prepping all week in his hotel room for a CCIE test on network security. Although he oversees 17 IT workers at FirstHealth, he said, "I am doing it for me, not them.

"The tests are tough, and the ones who pass are really the creme de la creme," said Campbell, who has taken certification tests from three other major vendors, but found Cisco's is the toughest by far.