I guess one of the most simple tasks to kick off your CCIE study is to know the required materials. If you do a quick Google search, you will notice how almost all CCIE's or the candidates agree on 85%-95% of the study materials and will have a very similar reading list. I haven't had a serious hard time searching and eventually obtaining the materials that I think would be enough (hopefully!) to pass the CCIE written exam. I can't really guarantee the lab exam, since so many people only pass after failing multiple times. So, for now, I will not comment or speculate about the lab exam until my first attempt and then will see how good or bad