Oracle OCA/OCP

[Guest]

Hi, I have some questions regarding OCP certification. I found out that the OCP requires an Instructor led course, but is there a way of finding out if the course I took is an Oracle authorized Partner? I took an Oracle 9i: Intro to SQL course at an University of California Extension Center 2 years ago and they were using Oracle University Books and I don't know if that course count. (They also have their own certification of completion program)

I've started studying Oracle again and wish to get a certification so I can get an Internship doing database stuff. I bought the Sybex books for OCP and find that there are certain topics that they only go over briefly and not in depth. The review questions at the end do not test writing SQL statements that much, but test on basic knowledge. I'm worried that it might not be enough. Are there any other good books for OCP?

Last thing I want know is that how many months or hours on average is enough to prepare for each exam? I know this can vary from person to person but can someone give a rough estimate? I did some database projects in my school work with postgreSQL and Java/jdbc so I have some knowledge writing SQL, but a lot of functions are new to me in Oracle.

I appreciate your help. .Thanks.

[Tim...]

Hi.

To check if your course is valid contact Oracle University. They are the only people that can give you a definitive answer. My guess is that if it was not actually and Oracle University course it won't count, but check to make sure. You can get contact details from here:

http://www.oracle.com/education/help.html

The OCP program has a specific syllabus and the OCP guides are designed to cover that syllabus. No more, no less. If something only warrants one sentence in the exam it will only get one sentence in the guide, even if in reality that topic is large and complex. Passing the OCP does not guarantee your ability, but it shows a certain level of understanding and it will help you to direct your learning efforts.

The length of time is very personnal. I don't think I've ever taken more than 2 weeks to complete a certification, but I've heard of people taking 4 months of full time work to do it. I've got alot of experience so revising for me is just a case of brushing up, not learning from scratch. I also use this stuff all day every day, so it is engraved on my mind. I guess this makes me one end of the spectrum. On the other end are people with limited Oracle experience who don't use it as a job. These people are likely to take longer. I think the sensible thing to do is just approach the first exam and use this as a barometer. If you feel ready quickly and pass comfortably then you will have an indication of the timescale and level of effort involved. If you fail you know you need to put in more effort.

Good luck

Tim...

[Guest]

I got it . . Thanks a lot!

[Tim...]