Certification Frequently Asked Questions...

[Tim...]

Q: Where can I get information about certification paths and hand-on course requirements?
A: Your first port of call for anything to do with Oracle certification should be the Oracle education site:

http://education.oracle.com/pls/web_pro ... page_id=39


Q: Which version of the database should I certify against?
A: Certify against the version you are most likely to use.

If you know you will be working with Oracle 10g, the certify against it. If you are not sure, certify against the most popular release at the time you start. At the time of writing this post, Oracle 11g is one years old, but most businesses are still using Oracle 10g, so the 10g certification is a safe bet. You can then upgrade to 11g later. In a years time it may be more sensible to certify in 11g.


Q: Where can I get free certification materials from?
A: Most certification materials are covered by copyright and must be bought. If you use any of the following for free you are probably breaking the law:

- Oracle Instructor Lead Training (ILT) manuals.
- Electronic copies of Oracle Certification Books.

Search the net for legitimate training materials and use the Oracle manuals which are available for free from http://otn.oracle.com.


Q: What study materials should I use?
A: For preparation I would suggest you buy one of the OCA/OCP study guides and work through it. Most people seem to prefer the Sybex books, but that's not a personal endorsement. I don't use study guides, I write my own revision notes using the Oracle manuals. In addition to using study guides, I suggest you read the Oracle manuals and practice everything on an Oracle installation. There is nothing better than real life experience.


Q: Should I use braindumps to prepare for certifications?
A: Oracle consider the use of braindumps as cheating, and may result in you losing your OCP status. Don't use them if you care about your certification.


Q: Do I need to do practice questions?
A: Practice questions may help you with your exam technique and calm your nerves, but you should spend most of your time learning the material and practicing using Oracle, not doing endless practice exams.


Q: Do I need to use the Oracle software to get ready for certification?
A: YES. There is no point passing the exam if you have never used the product. Your lack of experience will stand out a mile.


Q: Will certification help me get a job?
A: It's better than not having it, but I wouldn't count on it getting you a job if you have no experience. Most employers still rate experience over certification. Of course, the ideal situation is to have both.


Q: What format are the exams?
A: The exams typically have 60-70 quests over 90 minutes. They are multiple choice, often asking you to pick 2 of 5 answers, or 3 of 5. Check out the certification website for specifics:

http://www.oracle.com/education/certification


Q: How long will it take me to study for the exams?
A: How long you study depends on many factors including previous experience, how easy you find studying and how much you practice the techniques on a working Oracle installation. It's impossible for me to say how much time you will need. It seldom takes me more than a couple of weeks to get ready for an exam because I use Oracle a lot. I've heard some people study for over 6 months to complete the OCP. It varies a lot.

Cheers

Tim...