Oracle-L: Re: What is truth?

From: Don Granaman <granaman_at_cox.net>
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 21:43:36 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.0044C0BB.20020422214336@fatcity.com>

I've sworn off the OCP rant as a lost cause, but I feel a temporary relapse coming on....

I don't think that ("racheting up the difficulty" of the OCP exams) would happen. Here is my (perhaps demented) reasoning.

Presumptuous Assumptions:

The real goal of the entire OCP push isn't educating DBAs, it is generating revenue for Oracle, et al.
If the failure rate is high, too many will shun OCP -and attendance at associated Oracle ILT will drop.
The ILT material is easy enough now and there is a direct correlation between ILT and the OCP exams.
A lot of the DBA ILT classes are already too easy - to meet the neophyte needs.
Some marketing genius has probably already figured out how much ILT candidates and their companies are willing and able to endure.

Tongue firmly in cheek deduction.

Oracle doesn't want to make OCP more difficult (or even more accurate), they want more revenue from it. (I once heard it described, by a long-time and well-known member of the Oracle community, as the "Larry tax".)

So... After being told once upon a time that an Oracle Master certificate was the holy grail, then that the Chauncey certification exams were the holy grail, they were all dropped in favor of OCP. (Actually there was a couple of years in there when the party line was that you should have both the Oracle Masters and Chauncey|OCP.) After years of being told that OCP was the holy grail, we now have the 9i OCM (Oracle Certified Master)! Since many passed the OCP without taking any Oracle ILT, that loophole has now been plugged. The OCM absolutely requires two Oracle ILT classes above and beyond the OCP - and Oracle does not seem particularly picky about which ILT classes. OCM also requires passing a practicum exam - which could be a good thing, depending on what it tests and how well

OCP is wildly overemphasized. It is an entrance exam, not a Ph.D. Furthermore, by even the most liberal "gradfing standards", they take only 'D's and 'F's to pass! However, I AM looking forward to the Oracle10i OCW (Oracle Certified Wizard) exams - the only ones that will still REALLY mean anything two years from now. ;-)

Don Granaman
[OraSaurus and curmudgeon in good standing]

PS: I just found my medication (Jack Daniels) and shouldn't have another relapse soon. My apologies...

Original Message ----- To: "Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L" <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com> Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 5:53 PM

[...]

> I am also concerned about the idea of "testing for understanding
> rather than memorization". Sounds good, but there is a possibility that
> Oracle might use this as an opportunity to ratchet up the difficulty.
> Dennis Williams
> DBA
> Lifetouch, Inc.
> dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com

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-- 
Author: Don Granaman
  INET: granaman_at_cox.net

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Received on Tue Apr 23 2002 - 00:43:36 CDT