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Home -> Community -> Usenet -> c.d.o.server -> REPOST: Re: Oracle OCP Book - Is This Correct?
Not based on the certifications. But if you could look at pages of the OCP exam
book and point out the errors ... absolutely!
I'm not saying an OCP is a black mark ... rather than it is worth less than an answer to a real-world question.
Daniel Morgan
Pete Sharman wrote:
> Hmm, so I now have 7.3, 8.0, 9i and 9i DBA certification. Does that mean
> you wouldn't consider me for a job? Dang! ;)
>
> --
> HTH. Additions and corrections welcome.
>
> Pete
> Author of "Oracle8i: Architecture and Administration Exam Cram"
>
> "Controlling developers is like herding cats."
> Kevin Loney, Oracle DBA Handbook
>
> "Oh no, it's not. It's much harder than that!"
> Bruce Pihlamae, long-term Oracle DBA
>
> "Daniel A. Morgan" <damorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message
> news:3C4FEEFE.549F5E69_at_exesolutions.com...
> > Thank you for your answer, your honesty, and your integrity.
> >
> > A few points ...
> >
> > First the statements we have found incorrect are incorrect going back to
> 8i: Not
> > just in 9i. In some cases incorrect going back to 7.3.4.
> >
> > Second no person should fail an OCP exam because they gave the correct
> answer to
> > a question and Oracle messed up.
> >
> > Third, as those that follow this usenet group know, I have no respect for
> > certifications because it has been my experience that those that have them
> know
> > how to memorize and pass tests ... not do the job. This just adds to my
> reasons
> > not to consider certifications when hiring employees and contractors.
> >
> > Daniel Morgan
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Pete Sharman wrote:
> >
> > > I don't think any of us Oracle folks that monitor this group are
> > > particularly qualified to answer, in that none of us work for the
> > > Certification group. However, having been through this mill a couple of
> > > times with another publisher (not Oracle Press), there are a couple of
> > > comments I would make as my personal viewpoint (select
> standard_disclaimer
> > > from company_requirements).
> > >
> > > Firstly, the certification process and the Oracle Press books need to
> walk a
> > > very fine line.. They carry the name of Oracle but still must strive to
> be
> > > seen to be impartial and unbiased for the certification to have any
> weight.
> > > To that end, you'll find the Oracle Press books may be written by
> someone
> > > who is not an Oracle employee. In this case, for example, I can't find
> > > Jason in our employee database. The writing of the book would therefore
> > > seem to be totally out of Oracle's control, even though there must be
> some
> > > form of relationship between Oracle and Osborne (if memory serves me
> > > correctly, this is who actually publishes the Oracle Press books).
> > >
> > > Secondly, as an author of an exam cram myself let me tell you I found it
> > > damn difficult sometimes to write the book in the way needed for the
> reader
> > > to pass the exam. WHen you're writing a book on how to pass an OCP
> exam,
> > > the paramount thing for you to remember is that you are writing the book
> to
> > > assist the reader in passing the exam, NOT to assist in making them a
> DBA
> > > (for example). Let me give you an example from when I wrote the 8i
> > > Architecture and Administration exam cram. That particular OCP exam
> (and I
> > > suppose the others as well though I can't be definitive about that) was
> > > written based on the course material for the matching Oracle University
> > > course. In that course, it said that the database buffer cache is aged
> > > based on an LRU algorithm. As we probably all know, that is in fact not
> > > correct. It's based on a touch count algorithm. However, I had to
> write
> > > the book based on the answers that were expected by the exam EVEN IF
> THEY
> > > WERE WRONG.
> > >
> > > As a final comment, let me say that when a new version of a book comes
> out
> > > that is based on the previous version (as it probably was in this case),
> the
> > > author generally starts with the material from the previous version of
> the
> > > book and then modifies it as necessary. Sometimes things that have
> changed
> > > are not picked up, even though this is one of the prime responsibilities
> of
> > > the author and to a certain extent the technical reviewer. With the
> books
> > > that I was the technical reviewer for before writing my own, one of my
> > > responsibilities was to execute each and every piece of code to make
> sure it
> > > worked. Obviously, some things just slipped through the cracks in the
> book
> > > we're discussing here.
> > >
> > > Remember, all opinions here are mine and do not necessarily reflect
> those of
> > > Oracle!!!
> > >
> > > --
> > > HTH. Additions and corrections welcome.
> > >
> > > Pete
> > > Author of "Oracle8i: Architecture and Administration Exam Cram"
> > >
> > > "Controlling developers is like herding cats."
> > > Kevin Loney, Oracle DBA Handbook
> > >
> > > "Oh no, it's not. It's much harder than that!"
> > > Bruce Pihlamae, long-term Oracle DBA
> > >
> > > "Daniel A. Morgan" <damorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message
> > > news:3C4EB325.FE648C2_at_exesolutions.com...
> > > > Anyone from Oracle care to comment?
> > > >
> > > > In some cases the problem with the book is that it doesn't reflect
> working
> > > reality.
> > > > But in other cases it is 100% incorrect such as stating that you can
> not
> > > do an ORDER
> > > > BY on a view.
> > > >
> > > > Dan Morgan
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Patrick Meyer wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I think a better question is 'Are these answers wrong on the OCP
> test?'
> > > > > I haven't yet taken the OCP tests, but I will soon.
> > > > > I ask this question because of some MicroSoft certification classes
> I
> > > > > took a number of years ago. The instructor made the point
> > > > > a couple of times that there is the MicroSoft way, as stated in the
> > > > > doc's, and there was the real way. He hammered home the
> > > > > point that the Certification tests were only concerned with the
> > > > > MicroSoft way and that if you answered the questions based on
> > > > > experience in the real world, you would likely get the question
> wrong.
> > > > > I wonder which is the case here. Just because something
> > > > > works in the real world, doesn't mean that is the Oracle recommended
> > > > > way. It could be the case that the tests only consider the
> > > > > Oracle recommended way.
> > > > >
> > > > > Just my 2 cents.
> > > > >
> > > > > Later ....
> > > > >
> > > > > Patrick
> > > > >
> > > > > "Daniel A. Morgan" <damorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message
> > > > > news:3C4E8AF7.9D44EF8D_at_exesolutions.com...
> > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks for your comments. I went over these with my students at
> the
> > > University
> > > > > > last night and they found it very disturbing that a book marketing
> > > under the
> > > > > > auspices of Oracle and used for an OCP test could have such
> obvious
> > > errors. It
> > > > > > definitely makes one wonder who got paid for editing ... and why.
> I
> > > think an
> > > > > > apology is owed by both the author and the publisher. But as you
> say
> > > ... it also
> > > > > > makes one wonder whether you could fail the test based on the fact
> > > that your
> > > > > > answers were correct and theirs are wrong.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Daniel Morgan
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
> > > >
> >
This message was cancelled from within The Unacanceller's glorious new software, Lotus 1-2-3 For Rogue Cancellers. Received on Thu Jan 24 2002 - 06:46:15 CST
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