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Home -> Community -> Usenet -> c.d.o.server -> REPOST: Re: Oracle OCP Book - Is This Correct?
I personally don't like certifications, especially Microsoft's.
Unfortunately, the market is tight and a lot of companies are using them for
weeding out candidates. I got turned down for a job where I could have
easily done all the work and have numerous times because I didn't have a
cert. Such is life I guess.
Tom
www.oraclepower.com
"Daniel A. Morgan" <damorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message
news:3C500216.D2A82EDC_at_exesolutions.com...
> 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 - 17:23:02 CST
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