|
|
| Re: "CIW Database Design Specialist" beneficial for Oracle SQL analyst? [message #557633 is a reply to message #557591] |
Thu, 14 June 2012 07:27   |
 |
matthewmorris68
Messages: 258
Registered: May 2012
Location: Orlando, FL
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I'm actually studying for this certification right now. I didn't really *plan* to be. I signed on for a promotional offer on certification training, only to find out that their Oracle training was excluded from the promotion. This was the only one available that I had any interest in at all. The promotion was a buck for a month's access, so I'm not too worried about it and will cancel when the trial is up.
That said, 1D0-541 isn't really a SQL course at all, so isn't really comparable to 1Z0-047. It is a vendor-neutral certification that is focused on the basics of database design practices. It tests things like:
RDBMS concepts & terminology (tuples, attributes, elements)
First second and third normal form
The various types of SQL statements (DML, DDL, DCL)
Logical and physical database design practices
I can't review it because I haven't taken it yet. Probably in a month or so. I'm in no hurry. I'll try to remember to update this thread after I've taken it if no one else has by then.
|
|
|
|
| Re: "CIW Database Design Specialist" beneficial for Oracle SQL analyst? [message #561319 is a reply to message #557633] |
Fri, 20 July 2012 08:21 |
|
matthewmorris68
Messages: 258
Registered: May 2012
Location: Orlando, FL
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I received an email this morning asking me to update this thread... so I will.
I haven't taken the test yet. I finished the training course mentioned in my previous post. However, I don't consider it to be sufficient for the exam. The instructor had obviously taken one of his classses on basic SQL for MS SQL Server and made it the core of his class for 1D0-541. The SQL portion of the class was easily two-thirds of the online course (while being about 20-25% of the test). What's worse is that I have no real need of the section on SQL -- been doing that daily for a decade and a half.
I could probably pass 1D0-541 based on experience. However, what I know best is the 'practical' day-to-day SQL and database development whereas this test is about the theory behind database design. I'd be embarrassed (and out some money) if I took it and failed it. Also, my main purpose in taking certifications isn't to get one more piece of paper to put in a file cabinet and one more line on my resume. I take certifications to expand my skillset and help keep from getting into a rut of doing the same thing over and over.
That said, this certification definitely leans towards the theoretical rather than the practical. When someone is all theory no practice, you have an academic that can talk the talk, but not walk the walk. I have met these people. More to the point, I have worked with them. I have no desire to work with any of them again. Talking with one is occasionally interesting (so long as they aren't a co-worker that you want to strangle).
So did I just say this certification is all theory and completely useless? Nope. I have known developers that were really good coders, and absolutely useless with application design. The results of their efforts were always haphazard and quite often the users detested the results. The code in them was generally top-rate, but the application wasn't what the users wanted or needed. That's really what I see taking away from this certification. The SQL sections are basic (to me at least), and RDBMS theory is pretty useless (does anyone really care about tuples and elements?), but I would probably be a better developer if I put more structure into my design process. I'm a good application designer, but I don't always put enough structure around the process because I want to get to the part where I can write some code. 
Anyway -- I will get to taking this certification, but I have to do some more self-study since the video course was blah. I don't believe you should ever use a single source when studying for a certification test in any event. Normally for something like this, I'd consider my job experience the second source, but as I said, this is an area I skimp on. Between that and the course being so-so, I need to do some further study on the (non-SQL) test topics.
Right now, I'm spending most of my time writing. I'm just doing the final editing on my study guide for the Oracle 1Z0-147 and after that I plan to get work on the 1Z0-146 exam. I'll probably work on the 1D0-541 test after that. This is assuming my wife doesn't take a baseball bat to me for abandoning her and the kids every evening to do my writing...
[Updated on: Fri, 20 July 2012 08:23] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
] 
Blog
Search
Help
Members
Register
Login
Home
