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The Case for an Updated SQL Expert Exam [message #600577]

Fri, 08 November 2013 07:52

matthewmorris68
Messages: 258
Registered: May 2012
Location: Orlando, FL

Senior Member

There have been a couple of discussions that have taken place in the OTN Certification forum about the shortcomings of the current SQL Expert exam. In particular, there are several SQL techniques absent from the exam that arguably ought to be covered. I decided to write something of an open letter to OU about the concept of creating an updated version for the 12c release of Oracle:

The Case for an Updated Oracle SQL Expert Exam - Certification Magazine
www.certmag.com/read.php?in=5686

So what do you think -- what advanced SQL topics did I miss that would make a good addition to an improved version of the exam?

CM: fixed the url

[Updated on: Fri, 08 November 2013 09:41] by Moderator

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Re: The Case for an Updated SQL Expert Exam [message #600653 is a reply to message #600577]

Sun, 10 November 2013 17:28

rleishman
Messages: 3728
Registered: October 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Senior Member

I am continually surprised at how often I use the KEEP extension to Aggregate functions and how few people know about them. I don't recall it being on the exam.

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Re: The Case for an Updated SQL Expert Exam [message #601088 is a reply to message #600653]

Fri, 15 November 2013 08:13

rc3d
Messages: 213
Registered: September 2013
Location: Baden-Württemberg

Senior Member

I am strongly against it. The current SQL Expert exam is challenging enough.

70% of people use brain dumps (see threads in OTN Certification forum) to pass Oracle exams. Oracle exams without brain dumps is very complicated for average IT pro.

If more complicated (broader objectives), the people who use brain dumps will increase.

I advise Oracle to opposite: make more beginner friendly exams. A lot of IT workers, don't work full time with Oracle products. For example I manage an application which uses Oracle backend. There are DBA guys who support our application team.

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Re: The Case for an Updated SQL Expert Exam [message #601091 is a reply to message #601088]

Fri, 15 November 2013 08:45

matthewmorris68
Messages: 258
Registered: May 2012
Location: Orlando, FL

Senior Member

So what I get from your post is that you are issuing an ultimatum to Oracle University:

"Make these tests super easy or people are going to cheat."

The Expert series is not targeted at 'the average'. These exams are intended for candidates that are really knowledgeable about that subject area. Making the tests easy enough that anyone can pass them would make the series effectively useless for its intended purpose. It is great that you would like to have a piece of paper that says you are a SQL Expert. It is really sad that you want to skip the part where you learn enough about SQL to be an expert.

The current 1Z0-047 exam, in my opinion, relies too much on poorly-formatted SQL to confuse the people taking it. I'd prefer to see some of the difficulty shifted to a need to learn more SQL topics. The overall difficulty of the exam need not change, but the value of preparing for it would go up.

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Re: The Case for an Updated SQL Expert Exam [message #601092 is a reply to message #601091]

Fri, 15 November 2013 09:02

cookiemonster
Messages: 13962
Registered: September 2008
Location: Rainy Manchester

Senior Member

Personally I'd think that broadening it out would make it more likely that people who rely on brain dumps would fail.
Which would be a good thing.

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Re: The Case for an Updated SQL Expert Exam [message #601095 is a reply to message #600577]

Fri, 15 November 2013 09:43

rc3d
Messages: 213
Registered: September 2013
Location: Baden-Württemberg

Senior Member

I passed OCA 11g DBA without brain dumps. It was very big and hard work.

I also passed RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer), which was quite easy comparing to OCA 11g DBA.

English not my native language. You got me wrong!

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Re: The Case for an Updated SQL Expert Exam [message #601096 is a reply to message #601095]

Fri, 15 November 2013 10:23

matthewmorris68
Messages: 258
Registered: May 2012
Location: Orlando, FL

Senior Member

Quote:

You got me wrong!

If you'll check my response, I did not indicate that your post indicated that 'you' would cheat but that 'people' would cheat if the tests were too hard. I believe (hope) that you are wrong... at least in that particular cause and effect. Some individuals are going to cheat no matter what. There is simply no avoiding that fact.

That said, I firmly believe that your 70% figure is vastly overblown. I understand how you could think that -- the number of people asking for dumps is discouraging. However, while I have seen dozens, perhaps even low hundreds of posts requesting brain dumps over the years, that is a fraction of the number of current Oracle certified individuals (last number I saw from OU was 1.5 million). If I had seen 1000 requests for dumps (which I guarantee I have not yet), that would represent only .06% of 1.5 million.

The people who use brain dumps are essentially unwilling to perform the work required to learn the material. That same unwillingness to work extends into requesting other people to do the work for them to make it easier to cheat. In general, the people who are willing to learn the information also are willing to make use of Google to find the materials they need to study rather than posting questions on a forum asking someone else to point them to those materials.

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Re: The Case for an Updated SQL Expert Exam [message #601191 is a reply to message #601095]

Mon, 18 November 2013 05:42

pablolee
Messages: 2882
Registered: May 2007
Location: Scotland

Senior Member

rc3d wrote on Fri, 15 November 2013 15:43

I passed OCA 11g DBA without brain dumps. It was very big and hard work.

Good, it's MEANT to be. What value does a qualification have if everybody can pass it without any effort!?

[Updated on: Mon, 18 November 2013 05:42]

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