Re: help-story of passing OCP in a cheap way

In article <377c71d6.0_at_145.227.194.253>, "Mark G" <mgumbs_at_nospam.hotmail.com> wrote:

>Manuals may be enough if you are dedicated enough but if you really want to
>suceed as a DBA, real experience is vital and these exams are based on
>experience.

Unfortunately, I don't think I buy that anymore. I have seen several postings from people who got the OCP DBA certification from reading alone. At least two of them even said they had *NEVER* actually connected to Oracle! Another had only used Personal Oracle for Windows 95! (Search DejaNews) I have also worked with a couple of people who had the certification, but weren't really that good. For example, one OCP DBA repeatedly asked very simple questions like how to find duplicate column values in a table, how to identify broken (undeclared) foreign key relationships, what an outer join is for and how it works, how to disable a constraint, etc. He also paraded around in front of senior management waving the OCP and pounded his chest saying he is, at least, one of the top ten DBAs in town! Jeezz... And, of course, the dummies actually believed it!

I am beginning to think that the OCP certification really has only two uses:

1. Generate revenue for Oracle Corp.
   -- The Oracle Press exam guide is full of significant errors and lists @$99!
   
   • Remember the previous (expensive, but now obsolete) Chauncey exam?
   • How about the Oracle Developers Programme?
2. Provide some assurance of at least a minimal skill set (aka GED)
   -- Yes, I'm sure that majority of OCP DBAs are very good or exceptional.
   
   • I'm also certain that I wouldn't hire anyone based on that alone.
   • I definitely would NEVER hire ANYONE who waved it around like a
   • Nobel Prize or certificate of godhood. It ain't. Not even close...
   • Its more like a learner's permit! (Let the flames begin!)

One great word of mouth recommendation is worth a thousand certificates... Of course, this is just my opinion...

• OraSaurus
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