I am currently a DBA with responsibility for Oracle and more recently SQL Server databases, I am OCP certified on Oracle 8i, 9i and 10G.
So, I am considering taking the plunge and starting the MCDBA track for SQL server 2000, mainly as I find the certfication process makes a lazy person like myself learn all the features of a product that I may ordinarily never use !
Therefore I was wondering whether anyone on here had done both the Oracle and SQL server qualifications and how they thought they compared to the Oracle ones.
I thought the Oracle ones were ok as long as you put the effort in, if you dont put the work in you fail, simple as that.
If I do go for it I will throw myself into it, I use SQL server day to day now so the work will help my learning and vice versa. My plan at the moment is to,
1/ Buy Relevant books
2/ Buy Self tests (used Seltestsoftware for Oracle)
3/ Practice at work
4/ Do the more esoteric, non work relevant stuff at home
5/ Take the core exams
6/decide which elective exam to do based on feedback on here !
Which Self Tests do you recommend ?
Any book recommendations (bought some Turkeys in the past)
Any learning tips, my favourite is to make acronyms with lists and to little rhymes to help me remember concepts.
My motivation for doing them is really as a motivation tool, plus it gets me away from the utter drivel my wife watches on television over the winter when its raining and dark here in Manchester (England), with a side serving of CV enhancing self interest !
Joined: 30 August 2005 Location: United States Posts: 6048
Posted: 24 August 2006 at 7:19am | IP Logged
In my opinion, the MCDBA exams were much easier than the OCP exams. Then again, I had worked with SQL Server quite a bit, and very little with Oracle. Perhaps the OCP exams would have been easier had I had more hands-on experience.
Unfortunately, I cannot give any unbiased recommendations for practice exams - I worked for two of them, and am creating my own practice exam company. That being said, I'd recommend that you stick with the trusted brands, and obviously, stay away from those that sell braindumps (which is most anything in PDF format).
Glas to hear that they may be a bit easier, the Oracle ones were ok if you knew it inside out, i.e. you couldnt wing it, not saying that you can on the MSSQL ones but at least the perception isnt that they are worse !
I think the practice tests are a good thing and they do help (especially if you are not used to the actual exam format) but I found that it was easy to learn the practice exam questions, i.e. you recognise the 200 or so questions and decide that you are ready to take the exam which isnt the case, no substitute for hands on experience and reading and making notes.
I am interested in the path that anyone took to MCDBA, i.e. which electives, what books, practice tests etc, quite will to share Oracle certification advice.
Joined: 30 August 2005 Location: United States Posts: 6048
Posted: 29 August 2006 at 8:06am | IP Logged
j4cko wrote:
Glas to hear that they may be a bit easier, the Oracle ones were ok if you knew it inside out, i.e. you couldnt wing it, not saying that you can on the MSSQL ones but at least the perception isnt that they are worse !
I think the practice tests are a good thing and they do help (especially if you are not used to the actual exam format) but I found that it was easy to learn the practice exam questions, i.e. you recognise the 200 or so questions and decide that you are ready to take the exam which isnt the case, no substitute for hands on experience and reading and making notes.
I am interested in the path that anyone took to MCDBA, i.e. which electives, what books, practice tests etc, quite will to share Oracle certification advice.
Yep... practice exams are great for finding out if you're ready... but if you're trying to learn it from scratch without experience, and only use practice exams, you're dooming yourself. After all, you won't see those same questions on the exams (assuming you used a legitimate practice exam source), and you won't find those situations in the "real world". :)
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Topic: OCP to MCDBA ?
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