Simplified Oracle 10g DBA OCP To Require Only Two Exams
June 23rd, 2004 by Mark Rittman
Controversial bit of news from Oracle on the forthcoming
10g OCP DBA certification path.
Certcities reports that Oracle are reducing the exam requirement for the 10g
OCP DBA to just two exams, from the current four required for the 9i DBA OCP.
"6/21/2004 — This weekend Oracle unveiled its 10g track of database
certifications, featuring a significant reduction in the number of exams
required to earn the track’s credentials.With 10g, the entry-level Oracle Certified Database Associate (OCA) title will
require passing only one exam: Oracle Database 10g: Administration (#1Z1-042).
The earlier 9i version of this title required two exams.To earn the mid-level Oracle Certified Professional Database Administrator (OCP
DBA) 10g credential, candidates must first become an OCA then pass one more
exam, Oracle Database 10g: Administration II (#1Z1-043), for a total of two
exams. Those pursuing the current 9i version of this credential are required
to pass four exams.According to Oracle, a beta version of the Administration I exam will launch
in late July, with the beta for Administration II coming in September.John Hall, senior vice president of Oracle University, said in a printed
statement that the program reduced the requirements for its 10g credentials
due in part to the nature of the product it covers. "The automation and
efficiency of Oracle Database 10g, coupled with Oracle University’s training
expertise, enables our customers to be trained and certified in less time than
ever before," he explained. "By leveraging the innovative and automated
features of Oracle Database 10g, Oracle University has significantly reduced
the cost and time to train and certify.""
Existing 9i DBA OCPs can as before upgrade to 10g DBA OCP by taking the
one upgrade exam, but anyone embarking on the 9i DBA OCP may well want to consider delaying until later in the year and taking the 10g DBA OCP
instead.
I guess the question is - given that the 10g DBA OCP presumably skips a lot
of the technical content in the 9i DBA OCP, due to the automation and efficiency
within the 10g database, how well will a 10g OCP DBA be able to cope when
dealing with a 9i or 8i database where this automation isn’t present? I can see
where Oracle are coming from in looking to make it easier to qualify to be a 10g
database administrator, but there’s a danger that if you only take the 10g OCP
path, 10g will be the *only* database you can administer, when in fact many
environments are only just starting to consider migrating to 9i and 10g.
Interesting one.
June 24th, 2004 at 12:16 am
The OCA requirements for 9i included an exam that focused on knowledge of SQL. I doubt the “automation and efficiency of Oracle Database 10g” saves people from having to know SQL. Also, weren’t the 8i requirements to know PL/SQL in addition to SQL? I wonder if the 11x exam will just do away with all requirements?
July 23rd, 2004 at 10:29 pm
I’m an ocp 8i/9i … and i guess 9i is the last ocp exam i went for …
It’s not worthy to pursue a path that might end up in the ditch …
Waste of time, money and much more …
August 11th, 2004 at 1:44 pm
well, what about the people who are OCA on Oracle9i. Is it preferable to complete the OCP 9i DBA with more 2 exams or is there any other option available, like give the other 2 exams for ORACLE 10g. Comments?
August 13th, 2004 at 8:18 pm
I can’t imagine you’d be able to switch Oracle versions mid-track, so I would think the best bet would be to finish your 9i OCP. Also, given that the 10g OCP is going to be obviously easier to pass than either the 8i or 9i OCP, I’d imagine that, from now onwards, employers are going to ask what version you are certified on, with a premium going to OCP’s that qualified against 8i and 9i. 10g OCPs will only be considered for 10g-only environments, much like people who pass their driving test on an automatic car aren’t allowed to drive manual (stick-shift) cars.