With about 250,000 professionals with Oracle certification, it is clear that this certificate is worth to get. Certifications have become an integral part of the business world today. In fact, you cannot expect to be considered for many job positions without them. This means that earning a credential is a great way to boost your chance of getting your dream job. Oracle certification opens you up to numerous career opportunities.
Oracle credential program has six different certification areas covering levels from Basic to Master. Some of Oracle certification pathways are detailed below:
Oracle Certified Associate – OCA: This is an entry-level certification. It is designed for professionals who passed two out of the four OCP exams. To earn this certification, it is recommended to go through the training classes and learn the fundamentals of the course content.
Oracle Certified Professional – OCP: To earn this certification, you will be required to pass four different exams. It is important to mention that these tests are very challenging and require serious preparation. You must be able to demonstrate a high level of expertise in the different technical aspects of Oracle database administration. There are training classes that you can attend to prepare for the exams.
Oracle Certified Master – OCM: This is a high-level certification offered by Oracle. To earn this credential, you must have Oracle Practice Test Professional certification and also be ready to go through a very challenging practicum on-site.
The list of the most popular Oracle exams includes:
1Z0-067: Upgrade Oracle9i/10g/11g OCA to Oracle Database 12c OCP
This exam is associated with Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Professional (upgrade) certification. It tests the skills related to Oracle Data Protection Solutions, Oracle Secure Backup, Flashback Database, and many more.
1Z0-063: Oracle Database 12c: Advanced Administration
This test is linked with Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Professional credential. It assesses the knowledge related to Backup Strategies Implementation, usage of RMAN-Encrypted Backups, Failure Diagnostic, and more.
1Z0-808: Java SE 8 Programmer I
This exam leads to Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 8 Programmer certification. It tests the skills related to Basics of Java, Arrays, Encapsulation, Loop Constructs, and more.
1Z0-061: Oracle Database 12c: SQL Fundamentals
This test is linked to a number of different administration and development certifications. It examines the skills related to Sorting and Restricting Data, Subqueries, Data Definition Language, Tables management, and more.
1Z0-051: RETIRED Oracle Database 11g: SQL Fundamentals I
This exam is no longer held, however, it was very popular at the time. The topics of this test included Data Sorting, Conditional Expressions, Multiple Tables, Single-Row Functions, Output Customizing and many more.
Oracle exams require intense preparation and dedication. It is not the kind of tests you wake up one morning and just decide to register and write. You need to prepare for it and make sure that you have enough time to go through the available resources. Here are some tips to help you with your preparation.
Note, that Oracle provides many non-proctored certification exams online that make it very easy to write and earn the certification. In addition to the non-proctored online test, you will be required to write a proctored one.
To prepare for these tests, go through the tips enumerated below and get ready to clear your exam at one attempt.
1. Study the Exam Objectives and Topics
The first step is to go through the exam objectives and topics. You need to know the details of the test such as the number of questions and the duration of your test. Study the different topics you are required to know in the course of preparing for the exam. With the information you gather from all these materials, you can decide to plan how many time you spend on each question during the test. But it’s important to mention that each of the questions carries the same value, so you don’t have to spend more time to answer some questions than others. Since all the questions carry equal marks, you can find out the number of questions you need to attempt to be able to pass the test. Write down all the highlights of the exam, including all the information you have gathered while reading the test details and topics. Take this note as a basis and develop a checklist of what you need to accomplish before you write your test. This checklist should include the exam topics, how you plan to tackle each of them, and how you plan to study for the test.
2. Gather Relevant Resource Materials
There are numerous resources that are available for your exam preparation. You only need to find the relevant ones. You can begin your search from a browser and look for materials that are in line with your certification test. You can download the official PDF exam manuals to make your search for resources easier. You can also download the HTML version of the manuals. You can access the manual through ePub or mobi formats on your mobile device or on your computer. There is also a 2-Day document that has been created by Oracle for each test. Look for this resource and go through it. It is a practical guide to help you in your preparation process.
3. Take Notes of Your Study
Having gathered relevant materials for your exam preparation, you need to make conscious efforts to take note from the resources. It is usually difficult to go over materials from the beginning to the end again after you might have gone through it the first time. As a matter of fact, it is not even practicable except you don’t have many resources to study during your preparation. By taking relevant notes as you go through the resource materials, you are creating your own reading note that you can refer any time before you write the exam. Another important reason why you should take note is that it will help you to memorize details of what you read.
4. Take Practice Questions
Taking practice questions is a great way to evaluate your knowledge level about a specific topic of discourse. As you study each topic of the course content, answer related practice questions so you could know how well you understand what you have learned.
If you come across the question that you cannot answer correctly, mark it and go through the topic again at the end of your attempt. Ensure you are able to answer all the questions in the practice test correctly before you move to the next topic. At the end of your study, go over the questions again so that you can know where you are standing in terms of preparation. It is important that you aim at high scores while taking practice questions so that you can score the same points during your real exam.
Conclusion
Revision is very important to your preparation. After you cover your study plan, create some time to go over the notes you have made to refresh your memory and boost your knowledge on the topics again.