ORACLE CERTIFICATION NEWS

The Consequences of Cheating

I seriously don't understand why people cheat to get certified. The payoff just isn’t really there, but the damage is.

In a July 2008 blog post I discussed how certification is a valuable process and not merely a "piece of paper." In conjunction with this E-Magazine article, we're also hosting a new mini-series on this on the Oracle Certification Blog. I'm very interested in the comments that this topic generates. We've therefore posed some questions that should have some interesting answers. Please share your stories/comments on the blog comments (but of course, please don't name names).

Also in association with this series, we've created a survey called “Cheating: How Bad Is It?” (completely anonymous) that will help us better understand cheating. The survey results will be available directly on the Oracle Certification Blog.

Cheating Hurts the Cheater

The primary goal in becoming certified is to increase one's credibility (with employer and peers) by increasing his or her knowledge and skills. When people cheat, they undermine the learning process, which leads to a decrease in their credibility (the exact opposite of their goal)! Cheating eventually catches up to them and the damage to their reputation can haunt them for years.

I'm sure that you all know someone who underperformed because they cut corners (like cheating). Cheaters don't fool people for long.

Cheating Hurts Present and Future Employers

When an employer hires someone to perform a job role they look at several critical factors such as employment history, communication skills, experience, training, certification. Some of these are easily verifiable (communication skills), while others are more ambiguous (level of experience). When someone cheats or lies about any of these (such as certification or experience) and still gets the job or promotion, they harm their employer and peers by consistently under-performing in their job. Someone else has to be assigned to pick up the slack, and then they eventually fire and replace the under-performing person.

I'm sure that many of you have seen this happen first-hand. You may have even seen someone cause damage to critical systems or put a project over budget. It just doesn't make sense to me that people would put themselves and their companies at risk like this.

Do you have experience with an under-performer who you suspect may have cheated? Who picked up the slack? What did you do? Let us know with your comments on the Oracle Certification Blog!

How To Stay Current – Oracle Certification News & Updates

Oracle University now has a wealth of resources at your disposal to help gain the most out of your Oracle Certification.

If you haven't already done so, be sure and visit the Oracle Certification Blog at http://blogs.oracle.com/certification . This new resource was just launched earlier this year to help bring you dynamic news and updates as a supplement to the Oracle Certification Web site. We look forward to hearing your comments and feedback.

Also new this year: Oracle Certification is on Twitter! Follow us in real-time at http://twitter.com/OracleCert and share ideas, opinions, concerns, success stories, tips, etc.

To share and learn directly with your peers, be sure and join the Oracle Certification Group on OracleMix as well as the Oracle Certification Forum.

And as always, Oracle Customer Service can be reached at ocpexam_ww@oracle.com .

ORACLE DATABASE CERTIFICATION

Oracle University to Launch New “Oracle Database 11g Performance Tuning” Certification December 2008

On December 17, 2008, Oracle University launches a new certification – the “Oracle Database 11g Performance Tuning Certified Expert.”

The “Oracle Database 11g Performance Tuning Certified Expert” certification endorses those database administrators, support engineers, and technical consultants who have demonstrated their knowledge and skills using Oracle Database 11g automatic tuning features, including SQL Tuning Advisor, SQL Access Advisor, Automatic Workload Repository, and Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor.

Earning the “Oracle Database 11g Performance Tuning Certified Expert” certification requires completion of exam 1Z1-054 "Oracle Database 11g Performance Tuning Certified Expert" exam as well as completion of the "Oracle Database 11g Performance Tuning" training class (Course ID D50317GC10).

Those holding an Oracle Database 11g Administrator Certified Professional (OCP) Certification are exempt from the training requirement.

Pre-Registration Begins for New “Oracle Database 11g: Performance Tuning” Exam

Pre-registration for the “Oracle Database 11g Performance Tuning Certified Expert” exam ( 1Z1-054 ) begins Wednesday, November 19, 2008. The exam will initially be in beta and will therefore be available at the special beta price of $50 (USD). For more on beta exams, visit the beta exams section of our Web site.

Reminder: Upgraded Oracle 10g DBA OCA Requirement Takes Effect December 2008

Just a reminder that beginning December 01, 2008, a new SQL exam requirement goes into effect requiring candidates for the Oracle Database 10g Administrator Certified Associate (OCA) to pass one of four SQL exams to earn the certification.

In addition to the existing exam requirement – Oracle Database 10g: Administration I (1Z0-042) – candidates will also be required to pass any one of the four following Oracle SQL exams to earn the certification:

• Introduction to Oracle: SQL® and PL/SQL™ ( 1Z0-001)
• Introduction to Oracle9i: SQL ( 1Z0-007)
• Oracle Database 11g: SQL Fundamentals I ( 1Z1-051)
• Oracle Database SQL Expert ( 1Z0-047)

More information about this new track update is available on our Web site.

Beta Testing Continues for “Oracle Database 11g: Administration II” Exam

The beta period is still open for "Oracle Database 11g: Administration II" exam 1Z0-053. Passing this exam is a requirement for those certified as Oracle Database 11g Administrator Certified Associate (OCA) to upgrade to Oracle Certified Professional (OCP).

Because the exam is in beta, it is available at the special beta price of $50 USD. For more on beta exams, visit the beta exams section of our Web site.

ORACLE MIDDLEWARE CERTIFICATION

BEA Certification to Integrate with Oracle Certification in December 2008

On December 1, 2008, the integration of BEA Certification with Oracle certification will be complete. On this date, Oracle will relaunch four BEA certifications and republish their corresponding exams under the Oracle Certification program.

The four BEA certifications receiving new Oracle Certified Expert (OCE) titles include:

• Oracle WebLogic Server 10g Developer Certified Expert
• Oracle WebLogic Portal 10g Developer Certified Expert
• Oracle WebLogic Server 10g System Administrator Certified Expert
• Oracle SOA Architect Certified Expert

Current BEA certification information is available on our Web site.

Retirements

As part of the transition to Oracle, five BEA certification exams were retired on September 30, 2008. These exams are no longer available:

• 0B0-101 BEA Certified Developer: Build Solutions for BEA WebLogic 8.1
• 0B0-102 BEA Certified Developer: Portal Solutions for BEA WebLogic 8.1
• 0B0-103 BEA Certified Developer: Integration Solutions for BEA WebLogic 8.1/8.5
• 0B0-104 BEA Certified Administrator: System Administration for BEA WebLogic 8.1
• 0B0-105 BEA Certified Architect: Enterprise Architecture for BEA WebLogic 8.1

Note that the retirement of these exams does not affect the status of existing BEA certifications. Those certifications remain valid without expiration and are fully recognized by Oracle.

New Process To Update Profile

On November 8, the I7 Learning Profile for BEA certified candidates was retired and is no longer available. Candidates can now view their exam history and update demographic information on their Prometric profiles at http://www.prometric.com .

BEA Certification Exam Registration Change

You are no longer required to purchase examination vouchers from Education Services for BEA certifications. If you have already purchased an exam voucher (which has not yet expired) from BEA Education, you can still use this code when registering for your exam at Prometric until November 30, 2008.

BEA Exam Vouchers

Also effective December 1, 2008, any unexpired BEA exam voucher that has not been redeemed will no longer be valid. Oracle will replace these unexpired/unredeemed vouchers with new vouchers that are valid for Oracle certification exams. All vouchers that have not been redeemed and have not expired (by November 30, 2008) will be replaced by January 30, 2009.

More information about the BEA certification transition can be found on the Oracle Certification Blog and the Oracle Certification Web site. Specifics on BEA exam vouchers, BEA candidate profiles, and similar transitional topics can be found on our Web site.

Beta Testing Continues for “Oracle Database 11g: Advanced PL/SQL” Exam

For those pursuing the new Oracle Advanced PL/SQL Developer Certified Professional (OCP) certification, exam 1Z1-146 “Oracle Database 11g: Advanced PL/SQL” continues to be available for beta testing at a significant discount.

Beta testing is offered for a limited time only, and is currently scheduled to end January 31, 2009.

ORACLE E-BUSINESS SUITE CERTIFICATION

Stepping Up To R12: Upgrading Your EBS Certification From 11i

If you are certified on Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) 11i Financials or Supply Chain, then your path to R12 might be more straightforward than you thought. You need to pass only one exam in order to upgrade your certification, and completion of a hands-on course is not required.

Upgrading from Oracle E-Business Suite 11i Financials OCP, Payables or Receivables:

• to Oracle R12 EBS Payables Consultant Certified Expert– pass exam 1Z0-215 "Oracle EBS R12: General Ledger and Payables Fundamentals"
• to Oracle R12 EBS Receivables Consultant Certified Expert– pass exam 1Z0-216 "Oracle EBS R12: General Ledger and Receivables Fundamentals"
• to Oracle EBS R12 Advanced Supply Chain Planning Consultant Certified Expert – pass exam 1Z0-244 "Oracle EBS R12: Advanced Supply Chain Planning"

Upgrading from Oracle E-Business Suite 11i Supply Chain OCP, Purchasing or Inventory Management

• to Oracle EBS R12 Purchasing Consultant Certified Expert – pass exam 1Z0-225 "Oracle EBS R12: Inventory and Purchasing Fundamentals"
• to Oracle EBS R12 Order Management Consultant Certified Expert – pass exam 1Z0-226 "Oracle EBS R12: Inventory and Order Management Fundamentals"
• to Oracle EBS R12 Advanced Supply Chain Planning Consultant Certified Expert – pass exam 1Z0-244 "Oracle EBS R12: Advanced Supply Chain Planning"

Upgrading from Oracle E-Business Suite 11i Applications DBA

• to Oracle EBS R12 Applications DBA - pass exam 1Z0-238 Oracle EBS R12: Install, Patch and Maintain Applications

We've tried to streamline the path for those who are already certified – one exam and no additional hands-on course. I encourage you to take advantage of this streamlined path and become one of the first to be EBS R12 certified.

Beta Period Closes for “Oracle EBS R12: Install, Patch, and Maintain Applications” Exam

The beta period for exam 1Z1-238 closed on October 31. The exam is currently being prepared for final production, which is expected to be released in January 2009. This is the only single exam required for those certified as Oracle 10g or 11g Database Administrator OCPs to become Oracle EBS R12 Applications Database Administrator Certified Professional .

Beta Testing Continues for Six EBS Certification Exams

E-Business Suite consultants have a great opportunity right now to take multiple EBS R12 certification exams at a significant discount. Oracle has the following six exams available in beta through January 31, 2009:

• "Oracle E-Business Suite R12: System Administration" ( 1Z1-206 )
• "Oracle E-Business Suite R12: General Ledger and Payables Fundamentals" ( 1Z1-215 )
• "Oracle E-Business Suite R12: General Ledger and Receivables Fundamentals" ( 1Z1-216 )
• "Oracle E-Business Suite R12: Inventory and Purchasing Fundamentals" ( 1Z1-225 )
• "Oracle E-Business Suite R12: Inventory and Order Management Fundamentals" ( 1Z1-226 )
• "Oracle E-Business Suite R12: Advanced Supply Chain Management" ( 1Z1-244 )

Remember that beta exams provide the advantage of lower cost ($50 USD) and also are a great avenue for you to directly provide feedback and help shape the final version of the exam. Passing the beta exam is of course awarded full credit as passing the final exam.

So don't delay – these exams are nearing the end of their beta period. Register at www.prometric.com/oracle .

PEOPLESOFT CERTIFICATION

New Date! Beta Extended For “PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 General Ledger” Exam

Good news - the beta period for exam 1Z1-228 "PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 General Ledger" has just been extended! The exam is now scheduled to remain available for beta testing until December 1, 2008. So don't delay - register and take the exam now at a significant discount ($50 USD). This is the only exam required to become PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 Financial Management, General Ledger Consultant Certified Expert certified.

PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 Human Capital Management: Beta Period Continues for “PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 HRMS Fundamentals” Exam

The beta period is still open for exam 1Z1-218: "PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 HRMS Fundamentals" . This exam is the only exam required to earn the new PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 Human Capital Management, Human Resources Consultant Certified Expert certification, and is currently available at a significant discount (only $50 USD).

This beta period is scheduled for a limited time only (through January 31, 2009), so candidates are urged to register and take the exam as soon as practicable. For more on beta exams, visit the beta exams section of our Web site.