Customer Reviews

OCP Oracle9i DBA Certification Boxed Set

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Overall, this is a reasonably useful set of books. The books can be used both as general reference and as study guides for the OCP exams. There are several errors, especially in volume 1, OCP Introduction to Oracle9i: SQL Exam Guide. I recommend downloading the errata for volume 1 and marking the changes before you start reading. Also, I suggest you run through all the examples and verify the answers given in the books. I found a few errors that the errata didn't catch. These books are a nice place to start for test preparation, but don't rely on them as your only test preparation guide. I found the questions on the tests to be much more difficult than the practice questions in these books.

This collection looks like a good deal with its bundled pricing, 2000+ pages and CD ROMs, but there are problems that make it not such a good deal.

Each of the books have factual and typographical errors, and the material is so poorly written that it's nearly impossible to use any of them to study for the OCP exam. Also this set is NOT for DBAs on the job. Looking up information is difficult, and trusting what you do read is a barrier since I counted hundreds of "facts" that I disagreed with in the books.

Pass this set up.

This book set is very useful for the preparation of OCP 9iDBA Certification Exam. The materials required for all four exams available in one set with less price. This book saved my preparation time by half. I have gone through first two books (1. OCP Introduction to Oracle9i: SQL Exam Guide &
2. OCP Oracle9i Database: Fundamentals I Exam Guide), I find it very useful to acheive OCA. Yet to go through other two guides.

Pros: Less Price, More than 2000 Pages with practice questions and answers. The CDROM with this set is very useful for the sample test.

Cons: Some editing erros.

...

Since I already passed the SQL test without this book I started with Fundamentals I. I studied by installing and using Oracle 9i on my home machine. After taking and failing this test, I can see why. This book is a POOOOOOOR guide. I am now looking into Oracle User Groups and other non-expensive testing options...

I passed the OCP, but I found the Oracle online documentation is way more useful than any of the books in this set, plus it's free.
Anyway, I did not read the first book, thus no comment.
The Fundamental I and Performance book are all right. As pointed by other reviews, plenty of editing errors.
The Fundamental II is a dump. The author cannot express himself in clear unstandable English. The part of the book that I can understand are copied directly from online documentation.
I would definitely NOT recommend buying the whole set.

I was too dependent on the books to pass my OCP test and I failed my first test. What I can say is that the book goes into areas not mentioned in the test and the predominant area the test focused on...actual interpretation of SQL code, the text lacked coverage in sufficient detail. Also, if you don't know what iSQL is before the test, I'd suggest you learn what it is and how/when to use it BEFORE taking the test.

Cheers,
Stephen

This Boxed Set it the best for preparate OCP ORACLE exam, and the price it very good, Boxed Set arrive to office with not problems and perfect condicions

This books has errors, many of which have not been corrected at the Osborne web site. I agree with another reviewer - get the errata before you start and check the answers if something does not look right.

Also, some of the wording in the text and examples was confusing (like the feeling of reading something with a triple negative in it). I guess it's a relatively ok kick-start for the exams but do not rely on it solely.

I am getting the Sybex set in addition to this set. I am also considering on getting 3 month access to Database Domain documentation for Oracle and some self test practice exams(Whizlabs, Database Domain, Cert21 to name a few). Check out Certification Magazine online (www.....com) for a more extensive listing of possible vendors of practice exams.

Hope this helps!

The book set contains all of the necessary subject and has many relevant examples to help in the real test. I have used the set and got my certification very fast. There are some errors but those have no effect on the general content of the book.

The 4 book set arrived 1 week earlier in great condition before all other Amazon Marketplace books ordered the same day.