Oracle8 Certified Professional DBA Certification Exam Guide [Hardcover]

Jason S. Couchman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Oracle Press | Publication Date: August 5, 1999

This comprehensive study guide contains lesson materials, chapter reviews, two-minute drills, 10-15 multiple choice questions per chapter, modeled after the OCP exam and answers with explanations for all of the five required tests'

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With almost 1,200 pages of text and a supplemental CD-ROM, Oracle8 Certified Professional DBA Certification Exam Guide is a massive preparatory tool for Oracle OCP certification. This updated version includes coverage of the Oracle8i upgrade examination as well as the material for the base Oracle8 tests.

The official Oracle study guide follows the structure of the five examinations required for certification: SQL and PL/SQL, database administration, backup and recovery, performance tuning, and network administration. A sixth section covers the new features of Oracle8i to prepare the reader for that product's upgrade examination. Regrettably, this chapter is included only on the CD-ROM.

The text is very comprehensive and the organization superb, making this lengthy title the definitive primer for budding Oracle DBAs. Several useful elements aid readers with differing study habits, including tips, notes, exercises, chapter summaries, "two minute drills," and multiple choice questions. The CD-ROM includes an interactive exam with hundreds of questions and hotlinks to material in the electronic version of the text.

Getting certified as an Oracle DBA is an ambitious undertaking that requires time, dedication, and lots of information. This guide will provide the latter and help you get certified with a solid understanding of the material. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: SQL and PL/SQL query languages, Oracle database architecture, database administration tasks, backup strategies and recovery techniques, performance optimization, Net8, intelligent agents and MTS, and new features of Oracle8i.

From the Back Cover

Get Certified with Official Exam Prep Material from Oracle Press!

The Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) designation is proof of your ability to handle the demands of today's increasingly complex system environments. Certify your skills -- and demonstrate your expertise -- by earning your OCP credential. In addition, the guide covers the Oracle8 upgrade exam for DBAs who want to extend their certification to include Oracle8. Fully endorsed by Oracle corporation and developed in conjunction with Oracle's OCP program, this book with CD-ROM is a powerful preparation tool that features more than 450 exam questions.

Featuring a logical methodology designed to reinforce your learning experience, this guide offers the following study aids:

• Tips, examples, and exercises to help you remember key concepts

• Two-minute drills -- Quick and concise checklists that summarize a chapter's main points; perfect for last minute review.

• Chapter self-tests -- Chapter-specific questions similar to those found on the exam with detailed answers to each question.

• The latest information on the new scenario-based exam questions.

• Comprehensive coverage of Oracle-designated exam objectives, including SQL and PL/SQL, advanced performance tuning, database administration, backup and recovery, Oracle8 and more.

• Interactive exam on CD allows you to hotlink directly to the relevant part of the text -- the entire book is in electronic format.

Make a smart career move and begin enjoying all the rewards of OCP certification. This officially endorsed study guide offers a complete preparation system geared to help you pass your exams with flying colors!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1187 pages
• Publisher: Osborne Publishing (August 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072120878
• ISBN-13: 978-0072120875
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.7 x 2.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,439,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't rely on this book., February 7, 2000

By 

Jack B. Nimble (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oracle8 Certified Professional DBA Certification Exam Guide (Hardcover)

I recently took and passed the first of four Oracle exams to gain Oracle DBA certification. I used as my basis for study the first five chapters of this book, for which I had paid handsomely. Based initially on some of the reviews here, I realized I was in trouble for the test, which I thought would be a cakewalk since I understood the book. I turns out that much of what is on the test simply isn't in the book; and also the explanations are often a bit murky. For example, there was a date-formatting question using a syntax you won't find in this book. The sample test from Oracle is a much better indicator of the types of questions you'll see on the test. I gave up on studying this book, and instead studied "Oracle 8, the Complete reference" by Koch & Loney. That was enough to get me over the bar. However, that book will only be good for the first test.

I gave it two stars anyway, due to the fact that it is trying to cover a lot of ground, and you will learn from this book, especially if you are new to oracle. But overall, this book in no way delivers on the promise it makes of being the "ultimate preparation kit".

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I wonder how Oracle signed off on it !, June 22, 2000

By 

Andre Whittick Nasser - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oracle8 Certified Professional DBA Certification Exam Guide (Hardcover)

I am an IT consultant and Oracle DBA with 8 years of experiencein high-end technology, working for a large international bank in Riode Janeiro, Brazil. I decided to become Oracle certified because it would certainly give me more visibility in my work. Now, I am an Oracle8 OCP DBA with an average score of 97% in the five exams of the Oracle8 DBA track.

I must admit it was very difficult at first to find out what the best way would be to prepare for the tests. It took me some time to understand that the exams are entirely based on the original Oracle course books and that the practice tests offered by Self Test Software are a superset of the real exams. Now I have a keen perception of what the whole process is all about. The real trick to get a 90+% score is to attend the Oracle classes and cram with the STS practice tests. However, this is a rather expensive way to study, since each course costs around US$ 1,000 and each practice test costs US$ 99, not to mention the exam price itself (US$ 125).

When I fist set off my study, I bought Mr. Jason Couchman's Oracle8 DBA Certification Guide by Oracle Press. Bad choice... It was completely out of synch with the real exam contents and had a lot of typos and gross conceptual errors. I do feel sorry for those people who were caught unawares buying the big red book. I wonder how Oracle signed off on it.

As a last resort, I borrowed the original course materials from an acquaintance.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars worst book I ever read!, December 6, 1999

By 

Mark (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oracle8 Certified Professional DBA Certification Exam Guide (Hardcover)

I bought the first edition, but returned to the bookstore within a week. Why? Piece of junk! One of my friend didn't take my advice and bought the second edition. I reviewed it. Can you believe it? No improvement at all! Especially there are still errors all around the book, even in the "solution" to the exercises. My suggestions: Do not even try to read this book if you are new on Oracle. It will completely confuses you and give you wrong concept about Oracle. It is ironical that Oracle itself published a book like this containing all kinds of incorrect information about its own product!