Oracle Corporation is a true giant of IT industry. The company is primarily known for its database management systems, cloud engineered systems, database software and enterprise software products. Apart from that, Oracle also launched the certification program which is intended to validate the candidate’s knowledge and skills necessary to work with Oracle technologies and products.
Oracle Certification
Oracle certification program is wide as it covers a few different domains related to the Oracle products, software and hardware: Oracle Cloud, Database, Applications, Java, BI, Middleware and more. The competency levels of Oracle credentials are Associate, Professional, Master, Expert and Specialist. All certification exams belong to particular product groups.
If you want to learn more about Oracle certification, visit Oracle website.
In this article, we will talk about the certification paths dedicated to Oracle Database 12с. We will also consider one of these certifications in details to give you a clear idea of the certification process.
Database 12сCertification
The certification associated with Database 12сincludes the associate, professional and master levels of knowledge. Below you will find a brief description of the steps you need to take to get Oracle Database 12сcertification.
Associate Level
The first stage of Oracle Database 12с credential path is to get an associate-level Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Associate certification. This credential is designed to assess the fundamental candidate’s skills related to database maintenance and everyday operational management. These are the skills that database administrators need to develop and deploy backup, Cloud computing strategies and recovery.
To get this certification, the candidate should pass certain exams. The process is divided into two stages and step 1 is to pass one of the three exams: 1Z0-071, 1Z0-061 or 1Z0-051.
Oracle 1Z0-071Exam
Exam 1Z0-071: Oracle Database 12c SQL focuses on the following topics: Transaction Control Language, Data Manipulation Language, basic SELECT statements, DDL statements and data manipulation (more information about this exam see below).
Oracle 1Z0-061Exam
Exam 1Z0-061: Oracle Database 12c: SQL Fundamentals assesses the candidate’s knowledge necessary to sort and restrict data, use conditional expressions and conversion functions, manage tables, solve queries and more.
Oracle 1Z0-051 Exam
1Z0-051: Oracle Database 11g: SQL Fundamentals I(Retired)
This test is retired, however, it was quite popular in the past. The topics include single-row functions, multiple tables, conditional expressions, data sorting and many more. The alternative for this retired exam is 1Z0-071.
Read more about Oracle 1z0-051 exam at Oracle website.
Step 2 for Associate Database Administrator credential is to pass exam 1Z0-062.
Oracle 1Z0-062 Exam
1z0-062: Oracle Database 12c Administration Exam focuses on Oracle Database architecture. The objectives include the administration of user security, data concurrency management, the configuration of recovery and backup and many more.
Professional Level
To move further on the Database 12c credential path, you can attain Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Professional Certification. Note that this credential cannot be obtained without prior Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Associate certification. After getting your associate-level certification, you should then complete one of the courses offered by Oracle and pass an obligatory 1z0-063exam.
Oracle 1ZO-063 Exam
1z0-063: Oracle Database 12c: Advanced Administration Exam concentrates on the implementation of backup strategies, failure diagnostic, the use of RMAN-Encrypted Backups and more.
Learn more about Oracle 1z0-063 exam at Oracle website.
After the successful passing, you need to complete the course submission form to finish the stage.
Upgrade Option
If you already have Oracle Database Administrator Certified Associate Oracle9i, Oracle Database 11g or 10g and passed one of Oracle Database12c courses, you can upgrade your knowledge to Oracle Database 12c OCP certification.
Oracle 1zO-067 Exam
1z0-067: Upgrade Oracle9i/10g/11g OCA to Oracle Database 12c OCP exam tests the skills related to Flashback Database, Oracle Secure Backup,Oracle data protection solutions and many more.
To find more details about Oracle 1z0-067 exam, go to Oracle website.
Master Level
Upon completion of Associate and Professional levels, you can then attain Master-level certification –Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Master. To do that, you should first complete two of the offered Oracle courses and submit them. Then, you should pass Oracle Database 12c Certified Master Exam 12cOCM exam, complete the submission form and submit Fulfillment Kit Request.
Now, when we disclosed the main stages of this certification path, let’s dive into the details with the first exam we mentioned in this article – Oracle 1z0-071.
Exam 1z0-071: Details
Oracle 1z0-071 is an exam that tests the candidate’s basic knowledge of Oracle SQL Database functions, memory database operations, MySQL and relational database systems. The questions of this exam cover all the concepts that you need to know when handling or undertaking any task concerning Oracle Database. The test includes the following concepts:
- Oracle SQL
- Single-row functions
- Data classification and restriction
- Conditional expressions and conversion functions
- Data display and presentation from several tables
- Group functions application in aggregated data reporting
- Solving queries by applying sub-queries
- Management of schema objects
- Access modification skills
- Utilizing DDL to create and manage tables
- Set operators techniques
To earn Oracle certification, you must have a deep understanding of the themes listed above. In other words, there is no way you can passOracle 1z0-071 exam without an in-depth understanding of all these topics. After passing the exam, you can be able to use the knowledge you have gained in handling Oracle systems.
Top Tips
Just like any other Oracle certification exam, Oracle 1z0-071 is not easy to pass. It requires thorough and systematic preparation for one to be able to get the required pass mark. The following tips will help you prepare for the exam. Check them out!
- Develop a study plan and stick to it
Before you start studying for any Oracle certification exam, you should first come up with a good study plan. This plan will help you to decide what topics to cover at what time and when to start and complete your study. Don’t forget to include all the objectives of the test in your study plan. Your study schedule should be designed in a way that will allow you to complete the syllabus several days before the exam date. This will enable you to leave some time for revision. Knowing that you have completed the preparation will also give you the confidence to face the real test.
No matter how good your study plan is, it will be of little or no help if you don’t stick to it. Preparation for this exam requires dedication and determination. Follow your plan strictly and you will realize its full benefits. If it’s a rest day, you should never try to either revise or continue learning anything related to this test. Taking breaks is also very important. At the same time, you should not postpone study dates.
- Find quality preparation materials
There are many Oracle preparation materials available on various platforms. Unfortunately, not all of them can help you ace this exam. Be sure to get the best quality preparation materials from the most reputable sources and authors. Whether it’s a guide or practice test, make sure the materials are current and include what the real test contains.
- Know the exam format
Familiarizing with the exam format is one of the most critical steps you must take in your preparation. This will help you to know what the questions will look like in a real test. It also will help you to know how the questions are supposed to be answered and how the marks are awarded. This will make you feel more comfortable and confident when taking the real exam. Let’s take a look at the test details.
1z0-071 exam consists of a total of 73 questions. All the questions are in multiple-choice format. The candidate has 100 minutes to attempt all the questions. The passing score is 63% and you will not get certified if you score below this mark.
- Make revision a habit
Many students continue learning until they complete the syllabus without revising the material they have already covered. This is an incorrect method of learning. It is advisable that you include the time for revision in your study plan. This will ensure that you don’t forget anything. It also can help you to identify what areas and topics you are not well conversant with.
- Practice with test questions
Get as many revision questions as you can: test yourself and see how the answers are framed. The more you practice, the more you get used to the questions. Taking practice questions will help you to relax and feel comfortable when you finally take your test.
- Take practice tests
You should never attempt any Oracle exam before taking a practice test. Otherwise, you might make some minor mistakes that you can easily avoid when you practice with practice tests. When you take practice tests, you get to know how to manage your time properly and this can help you a great deal when taking the real exam. Since the practice tests are set in the same way the real Oracle 1z0-071 is set, you will get to know the format of this test. For instance, you will know how the questions are likely to be framed, how the marks are awarded and how you are supposed to answer the particular questions. When you take a practice test, you will be able to identify your weak areas. This way, you can find more preparation materials and work to improve them.
Taking the practice tests is also a great way of assessing yourself. It will show you how ready you are for the real test. In most cases, the marks that the candidates get in the real exams are usually slightly higher than the marks they get in their last practice tests.
Conclusion
Most companies and employers are highly interested in the IT professionals who have Oracle certification. All credentials from Oracle are globally acknowledged and usually considered as part of the IT industry standards. So, it is highly recommended that all the candidates who intend to be the specialists in the IT database administration and development industry should involve themselves in these certifications in order to acquire more skills and knowledge.