Re: Certification Test for AS/400 technical solution V4R4

Richard Jackson wrote:
<snip>
> We have manuals and software to remember this
> kind of stuff.  If there is someone who thinks that this information is
> useful for a system operator or programmer or even an architect, I say that
> they are wrong.  In my opinion, that makes the tests suspect.

Richard,

  During the creation of the tests VERY MUCH condsideration is given to
whether the question is a 'look up' or 'should know' type of question. 
'look up' type questions are dropped.  In other cases information is
added to the question or the answers that would otherwise require a
lookup, for example when the question requires selection of a processor
model the CPW ratings are given.  The question that was referenced long
ago about max disk for a model was not a chart memorization question
either.

  There are probably questions that some would consider 'chart
memorization type' but that is not the intention.  It would be easy to
write an unpassable test if that was all the questions on it and it
would be a pointless test as well. 

  A certain amount of information is required to be 'memorized' to pass
the tests, that is certain.  I would also argue that if every time you
needed a particular fact you had to look it up, that would slow you down
dramatically, eventually to the point of being innefective at your job. 
What we try to test for is the pieces that you DO need to know without
going over the line into the stuff you should be looking up. 
Unfortunately that line may be in different places for different people.

  - Larry


-- 
Larry Bolhuis         |  
Arbor Solutions, Inc  |  IBM AS/400e - Get There First!
(616) 451-2500        |  
(616) 451-2571 -fax   |  It's 10PM.  Has your NT Server had it's
lbolhuis@arbsol.com   |  theraputic re-boot yet today?
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