Re: RPG IV Certification

Don,

The tests are accepted. I have multiple customers currently looking for employees. They ARE asking about certifications. In one case a candidate claimed 'he could pass any test available for the AS/400'. Sorry for him the tests are now for System i and he never did show up having passed any of those. His skills were as old as the AS/400.

I have been participating in the test development process with IBM since 1997. I can tell you that the process is thorough, defensible, and real world. The Starting point for all tests is 'The Candidate'. This person is defined in detail: 6' 4", brown hair, glasses..... oops wrong detail.... years on platform, years in job, tasks they can do in their sleep, tasks they need help with, tasks that are beyond them. The tasks are then rated as to criticality and frequency. This determines how many questions in each area are required to determine competence in that area.

Years ago I remember planning to take a Novel test and being told 'The answer to the question about xyz is 123. I know that is wrong but that's the answer marked correct in the test." How does that help ANYONE actually do the job? While there may be a question or two in the IBM tests with wrong answers these are virtually all due to IBM announcing new stuff turning old wrong answers into new correct answers! (We hate it when that happens.) IBM refreshes the tests periodically some more often than others but approximately every other release. Every question is reviewed by a panel of experts from three groups: 1) IBM, 2) Business Partners, and 3) Customers. Some mighty fine questions are simply tossed overboard because they fit one of the categories: 'You would ALWAYS look that up', 'Only 10 guys in the world have that combination of features', 'Based on opinion' and other reasons. We do require you KNOW stuff though. We might not ask which edit code gives you commas, decimal points, zero suppresses with a negative sign on the left because it's one of a large list and you would likely look that up but we very well might ask which one will suppress leading zeros because that one is extremely common.

One of THE BEST sources for the questions we write are real world customer situations. Those writing the tests will encounter these situations and put the solution in question form. So as Trevor mentioned the tests are significantly different than most industry tests where the test is based on some book or books. We strive very hard *NOT* to have classes created 'IBM System i V5R4 Operations' (i.e. Come to this course and we'll teach you the test). People don't want to hire someone who can pass the test they want someone who can do the job. That's why IBM tests don't have a study guide or list of books to read. The outline of the test is available on-line here: http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/certs/a4_index.shtml Click on any test to view the objectives for the test they are well described.

And if you feel you'd like to contribute to the test development process send a note to certify@xxxxxxxxxx and be sure to mention the System i certifications you'd like to help with!

- Larry

Don wrote:

To the best of my best of my knowledge, there NEVER HAVE been any study
guides, there ARE NO study and most likely never will be... ...unlike
almost every other major accepted certification in the industry...

The reasons for/against vary...but the net effect is that they don't exist.

In my opinion, this is one of the reasons they've not been accepted by the
industry...nobody knows what to study for...and this is different than
promoting the concept of "learning the exam"...

Don in DC



-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Srinivas Boggula
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 2:31 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RPG IV Certification

HI Group,


I'm planning to write RPG IV Certification Exam (Certification No : 268)

Can any one please guide me which books I have to refer or follow?


Thanks in Advance


Best Regards,

Srinivas