Re: AS/400 RPG Certification Test -- MIDRANGE-L

Don,

  If you believe that the sysadmin test was coached by a sales type this
would only be because the surveys that came back, which is where the
basic outline for the test is based, were completed by sales types (and
this IS possible).  The 'Sales Guys' get their own tests so they don't
get to influence the technical tests. 

  As for the 'ILE' bent of the RPG test.  This may have ocurred because
during the writing of the tests attempts are made to write the tests so
that they are not immediately out of date.  Knowing that many shops are
beginning to embrace ILE would you want an RPG certification that is
'ILE Clueless'? Besides I don't know the cut-off on that particular test
but I suspect that you could fail most ILE questions and still pass the
test.

  I will continue to forward these thoughts to those in charge of the
tests.

  Larry Bolhuis
  Arbor Solutions, Inc
  lbolhui@ibm.net

Don wrote:
> 
> Charlie...
> 
> I totally agree with you.  I would go a step further.  When I saw the RPG
> and systems admin cert questions it just hit me that it had been written
> by someone that was HEAVILY "coached" by a sales type.
> 
> The questions on the systems admin cert test were missing just too many of
> the basic "how do you REALLY run a shop" questions and too full of
> questions that would (in my opinion) tend to lead one towards making that
> call to their marketing rep du jour a bit sooner to order that upgrade...
> 
> The RPG exam was heavily tilted towards ILE...and in San Antonio's time
> frame there's not alot of folks that have a REAL business reason to goto
> ILE.  Ergo, someone's wanting to force ILE...and given what we know about
> ILE, we're talking manditory system upgrades to push that puppy...  But
> let's face it...people are still using what they have, especially getting
> through this Y2K hump, and to convert to ILE as well on the fly is a bit
> much...further, there's just no business reason to goto ILE just so you
> can brag that you're running ILE...
> 
> Notice to all:  I have absolutely NO problems with the concepts of ILE.
> So, save the flames!  :)
> 
> ...back to the important stuff...FOOTBALL!  :)
> 
> Don in DC
> 
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