Oracle DBA Re-certification Requirement

and 12c DBA OCP upgrades

Derek Mott. Softsmiths Ltd October 2014.

derek.mott@softsmiths.co.uk

Disclaimer
Ive tried to be accurate in the information
herein. Some things are my own opinion.
Some information will change with time.
You are responsible for yourself for
checking from original sources before
allocating resources or decisions. Prices
are approximate and meant to give a feel
for relative costs.
In other words let the hearer take caution
I may have got it wrong!

Overview
The recertification requirement for Oracle DBAs was
announced in October 2014.
These certifications will go inactive:
9i database version certifications from November 1 st 2015
10g database version certifications from March 1 st 2016

GREAT NEWS (for most of us):

You are not affected AT ALL if you are certified on a higher
version; e.g. 11g/12c DBA OCA/OCP/OCM. Nothing at all goes
inactive.

If affected as only having 10g DBA certification or

earlier:
certifying at 12c DBA OCP (or OCA) is obvious solution
we explore this in part II of the presentation

Oracle Certifications
Lifetime
Previously Oracle Certifications were valid for
life
Though the subject of the certification might
become irrelevant with time.

New policy is ones (database) certifications

will become inactive one year after a
certification is retired. BUT ONLY IF ONE
DOES NOT HOLD A DATABASE CERTIFICATION
AT A VERSION THAT IS ACTIVE

Terminology
From Oracle Website (except on notice)

RECERTIFICATION - Recertification is the process by which a certification

holder demonstrates they have kept up with current technology by earning
a current Oracle Database Administration credential.

RETIRED - Oracle Database Administration Certification - the Oracle

Database Administration certification is no longer attainable for new
candidates. If a candidate already holds it, it will remain valid until 12
months from the certification retirement date.

CURRENT - Oracle Database Administration Certification - the certification

is available for new candidates. All candidates that hold a CURRENT Oracle
Database Administration certification are considered in ACTIVE status.

ACTIVE certification status -the certification holder holds at least one

Oracle Database OCA, OCP or OCM certification credential that is CURRENT
(non-retired).

INACTIVE certification status - all of the certification holder's Oracle

Database credentials are retired and at least 12 months have passed since
the latest credential held has retired.

Recertification Requirement
(From Oracle Website)

Certification credentials will be CURRENT or RETIRED

according to their version (e.g 9i, 10g, 11g, 12c etc.).
If you hold an Oracle Certified Database Administrator
Associate, Professional, Expert and/or Master
credential on a RETIRED version, you are required to
earn a credential on a CURRENT (non-retired) version
of Oracle Database to remain in ACTIVE status.
All candidates that hold Oracle Database credential in
ACTIVE status will have all their credentials remain in
ACTIVE status, even if the credentials are retired.
You will lose access to your certificate and logo on
CertView if your credential becomes inactive.

Comparison to Other Certification

Programs
A large number of other programs have
recertification requirements
Some are time based and some version based.

Examples include LPIC, RHEL, (MySQL before

going under Sun stewardship).
If your certifications go inactive then for Oracle
DBA you can get them back active again by
one current certification earned with one exam.
The consequence of lapsing on other programs can
set further back and you may need to start from the
beginning.

Example
Larry holds:
9i DBA OCM
10g DBA OCP
10g RAC OCE

If Larry does nothing then in March 2016 all his

certifications become inactive. He is no longer a
OCM; OCP; or OCE and neither he nor his employer
can present himself as such.
If in August 2017 Larry attains 11g DBA OCA
all his certifications become active again and he can again
present himself as an OCM and again wear the T-shirt!
Of course a 12c DBA OCA/P would be better!

Scope
In Scope
Oracle Database versioned Certifications Only
EBS APPS DBA 11i OCP

Not in Scope (at least for the moment)

Oracle PL/SQL OCP & SQL OCE etc are not in
scope
These are considered versionless ..
Not with a strong linkage to the version of the
database.

Other certifications MySQL etc etc

This is not currently in scope but could be later.

Affected Certifications
( From oracle website)

Recertification required by November 1, 2015

Oracle7.3 Database Administrator Certified Professional

Oracle8 Database Administrator Certified Professional
Oracle8 Database Operator Certified Professional
Oracle8i Database Administrator Certified Professional
Oracle8i Database Operator Certified Professional
Oracle9i Database Administrator Certified Associate
Oracle9i Database Administrator Certified Associate
Oracle9i Database Administrator Certified Professional
Oracle9i Database Administrator Certified Professional - Special Accreditation: Managing Oracle9i on Linux
Oracle E-Business Suite 11i Applications Database Administrator Certified Professional
Oracle9i Database Administrator Certified Master

Recertification required by March 1, 2016

Oracle
Oracle
Oracle
Oracle
Oracle

Database
Database
Database
Database
Database

10g
10g
10g
10g
10g

Administrator Certified Associate

Administrator Certified Professional
Managing Oracle on Linux Certified Expert
Real Application Clusters Administrator Certified Expert
Administrator Certified Master

Does it matter to me?

Some people say oracle certifications a
waste of time
Some people will not be concerned about
their certifications becoming inactive
Others will be more concerned about
becoming current or demonstrating they
are up to date
Others may find it a vehicle to steer them
to update their skills and knowledge

Impact on OPN Partners ?

This is not really my scene of
expertise. However these are my
thoughts
I dont currently know if inactive
certifications will count towards a
partners OPN status.
But this could be impacting in some
circumstances if they dont count.
Could have a bigger impact if

Its all about Oracle Grabbing

Money!
I dont think it is as simple as Oracle
thinking this will cause x number of extra
certification exams to be taken and we will
make y amount of profit.
In the end however it will be about money
though probably in a more indirect
route. e.g. if more people are
trained/certified on 12c then theres more
chance of upgrades and database options
being taken up leading to revenue sales

Reasons Behind Policy

Change:
There are a number of business reasons why we are implementing
this requirement. It was a decision that was not taken lightly at all. We
also spent a great deal of time and energy creating upgrade paths that
would allow candidates who still have not upgraded from quite old
versions a reasonable path to upgrade to a current version of
certification. We do feel that this is a positive step for our program and
that it strengthens the value of certification. Policies change as
businesses grow. That is not meant to be a flippant statement at all.
We do understand the impact that this policy change can have on
some candidates and we have tried to minimize the impact by creating
streamlined upgrade paths. We welcome your comments (positive and
negative) and we also welcome your questions and concerns. We will
do our best to keep you informed and help you through this process.
Brandye Barrington (Certification Forum Moderator) on certification forum. As a forum answer IMHO it cant be
taken as gospel .. Merely a helpful answer.

Possible Reasons
(Conjecture)
Number DBA certifications awarded too skewed to lower
releases to be healthy.
Certification devalued as Qualified OCPs not
demonstrating at expected level:
Exam cheating prevalent at lower releases
(exam security now significantly improved)

Oracle WDP program abuse at 9i/10g.

Holders not in practice with current versions

Feedback of barriers to taking 12c certification.

Recertification might incentivise the balance a little (stick).
Extended Preparation time for 12c upgrade exam
Perhaps relatively low Oracle 12c take up in some areas.
Increased cost of certification exams

My Rule of Thumb actions

(Audience: for pre 11g DBA OCPs wishing to avoid going inactive)

To avoid becoming inactive consider the following:

1. Get 11g DBA OCA (1z0-052)
Should be lowest possible (knowledge) gap and shortest
preparation from what you already know. But you will
need to take another exam when 11g retires

2. Get 12c DBA OCA (1z0-062)

Probably still quite a short preparation time and low gap.
( Also 1z0-063 to 12c DBA OCP should now be a lower
preparation time and gap than 1z0-060).

3. Get 12c DBA OCP (via 1z0-060 upgrade)

Because of the longer preparation time and bigger gap this
will probably take longer than the other 3 options, but it will
be the cheapest and introduce you to more topics

Recertification References
https://blogs.oracle.com/certification/entry/1055_0
1
(Blog introducting recertification requirement)
https://education.oracle.com/pls/web_prod-plq-d
ad/db_pages.getpage?page_id=767
(Official recertifcation page with Process, Policy
and Definition Subtabs.
https://
education.oracle.com/education/html/pages/Oracle
DatabaseRecertificationUpgradePaths.pdf
PDF of all recertification options read carefully.
https://community.oracle.com/thread/3616640
Thread on the oracle certification forum discussing
this.

Part 2 : Upgrading 12c DBA

OCP
1z0-060 : Upgrades an OCP DBA from any Previous
Version, no additional training requirement
( Previously 1z0-0[345]0 would jump 1 release, 1z0-0[345] two releases)

1z0-062 + 1z0-063 : Alternative route, no additional

training requirement
1z0-067 : Effectively For 11g DBA OCAs.
NEEDS ACCOMPANIED BY 12c AUTHORISED TRAINING.
Long exam, 220 topics, long preparation.
arguably candidate might sometimes be advised to use an
alternative (via 1z0-053 to 11g DBA OCP if they have
11g training or 1z0-062/3 if they have 12c training)

1z0-060 versus 1z0062+1z0-063

1z0-060 (Single Exam one cost one big step)
Two section exam, one new features (51 topics); one section core dba
skills revalidation (34 topics); both must be passed.
Longish topic list.
possibly some may not identify treat core dba skills to be revised with sufficient
respect. Not all preparation materials cover core DBA skills.

If preparation is thorough there should be no problem, may be

temptation of not revising core dba skills.
Great list of topics for current DBA

1z0-062+1z0-063 ( Two exam double cost two smaller steps )

Probably lower gap to existing skills meaning less preparation time for
each exam. Hopefully lower failure risk
Probably more revamping over previously learned topics; omits some
from 1z0-060 route.
Probably more preparation materials available precisely mapping to
exam.

Resources Oct/2014
- Exam Status
Oct/2014

1z0060
Curre
nt

1z0062
Curre
nt

1z0063
(In
dev)

Oracle Press
Certification Books

[12c]

Dec20
14

35

35
x00
0

Sybex Certification
Books

1z0067
(Beta
)

Cost
Appr
x

OU Courses

[12c]

OU Self Learning CD

[12c]

Oraclecertifcationprep
Guide

Y(Full) Y

Oraclecertifcationprep
Site Link Page

Oracle Gwen exam

prep Video Course

Y(Full) Y

Oracle Online
Documentation

Y(Full) Y

Free

Kaplan Exam Tests

[12c?] y

80

10
*

Free

(soon) 500

Gotcha : Core DBA Skills

1z0-060
When preparing for 1z0-060 be aware if your reference
material covers the core DBA skills or not.
Not sure of best approach here:
You could revise old notes material
(watch out for 12c changes)

You could go over 1z0-062/063 material

You could use material that covers.

Remember if this is the second section in your exam

and you run into time crunch then answering badly or
not answering 5 questions on this short section has a
bigger impact (51/34) than not answering 5 questions
on the dba new features (section order may be
random).

Resource: Online Oracle Docs

http://docs.oracle.com/database/121/index.htm
Free
Authorative.
( The Oracle Press books claims its authorative . IMHO it isnt!)
All you need to know is there.
Sometimes explains it better than study guides. If you your brain is
getting twisted and bamboozled from other material come back here.
Some would argue, possibly correctly, its the best source to learn from.
The questions and answers from the certification tests come from
information in the online resources.
You need to back it up with practice.
Beware of versions. The exam is currently at 12.1.0.1. Are you?
( And at some point it will move to be based on 12.1.0.2, and even have
topic updates (and your study guide might not!). Check back to the
certification at points

Resource: Certification
Study Books
Oracle Presss 1z0-060 book only
covers new features
Sybex books no longer come with a
CDROM, you need to register and
take practice test s online.
Notice how sybexs 1z0-063 book is
out before it is out of beta check
the topics are up to date!

http://oraclecertificationprep
.com/
Series of guides covering oracle certification exams.
Backs up guides with freely available online
reference links in one place.
These are guides study aids author would
probably claim not perfect but give an opportunity
for gap analysis.
Guide for 1z0-060 includes coverage of core dba
skills. The deltas between that and the Oracle
Press book are interesting.
Done by Matthew who writes these regularly posts
on oracle certification forum and elsewhere.

Oracle University Courses

These usually map closely with exam
topics
Exam Coverage IS NOT guaranteed
whatever:
Though it is often close gaps are almost
certain.

For 1z0-060 most relevant course is:

Oracle Database 12c: New Features for
Administrators
Available in class or LVC (online)
CD ROM also available (1/2 the price) (Does not
count as authorised certification learning

Exam Prep Seminar (Oracle UK

Gwen)
Cost 495
http://education.oracle.com/pls/we
b_prod-plq-dad/db_pages.getpage?pa
ge_id=609
About 12 hours and 43 videos.
Also available for 1z0-062 and I
understand 1z0-063 an 1z0-067 may
be planned.

Resource: Oracle Learning

Streams
https://education.oracle.com/education/htm
l/pages/OracleDatabaseRecertificationUpgra
dePaths.pdf
This is NOT orientated towards and some
argue little relevant to certification exams
on it.
Cost is $1000/year discount for teams.
Or FREE 90 days access if you attain an
oracle certification after 8th Sept 2014. ( Not
sure if a one off or one per certification
earned).

Exam Preparation Tests

(Kaplan)
Available for 1z0-060/62/67
For 1z0-060 Transcender has 110 exam questions and 150
flashcards (comment: seems low).
Kaplan trade under SelftestSoftware and Transcender
The Transcender offering will be marginally upmarket and a superset of
the SelftestSoftware offering.
BEWARE OF PHISHING WEBSITES

BEWARE OF OTHER SITES OFFERINGS. Most are braindumps and if

you use you can get banned.
Kaplan Transcender seem also offering some e-learning videos for
$299.
DO NOT USE OR OVERUSE EXAM CERTIFICATION TESTS TO LEARN,
USE THEM TO IDENTIFY KNOWLEDGE GAPS. (BY THEIR NAURE
THEY ALSO CAN PUT WRONG THINGS INTO YOUR MIND BY
EXPOSING YOU TO WRONG ANSWERS!).

Other 1z0-06x Comments

Oracle UK GWEN has a 12c Upgrade exam
webinar replay available from
https://blogs.oracle.com/certification/ent
ry/0856_28_03
1z0-067 is just ending beta (25oct2014)
I assume 1z0-063 is about to go beta
shortly an opportunity to attempt it on
the cheap (40) if that happens.
Certification website and help is at
http://certification.oracle.com

Finally
BIG GOTCHA: the training requirements associated with a
certification can be the biggest cost plan carefully especially for
OCM
When are you ready to take a certification exam:
My suggested Startpoint:
When you are 80% confident of scoring more than half way between the pass mark
and 100%.

Matthew, Brandye, myself and a few others tend to answer most

certification questions on the forum at
https://community.oracle.com/community/technology_network_comm
unity/certification
Certification website is at http://certification.oracle.com
checkout the help area as well!

Remember Oracle Certified People never expire

they simply go inactive!