Certification Watch Volume 11 #6

Certification news regarding a new certification and a beta exam blowout from Oracle, the latest certifications from IBM and Cisco, and the conclusion of Microsoft's Second-Shot promotion.

Published March 18, 2008
By Anne Martinez

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Oracle Beta Exam Blowout

If you are at all interested in Oracle certification, now is the time to check out the 11 exams currently available under the beta program. Available exams include those for Oracle Database 11g, numerous exams for Oracle EBS R12, and a PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 exam. Most of these exam betas are open through June 30, 2008. Beta exams do, of course, include more questions, but you will only be scored on the ones that make it into the final version. Registration is $50. Check out your options on Oracle's beta exams list.

Oracle Adds New, Non-Role-Based Certification

In a somewhat retro departure from the currently popular format of role based certifications rather than product based certifications, Oracle has created the Oracle Certified Expert program to focus on specific Oracle products and technologies regardless of job function. The Expert designations are not part of the existing Oracle hierarchy of Associate, Professional, and Master tiers but rather stand alone as distinct specializations. Options include Oracle on Linux, Oracle 11i Workflow, and numerous choices related to PeopleSoft and Hyperion products, among others. Most of these are single exam certifications. Read more about the Oracle Expert program on Oracle's Web site.

New Specialist Certification from Cisco

Just out from Cisco, the Cisco Unified Presence Specialist is designed for professionals who deploy and maintain Cisco Unified Presence Release 6.0. There are no prerequisites for this 1 exam designation.

Recent IBM Certification Releases

In the past few weeks, IBM has released 3 new specialist certifications covering storage solutions, including High End Disk for Mainframe, High End Disk for Open Systems, and High End Tape Solutions. These are each 1 exam certifications with no prerequisites.

Last Chance for Microsoft Second Chance

The Microsoft Second Shot promotion ends May 31. This promotion gives you a free second attempt at a failed exam taken by May 31. The retake must be completed by June 30. You must sign up before taking the exam.

That's all for this edition of Certification Watch. Please keep your certification news and tips coming to news@gocertify.com.

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