Six Hot Oracle Certifications for 2021

Oracle may not receive the media spotlight that's shone on its hotter IT corporate cousins, but don't be fooled — Oracle is one of the world's largest software companies, and maintains a consistent presence in the enterprise. The company has survived more than four decades of industry ups and downs, led by its mercurial cofounder Larry Ellison, who continues to act as Executive Chairman and CTO.

Oracle operates its own training and certification program anchored by its impressive online education site, Oracle University. The OU site contains a wealth of resources, including a new feature launched in 2020 called Oracle Learning Explorer which offers free entry-level training for IT starters.

The company reports having 2.2 million Oracle Certified Professionals (OCPs) around the world, which is quite an achievement for a vendor-based certification program.

Looking at the biggest IT industry trends from recent months (i.e., cloud, SaaS, cloud, information security, and even more cloud) there are a number of Oracle certifications that stand out as being potentially impactful in 2021. Let's take a look at a half-dozen Oracle credentials that remain highly-relevant to the current IT employment market.

Note: Some of the certifications covered in this article are scheduled to have new exams released this year. Be sure to check which exam options are available before booking your Oracle Certified Professional exam.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Foundations 2020 Certified Associate

Don't just take our word for it: Oracle University's senior program manager called out this certification as the company's top credential for 2020. The OCI Foundations 2020 Certified Associate credential is the ideal starting point for anyone looking to sell and/or support Oracle's cloud solutions.

If you are looking for an entry-level certification leading into the world of Oracle's cloud-related products and services, the OCI Foundations 2020 Certified Associate is an excellent choice. This certification is earned by passing a single multiple-choice exam. The current exam has 55 questions, an 85-minute time limit, and a passing score of 68 percent.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure 2020 Certified Architect Professional

The OCI 2020 Certified Architect Professional certification is an advanced credential for IT professionals who have already earned one of the following certifications:

? Oracle Cloud Infrastructure 2020 Architect Associate
? Oracle Cloud Infrastructure 2019 Architect Associate (Retired)
? Oracle Cloud Infrastructure 2018 Certified Architect Associate (Retired)

As its name suggests, this certification goes beyond mere support of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure solutions. Design, implementation, and migration activities are all part of the knowledge base for this track. This certification exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions for which candidates have two hours to complete. The passing score for this exam is 70 percent.

Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate

The Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate certification is for candidates who achieve working fluency with Structured Query Language and learn how it's used within the Oracle Database platform. Exam topics include relational database concepts, restricting and sorting data, and building/using SQL commands.

There is a single exam for this certification, made up of 78 multiple-choice questions with a two-hour time limit. The passing score is 63 percent.

Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Database Security Expert

Another advanced Oracle certification, the OCP Oracle Database Security Expert credential is available to IT professionals who have earned one of these prerequisite certifications:

Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Professional Database 12cR2 Administration Certified Professional Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional

This is an extensive program that covers every aspect of implementing and managing security systems with the Oracle Database platform. It has a challenging exam consisting of 90 questions with a 2.5 hour time limit. Oracle recommends a blend of official training and hands-on experience for candidates looking to earn this certification.

Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 11 Developer

There are programming languages, and then there is Java — one of the most widely-used software engineering languages in the world. The OCP Java SE 11 Developer certification is for coders looking to validate their skills with Java Platform, Standard Edition.

The exam objectives for this credential run the gamut of Java-based knowledge. The exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions; candidates have 90 minutes in which to complete the exam. The passing score for this exam is 68 percent.

Oracle Solaris 11 Associate-Professional-Specialist

This last entry is actually a trio of certifications that may at first glance appear to be for an operating system with a nominal userbase. While it's true that Oracle Solaris is not a widely-known operating system, the fact is there are many more Solaris installations out there than people realize.

Solaris, a Unix-based OS, can be found in organizations dependent on high-security, mission critical systems. Think government agencies, financial institutions, and law firms as potential places with a need for IT pros trained on Oracle Solaris.

Oracle offers three levels of Solaris-based certification:

? Oracle Certified Associate, Solaris 11 System Administrator
? Oracle Certified Professional, Solaris 11 System Administrator
? Oracle Certified Implementation Specialist, Solaris 11 Installation and Configuration

The first two certifications are the intermediate and advanced Solaris administration credentials respectively. Here is Oracle's description of the differences between the two certifications:

"The OCA (Associate) certification covers essential system administration skills such as managing local disk devices, managing file systems, installing and removing Solaris packages and patches, performing system boot procedures and system processes. The OCP (Professional) certification covers system administration skills such as configuring network interfaces, managing swap configurations, crash dumps, and core files."

The Specialist certification is aimed at vendors who are members of the Oracle Partner Network that sell and implement Oracle Solaris solutions. The exam objectives for this credential include knowledge of Solaris's features and benefits on top of the relevant installation and configuration skills.

Consult the Oracle

It's not a company that's in the headlines very often, but don't let Oracle fly under your radar if you're looking for an IT training and certification program. Between its cloud, database, developer, and OS offerings, there are plenty of opportunities for IT professionals (or new career starters) to leverage their Oracle skills in the jobs market.