How to train yourself for Oracle

A number of the higher-level Oracle certifications mandate that candidates attend one or more training

courses as part of the certification process. The intent of this requirement is to reduce the number of

people who have never actually worked with the software from gaining a certification that indicates

they have proficiency in it. Not all training will meet this requirement and not even all Oracle Education

training will meet it. This article will only discuss the various training options from Oracle education.

They have a list of approved third-party vendors. You should contact Oracle Education before scheduling

training with a non-Oracle Education vendor to ensure that it will meet the requirement. Not all, or even

most of Oracle certifications have a hands-on stipulation. A number of candidates mistakenly assume

that a certification they want requires training. In particular, the Oracle Advanced PL/SQL Developer

Certified Professional has no hands-on requirement. Training helps in getting an Oracle job I have often

seen people asking about what training they should take so that they can attain this certification. At this

time, only the certifications listed below have a training requirement. You can find out which Oracle

Education classes meet this requirement at the Oracle Education website:

Oracle Database 9i, 10G, & 11G Administrator Certified Professional

Oracle Database 10G & 11G Administrator Certified Master

Oracle Certified Master, Java SE 6 Developer

Oracle Certified Master, Java EE 5 Enterprise Architect

Oracle Application Server 10g Administrator: Certified Professional

Oracle E-Business Suite 11i Financials and Supply Chain Certified Professional Consultant

Oracle E-Business Suite R12 Supply Chain and Financials Consultant

Oracle 11i Applications Database Administrator Certified Professional

Siebel 7.7 Certified Consultant

Siebel 7.7 Analytics Developer Professional

Siebel 7.7 Data Warehouse Developer

Siebel 7.7 Server Architect Professional

Siebel 8 Consultant Certified Expert

Oracle Certified Professional, Oracle Solaris 10 & 11 System Administrator

Oracle Certified Expert, Oracle Solaris 10 Security Administrator

When studying for an Oracle certification, the Oracle Education course materials are just about

impossible to beat in terms of their relevance to the certification topics. The course materials and tested

topics match right down the line. That said, it is also just about impossible to find a more expensive

method to prepare for Oracle certification tests than Oracle Education courses. If you can afford it or if

your employer will pay for it, the material is excellent. Oracle Education offers four distinct types of

training: classroom, live virtual class, training on demand, and self-study courses. Only courses on the

approved list from the first three types count toward the training requirement. The self-study CD-ROM

courses do not meet the hands-on requirement for certification. That aside, there are training ar types

and their pluses and minuses are:

Classroom Training

The classroom training requires you to travel to an Oracle Education center, so you will likely incur travel

and hotel expenses unless you are fortunate enough to live within commuting distance of a training

center. In the classroom environment, you will have the greatest interaction with the instructor and

with other classmates. You should not underestimate the value of being able to network with other

people in the class. The classroom training offers the greatest potential for learning of all four methods.

It is also the option that requires the greatest expense and effort and it is good when it comes to getting

an oracle job.