Book Description
Four for the price of one! Oracle Database 10g OCP Certification All-in-One Exam Guide is the only book that offers thorough exam prep and a great on-the-job reference for both the latest OCA and OCP exams.

Also includes the Boson's Oracle self-assessment engine to get experience taking the test in the environment it will be given ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Decent guide, but don't expect it to do all the work...
I recently took the Oracle 10g Administration Workshop class and purchased this book in preparation for the OCA exam.While the book itself did a great job of covering some of the basic, under-the-hood topics you need to know (not just for the test, but to be a decent DBA), it fell short in a few areas.

1.The screen shots and examples in the book aren't consistent with the latest versions of Oracle Enterprise Manager/Database Control.The version I downloaded and installed for Windows just a few weeks ago was occasionally different than the images I saw in the examples.Sometimes, the differences were minor (just a slight variation on the name of a link, for instance), but other times they were a little more severe (columns that don't appear in the version I downloaded, or functionality that seems to have been moved).

2.The last chapter in Part 1 of the book covers a topic that's an objective for the OCP test, not the OCA one (at least according to the Oracle site as of this morning).Not a big deal and it's good info to know, but if you're studying specifically for the exam you might not want to spend time on info that isn't directly relevant.

3.I could live with 1 and 2 above, but this is by far the worst part... The companion CD includes practice tests for the OCA and OCP exams, one of the main reasons I bought this book.Before I cracked open the book, I took the test labeled "OCA" to get a sort of baseline read on my current preparedness.Having taken the instructor-lead course Oracle recommends for preparation, I thought I should do reasonably well.

I scored a 23%.To make matters worse, the questions themselves were baffling, at times covering subjects I hadn't even heard of.I was completely disheartened.Did I sleep through my $3000 class, or was I just that dumb (please don't answer that)?

A couple of days later, I figured it out:the software was bunk.The tests were mislabeled (that is, the one labeled "OCA" was actually the practice test for the more advanced "OCP" certification exam and vice versa).

Furthermore, many of the questions themselves have typos.I found a few, for instance, that don't actually state the question, going right from the background info to the possible answers.You'd get a "question" that looked like this:

Jill has four bananas.Mike has three apples.

A)Monkey.
B)Six.
C)Spaghetti.
D)None of the above.

Or, in at least one case, a question that told you what the actual answer was before giving you the choices:

What's 4+2?

B is the correct answer. 4+2 equals 6.

A) 3
B) 6
C) 18
D) Pi

One last beef with the included practice tests...After completing the test, you're given the option of reading a review of the questions you missed.Great feature that all practice test software should give you.While reviewing your misses, though, there's an utterly useless "References" portion that always just refers you back to the text.Doesn't tell you which page to look at for more info, or even which chapter.Just ever-so-helpfully tells you that there's more info on that question SOMEWHERE in the book.Thanks for nothing.


Clearly, more of my problems were with the companion CD than with the book itself.If I reviewed only the text on its own merits, I'd probably give it 4 stars instead of just three.Likewise, the CD would only get 2 on its own.

Again, though, it's imperative that you don't rely solely on this text for the exam (or for learning the software itself, for that matter).Download it and install it, get familiar with EM as it is now.Look on the Oracle site to find out whether or not the exam topics have changed.And, if you can afford it (or sweet talk your employer into it), take an instructor-lead class.It's a requirement for the OCP cert, anyway.

Oh, and in case you wanted to know...I took the test yesterday and did, indeed, pass.

Good coaching.
I passed OCA exam thanks to this book and with a little help of SelfTest software.
Very good writing. Authors definitely know the subject practically.
It is a good reading on Oracle RDBMS internals. And more entertaining thanthe Oracle Concepts Guide.
Again - their writing style is excellent, they do not over-complicate things and manage to explain complicated subjects simply and clearly.
I wish they wrote something on efficient oracle design :).

Good OCP guide
This book is very good not just for clearing OCP but also reference fornovice as well as experienced DBAs . The authors have covered the exam syllabus very concisely without leaving anything yet keeping the volume to a minimum .
However for the part 2 exam , one might have to read oracle manuals thoroughly especiallyfor resource management and scheduler concepts .
The pratice test CD that comes with the book is very helpful.

A great book for certification
As i saw, before buying this book, it's an excellent and complete reading for those interested in acomplish the certification. Don't forget to do all of the exercises!

Good reading

Easy to follow, a lot of examples and self-tests
It is an excellent opportunity to get ready for the exam. Even if you are not familiar with the RDBMS concepts, this book will help you to get ready for your OCP. A lot of examples and exercises in a book easy to read is complemented with a set of self-test exams in the CD ROM making this the complete tool to get your OCP. ... Read more

Book Description
Here's the comprehensive and affordable self-study solution you need to prepare for the Oracle Database 10g Administration I and Administration II exams.

These Study Guides were developed to meet the exacting requirements of today's Oracle certification candidates. In addition to the consistent and accessible instructional approach that has earned Sybex the reputation as the preferred publisher for IT certification exam candidates worldwide, each book provides:
* Clear and concise information on database administration with Oracle 10g
* Practical examples and insights drawn from the authors' real-world experiences
* Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards
You'll also find authoritative coverage of key exam topics:
Oracle Database 10g Administration I exam, 1Z0-042
* Installing Oracle Database 10g Software
* Creating and Controlling Oracle Databases
* Administering Users
* Managing Schema Objects and Data
* Implementing Oracle Security Features
* Monitoring Performance
* Performing Database Backup and Recovery
Oracle Database 10g Administration II exam, 1Z0-043
* Configuring Recovery Manager
* Understanding the Flashback Database
* Recovering from User Errors
* Working with Globalization Support
* Using the Scheduler to Automate Tasks
* Monitoring and Managing Storage
* Securing the Oracle Listener ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Excellently Package
OCP:Oracle 10g Certification kit (IZO-042 and IZO -043) has been a very useful material for me. I appreciate Amazon for quick delivery of the material. I have been making several books purchases for the past one year. I have bought 5 differents IT related materials from Amazon. I develop absolute confident in them and wish to recommend them to any aspiring client.

Seyi Ogunlaru
Lagos, Nigeria

very good, i recommend it
i consider it a good idea for studing to OCA exam test. Even if you have not experience with Oracle databae, it is recommended for beginers.

i recommend to read it more than one time, because there are so much details to know at the exam... practice a lot

the book cover all the topics presented by the Exam

almost complete for oca+ocp
i have got my oca last year and my ocp just last month, utilizing these two books and the ocp 10g all-in-one exam guide from john & damir. these two books have a quite complete coverage of the materials in oca and ocp 10g exams, which means it sometimes covers more than needed to pass the exam. in one way it is good for our knowledge, but it sometimes could be frustating because of the long chapters (need two books to pass ocp instead of one book with john/damir book). i would suggest however to still get the john/damir book in addition to this one to pass the oca/ocp exam (like i did), for the sake of completeness and chapter organizations. these two books have rather unique chapter structures (not aligned with oracle admin I and admin II training materials), for instance there are three chapters in the admin II training that combined into one chapter of the second book. overall it is still a good reference not just for 10g oca/ocp exam, but also for your oracle 10g knowledge in general.

10g certification
Well written, clear and easy to read.
Sample tests are accurate and helpful in preparing for the real thing.

Great Stuff
The kit is really great and very helpful for those who is aspiring for Oracle 10g certification.I recommend one should have this.
Thanks
Bhaskar Mylavarapu
Senior DBA - Oracle 10g. ... Read more

Book Description
Here's the book you need to prepare for the Oracle Database 10g Administration II exam, 1Z0-043. This Study Guide was developed to meet the exacting requirements of today's Oracle certification candidates. In addition to the consistent and accessible instructional approach that has earned Sybex the "Best Study Guide" selection in CertCities Readers' Choice Awards for two consecutive years, this book provides:

• Clear and concise information on advanced database administration with Oracle 10g
• Practical examples and insights drawn from the authors' real-world experiences
• Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards

Look to Sybex for the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today's competitive IT marketplace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Real OCP Test is 90% unrelated to this book
I studied this book from cover to cover with my eyes close (3 months 2-3 hours a day). I just failed the exam and I scored 60% out of 70% passing. Although the book covers all the materials you have to know, it does not cover in detail on each section to pass. The test questions are totally unrelated to the practice exam of this book. Almost all the questions are scenario questions. I suggest that you need additional references beside this book.

Furthermore, this book is hard to understand. I have re-read so many times. The wording is poor. There are about 20% mistakes on the practice exam questions of this book. The reason I did not add additional references is that if you study the book from cover to cover, there is no doubt you passthe exam---I WAS WRONG.

WARNING: The OCP exam had 2-4 long sentences each question with a multiple choice from A-F (2-3 answers). That's how it makes it hard. You have to think very very very deep and NOT ENOUGH TIME.

better than admin I (OCA) book
i have passed my ocp 10g exam last month, thanks to this book and bersinic & watson book (ocp all in one exam guide). i have to say overall this book is better than the admin I book also by sybex. the thing i like about this book is it covers more than the exam needs, e.g. how to create the rman recovery catalog, which is not found in other ocp preparation materials (including oracle's student guide for admin II training). i also find the flashcards helpful (also available in sybex oca), and the two bonus exams. but just be very careful when assessing the answers to all the questions, there is a few misleading answers i found, although it is very rare. the best way to find the right answer is to test the question on a practice database, or find the exact answer from Oracle's documentation. i would still say it is a good and pretty complete reference for your OCP 10g exam.

Not enough to pass the test
This book is jam-packed with info that the Oracle 10g DBA will need to know...unfortunately, its not enough to pass the exam. The book isn't necessarily at fault - the exam is full of so many trick questions and obscure references that cooincidentally are all spelled out in Oracle's training material (which you'll need to shell out three thousand dollars to attend the class and get the books).
In order to get OCP certified, you have to attend an Oracle class anyway, so skip this book and get the training from the source.

Proof-reading needed
This book apparently underwent no proof-reading. Careless and obvious mistakes abound. The publisher's errata page is of little use although the book has been published for nearly two years. Considering that this is a book you rely on to pass an exam, this is close to irresponsible.

I've only read half of the book, I hope the remaining is better.

Very complete coverage
I just passed my Oracle 1Z0-043 test after using this book as my sole study source, in addition to an Oracle installation I set up at home.The book does a great job of covering all the material I encountered on the test. ... Read more

Book Description
Here's the book you need to prepare for Oracle's 10g upgrade exam, Oracle Database 10g: New Features for Administrators (1Z0-040). This Study Guide was developed to meet the exacting requirements of today's Oracle certification candidates. In addition to the consistent and accessible instructional approach that has earned Sybex the "Best Study Guide" selection in CertCities Readers Choice Awards for two consecutive years, this book provides:

• Clear and concise information on the enhancements included in Oracle 10g
• Practical examples and insights drawn from the authors' real-world experiences
• Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Not quite enough
I've used Sybex's study guides for my 9i OCP qual and found them to be ok.As a DBA working closely with 9i and 10g databases, I assumed this 10g New Features guide would round out my practical experience and help me pass this exam first time.Turns out that I was wrong. This book contains more errors than it should, is contradictory or ambiguous in places, and is not comprehensive enough to pass the exam - although you might get lucky I guess (I was short by 1 question, but luck shouldn't play a part in certification!).To be fair to the book, I also think that some of the questions in the exam itself are needlessly ambiguous and obfuscating, so I'm disappointed with Oracle too!I have copies of Sybex's DBA I and II guides, which will possibly be helpful on my resit.

A good book
I used it to pass my DBA OCP exam. There are a few errors in the book, but that is to be expected. You have to learn everything to be prepared for the exam. It is also wise to get a second book so you can track omissions in this books by answering all the questions and sample exams in the other book.

Buyer Beware - Check Your Facts Before You Take Your Exam!
I passed my 10g OCP upgrade exam using this book, together with the 10g New Features book (Oracle Press), the 10g DBA Handbook (Oracle Press), the Oracle documentation, an actual 10g database (several in fact), the Self Help Software practice test and, just for fun, the PrepLogic Audio Training CDs. Having been an Oracle DBA for nearly 17 years, my motivation to take the OCP exams is not just to pass. It's to get as close to 100% as I can. That being the case, I am very careful with my studies and take my time working through every single subject area, frequently building actual working examples of the new features.

Passing my 10g OCP upgrade exam had more to do with my thoroughness than it had to do with this book. I prefer to use a published study guide in conjunction with the Exam Topics published by Oracle. Starting with my 7.3 certification, I have always used the Oracle Press exam study guides, but decided to switch to this Sybex title due to the number of errors and pieces of misinformation I was finding in the Oracle Press books. However, I was appalled to find this title to be as bad, if not worse, than the Oracle Press 9i upgrade book.

I accept that writing a technical (exam prep) book is a difficult undertaking, but there is absolutely no excuse for getting published syntax wrong. By way of example, p367 states the RMAN command to specify a duration for a backup is:

RMAN> backup tablespace users duration 2:00;

WRONG! Try it and you'll see the RMAN syntax error message. It is in fact:

RMAN> backup duration 2:00 tablespace users;

Chapter 4 Q11 asks about the main differences between COPY_FILE and PUT_FILE. The given answer includes the option which states PUT_FILE requires a destination server name. WRONG! It requires a database link to know how to connect to a destination server, but to say PUT_FILE itself "requires" a server name, i.e. as one of its parameters is clearly not true. A question in one of the bonus exams makes reference to a Resource Manager parameter called MAX_IDLE_BLOCK_TIME. WRONG! It's actually called MAX_IDLE_BLOCKER_TIME.

Whilst on the subject of the tests found on the book's CD, I found several questions that were worded in a very obscure way or that asked for a level of extreme detail that was simply unrealistic. There were even questions where you had to choose 2 answers from 4, but the answer selection method was a radio button, not check boxes, so you could only choose one answer! Also many questions asked about subjects or aspects of subjects that were not covered in the book itself!

Nit picking? I don't think so. These are important details and the further I got into this book, the less I trusted it. Second guessing what you read in a study guide is not ideal exam preparation. The icing on the cake was several questions on the actual exam which were not covered by any of my preparation materials, but that always happens and I like to think that's just Oracle's sense of humor! :-)

Bottom line is, anyone giving this book maximum stars and high praise could not have read it carefully enough. Personally, I'll be switching back to the Oracle Press book for 11g unless another option presents itself. If you use this book as your primary study guide, be very careful and double check often with hands on practice and reference to the Oracle documentation.

Good luck with your studies.

Useless!
After taking the exam three times using this book, I finally realized that the book was missing a lot of information that was on the actual exam. It is poorly written, and the examples are poorly illustrated. If you want to pass the exam on the first try, I do not recommend this book! The CD software that came bundled with this book did not reflect the questions on the actual exam(?) The authors of this book need to head back to the drawing board and start all over again. What a waste of time and money....

Will do the job
This book will definitely teach you the new features in 10g and prepare you for the exam. The material definitely covered the test areas well, although often there are mistakes in the text and questions. The online tests and flashcards are very useful and (good or bad) provide additional information that the book does not cover.

After doing 9i using the Oracle Press books I believe I will continue with this series when the next release comes out. ... Read more

Book Description
Prepare to pass the OCP Introduction to Oracle9i SQL exam--a required exam for OCA/OCP DBA certification--using this Oracle Press study guide. You'll get complete coverage of all exam topics followed by practice questions and chapter summaries. The CD-ROM contains hundreds of practice exam questions in an adaptive format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

worst oracle book
Dont buy this book. This book is full of errors. couchman contradicts himself at various places, whatever he explains could be totaly diffrent to the explainaton he gives undet test review section. If you are buying this book make sure you have another book as a reference. i am really very much surprized how come oracle has given his tag to this book. i doubt if anyone can pass oracle exam using this book.

Did not help me pass the certification test
I have been writing Oracle SQL for 5 years improving the efficiency of the web application our company maintains and decided to become officialy certified.I bought this book, learned some new terminology and Oracle skills.I aced the practice tests that came with the book.However, the official Oracle exam is much more difficult than the book's practice tests.I ended up buying some of Oracle's official practice tests.Of course, they may be scams as well.

Good exam reference
This is the only book I used to prepare for the OCP 1Z0-007 exam.The Oracle published exam objectives were covered and the sample test questions on CD were good.Other than one or two SQL syntax surprises, I had no problems with the exam.This book may not be adequate if you are unfamiliar with databases, SQL, and programming as there is not alot of instructional material here.Good luck.

Not enough to pass exam
This book is an update from the release 8i. Looks like the author did not take the time to properly update material, the functions chapter have missing lots of the new functions in 9i, same goes for MERGE and INSERT INTO (SELECT FROM ...) statements.
I was surprised some of the new 9i stuff was not even mentioned in the book.

Some of the examples are well explained, but there are some errors, you better test them and not take them as granted.

You can use this book with Sybex Introduction to Oracle 9i, both will be enough to pass exam.

How to make big $$$$ with Oracle Official Authorization
Jason Couchman must be laughing his head off on his own private island.Slap together a book full of mistakes (scripts that don't work, INCORRECT information, inane opinions,) and get it reviewed by his kindergarten kids.Get a buddy at Oracle to whack "Officially Authorized Oracle Press" on it.... then watch the dollars flow in.

He didn't even both updating reference to ora81 directories.

Shame on you Jason.I thought Nigerian e-mail scams were bad, but this book is just a cruel rip-off of people wanting to get somewhere in life.

Shame on you Oracle for giving it your blessing.

I may pass the exam but books such as this will not help me become a competent Oracle DBA. ... Read more

Book Description

Prepare for the Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Database 10g New Features for Administrators exam with help from this exclusive Oracle Press guide. Get complete coverage of all topics on the upgrade exam, including installation, configuration, application tuning, database management, backup and recovery, security, and more. In each chapter, you’ll find examples, practice questions, lab questions, a two-minute drill, and a chapter summary to highlight what you’ve learned. This book and CD-ROM package is the most comprehensive preparation tool available for this OCP exam.

Customer Reviews (15)

I failed the exam by reading this book
Not to blame the book as the reason I failed, I realized when I went to the testing room, there are alot of items that this book doesn't cover. I recommend you read some other books for your upgrade exam.

Good book
This is the only guide you need to pass the exam. It may not have the depth, but it covered the objectives well.

Then again, what kind of depth does one require for ASM? I've not seen it in use yet here.

10g Certification
If you are planning on taking the Oracle 10g upgrade exam this is the book I used to take the test, and I passed.A few questions on the test on nowhere to be found in the book and that could be because they are new questions or something along those lines.The practice exams are ok and may be a bit easier than the questions on the exam.I looked at some other publishers for Oracle exams and I say Sybex are the ones I am most comfortable with.I purchased this book and scheduled the exam for 6 weeks out.If I would have failed I would have blamed the book :)

As a reference book you will need additional sources as this book focuses on the Oracle exam.Good luck with the exam.

Typos, contradictions and poorly worded questions.
I just finished passing the test. I admit this guide helped me study for the test. The guide was well organized and covered the topics in enough depth. The writing was good. However, the typos, mispellings, contradictions, poorly worded questions and just plain bad sample questions and examples were annoying. The sample tests provided by the book were okay, but had typos and problems too. The end of chapter tests had several problems: some questions were poorly phrased or the answers contradicted the main text of the book.

I marginally recommend the guide, but you need another reference. I used the Oracle online documentation constantly to double-check the facts. My advice is buy the guide because it is well organized, but you need to be careful and double-check syntax and the facts.

Good book but lacking is several areas.
I also found the book poorly edited, but unlike some of the previous posters, I found many questions on my exam not covered or syntactically incompatible. After the exam, I wrote down 15 or 16 questions I remembered...and only a few of them were actually in the book. I also felt that several sujbects (REGEXP comes to mind) were poorly explained, and several --UTL_MAIL only had one small paragraph in the book and guess what? My exam had a detailed question on it. I had questions on what is the default User's Tablespace out of the box (Example or User?) and I knew my laptop's 10g database had Example...but did the book discuss this? If so, I didn't see it. There was a question about sending a compressed backup across a network if there wasn't a great amount of band width, or if you have a lot of B-Files... did I miss that? Or, what ASM controlled database init parms are ignored if used.I found the chapter questions full of enough inconsistancies to confuse me...and I had to resort to internet searches to try and find out which statement was in error.

I admit that I am probably not the typical exam-taker...I am the only software person on a 9i database, and only loaded 10g on my laptop for the exam, so I didn't have a working database to play with. Furthermore, my shop isn't typical in that it is pretty much out of the box canned software. And we don't use many of the advanced features of Oracle.But I do expect the subjects needed to be covered and highlighted in the study guide. I could answer every question correctly on the 2 test exams provided by this book, and answer every chapter question correctly...as well as get 100% on the Self Test software. And I failed the exam by 3 questions. I feel like I understood most, if not all, of the concepts covered by the book. I figure I will purchase Sybex's book and re-take the exam in December or January.

... Read more

Book Description

Comprehensive exam prep from Oracle Press

This exclusive Oracle Press guide will prepare certification candidates for the new Oracle Certified Professional Oracle Database 11g: New Features for Administrators exam. All exam topics are covered, including installation, configuration, application tuning, database management, backup and recovery, and security. The CD-ROM contains two practice exams and an electronic copy of the book.

Book Description

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Great code depot
This is a great overview of Oracle internals but the best part is the code depot.

All of the scripts worked as is and it was a real joy to see the results for my Oracle database.I highly recommend this one.

Another Mike Ault winner!
I have all of Mr. Ault's books, and this one is one of his best works.It contains loads of working scripts and an Internet code download to get the working code.It also has excellent explainations of the concepts and internals from the output of the scripts.

This is definitely not a beginner book, and it is as complex as any of the other advanced Oracle books.If you want super-deep details, this book is for you! ... Read more

Book Description
The Ultimate Job Reference & Career Guide for Oracle Professionals!Over 150 Certification Questions, Answers, and ExplanationsOur books are for readers who must absolutely land their next job in Oracle, and who want to improve their existing positions. ORACOOKOOK readers have a need for information they can use right now. Our series of Oracle interview questions books is a direct answer to that need for instant information in the modern workplace. Our books are written by Oracle practitioners and expert authors who have varied vast experiences in the world of information technology. If great careers begin with a good book, the best careers begin with ORACOOKBOOKOver 150 Certification Questions, Answers, and Explanations guide you through your learning process.From helping you to assess your skills to evaluating candidates for a job, Oracle OCP Certification Questions, Answers, & Explanations will help you understand what you really need to know. Suitable for developers of any and every level of Oracle expertise, the book is organized around design, performance tuning, and audit and security.Each question includes everything you need to know to master the interview or properly evaluate a candidate. More than just a rehash of Oracle documentation and sales presentations, each question is based on project knowledge and experience gained on successful high-profile implementations.Key certification and interview topics include:. Design, performance tuning, audit and security . Database monitoring and Security ... Read more

Book Description
This next-generation Training Guide has been developed to help you study and retain the essential knowledge you need to pass the Oracle DBA exams. We know your study time is valuable, and we have made every effort to make the most of it by presenting clear, accurate, and thorough information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Good Study Guide
There are some small errors, but the book has good examples and covers most of the exam topics. It's easy to read and well organized. Since there aren't so many OCP study guides, you should give it a try.

Buy it for the CD
I felt this book had the best exams and chapter review questions.

Nonethless I recommend you read all the OCP books out there, and take all the sample exams you can get you hands on.

Excellent OCP 'starter'.
This book gives an excellent summary of the OCP-required knowledge base. I read it, and then read the Coriolis Exam Crams and Oracle Performance Tuning (Gurry, Corrigan). My only (minor) criticisms are the confusingPL/SQL section and the lightweight treatment of Tuning. Overall though, avery worthwhile purchase.

Well written but out out sync with exam.
The book is well written and provides the student with good working knowledge of Oracle 7/8. But the materials seem to be slightly out of sync with the exams. Some subject areas are covered in greater detail thannecessary for the exam. A few of the exam question topics were not coveredin the Training Guide. The book's review questions do not properly preparethe student for the complex type of questions on the exam.

Lacking the meat
This book has good organization; yet lacks the delivery of the goods. Touches on the subjects briefly; sometimes confuses the issues completely and shrouds things in more mystery than necesarry. The test questions areriddled with mistakes. Obviously whoever wrote them did not read it or anyother reference materials. In short, need more and better meat than this topass. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

It does the magic
I decided to do my DBA certification on sep 1'st 2004 and I bought this book as my preparation material. The DBA certification track has 5 exams and as of now ( 6'th Nov 2004) I have passed 4 exams , the last one in due in a weeks time. The book is an excellent source for getting certified . I didn't score great in all my exams, but I wouldn't blame the book, its because I took 4 exams in about a month , if you prapare at a more genuine pace I am sure you can score well.

The only flaw I could find was the book on backup and recovery I felt lot of information was redundant and there were pages and pages of data showing the screen shots on executing the recovery and backup commands ( probably included for better understanding) didn't help me much though. Hey but I can't complain I got through the exam .

I am happy I bought the book, the authors did a great job. Do make it a point to do all sample tests on the cd, It really helps. If you are in a hurry to get certified this is the the best source.

Great study books for Oracle 8i OCP exams!
I used the Sybex books to study for the PL/SQL and Performance tuning exams.Like another reviewer, I found that the CD for Performance Tuning did not work - it only pointed to one exam, but with a little hacking effort, I was able to look at the code for the exam questions.However, not having a working CD was a pain when I was in exam cram mode!The subject matter for both PL/SQL and Performance Tuning is broken into logical units & the questions after each chapter are helpful study guides.I like this series much better than Couchman's book or the Exam Cram series.I took all my exams in a 2 month time frame & passed each exam the 1st time.

Good Preparation Material
I have no hands on experience, however I try to take the test using this book. I decide to buy this book after I read all the reviewers comments. So these books by far are the most excellent reading material I have ever read. Forget Oracle Press, especially Jason S Couchman books... <- Good for further material but very bad for test.

1. For PL/SQL, is very good indeed, I only got 3 wrong answers for the test
2. For Architecture & Administration, Wonderful I got 3 wrong answers for the test

3. For Performance Tuning, Best, wonderful, excellent... etc I have ZERO wrong answers for the test
4. Backup & Recover, u ummm... I use exam cram's book as some reviewers recommend (5 wrong answers)
5. Network Administration, I haven't take the test but I plan to use exam cram's book as some reviewers recommend

Together along with selftest preparation software, you should pass the tests along, believe me, I'm a living proof for 4 test at least hahahaha..... I'd also like to express my gratitude to SYBEX for these wonderful books. Also thanks for other good reviewers. So good luck every one.

Excellent
There will atleast one dream to everyone in this world,i do have few,One of these is OCP.I should thank Author(s) and publisherse and all who behind this greatest books.I am suggesting each and every one to go for these books.

Lived up to my hopes
I have 4 years of programming and 2 years of DBA experience. Other than doing the DBAI course everything I know is from on the job or from books. I just finished the first OCP exam (SQL PL/SQL). I passed it with a lot of room to spare.

There were quite a few things that I learned from the book, since in the course of work one tends to focus on the job at hand, and not try to learn everything at once.

The exam was much easier than I expected. I felt very well prepared.

Although there are some mistakes in the book, they are easily discovered if you practice the examples while sitting at the computer.

I hope that the rest of the material is up to par and that I'll be as well prepared for the other OCP exams. ... Read more

Product Description
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Product Description
http://eplanetlabs.com/products.html , Our Solution Guide and material is better than Ten (10) Mock tests in exam simulator Easily and quickly understandable Study Notes,Exhaustive Explanations, This product is an eBook in PDF format,This product technical content was developed by Certified professionals, All Authors of this product are Certified professionals, Thousands of our customers worldwide told as, this product content is better than dozens of mock exam tests by simulators. By reading our product thousands of professionals succeeded in their Certification exam and career as well. We guarantee that by using our exams training materials, you will be prepared for your upcoming certification Exam, and will pass on your First attempt. We(ePlanetLabs) are the leader in supplying certification candidates with current and up-to-date training materials for Certifications and Exam preparation. We guarantee you pass those popular IT certification, Our Solution Study Guides provide, every training kit was prepared by veteran Certified Experts. Each preparation exam will make you feel like you're taking the actual exam! Our Solution Study Guides are even better than the ten 10 mock tests exam simulators.We are an e-Learning company dedicated to providing quality e-Learning Content, Tools, and Services. We are focusing on IT Certification Exam Preparation for individuals. IT professionals across the globe have been benefiting from our products. Certification training centers have included our offerings. It covers varis certifications like ORACLE, OCP, OCP DEVELOPER, OCP DBA, OCAOCA DBA, OCA Developer, OCM,OCM DBA,OCM Developer, developer, admin, administrator,j2ee, uml, server,SCJA, SCJP, SCJD, SCWCD, SCBCD, SCDJWS, SCEA, SCMAD, SCSE, SCSA, SCNE, SCNA, java, j2ee, j2se, j2me, Associate, architect, developer, admin, administrator ... Read more