Introduction

Welcome to Oracle 9i: Fundamentals 1 Exam Cram 2. You are embarking on an adventure that has been taken by thousands before you. When you find yourself getting discouraged, take heart. If they can do pass the exam, so can you. You do have to understand that preparing for a certification exam is not an undertaking that you can attempt halfheartedly. Beware that preparation isn't easy, and it takes time and requires an investment in both money and effort.

If you are willing to take the process seriously and do what it takes to obtain the knowledge and experiences necessary, you can take and easily pass the certification tests. This book is designed to make it as easy as possible for you to prepare. But you have to take it the rest of the way.

Many software products, most operating systems, and nearly all commercially available databases now have a means by which those working with the product can improve their efficiency with the product and their ability to perform their jobs (for their prospective employers, for their current employers, or even just for themselves). Oracle is no exception. Oracle has not just one certification track for database administrators, it has three: Oracle Certified Associate DBA, Oracle Certified Professional DBA, and Oracle Certified Master DBA. Table I.1 gives you the examination and class requirements for each level of the 9i DBA Certification Track. As you can see in Table I.1, this test is a part of each of the tracks.

Table I.1. Oracle 9i DBA Certification Track

Exam Number	Exam Title	Required Correct Answers	Scored Questions	Passing %	Test Duration
OCA
You need to pass either 1Z0-001 or 1Z0-007 as well as 1Z0-131.
1Z0-001	Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL	39	57	68%	2 hours
1Z0-007	Introduction to Oracle9i: SQL	40	57	70%	2 hours
1Z0-031	Oracle9i Database:	44	60	73%	1.5 hours
Fundamentals I
OCP = OCA + These two tests
1Z0-032	Oracle9i Database: Fundamentals II	49	63	77%	1.5 hours
1Z0-033	Oracle9i Database: Performance Tuning	38	59	64%	1.5 hours
8i to 9i OCP Upgrade
1Z0-030	Oracle9i Database: New Features for Administrators	37	53	70%	1.5 hours

The OCM certification requires the OCP certification plus two advanced DBA courses from Oracle University and a Practicum.

People may argue that passing tests isn't an adequate test of a database administrator's ability to do his or her job, but it is at least a measure of how well a person can recall critical and pertinent information in a stressful and less than optimum situation. No one can argue that taking a test is less than optimal. No one likes to take tests. At best, they are stressfulknowing that you could fail, knowing that you are being called on to remember things even when you know you are thoroughly prepared.

It doesn't matter whether it is your first test or your one hundred and first test, understanding the exam, the exam setting, and the testing software that you will be presented with will help you to better concentrate on the material that you are being tested on rather than the environment in which you find yourself.

What's more, knowing that you have mastered a few of the basic test-taking skills will help you recognize, if not fully anticipate, some of the tricks that inevitably find their way into some of the Oracle Certification test questions.