What you need to know about sign-
up details, process information, and
exam formats
DB2
Howard Fosdick is a certified
DBA for DB2 and Oracle.
His book Rexx Programmer’s
Reference covers everything
Rexx—including database
programming—and is available
at www.amazon.com/rexx.
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With the exciting new design of IBM Data Management magazine, it’s appropriate to revisit IBM DB2 certification as well. Why certify? Consider both the tangible and intangible benefits. On the
practical side, the Certification Magazine
annual salary survey consistently shows
that certified IT professionals make more
than those who are not certified.
But there’s more to the decision than
alary. Certification rounds out your DB2
knowledge and ensures that you’ve been
exposed to the product’s many features.
You’ll also have the satisfaction of increasing your on-the-job productivity.
Most database vendors have certi-cation programs, but the DB2 certification program is unique in several
respects. First, you obtain a DB2 certification for each and every exam you pass.
This sharply contrasts to certifications
for competing database products, where
you must pass more than one exam to
obtain a single cert. With DB2 you can
pursue certification, stop after any exam
you pass, and still have something valuable to show for your efforts.
Second, IBM provides tons of free
nformation and study materials to help
you learn about and prepare for the tests.
I’ve listed some of these in the Resources
section at the end of this column. Leverage
these freebies and you’ll save money—
while studying with materials prepared by
those who know DB2 best.
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731
Table 1:
IBM DB2 certification exams
Certification Platforms
IBM Certified DB2
Database Associate
DB2 9
IBM Certified
Database
Administrator
IBM Certified
Database
Administrator
IBM Certified
Application
Developer
Exam
Number
730
Linux, UNIX,
and Windows
(LUW)
IBM z/OS
LUW and
z/OS
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All DB2 certification candidates start
y taking the same test, #730, called “DB2 9
Family Fundamentals.” Once you pass this
exam you have the option to take any of
several exams to achieve higher-level certification (see Table 1).
You sign up online to take any of the IBM
ertification exams through Prometric’s
IBM test site ( www.prometric.com/IBM/
default. htm). Prometric runs testing centers
in cities and towns across the nation.
The exams cost US$200 each, but IBM
uns frequent promotions. When you
visit the IBM Information Management
training and certification Web page, you’ll
see any current promotion prominently
displayed. You can also certify for free
while attending IBM’s Information On
Demand conference or the International
DB2 Users Group conference.
Each exam contains about 60 to 70
multiple-choice questions. You get credit
for every question you answer correctly
and must answer roughly 60 percent
correctly to pass. You have 90 minutes to
complete the exam. (These numbers vary
slightly by exam.)
Next steps
I’ve listed some of the key IBM certification Web sites in the “Resources” sidebar.
Peruse them and spend some quality time
there; I’ve also written an article on IBM
developer Works called “DB2 9 Certification:
Everything You Need to Know.” It covers all
the bases and gives you a good overview of
the entire process.
IBM Information Management
certification home page: ibm.com/
software/data/education/ certification.html
“DB2 9 Certification: Everything You
Need to Know”:
ibm.com/developerworks/data/
library/techarticle/dm-0401fosdick
DB2 Information Management
online practice tests:
ibm.com/software/data/education/
cert/ assessment.html
Information Management books:
ibm.com/developerworks/dwbooks
DB2 certification on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/IBM-DB2-Training-
and-Certification/14382814766?ref=mf
RESOURCES
