Going to test on Jan 21

[hover cheng]

Just registered beta test, scheduled on Jan 21, 12:00-5:00pm. There is only one day left. Seriously I hope can get more tips from your guys.
Happy chinese new year!
hover

[Weerawit Maneepongsawat]

Good luck!!!

[Ko Ko Naing]

Originally posted by hover cheng:
Seriously I hope can get more tips from your guys.

I do hope some tips from u, after the exam... I'm taking it on 26th...

[hover cheng]

Anybody has taken the exam today? Could you be so kind to post your feelings and tips?

[peng chen]

I want to ask in the beta exam :are there only multi select questions in it,not text input or drap and drop questions?

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Peng,

I want to ask in the beta exam :are there only multi select questions in it,not text input or drap and drop questions?

According to Mr. Berts' previous tips, I do think all 160 Qs are multiple choice Qs, however, I do feel that there are still possibility that we have text input and drap and drop Qs as they exist in SCBCD beta exam.
So, be careful!
Nick.

[Ali Ragi]

Wish you the Best, Good Luck, hover cheng!!

[peng chen]

Thanks you, Nicholas Cheung ,
I very want to ask you ,when you had so much certificates,was your company imporve your salary or position according to your certificates,or should to ask you that what can got from these certificates(including finding jobs)?

[Vedhas Pitkar]

All the Best , Hover!!! And do post your experience in detail

[nan li]

Good luck!
I plan to take it on February.
Happy chinese new year!

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Peng,

when you had so much certificates,was your company imporve your salary or position according to your certificates

All certs. are *forced* to obtain by my company, as when we get one project, say an EJB project, managers always tell our customers that their developers are *well-qualified* to take part in.
I just feel this is somewhat like selling points to outsiders.

should to ask you that what can got from these certificates(including finding jobs)?

I think I get more indepth knowledge from studying the *real* technology. For example, before I took SCJP 1.2 last Jan, I have written Java for 4 years, starting from Year 2 in the University time. Honestly, I just know how to code at that time, without really knowing why Java can do this do that. When I came to the cert. process, I feel that lots of things I did not know in the past.
And about the job hunting, I do not really think that certificates are useful nowadays, becos there are too many vendors, too many products, and too many certificates, which make the employees do not focus on these too much. But, it is very useful when I seek for part time jobs, like course instructors, becos usually, when you teach Java, they want the instructor to be a SCJP.
Hope this help.
Nick.

[peng chen]

thanks your view,I am working in Hong Kong Branch Company ,I heard that my IT header work in GuangZHou but get salary in Hong Kong,his salary is about 2-4 million,Is that high in Hong Kong?

[Ko Ko Naing]

Originally posted by Nicholas Cheung:

All certs. are *forced* to obtain by my company
Nick.

I'm wondering if I can be one of the employees in your company... And also u don't need to pay any cents from ur pocket, do u?

[Manish Hatwalne]

Any idea when is the last date for taking this exam?? I belive it was declared as 6th Feb earlier. Just wondering if there is any change....
- Manish

[Kelvin Chan]

It is a LITTLE bit more helpful if you can get cerificate like PMP, CISA, SCEA ....
I will take the exam at 1 Feb ....
[ January 20, 2004: Message edited by: Kelvin Chan ]

[M Bala]

All the best!

[Theodore Casser]

Originally posted by Manish Hatwalne:
Any idea when is the last date for taking this exam?? I belive it was declared as 6th Feb earlier. Just wondering if there is any change....

They haven't, to the best of my knowledge, announced any change, but given the experience with SCBCD, one never knows.

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Ko Ko,

I'm wondering if I can be one of the employees in your company... And also u don't need to pay any cents from ur pocket, do u?

All costs are paid by the company of course. Otherwise, it is impossible for me to get OCP becos I took it later than Sep 2002, which means I must take an Oracle Certified Course in order to get certified.
However, as you know, one OCP course is very very expensive! around 1500 USD per course!
The worst thing is that we always have only a limited time to get certified, while we still need to finish many tasks. For example, the company gives us only 1.5 months (including attend a 5-day training) to get OCP (4 exams required), which makes my life very tough!
Nick

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Peng,
what do you mean by 2-4 million? Does you mean 20k-40k or 2M-4M?
If it is the former one, the salary is quite normal as my salary is around 25k, and I have around 4 years working experiences with a MSc(CS) degree.
If it is the later one, the salary is quite high!!! seems only executive grade can get such a salary, rite?
Nick.

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Manish,
Offically, the beta exam ends at Feb 6, 2004. However, according to Mr. Berts, assuming that SUN wants only X people taking the test as the sample, and since some people will not show up after getting the vouchers, SUN gives out X + Y vouchers.
Whenever, the number of people who take the test reaches X, the beta stop immediately. And thus, for example, if there are already X people who sit for the test on Feb 1, 2004, the exam will be stopped, and if you register to take the exam on Feb 2, 2004, sorry, the offer is over!
That's why we prefer to take the exam earily in order to make sure that we can take it. Ko Ko and I will take the exam on Jan 26, 2004.
Nick.

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Kelvin,
Although CISSP, CISA certs maybe more useful, at this stage, I wont consider them becos:
- my company does not need those professional at this moment and
- the most important, my company will not pay for me!
If they paid for me one day, I will take them definitely, or when one day, I feel I need those certs, then I pay it for myself.
Nick.

[Mikalai Zaikin]

Originally posted by peng chen:
I want to ask in the beta exam :are there only multi select questions in it,not text input or drap and drop questions?

there are :
1) one-choice questions
2) multiple-choice questions
3) drag-and-drop questions (can not be reviewed)
163 question
4 hours (not 5 hours)

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Mikalai,

163 question
4 hours (not 5 hours)

According to Mr. Berts and Evelyn, there should be total 160 Qs, with 5 hours. Please double check it.
This is the info provided by Evelyn:
SCWCD 1.4 FREE Beta Voucher Info
Evelyn said:

The beta will be held from January 19 - February 6. There are 160 questions and I have alloted 5 hours total for responding to each questions and receiving your valuable comments. That way you have enough time to assess each question.

Nick.

[peng chen]

thanks Nicholas ,what is CISA,CISSP cert?
Sorry,I mistake for using "million" ,it is $HK 20k-40k per month,just liking you.do you think in Hong kong ,how high can a IT Programmer or architecture can eran per month? and How long can they can do in IT .(what time will they retire?)

[Mikalai Zaikin]

Originally posted by Nicholas Cheung:
Hi Mikalai,

Nick.

hi, Nick
I did take 311-081 exam, and I said what was on my exam.

[Ko Ko Naing]

Originally posted by peng chen:
thanks Nicholas ,what is CISA,CISSP cert?

They are security-related certs and nowadays there is a very high demand on those who got those certs...