OCP Program Director Answers Your Top 10 Questions

Oracle Openworld 2007 conference was held in San Francisco, California from Nov 11-15, 2007. It was perhaps the largest ever information technology conference dedicated to offerings from any single company.
The conference started early on a Sunday morning with Oracle User Groups hosting Special Interest Group meetings and Oracle University hosting two crammed sessions that were billed appropriately as exam cram sessions for Oracle E-Business Essentials and Oracle Database 11g New Features for Administrators respectively.
The next four days had more than forty thousand visitors from all around the world attending more than 1600 sessions including some great ones from Oracle University. To download presentations please click here and use username: cboracle and password: oraclec6 and session type: Oracle University.
Oracle also provided free certification exams for E-Business Suite and discounted exams for all other certification tracks during the conference. The blog editor visited the OCP Lounge and met with Paul Sorensen, Group Director - Global Certification Programs at Oracle University.

Over one hour, Paul answered the top ten questions asked by our blog readers. Please read the exclusive interview here:
OCP Blog Editor (OCP BE): Oracle EBS Certification (production version) was launched earlier this year. What were the reasons for introducing the Oracle EBS certification track?
Paul Sorensen (PS): Our application suites (EBS, Peoplesoft, Siebel etc) are a major part of our product offerings. Our surveys revealed that organizations wanted certified individuals who are experts in their job function and can contribute actively during implementations. Typically, an individual who not only knows the business flows but also knows how the application works - someone who can get arms around it.The true value of the certification is in the process of undergoing Oracle University training, practicing concepts on the job and finally reaching a desired level of expertise that can be validated through certification. Oracle EBS Certification addresses this need by providing certification credentials to those individuals who have theis proven expertise. In the coming months, one would find more certification offerings across additional application suites from Oracle.
OCP BE: Oracle EBS Certification for OCP Certification is available for 3 tracks only - Financials, SCM and Apps DBA. Are there any plans to expand the certification tracks to other functional areas, e.g. HRM, CRM, Projects etc in the future?
PS: Oracle Certification Program office periodically reviews the certification tracks and changes are introduced and retired based demand and feedback that we receive from OCP candidates, partners and customers.
For Oracle EBS R12, there will likely be structural and branding changes. Additionally there we are considering the introduction of some additional functional areas. Look out for the EBS R12 beta exam announcements soon!
OCP BE: EBS OCP exams have multiple choice-multiple answer case study questions which require thorough application knowledge. What is the typical experience profile on an EBS OCP?
PS:A minimum profile of an EBS OCP is an individual with more than 18 + months of experience across multiple implementations. Most individuals have worked across 5-6 implementations including at least one which was a global roll out. Since our OCP exam questions span the entire application module concepts, a candidate needs to have at least an Advanced Beginner to Intermediate Level of expertise with global exposure. Attending Oracle University classes and hands-on lab practice is a key to success. For those with less experience, it is advisable that one starts the exam preparation by attending the Instructor-led classes, and then build on their expertise leveraging their exposure on the module during their daily applications related work. Remember, certification is about the process and what you learn while studying and practicing for the exam.
OCP BE: Oracle EBS Certification for Oracle Certified Experts (OCE) focus on specialized skills. Will Oracle be launching more OCE exams in the future?
PS: Yes, the focus is on launching more OCE certification tracks so that candidates with specialized domain skills can be certified. Look out for the EBS R12 beta exam announcements for further details. OCP BE: Based on the hugely successful exam cram sessions at Openworld, is there a possibility of offering such exam sessions as part of Oracle University offering? Where can one get the course material for the exam cram sessions?
PS: The OCP exam cram sessions are a special offering to Oracle Openworld attendees only. OCP testing is also offered at discounted rates to Oracle Openworld attendees. Many attendees attend the exam cram session and then take the OCP tests later while at the conference . Due to the unique nature of the audience, it is not feasible to offer exam cram sessions as part of Oracle University offering or offer course material to non-attendees. If one is interested in these sessions, sign-up to attend the next Oracle Openworld in September, 2008!
OCP BE: Oracle EBS Release R12 has been released earlier this year. What are the plans for launching EBS Certification Exams based on EBS Release 12?
PS: Oracle Certification program team has been working for many months with subject matter experts on developing the EBS Release 12 structure and exam content. Some of the beta exams for Release 12 will begin rolling out in the coming months. Please look out for the exam announcements.
OCP BE: For those already certified on EBS 11i, what would be the certification upgrade path to EBS R12? (For example, will there be a single upgrade exam for a track?)
PS: EBS R12 certification tracks and exams will see some changes in structure and branding. As part of this process, those already certified on EBS R11i will have a track specific exam on EBS R12 to obtain the corresponding R12 credentials.
OCP BE: Currently there are only 1 tier of Oracle EBS Certification, e.g. OCP and OCE. Candidates have different levels of experience and expertise which are not reflected in a single-tiered test track. How about introducing a 3 tiered certification, e.g. OCA, OCP, OCM for EBS similar to the Oracle DBA track?
PS: We are planning to streamline the Oracle EBS certification process. The certification tracks would continue to be single-tiered focused on recognizing Oracle EBS suite experts across various domains.
OCP BE: Apart from Instructor-led classes, what EBS OCP exam preparing choices/ channels are available to candidates?
PS: Candidates preparing for EBS OCP exams are strongly recommended to attend the corresponding Oracle University instructor-led class as the exam content closely follows the same. There are also self-study CDs available on Oracle University site that one can buy online. Oracle University offers Oracle University Knowledge Center (OUKC) subscriptions that one can buy online and attend hundreds of on-demand classes, many of which address the OCP/OCE exam content. My hope is that consultants become better implementers, administrators and developers because of their study, practice and preparation.
OCP BE: There are no recommended practice test providers for EBS Certification (unlike other OCP tracks where Self-Test Software). What would you recommend to test takers to prepare for the OCP exams? Will the OCP program offer practice Assessment Tests through OUKC to help prepare candidates?
PS: Presently there are no recommended practice test providers for EBS Certification. We are working with our partners now and I am hopeful that there will be some type or practice or sample question offerings available in the future.
Oracle University Knowledge Center (OUKC) offers assessment test for partners (e.g. for Implementation Champion certificate) that are not linked to the OCP program. These assessment tests are of different nature as compared to OCP/OCE exams. There are no plans to offer assessment tests to prepare one for the OCP/OCE exams. Once again, let me emphasize that candidates should review exam objectives, attend instructor-led training, practice lab exercises and gather implementation / on-the-job experiences to equip themselves for OCP/OCE exam success.
Thanks for this opportunity to address questions from OCP blog readers. For any further questions regarding OCP and OCE certification program please visit the program website at www.oracle.com/education/certification or, send an e-mail to ocpexam_ww@oracle.com .
Best of Luck to OCP and OCE candidates from all around the world !

Blog Reader Becomes 11i OCP!

One of our long-standing blog readers, Anish J. from EMEA is now an 11i OCP!
Heartiest Congratualtions to Anish from the OCP community!
Anish shares his exam experience with fellow blog readers: " I am very glad to inform you that I have passed all the three exams required for the 11i OCP Financial Consultant - Payables credentials.
Compared to GL exam, scenario based questions were less for the Payables exam. I recommend Oracle Tutor documents as the first source for exam prep. A thorough study of the Tutor Documents and practicing the lab exercises will at least help you to score more than the cut-off for passing the exam. For higher scores, review the User Guide also. Some key topics that had more than one questions in the exam were : Close Period Process, Expense Report, Payment Batches, Mass Additions, Setup Options, Additional Implementation Considerations, Invoice Matching, How Accounting is Done and so on.
The blog editor's advice through email and the OCP blog has helped me lot to achieve this. Also the exam experiences shared by various blog readers was of great help. Thanks for all your support!"

Blog Reader Shares Exam Prep Experience

One of our regular blog readers, Abhishek N., recently aced the 1Z0-200 exam. Congratulations!
Abhishek shared his exam preparation experience with the blog editor which is reproduced below:
"First things first..Thanks a lot for your mini mock tests on EBS Fundamentals.Though they were not the dumps, they gave me a fair idea about the question pattern.
The questions in the actual paper were a bit tougher.There were many scenario-based questions and some "mark all that apply" questions.They really test your understanding.
I read Oracle's Implementers guide for my reference and I feel it is enough for preparation, provided you understand the concepts so well that you can apply them in scenarios. Read between the lines and form your own but correct conclusions. Discuss with your colleagues and ask them to shoot questions to you.Trust me, it will boost your confidence once you start answering them.User Guides are also helpful but not mandatory.
Chap 4-7 from the Implementation guide are the most import. They carried about 80% of questions.
Use any R11i instance and keep trying different things as they will really help you in scenario problems.In case, during the exam you don't start well, just relax!
Remember you only need to get 55% (36 correct out of 64) to pass. If you prepare well you will get the required score. But don't remember this fact while preparing for your exam! Aim for 100% not 55%.
All the best to all blog readers and wish me luck for GL Fundamentals(1Z0-211) exam!"

Results of Blog Survey - What are your OCP exam prep sources?

More than a fifty of our blog readers participated in the third survey which asked: "What are your OCP exam prep sources?" The survey results are in and illustrated in the pie-chart below.

Nearly 51% of the respondents rely on Oracle Tutor documents as their study guides. No wonder, the blog posting on Oracle Tutor patches is the most popular OCP blog post till date! The tutor documents closely resembles the course content of Oracle University Instructor Led Training (ILT) classes. The tutor documents include Labs that OCP candidates can practice their hands-on skills. Exam handbooks and study guides have been perennial favorites with 49% of our readers supplementing their exam prep with them.

User guides and implementation guides are the next exam study prep option with 37% reviewing them,perhaps in a bid to clarify concepts and features that are explained in detail within such documents. Blogs, list servers and user forums make a surprise entry with 25% of respondents using these peer learning platforms. It's great to know that our readers have taken the blog editor's suggestion already to 'Network with your peers'.

Finally, online courses account for only 18% of the exam prep sources. While increasing number of third-party training providers are launching such courses online, a combination of high prices and low publicity regarding the same has kept most of our readers in the dark about them. In one of the forthcoming blog posts, the blog editor would be reviewing such online exam prep courses for our readers.

Editor's Note: The percentages total more than 100% since readers were allowed to choose multiple options for their survey response.

Network with your peers

One of the best sources of information about the OCP exam content and exam prep tips is members of the OCP community itself. Interacting with your peers on user group forums, blogs and 'social networking' sites are becoming increasingly popular and effective. One may join the LinkedIn OCP/OCE group and the OCP/OCE Group Listserver. There's also the Certification forum on Oracle Technology Network (OTN) and similar forums on training, certification and your career goals on OracleAppsblog and IT Toolbox.
Look out for Oracle Mix - the new social networking site being launched by Oracle. One will be able to join groups of their choice, share ideas and learn new tips and tricks.
Apart from the virtual networking world, one can attend user group and Oracle sponsored conferences like Openworld and get to know how others are preparing for the OCP exams. The OCP program organizes exam cram sessions at Openworld and it should be on your to-do list if you are attending the conference and preparing for OCP exams.
Reach out - it's time to 'win friends and influence people' within the OCP community!

Solution Key for 1Z0-212 Payables Fundamentals Mini Mock Test

The excitement of the unprecendented response for 1Z0-200 E-Business Fundamentals mock tests, had made the blog editor overlook that the solution key for 1Z0-212 Payables Fundamentals was not yet published. Thanks to many of our blog readers for their oversight. It's time to check the solution key for 1Z0-212 Mini Mock Test now.
Based on the response of our second survey, the General Ledger and Inventory mini mock tests would be featured for the next four weeks to help our readers preparing for the exam check their exam preparedness.
The correct answers are marked in bold and in italics for easy reading. With a score of 75% or more (15 correct answers out of 20), one can be reasonably confident that the exam prep is on the right track.
#1: Which of the following modules are not integrated with Oracle Payables?
[a] Oracle Sales Contracts
[b] Oracle Assets
[c] Oracle Property Manager
[d] Oracle Bill of Materials
[e] Oracle Projects
#2: You have been asked to create invoice distributions automatically. Which of the invoice distribution creation methods can be suggested?
[a] Manual Distribution Entry
[b] Using Distribution Set
[c] Using PO Matching
[d] Using Allocation (e.g for tax or freight)
#3: Which of the Payables Setup match correctly with the form where you need to set them up?
[a] Invoice Match Option - Payables Option
[b] VAT Registration Number - Financials Option
[c] Use Multiple Currencies - Payables Option
[d] Use Invoice Approval Workflow - Financials Option
[e] Tax Code Defaults - Tax Codes
#4: Which of the following can be done with Oracle Internet Expenses ?
[a] Account correctly for the expenses
[b] Limit spend on administration
[c] Pay the Credit Card Issuer
[d] Validate legitimate business expenses
#5: Which modules will allow you to upload approved property lease and equipment charges for automatic payment?
[a] Oracle Service Contracts
[b] Oracle Purchasing
[c] Oracle Lease Management
[d] Oracle Cash Management
[e] Oracle Property Manager
#6: Your company has decided to end business relationship with a supplier. There was an outstanding credit memo of $1000. The supplier sent in their last invoice of $750. How would you record the above transactions in the system?
[a] Enter a debit memo for $250 and apply to credit memo
[b] Enter a refund of $250 and apply to credit memo and invoice
[c] Enter a payment of $250
[d] Enter a prepayment of $250 and apply to invoice
#7: Which one of the following is part of the Automatic Credit Card Registration
[a] Assign New Cards to Employee
[b] Automatic Card Activation (if desired)
[c] Identify Registered Cards in Data Feed
[d] Create New Card Automatically
#8: When setting up new suppliers, from which of the setup forms do most of the information default on the various supplier setup tabs?
[a] Financial Options
[b] Supper Item Setup
[c] Payables Options
[d] Operating Unit Setup
[e] Receiving Options
#9: Which of the following is part of the Audit Process Enhancement for Oracle Internet Expenses? [a] Ability to Reject Entire Expense Report
[b] Non-Accessibility to Invoice and Payment Information
[c] Ability to Set Up Descriptive Audit Codes
[d] Ability to Capture Receipt Package Information
#10: Which profile option prevents suppliers from matching an invoice to more than one purchase order when entering invoices online in Oracle iSupplier Portal?
[a] iSupplier Portal matching control
[b] Supplier Site Contacts Enhancements
[c] Enhanced Matching Controls
[d] Invoice Approval Workflow (IAW) Resubmission
#11: Which statement is incorrect about modifying a payment batch?
[a] One can create a zero-amount payment for a supplier site
[b] One can remove all invoices for a particular supplier site
[c] Payables automatically builds payments after you modify a payment batch
[d] One can create a negative-amount payment to clear a credit memo
[e] One can modify the payment or discount amounts for a selected invoice
#12: Name an apppropriate business reason for using the clearing payment method?
[a] Account for intercompany expenses when disbursing funds through banks
[b] Generate a payment document to clear a debit memo
[c] Account for intercompany expenses when not disbursing funds through banks
[d] Generate a payment document to clear a credit memo
#13: The Supplier Bank Account access feature controls the display of which of the following?
[a] Bank Accounts tab in Suppliers window
[b] Contacts tab in Supplier Site window
[c] Supplier Assignments tab in Bank Account Window
[d] Bank Accounts tab in Supplier Site window
#14: Which among the following are the valid Invoice Types?
[a] QuickMatch
[b] Purchase Order Match
[c] Prepayment Invoice
[d] Tax
[e] Mixed
#15: You have been asked to implement an invoicing procedure to have rent invoices generated automatically every month. Which feature of Oracle Payables would you use?
[a] RTS Invoices
[b] Recurring Invoices
[c] Retroactive Price Adjustment Invoices
[d] Lease Payments from Oracle Assets
#16: 120 LCD Monitors were ordered for $299.00 each as per the approved PO. 112 LCD Monitors were received by the requested delivery date and 7 of them were found to have been damaged in transit and hence not accepted. Each LCD Monitor had the price increased to $305 when the supplier sent the invoice for 112 LCD Monitors. The AP system was setup for 4-way matching with the following tolerances: Quantity Ordered = 15%, Quantity Received = 10%, Price = 5%. What would be the outcome after invoice match?
[a] Invoice on Qty Ord Hold
[b] Invoice on Qty Rec Hold
[c] Invoice on Price Hold
[d] Invoice matched successfully
#17: Which of the following statements are true regarding receipt accruals?
[a] When you accrue on receipt, processing a receiving transaction automatically sends a receipt accrual to the general ledger when the Journal Import process is run with a source of Purchasing
[b] When items are accrued on receipt, period-end accrual is generated by the Receipt Accruals - Period-End process
[c] When you process a receipt, no accounting is created for period end accruals. Receipts that are accrued at period end will always be for a destination type of expense
[d] If an invoice is not entered by period end, the Receipt Accruals - Period End process will generate accruals and transfer the accounting for them to the GL. This journal is created with a reversal date in a subsequent period
#18: The tax calculated on the invoice by the system is $3.987. Which among the following are the correct tax calculation on the invoice?
[a] Tax amount = $ 4.00 with Rounding Rule = Up
[b] Tax amount = $ 3.99 with Rounding Rule = Down
[c] Tax amount = $ 3.99 with Rounding Rule = Nearest
[d] Tax amount = $ 3.98 with Rounding Rule = Down
#19: A team member has given a list of specific forms that she needs to setup key accounts. Which among the following are incorrect matches?
[a] Prepayment Account: Payables Option > Payment Accounting
[b] Realized Gain Account: Payables Option > Currency
[c] Rounding Account: Financials Option > Accounting
[d] Clearing Account: Receiving Option
#20: New Features for Oracle Payables include which of the following?
[a] Tax codes defaults hierarchy
[b] Enhanced Matching Controls for Oracle iSupplier Portal
[c] Supplier Site Contacts Enhancements
[d] Invoice Approval Workflow (IAW) Resubmission Enhancement
[e] Supplier Bank Account Update Enhancements

Breaking News: Oracle R12 Beta Exams

Our blog readers are one of the first in the world to get this breaking news - Oracle is launching beta exams for EBS Release 12 soon!
More details are awaited regarding the launch date and beta exams on offer. As the blog editor had predicted on this blog way back in Feb'07, the folks at the OCP Program were busy all these months creating the R12 beta exams just after releasing the 11i version. One would be interested to see if an upgrade path is offered to those already certified on 11i.
Beta exams provide your inputs on the certification exams from Oracle University. You are also able to assess your skills and complete certification requirements through the beta exams. Oracle University will use your feedback to improve the quality of the certification exams and enhance the value of Oracle certifications for you.
The advantages that the Beta Exams offer are that they are available at discounted prices (11i beta exams were offered at $50) and help you evaluate your expertise in the technology area. It would also not be required to take the final production exams to complete your certification requirements, once you have passed a beta exam.