Meet The Experts: Oracle ACE Patrick Gresham

Your OCP Blog Editor met several Oracle experts and "Who's Who" of the Oracle universe at Oracle Openworld 2008. This week's featured expert is Issac Patrick Gresham of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Thanks to Oracle Mix, one could get connected with Patrick during the conference. This interview was conducted at the crowded OCP Lounge on a warm Wednesday morning.

OCP Blog Editor (OCP BE): Good Morning Patrick! It's great to meet one of our regular blog readers and feature you as our Oracle Expert of the Week! Let's start by asking you about your professional background and Oracle experience.

Isaac Patrick Gresham (IPG): It's great to meet you at Oracle Openworld'08 (OOW'08). I have more than 10 years of Oracle Applications experience. I started in a consulting role and over the years worked in various lead roles. I am the Financial Applications Manager at Chick-fil-A, Inc. My team supports both standard and custom applications in the financials track. We upgraded to R11.5.10.2 and planning for R12 upgrade in the future. At OOW'08, I am interested in knowing about R12 features, functionalities and upgrade stories. I am an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) of EBS R11i and also a featured authored on MyOracle Support (formerly Metalink). I have presented at Oracle Applications User Group (OAUG) Conferences and other events. Last year, I was awarded the Oracle ACE Award. This year, Chick-fil-A, Inc was presented the 2008 Oracle Excellence Award at the OOW'08 conference. I am very passionate about learning ERP systems and actively working on increasing the Applications knowledge base on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). Please visit my Oracle Financial Applications Blog at http://applicationsblog.blogspot.com/

(Editor's Note: Chick-fil-A, Inc is one of the largest privately-held restaurant chains in the US with more than 1400 locations in 37 states. Chick-fil-A, Inc pioneered the concept of fast food at shopping malls and was the first to introduce the boneless breast chicken sandwich. A must visit for the food connoisseur)

OCP BE: Thanks for the insight about your illustrious career. It is intriguing why someone like you would seek Oracle certification?

IPG: Over the years, I have attended several Oracle University courses. Oracle certification provides a framework for me to formally learn the application. I look forward not only to know the new features but also the functionality and the intent for introducing them. Since the Oracle certification exams cover the complete spectrum for the module or business flow (e.g. Record to Report or Procure to Pay), the certification validates my learning and understanding. It is an universal yardstick to measure one's Oracle competency.

OCP BE: Please walk us through your exam preparation approach for R11i certification exams.

IPG: The first step is to check out the exam content on the Oracle certification website. Use the module user guides, implementation guides and Oracle Tutor documents to review each topic. To confirm your understanding of the topics and review navigation on the system, log in to your Oracle Applications instance and practice on it. In case some of the topics in the exam cover features not available on your test instance, use the various hosted EBS R11i (or R12) instances available for free, courtesy Oracle's premier partners. Once again, my advice is "Don't just read the topic but practice on the system".

OCP BE: Have you used any of the offerings from the Oracle Certification Program team at Oracle Openworld conferences?

IPG: I have been a regular attendee at Oracle Openworld conferences. This is my fifth conference visit in six years. I have made good use of the Oracle Certification Program offerings. I have attended 'Oracle 11i E-Business Essentials Exam Cram' session. I also wrote the R11i E-Business Essentials and R11i General Ledger Fundamentals exams at the conference. So I had to just schedule one more regular exam outside the conference and obtain my certification credentials!

OCP BE: Any parting advice for OCP Blog readers who are thinking of writing the Oracle Certification exams?

IPG: Schedule the exam date. This would create a self-pressure model where you can build an exam preparation schedule based on the countdown leading to the exam. My best wishes to all OCP blog readers for their certification!

OCP BE: Thanks Patrick!

Register For Oracle Certification Exam

Many of our readers have been now motivated enough to accept the OCP Blog R12 Beta Exam Challenge. Recently, at Oracle Openworld I asked one of the Oracle Certified Experts what is the most important step for certification.

The answer: "Register for a certification exam!"


Registering for a certification exam has two evident advantages - one knows the exam date and time ahead of time to plan their work schedule to accommodate the 2-3 hour absence from work. From the date of the registration to the date of the exam one can estimate the study hours (e.g. two hours every week day) available to prepare for the exam. One can then use this total hours and budget for each exam topic according to their confidence and expertise on the same. The hidden advantage is a self-pressure model where one is motivated to prepare for the fast approaching exam. Without an exam date, often one misses out on important dates such as beta testing opportunities.

Certification exams are either proctored or non-proctored. Proctored exams are offered at Prometric testing centers and some Oracle University training locations. One has to register in advance and arrive at the testing center on the day of the appointment. Beta exams are pre-production exams used by Oracle to evaluate new exam questions and are only offered at Prometric testing centers.

Non-proctored exams are available online and can be taken from your home or office. Non-proctored exams do not require pre-registration or an appointment and are available on-demand 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Non-proctored exams are usually foundation level exams like Oracle 11i E-Business Fundamentals (1Z0-200) and Oracle EBS R12: E-Business Essentials (1Z0-204).

One may register for all Oracle certification exams with Prometric. The exam fee is payable to Prometric by any major credit card or using OPN vouchers/ Education Credit vouchers at the time of registration. All discounts like Oracle Partner discount or Oracle employee discount must be applied during registration.

Prometric Testing ID is an unique identifier for the Oracle Certification Program. Multiple Prometric Testing IDs can jeopardize the validity of your Oracle certification records. In case you are writing the certification exam for the first time or registering for the exam online, the system will generate your Prometric Testing ID. Be sure to record this number for future Oracle exam appointments.

As per the exam retake policy, one can register for taking a certification exam again after 30 days. For beta exams, there is no retake policy as the results are announced 10-12 weeks after the beta testing period ends.


For those starting on their certification path, it is a good idea to register for an online exam so that you can overcome your exam anxiety by taking the exam from the comfortable environment of your home or office during a convenient window when you devote 1.5-2 hours of dedicate exam time.

Hopefully, this blog post would encourage our readers to take the first of many important steps on the journey towards Oracle Certification.

Sharing 1Z1-238 Beta Exam Experience

The following is a guest post from Arnoud Routh based out of Netherlands and working as an Oracle E-Business Suite Technical Architect at Amis Services B.V.

Arnoud has an impressive list of certification credentials that include among others Oracle 10gR2 Database Administrator Certified Professional, Oracle 10gR2 Real Applications Cluster Certified Expert and Oracle Applications 11i Administrator Certified Professional.


Arnoud shares his experience about 1Z1-238: EBS R12 Install, Patch and Maintain Applications Beta Exam. Arnoud came across the beta exam just three days before the beta testing period was about to end!


Here is Arnoud's post in his own words and uniquely breathless pace that reflects his fast paced work life:

I bumped into this blog via a comment on LinkedIn. I accidentally found out this way that yesterday was my very last chance for taking the Oracle EBS R12 Install, Patch and Maintain Applications exam (1Z1-238). Given the fact that this exam only cost €32.00 (and the fact that I am a Dutch guy!) makes it irresistible to take it, even though I wasn't prepared at all. I subscribed on Wednesday morning 11:30am, and still was able to schedule the exam for the next day at 9:00am. What about this 24 hours in advance policy? Well, I don't care, it makes me rather happy that I could register and write the exam within hours.


I didn't even bother to prepare in the hours between registration and taking the exam. I didn't follow the R12 IPM course as I took quite some experience a while ago doing technical installations on R12, with and without RAC, ASM, Shared APPL_TOPs etc. So I know the vastness of information there is to know, and it would be ridiculous of even trying to be well-prepared in less than 8 hours, taken the wisdom of getting a good night sleep before taking the exam... Besides, I am Oracle E-Business Suite 11i DBA Certified Professional, so I have "some" experience already. This was just too good an opportunity to let go!


(Editor's Note: Similar to advice you hear when you see the stunts and record-breaking feats they show on television, the blog editor advises you not to try the same procedure. Arnoud is an expert who may not have not prepared for the beta exam specifically. However, he had built his R12 expertise and knowledge base for months before taking the exam. For most individuals, a preparation for weeks or a month is recommended.)


I cannot go into details on the questions being asked in the exam, because that simply is not allowed. However, the questions that I got were of the same kind as with the 11i IPM exam. There are differences, obviously, so make sure you know the difference between 11i and R12 (multiple ORACLE_HOME, versions -10.1.2, 10.1.3, 10.2.0.4, the presence of the INST_TOP and what can and not be found there).


I got 223 questions to be completed in 3 hours: Ouch! Less than a minute per question on average... And Oracle also wants me to comment on the questions??? No way! Please let me finish the exam first. I had less than 5 minutes left on the clock when I answered the last question...


One thing I found is that sometimes you get questions that get answered by the way other questions are formulated (the answer to question A is "hidden" - sometimes given in plain!- in the phrase of question B). This is probably something that cannot easily be avoided, but hey, as test-taker you can take a little advantage here. At the end of the day, it won't make the difference, I guess.


I appreciate the difficulty level of the questions. It is of good quality, even though some of the questions were simple, e.g. one needs to know how certain scripts or options to scripts are spelled. Overall, I was pleased with the exam. I am not sure whether I passed as I expect a score report approximately 10 weeks from today, the expiration of the beta exam. I am confident in a way, but not too sure.


Disclaimer: I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize what you heard is not what I meant...



Editor's Note:

Arnoud wins an exclusive OCP Blog T-Shirt for his guest post.
You too can win OCP Blog memorabilia with your guest posts as well.
Hope you are inspired by Arnoud to register for a beta exam now - that is, three months before the deadline (and not three days before it like Arnoud!) and register for the OCP Blog Beta Exam Challenge!

R12 Beta Exam Challenge: Get Certified For FREE!

Nearly three months ago, this blog threw open a R12 Beta Exam Challenge to all certification candidates. Based on a very encouraging response from our blog readers, it is time to announce a bigger version of the challenge with more opportunities to be a prize winner!


Oracle R12 Beta exams are still being offered on the following tracks:

• 1Z1-206 Oracle E-Business Suite R12: System Administration


• 1Z1-215 Oracle EBS R12: General Ledger and Payables Fundamentals


• 1Z1-216 Oracle EBS R12: General Ledger and Receivables Fundamentals


• 1Z1-225 Oracle EBS R12: Inventory and Purchasing Fundamentals


• 1Z1-226 Oracle EBS R12: Inventory and Order Management Fundamentals


• 1Z0-244 Oracle EBS R12: Advanced Supply Chain Planning
  

Here are the steps to enter the OCP Blog R12 Beta Challenge:

• To be participant on the "OCP Blog R12 Beta Exam Challenge", register for any of the above exams and take the exams before the beta testing period ends.


• Once the beta exam scores are announced, e-mail the blog editor if you have become one of the first individuals in the world to be certified on Oracle EBS R12.
  
• Your name would be entered in the drawings for winning one of the 12 (twelve) prizes on offer for the OCP Blog R12 Beta Exam Challenge. Each prize would be worth US $50.


• Since the beta exam fees for each exam is $50, it is like getting certified on EBS R12 for FREE!


• As an early bird incentive, register for the Oracle E-Business Suite R12: E-Business Essentials (1Z0-204) and write the exam before January 15, 2009. If you pass the exam, e-mail the blog editor with a screenshot of your score report.


• All entries received by November 30, 2008 and December 31, 2008 and January 31, 2009 will qualify for a drawing for the OCP Blog Monthly Prize of US $95 which is the exam fee for the Oracle E-Business Suite R12: E-Business Essentials (1Z0-204) Exam. It is like getting certified on EBS R12 for FREE!

Oracle R12 Beta exams are now available for testing till January 31, 2009. So there is approximately three months for you to qualify as a potential winner!

Of course, to help all certification candidates worldwide with the OCP Blog R12 Beta Challenge there would be weekly mini-practice tests to gauge one's preparation. Regular features like 'Meet the Experts' would also feature conversation with Oracle certified professionals who would share the secret of their success.

Last but not the least, all candidates who submit their entry for the OCP Blog R12 Beta Challenge will an exclusive OCP Blog R12 Beta Challenge T-Shirt. So when you submit your entry for OCP Blog R12 Beta Challenge, please do not forgot to mention you T-Shirt Size and snail mail address where you want the T-Shirt to be shipped.

It is time to get certified on Oracle EBS R12 for FREE with the OCP Blog R12 Beta Challenge! Register for your EBS R12 exams right away and be on your way to an entry on the OCP Blog R12 Hall of Fame!

Choosing the Right Candidate: EBS 11i vs R12 Certification

In a few hours time, millions of citizens in the United States of America would know the answer to perhaps one of the most historic elections of our life time. Many of us may have contributed directly or indirectly in creating such a difference in our lives. Likewise, Oracle Certification may prove to be a key differentiator in your career or the way you deliver top quality work. It is time to choose the right candidate for your Oracle E-Business Suite certification. Will it be 11i OCP? Or R12 OCE Certification?

In an effort to assist you with this critical decision, please answer with 'Yes' or 'No' the twenty statements that certification candidates often report to the OCP Advisor on the virtual town halls online when seeking answer to which certification to opt for. Based on your responses, it would be quite evident to you which certification path to follow for yourself. Answer with a "YES" or "NO" and note your answers on a worksheet against each question.

Q#1: My organization is currently using EBS 11i with no immediate plans for upgrade

Q#2: My organization just went live on EBS R12

Q#3: I don’t have access to any EBS R12 instances either at work or from home

Q#4: My next consulting project is EBS R12 Order-To-Cash (replace this with your specialty/process area)

Q#5: My company wants me to be EBS certified at the earliest

Q#6: I don’t have the patience to write a lengthy three or four hour exam

Q#7: We are planning to go live on EBS 11.5.10.2 this year

Q#8: I don’t have enough time to spare to write three exams to get certified on a single track

Q#9: I have access to EBS R11i test instance at work or from home (public instance)

Q#10: I am looking at getting certified in the most economic manner possible since I have to pay on my own

Q#11: Exam preparation material is very scarce for EBS R12

Q#12: I am already certified on EBS 11i on one or more

Q#13: I am new to Oracle E-Business Suite and looking at a getting a good break in my career with EBS certification credentials

Q#14: I want to be one of the first to be certified on my chosen track

Q#15: I recently attended one EBS11i Oracle University Instructor Led Training

Q#16: I am planning to enroll for one of the EBS R12 Oracle University Instructor Led Training

Q#17: My company would sponsor me for any certification exam

Q#18: Certification preparation would help me to know more about the latest release and I am curious to learn new things

Q#19: I want to write a certification exam on only one module at a time since the modules are so complex

Q#20: I want to take up the OCP Blog Beta Challenge and get certified for free*!

* Look for the announcement on Friday, November 7th, 2008

Now that you have written down your answers, add up the number of 'YES' for the odd number questions. Multiply the total by 10 and you would get your percentage score. Let's say that is 40%

Next add up the number of 'YES' for the even number questions. Multiply the total by 10 and you would get your percentage score. Let's say that is 60%

Compare the percentages. If the even number score is higher, it is likely that you would benefit by preparing for EBS R12 certification. If the odd number score is higher, get certified on EBS 11i now.

For those who are now convinced to prepare for EBS R12 certification, look out for the improved OCP Blog Beta Challenge to be announced on the blog pages later in the week.

Meanwhile, wherever you are in the world, please join me as the world's oldest democracy celebrates a historic event today. As I post this blog entry, the results are getting certified and being beamed on the television channels!