Cracking the C++, Java and C# Interview ISBN (13): 978-0-07-007792-8

S G Ganesh, Tata McGraw Hill, 2009 Rs. 250

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Cracking the C++, Java and C# Interview ISBN (13): 978-0-07-007792-8
S G Ganesh, Tata McGraw Hill, 2009 Rs. 250

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S G Ganesh, Tata McGraw Hill, 2009 Rs. 250

APPENDIX III

ENTRY LEVEL CERTIFICATION COURSES

(Note: This is the draft version of the chapter; final text in the book is slightly different from this contents).

Getting a relevant certification is certainly one of the best ways to boost your job prospects. While
certifications don't assure a job, there are many advantages in getting certified. First, it distinguishes you
from the rest of the crowd (remember: there are thousands of job applicants searching for a job just like
you). Second, the interviewers can clearly see you as prepared and more focused than other candidates.
Third, for yourself, preparing for certification gives a focus and passing it gives a sense of achievement
which in turn improves your confidence. For these reasons, it is better to get certified.

One problem you might face is the exam fee that you would have to pay for writing the exam. Typical fee
for an exam ranges from a hundred dollars to five hundred dollars (which translates to the range approx
5,000 to 25,000 rupees). If you fail in the exam, you loose that money. If you want to improve your
chances of passing, join a training course for certification; for that you would need to spend a few ten
thousands of rupees more. For many students that is considerable money and makes certifications
unaffordable. One way to reduce the cost is not to join a training course; rather prepare yourself, take
mock exams to get confidence that you'll most likely pass the exam. There is another way of looking at
the exam fee: treat it as an investment and not as a cost - if you're going to get a high-paying job, exam
fee would be just a month (or half-month) salary, so it is worth spending for certification.

There are various industry certification (and a few academic certification) programs available to choose
from. Select a certification that matches your interest, current job requirements in that area, your
background and perceived industry value for that certification. Don’t go for a specific certification just
because someone else whom you know has passed it and got a job because of that.

Here is a short list of popular exams relevant for a fresher or a young programmer. There are many more
certification programs available; just search for a relevant exam and you'll be mostly able to find it.
However, for some popular subjects, there are no widely accepted certifications available. For example,
for C and C++ programming, there is no standard certification available. Don’t get into the trap of
getting non-standard certifications and end-up wasting your valuable money. For example, exams from
Brainbench are popular among students (http://www.brainbench.com/), but it is almost useless from
the perspective of recruiters. Similarly, there are certifications provided by small computer training

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centers in India. Such certifications are neither standard nor widely recognized. My clear
recommendation is this: do not go for such certifications.

There are higher level and difficult exams that it is not advisable for students to attempt. For example, if
you want to become a project manager, PMP exam (from PMI) would be relevant; but you would need
some prior industry experience for understanding the questions and passing the exam. Even if you pass
the exam as a fresher (let’s accept the fact: our students are smart and with many years of education, they
know how to read study material and pass almost any exam!), you’ll not directly get job as project
manager.

Almost all the exams are computer based and it is usually conducted by Prometric (www.prometric.com)
testing centers whose branches are available all over India. However, getting exam date and time of your
convenience in short time is difficult. So, plan ahead for your exam and book your date in advance to
save time and money.

Sun's Certifications

Sun's certifications are for Java and related technologies. Overview:

http://www.sun.com/training/certification/java/index.xml

Sun Certified Java Associate (SCJA)

This is the entry level certification for Java programmers. For SCJA, the topics covered include object
oriented programming, UML, Java language and related technologies. For students, this certification
considerably improves the chances of getting a job. See:
http://www.sun.com/training/certification/java/scja.xml

Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP)

This certification is meant for programmers who have some prior experience in programming. For
students and programmers, SCJP certification improves the chances of getting a higher paying job or
promotion. See: http://www.sun.com/training/certification/java/scjp.xml

Microsoft's Certifications

If you are interested in Microsoft technologies like .NET, SQL Server, etc. and want to start your career
in this domain, Microsoft certifications can help you. Overview:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/default.mspx

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)

MCTS is for demonstrating expertise in specific Microsoft technologies. Two popular topics are .NET
framework and SQL Server. See: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcts/default.mspx

ISTQB's Certifications

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Testing is an area which has plenty of job openings and it is one of the easiest jobs to get as a fresher. If
you are from non-computer science background, it is easy to start your computer career as a tester.

ISTQB Certified Tester - Foundation Level (CTFL)

International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) has certification programs for software
testers. Foundation, Advanced and Expert are three levels of certifications and its best to start with this
foundation level exam. See http://www.istqb.org/download.htm

Cisco's Certifications

If you want to work in networking domain, a Cisco certification can provide you a key to getting a job.
There are four levels of certification: foundation, associate, professional and expert. Overview:
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/learning_certification_overview.html

Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)

CCDA is a foundation level exam. It is about having knowledge on network design for Cisco networks.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

CCNA exam is foundation level. CCNA can be obtained in the following technical areas: routing &
switching, design, network security, service provider, storage network, voice and wireless.

Red Hat's Certifications

Linux is becoming a popular operating system for personal use as well as enterprise use for various
reasons. It is scarce to get people with good Linux skills, so it is easier to get a job in this domain if you
have expertise.

Red Hat is a distributor of a popular version of Linux. If you want to work in Linux domain, Red Hat's
certifications are valuable. There are four levels of certifications: technician, engineer, specialist and
architect. Freshers and young professionals can look for technician and engineer level of certifications.
Overview: https://www.redhat.com/certification/

Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT)

This is an entry level exam. Linux essentials and Linux system administration topics are covered in this
exam.

Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)

This is a popular certification for Linux. In addition to Linux essentials and system administration
(covered in RHCT), networking and security administration topics are covered in this exam.

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Oracle’s Certifications

Oracle is the database of choice in enterprise today and it is very widely used. If you want to start your
career in database domain (such as database administrator), Oracle certifications can help you. Oracle
certifications are at four levels: associate, professional, master and expert. The technical domains are
database, middleware, applications and Linux. Overview: http://education.oracle.com/pls/web_prod-
plq-dad/db_pages.getpage?page_id=39

Oracle Certified Associate (OCA)

This is an entry level exam. There are different exam for Associate level depending on the technical
domain such as Linux Administrator, Oracle PL/SQL Developer, Oracle 11g DBA etc.

IBM’s Certifications

IBM is one of the largest IT companies in the world. It has certifications relating to its hardware (power
systems, system p, system i, system x, system z etc.) and software (Lotus, Rational, Trivoli, Websphere
etc.). The levels of certifications are: associate, developer, professional, specialist and expert.

IBM Certified Specialist - Software Quality

Professionals working in software quality are always in demand (since writing ‘quality’ software continues
to be an elusive goal). If you want to start your career in software quality, this certification can help you.
Though this is a ‘specialist’ level course, students and young professionals can get certified.

IEEE’s Certifications

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an international professional association.

IEEE Computer Society has certification programs for suitable for students who want to start computing
careers as well as working software professionals. It currently has two levels of certifications: associate
and professional. Overview: www.computer.org/certification.

Certified Software Development Associate (CSDA)

This is an entry level academic exam for students aspiring to become software engineers. This course is
suitable for students from both computer science as well as non-computer science backgrounds. The
certification subject is software engineering; however, a considerable part of the exam (approx. 30%) is
about computing and mathematical foundations.

OMG’s Certification

Object Management Group (OMG) is an international consortium and standardization group. Unified
Modeling Language (UML) was standardized by OMG. If you want to become a software designer or if
your favourite subject is OOAD (Object-Oriented Analysis and Design), this certification will help you.

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OMG Certified UML Professional (OCUP)

OCUP exam is meant for expertise in UML. It covers the technical topics of modeling, middleware,
component environment and services. It has three levels of certification: fundamental, intermediate and
advanced. See http://www.omg.org/uml-certification/index.htm

C-DAC’s Exam

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is a scientific society of Dept of Information
Technology, Govt. of India. It is involved in research development in IT. Overview:
http://cst.cdacmumbai.in/

Competence in Software Technology (CST)

C-DAC conducts a yearly exam called CST for students. This is not a certification course; however,
passing the given level is practically treated as a certification by various job recruiters, so it is listed as a
certification course here. There are four levels of exams: E (entry), I (intermediate), D (diploma) and G
(graduate). Depending on the level of exam, the topics covered will be more; the topics include: general
aptitude, computer organization and operating systems, data structures and algorithms, and optional
technical subjects (such as Java technology).

Other than the certifications listed here, other widely recognized certifications by software companies
include the ones by HP, Novell, Dell and Apple.

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