ASG
IBM
Zystems
Cressida
Icon
Netflexity
 
  MQSeries.net
Search  Search       Tech Exchange      Education      Certifications      Library      Info Center      SupportPacs      LinkedIn  Search  Search                                                                   FAQ  FAQ   Usergroups  Usergroups
 
Register  ::  Log in Log in to check your private messages
 
RSS Feed - WebSphere MQ Support RSS Feed - Message Broker Support

MQSeries.net Forum Index » General IBM MQ Support » Have doubts in MQ Series certification

Post new topic  Reply to topic
 Have doubts in MQ Series certification « View previous topic :: View next topic » 
Author Message
Anand
PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2002 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Newbie

Joined: 22 Jan 2002
Posts: 3
Location: Phoenix,USA

Hi,
I am new to MQ series. I am a Mainframe guy and I want to write MQ series certification. We have MQ series in Distributed system as well as in Mainframes.
For Certification, Do I need to study in both platforms?
I need some tips regarding the preparation of this exam.

Thanks,
Anand.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
PeterPotkay
PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2002 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Poobah

Joined: 15 May 2001
Posts: 7717

I am a mainframe guy also with 1 year experience in MQ. The only language I can fluently program in is COBOL (head-hanging-in-shame). (Actually ActionScript also, Flash's scripting language, but since Flash does not support MQ....)

Anyway, I took test 097 and missed passing by 1 question. I took 095 a week later (after everyone told me 097 was much more difficult!) and passed 095. I prepared by reading just about every post here and on the list serve every day for a few months, as well as taking the sample test on IBM's site. The Test Objective's next to the sample test are very relevant. Use them as a study guide. I also wrote our company's IMS, CICS and Batch COBOL MQ Wrappers. During that process I learned a ton about MQ, since I needed to write the wrappers to be as flexible as possible. Day to day I help VB and Java developers who don't know MQ solve their MQ problems. At this point that is my only exposure to those languages. I am getting a JAVA class in a couple weeks (finally!).

I took my test at Prometrics. I got a LOT of questions on channels and clusters.

I plan on taking 097 again in Dallas.

Oh yeah, I also took two seperate 1 week long course at MQSoftware in Minnesota. What I learned and the manuals they provided are invaluable. Highly recomended.
_________________
Peter Potkay

[ This Message was edited by: PeterPotkay on 2002-01-23 14:20 ]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Anand
PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2002 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Newbie

Joined: 22 Jan 2002
Posts: 3
Location: Phoenix,USA

Thanks Peter.
Please clarify that I need to concentrate on MQ series for OS/390 or
MQ series for Distributed systems? Is there different question paper for each or a common question paper?

Thanks,
Anand.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
StefanSievert
PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2002 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Partisan

Joined: 28 Oct 2001
Posts: 333
Location: San Francisco

Anand,
the tests are individually generated from a vast amount of questions covering more or less any significant platform. You can end up having 80% of the platform specifc questions about OS/390 and 20% on distributed systems; or vice versa. Or you can get a bunch of questions about MQ for AS/400. If you have to take the test twice, you will most likely get different questions.
The tests I took had - I'd say - 75% platform independent and 25% platform specific questions.
I'd focus on the things that are platform specific; if you have a sound knowledge of how MQSeries works in principle, that is. And I think the best advices I've been given and give ever since are:
1) Know how MQSeries works from 1 year real life experiences (OS/390 and UNIX experience has been very beneficial in my tests)
2) Read the questions (and answers!) CAREFULLY!!
3) Mark and skip the questions you can't answer immediately for later review
Anyone want to add up to that list?

Good luck!!
Stefan

_________________
Stefan Sievert
IBM Certified * MQSeries

[ This Message was edited by: StefanSievert on 2002-01-23 15:39 ]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
PeterPotkay
PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2002 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Poobah

Joined: 15 May 2001
Posts: 7717

I think the pointer about marking and skipping tuff questions to review later is very important for 2 reasons.
1.) A later questions may trigger something in your head that allows you to get a previous question.
2.) I was lucky in that 1 of the last questions I got had a seperate exhibit that was an entire script of MQSC commands for setting up QMGRs, channels, queues, etc. This particular question then asked what this script would accomplish. The neat thing was that I was then able to use this question's exhibit to go back and double check all the proir questions that had anything to do with MQSC commands!

As far as the platforms, I think 75% is about right for the independant questions. The thing is you could spend hours and hours trying to memorize wierd things about UNIX, AIX, AS400, Windows all for what amounts to just 8 or 9 possible questions on the test. And wouldn't you know it, you'll probably get questions about Tandem or some other wierd platform you just didn't have time for.



_________________
Peter Potkay
Keep Calm and MQ On
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
zpat
PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2002 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jedi Council

Joined: 19 May 2001
Posts: 5849
Location: UK

Don't mention Tandems! Whoever wrote the tests obviously used this unusual platform more than most!

You can pass the MQ Developer test without being a developer - it was the only one I had to re-take though - luckily during a MQ conference where the tests were free!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic  Reply to topic Page 1 of 1

MQSeries.net Forum Index » General IBM MQ Support » Have doubts in MQ Series certification
Jump to:  



You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Protected by Anti-Spam ACP
 
 


Theme by Dustin Baccetti
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Copyright © MQSeries.net. All rights reserved.