5.x Certification

Just so you all know, I take my own advice-at least as far as the PRPC Systems Architect certification exam is concerned. Today, I took the 5.x exam for the first time at a Pearson testing center in Portsmouth, NH. As I advise all of our staff, I took the test without studying and without intending to pass. I recommend this approach because it encourages first-time test takers to become familiar with the exam itself before attempting a serious review of the content. You must remember that the exam does not test what you will use in your life as a consultant; the exam acts as a barrier to people who do not have access to training or documentation. It is like a waist-high, brick wall. So to maximize your chances, my advice is to:

1. experience the exam first-hand and get the print-out that shows where you are weak,


2. begin to study following our established guidelines in those areas of greatest weakness,


3. And retake the exam 2 weeks later.

In this case, I passed on my first testing. Not with a perfect score, I am ashamed to say. In my book, a perfect score is a 71! Why do I say that? Nobody gets paid more for a 100 than for a 71. The difference has no economic value. That is what certification is about: economic value. Don't confuse this test with tests that you took in school. In school, you maximize your grade because the difference between an A-student and a C-student is quantifiable. In this case, it is not. Don't over study.

The 5.x version of the test was very similar to the 4.x version that I took in 2006 prior to joining KR. I use the term 5.x versus 5.3 because it is clear that the test has not been updated to reflect recent enhancements (I think that one questions was even invalidated by the 5.4 release). The exam has 70 multiple choice questions randomly selected from a pool of 140 possible questions. Some of those multiple choices are "select the 3 (out of 5) that apply" and some are "select the best answer". You will have an hour and a half to complete the computer-based exam. Most questions are textual, but some feature screenshots or class diagrams related to the question. I found that the majority of questions fell into one or more of these catagories (in decending order of appearance):

1. Flow diagramming and Smart Shapes


2. Class Hierarchy and Class Groups


3. Data instances (Organization, OperatorID/Access Groups, and Application)


4. Rulesets and Rule Resolution


5. Wizards (App Accelerator, DB Table, Connector wizards)


6. Methodology (aka Smart Build)


7. Debugging and performance tools


8. Models

Also featured in smaller numbers: integration, declarative, decisions, standard Work Engine API activities (like GenerateID or GetMostUrgent), and activity steps.

If you haven't certified on 5.x, this Spring is the time to do it. The registration is easy and (for KR employees) the test is free. It may take less than 2 hours of your time, if you follow my advice, and it keeps your resume fresh and your billability high. Plus, if you show me a perfect score of 71, I will buy you lunch.

10 Technical Verbs You Must Know

Object: Page


1. Instantiate – To form a clipboard page from a class.
   
2. Persist – To store the contents of a clipboard page.
   
3. Embed – To instantiate one clipboard page inside of another.
   

Object: Properties


4. Define – To specify a class or property within a specific context.
   
5. Declare – To specify the context and algorithm that should be used in future derivation of a property's value.
   
6. Derive – To calculate a property's value using an algorithm applied in the context of other known values.

Object: Activities


7. Execute – To cause an action to be performed.
   
8. Invoke – To cause an action to be performed on one or more clipboard pages (objects).
   
9. Trigger – To cause an action to be performed based on an external event.

Object: Consultant


10. Kickass – To properly apply verbs one through nine.