This week's book giveaway is in the Agile and other Processes forum. We're giving away four copies of The Mikado Method and have Ola Ellnestam and Daniel Brolund on-line! See this thread for details.
... yesterday with 79%... Scores in each section: ------------------------------ Design : 76% Information Modelling : 88% XML Processing : 78% XML Rendering : 100% XML Query : 50% Implementation/testing : 71% Qustions were very similar to IBM practice test. To my big disappointment no questions from practice test are included in real thing But some questions ask about very similar problems, so IBM �mock� is worth to scrutinize. As it was already said, the exam concentrates on three technologies: 1) XML itself (well-formedness, elements, attributes, processing instructions, entities... ) 2) DTD 3) XSLT (not XSL-FO!) Other technologies are only mentioned (one basic question on each). Maybe only DOM gets more attention, but questions are basic also, so you do not need to memorize all interface names and method parameters For XML, you should be accustomed with all parts of specification and know what they can/cannot do (like difference between general and parameter entities) and how they can be used. For this part I found last chapters of C.Goldfarb's �The XML Handbook� useful, so if you can afford $50 for a few chapters go ahead. For DTD, �The XML Handbook� again and �XML Elements of style� by Simon St. Laurent are good. For XSLT I would strongly recommend Khun Yee Fung�s �XSLT. Working with XML and HTML�. There is another classic book on XSLT, written by Mike Kay. I should addmit that I have not read it, but from what I can conclude from its brief examination and from mister Kay�s articles and advices, he is a very sophisticated developer himself and his book is good if 1) you already mastered basics and 2) you are an experienced and well educated software engineer If you are beginner, then Khun Yee Fung�s book is a better choice. It explains how XSLT works in easy language and with many illustrations. Mike Kay, however, is a priceless and inexhaustible source of clever tricks and elegant solutions. Of course, online resources are great help also, I will systematize my links and post them here. Soon. In general, I liked the questions. They are designed to test your understanding, not how well you can memorize specifications and API's.
[This message has been edited by Sanjay Mishra (edited May 24, 2001).]
Alex Ayzin
Ranch Hand
Joined: Apr 10, 2001
Posts: 107
posted
0
Congratulations! How does it feel to be the first Russian who certified on XML? Hopefully, we'll follow in your footsteps. Pozdravliayu! Buduchi XML developerom ya znay, naskol'ko slozhen bul etot test. Molodets! Best Regards, --Alex
Satish Varanasi
Ranch Hand
Joined: Aug 13, 2000
Posts: 47
posted
0
Congrats Mapraputa Is!!! Great Score. V Satish Kumar scjp One of the regular visitor to this forum.
fazal musekhan
Greenhorn
Joined: Mar 21, 2001
Posts: 2
posted
0
Congragulations ! Mapraputa I am looking forward to the links & mock test. Please do let me know the fees requirement also.
Map, how 'bout having a separate page for certification resources? I'm sure there will be some overlappings with the original XML links page( your great creation, ) but the new resouces page will be of great help to those who want to study only for getting certified. Sounds good? or you have concerns??
Mapraputa Is
Leverager of our synergies
Sheriff
Joined: Aug 26, 2000
Posts: 10065
posted
0
No concerns! Great idea! And finally we will stop to call this place JavaRanch...
Chris Salivar
Ranch Hand
Joined: May 25, 2001
Posts: 34
posted
0
What about xsl:fo; do we need to study the whole chapter from XML Bible for that? TIA Chris
Chris Salivar
Ranch Hand
Joined: May 25, 2001
Posts: 34
posted
0
What about xsl:fo; do we need to study the whole chapter from XML Bible for that? TIA Chris
Mapraputa Is
Leverager of our synergies
Sheriff
Joined: Aug 26, 2000
Posts: 10065
posted
0
Chris, I remember only one question on XSL:fo. I did not study FO at all , and apparently answered that question correctly, since I got 100% on "rendering" section. This question could be answered by simple choosing an option which looked "better" using nothing but common sense
Jyotsna Clarkin
Ranch Hand
Joined: Jan 26, 2001
Posts: 158
posted
0
Congratulations Map !
Ashu Sharma
Ranch Hand
Joined: Apr 03, 2001
Posts: 53
posted
0
congrats Mapraputa u have done it.. now u have even more responsibility in helping us all to achieve the same.
Tiger Scott
Ranch Hand
Joined: Mar 01, 2001
Posts: 223
posted
0
How much stress is there on XPATH and HTML4.0 in the exam. Thanks a bunch Sanjay
Mapraputa Is
Leverager of our synergies
Sheriff
Joined: Aug 26, 2000
Posts: 10065
posted
0
XPath apparently goes under �XML Query� section, which oficially occupies only 5% of questions � and my own observations proves this number. So do not anticipate lots of questions on XPath, maybe one or two. HTML4.0 per se is not in exam objectives, but there are a lot of questions about rendering to this format and the like. So you do not need to study each and every HTML tags with all accompanying parameters , but you are expected to understand what HTML can do and what it cannot.
Louis Fegun
Ranch Hand
Joined: Aug 18, 2001
Posts: 60
posted
0
Question for MAPRAPUTA What book/resources would you recommend for Design?. How useful is the XML Handbook?. I am looking forward to hearing from you - one of the gurus. Thanx. Louis.
Tanya Rawat
Ranch Hand
Joined: Jul 23, 2001
Posts: 31
posted
0
Great M !! CONGRATS !!
ZEESHAN AZIZ
Ranch Hand
Joined: Jan 15, 2001
Posts: 162
posted
0
Congrats Map on such a great score. I assume from your comments that we can pass the exam without buying XML Bible. What will you say, for xml certification prepration, is xml bible an absolute must, or can we do without it. I have couple of other books ,like XML HOW TO PROGRAM(DEITEL),XML IN 21 DAYS, XML IN RECORD TIME, And was wondering still I need to go through bible as well.
0
But some questions ask about very similar problems, so IBM �mock� is worth to scrutinize.
Great Score.
, and apparently answered that question correctly, since I got 100% on "rendering" section. This question could be answered by simple choosing an option which looked "better" using nothing but common sense 
