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Cleared IBM 141

 
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Hi everyone,
Today, I just got through the IBM test 141. Thanks to javaranchers for all the help and the useful info.
I would say the exam was a bit tough. Nothing like the sample ones. Not a great score for me, but I hadn't expected the format to be the way it is.
Also try to manage your time as the questions are some what demanding and probably sometimes a bit vague too. Some of the choices are a bit conflicting too.
Need to know the application of XML schema, DDT, XSLT, Xpath to various scenarios, very well.
I got a beating in Information Modeling.
Few ones on the basics of CSS, FO, soap, wsdl.
Overall its a bit generic, not the nitty-gritties of everyting but the application a lot. Do need to concentrate a lot.
All the best!
Regards,
Nitin Gujral
SCJP and IBM certified XML Developer -- club member.
 
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Congratulations Nitin !!!
How long did it take you to prepare for the exam ?
-Shashank
 
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Congratulations Nitin!
Your passing encourages us (I will take the test tomorrow).
BTW, one pratical question: Which XSLT elements change the current context node? Can you give me a list of these elems. Thanks a lot.

Doug
[ January 22, 2002: Message edited by: Doug Wang ]
 
Nitin Gujral
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Thanks everyone,
It was a 2 month effort.
Doug, best of luck for tommorrow and do manage your time well in the exam!
xsl:for-each and xsl:apply-templates change the current context node.
[ January 23, 2002: Message edited by: Nitin Gujral ]
 
Doug Wang
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Thanks, Nitin. I passed 141 too. Also thanks to javaRanch Team, for you have created the best forum for XML certification.
Yes, Nitin. The exam is a little tougher. It is very important to manage test time. Sometimes the choices of questions are too lengthy (may cover two screens, I hate that).
I got a beating in Information Modeling too. No questions on XSL-FO, XPointer. A few on XLink, SOAP. Don't ignore XSLT functions, attribute template syntax, and Namespace in XSLT. Know the diffeence of select attribute and match attribute(in XSLT). Know DTD Entity well. Pay attention to difference between SAX2.0 and 1.0 (for example, XMLReader interface replaces Parser interface)
My Score is 72%.
Section %of Test Score
1.Arch 19% 81%
2.Info Model 26% 53%
3.XML processing 33% 68%
4.XML rending 11% 100%
5.Test and Tune 11% 83%

Doug,
IBM certified XML Developer(141)
[ January 27, 2002: Message edited by: Doug Wang ]
 
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Doug,
Congrats !
IBM XML looked pretty tough. The highest score for both 141 and 140 at ranch is 82.
I have two questions:
(1) What best books can u recommend ?
(2) Is real experience necessary ? Because I saw someone passing 140 had no working experience.
Thanks !
 
Nitin Gujral
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Congrats Doug
Good score.
All the best in the future too.
 
Doug Wang
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Sorry for late. Thanks Nitin. You are a great help. I expect you to keep supporting me.
Thanks Leon. My answers to your questions are as following:
<<(1) What best books can u recommend ?
I havenot read the 2ed of professional xml, so i cannot give you any suggestion on the 2ed. I own the first edition. It's too dated (it covers SAX1.0, XDR Schema - a M$' dialect) , not fit for the exam. The 2ed might be a good xml book, but I am bored with such books written by many authors. The concepts don't smoothly flow together, and it covers many technologies but fails to extend each.
XML Bible is another favorite among JavaRanchers (and another BIG size book). Also I have not read its 2ed. The sample chapters are pretty good. I've read through all the five. The explanations are quite clear and conversational in tone, the reading is easy and amusing. Bible covers most arena of the exam, but you need another book like Java & XML as a complement.

And my favorites are Oreilly's books - "XML in a Nutshell" and "Java & XML". Oreilly's books are often written by one or two authors (McLaughlin spent 6 months writing Java & XML). Nutshell is concise, not so big size. You can read it cover by cover, or just use it as a reference which Bible lacks. But its DOM and SAX chapters are a little weaker, so I need another book for XML programming, that comes Java & XML. Java&XML's chapter 3 and 7 are very helpful for preparing the test.

<<(2) Is real experience necessary ? Because I saw someone passing 140 had no working experience.
Real experience can be helpful but not necessary, for test is quite a different way comparing real work (I have some experience on DOM and XSLT). Real experience can be helpful on such sections like Architect, XML programming, also XSLT. If you lack real experience, you should do more practice. For instance, write codes using XML API; do lab exercise while viewing Roger's tutorial on Schema; follow zvon.org's tutorials on XPath and XSLT, and write some examples yourself, do test them upon a command line processor like instant Saxon(Roger also provides a XSLT tutorial).

I find these websites helpful for your exam:
xfront.com- Roger's excellent tutorials on Schema, XSLT, articles on Schema. the best site for learning Schema. My Oreilly books lack this.
zvon.org - many tutorials and references. Learn their Xpath and XSLT tutorials.
xml.com and IBM dw "XML zone" - huge amount of articles on XML.
as for DTD, Mapraputa gave three good resources:
http://www.javaranch.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=31&t=001957
Regards,
Doug
[ January 28, 2002: Message edited by: Doug Wang ]
 
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Congratulations Doug & Nitin for your success.
Best Wishes
Mamta
 
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Congratulations, Nitin!
Thank you for your feedback, Doug. I am in process of incorporating it...
[ January 29, 2002: Message edited by: Mapraputa Is ]
 
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Congrats Nitin & Doug !
 
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