passed 486 with 87%

[Bruce Yu]

passed Test 486 with 87%
I passed the test 486 with 87% yesterday afternoon. Many thanks for the people who sharing their ideas in this forum. I like to share my experience with others who will take the test.
After quick read UML distill (Fowler, 2e) and Apply for UML (Larman, 1e), I took the IBM sample exam and was so disappointed by the test result -- 62%. My weakest parts are: static modeling: 33%, dynamic modeling: 61%.
I was so lucky that I found this forum on by a Google search since I did not know how to prepare for the test next step.
My experience as follows:
1. consider this test as a wonderful opportunity to learning UML.
This is the starting point to practice (think) UML from now on in the future projects. Thanks for quiet java job market in my living area this month so that I can concentrate on UML about 15 days without spending one minute on searching job.
2. read the two books 2 - 4 times if new to UML.
Forler�s book is good for general ideas and Lanman�s book is good for detailed analysis and reasoning.
3. read the topics related to the exam on this forum such as exam answers and reasoning on answers.
I went through all such discussion. I think it is most helpful for me.
4. research the sample test, the real test is similar with the sample test.
I don�t think it is more difficult compared to the sample exam related to static modeling, dynamic modeling and requirements modeling. It will be OK with the real exam if people really know why choose the answers in sample test.
But I feel Design and Implementation techniques are the most difficult part for me. I only got 42% -- maybe I used first edition of Larman�s book
5. In the test, manage your time. I had about 35 minutes left to review all the questions.
It is quite helpful sometimes to read and consider the questions second time.
Good luck!
Bruce

[Yingtang Tang]

Congrats on your success, Bruce. Great score!
I will take the test in a few weeks. I appreciate your information here.
Yingtang

[james edwin]

HI,
Congrats on your success.

[Bruce Yu]

Thanks, Yingtang and James!
Yingtang,good luck for your test!
Bruce

[Poonam Akash]

Hi Bruce,
Congratulations on ur success.
I had some queries will u plz reply them??
Q1.From where did u prepare for design patterns?
Q2.Have u got any work experience using object oriented languages?
Q3.Any other book (other then the two u mentioned)u follow?
Q4.How long did u prepare for the exam?
Thanx in advance for ur help...
Bye,
Poonam.

[Bruce Yu]

Sorry Poonam not to reply you soon since I didn't check this thread these days.
>>Q1.From where did u prepare for design patterns?
The most important design patterns are the "grasp design patterns" introduced by Larman.
Since it will be used related to class diagrams and sequence diagrams in the exam.
Knowing the introduction of G of F's design patterns by Larman's book is enough for the exam. Bruce Eckel's free little book "thinking in Patterns"
shows java implementations which is helpful. I checked a few patterns which I was not familar before. There is only one question related to these patterns in the test, if I remembered correctly.
>>Q2.Have u got any work experience using object oriented languages?
I have some work experience using Java. And I studied Smalltalk, C++, Java at Univeristy.
>>Q3.Any other book (other then the two u mentioned)u follow?
I forgot mentioning in my first thread -- "thinking in patterns"
>>Q4.How long did u prepare for the exam?
about 14 days' hard work on UML
Hope it helps,
Bruce

[Ram Dhan Yadav K]

Hi Bruce,
Congrats and that is a great feed back.
thanks,

[Dhanashree Dalal]

Hi,

can anybody send me links to the prepration sites for this exam

Thanks
Dhanashree

[Nicholas Cheung]

There is no pre-requist for this test.

You can refer to:
https://coderanch.com/t/144788/po/certification/IBM-Object-Oriented-Analysis-Design
for more detail.

Nick