ISA offers a variety of resources to help you prepare for the Certified Automation Professional (CAP®) exam.
A Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge is the primary text resource for the CAP exam and provides a complete overview of all technical topics. Order the Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge.
The CAP Study Guide is a comprehensive self-study resource that contains a list of the CAP domains and tasks, 75 review Questions and Answers complete with justifications. References that were used for each study guide question are also provided with the question. The Study Guide also includes a recommended list of publications that you can use to do further study on specific domains. Order the CAP Study Guide.
A CAP review course is available in several formats as preparation for taking the certification exam. This course is offered by ISA and can also be offered at your location.
ISA also has a variety of training courses that would be helpful in preparing for CAP. Visit the Automation Professional Training page for a complete list.
Questions on the exam were derived from the actual practice of automation professionals as outlined in the CAP Role Delineation Study and job task analysis. Using interviews, surveys, observation, and group discussions, ISA worked with automation professionals to delineate critical job components to develop exam specifications to determine the number of questions related to each domain and task tested. This rigorous program development and ongoing maintenance process ensures that CAP certification accurately reflects the skills and knowledge needed to excel as an automation professional.
The following six questions were taken from the CAP exam question item bank and serve as examples of the question type and question content found on the CAP exam.
Question Number | Correct Answer | Exam Content Outline |
---|---|---|
1 | A | Domain 1, Task 4 |
2 | C | Domain 2, Task 2 |
3 | B | Domain 3, Task 3 |
4 | B | Domain 4, Task 7 |
5 | C | Domain 5, Task 5 |
6 | A | Domain 6, Task 2 |
While database platforms have come and gone through the decades, database technology is still critical for multiple applications and computing tasks. IT professionals often seek database certifications to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise as they navigate their career paths and pursue professional growth.
While database certifications may not be as bleeding edge as Google cloud certifications, cybersecurity certifications, storage certifications or digital forensics certifications, database professionals at all levels possess in-demand career skills — and a plethora of database-related jobs are waiting to be filled.
We’ll look at some of the most in-demand certifications for database administrators, database developers and anyone else who works with databases.
To get a better grasp of available database certifications, it’s helpful to group these certs around job responsibilities. This reflects the maturity of database technology and its integration into most aspects of commercial, scientific and academic computing. As you read about the various database certification programs, keep these job roles in mind:
These database job roles highlight two critical issues to consider if you want to be a database professional:
Did you know? NoSQL databases — called “not only SQL” or “non-relational” databases — are increasingly used in big data applications associated with some of the best big data certifications for data scientists, data mining and warehousing, and business intelligence.
Here are details on our five best database certification picks for 2022.
IBM is one of the leaders in the worldwide database market by any objective measure. The company’s database portfolio includes industry-standard DB2, as well as the following:
IBM also has a long-standing and well-populated IT certification program that has been around for more than 30 years and encompasses hundreds of individual credentials.
After redesigning its certification programs and categories, IBM now has a primary data-centric certification category called IBM Data and AI. It includes a range of database credentials:
IBM’s is a big and complex certification space, but one where particular platform allegiances are likely to guide readers toward the handful of items most relevant to their interests and needs.
Database professionals who support DB2 (or aspire to) on IBM’s z/OS should check out the IBM Associate Certified DBA — Db2 12 certification. It’s an entry-level exam that addresses routine planning, working with SQL and XML, security, operations, data concurrency, application design, and concepts around database objects.
This certification requires candidates to pass one exam. Pre-exam training and familiarity with concepts, or hands-on experience, are recommended but not required.
Certification name |
IBM Certified Database Administrator — Db2 12 (z/OS) |
Prerequisites and required courses |
None required; recommended courses are available. |
Number of exams |
One: C1000-122: Db2 12 for z/OS DBA Fundamentals (63 questions, 90 minutes) |
Cost per exam |
$200 (or local currency equivalent) per exam. Sign up for exams at Pearson VUE. |
URL |
|
Self-study materials |
The certification page includes self-study materials, including a study guide and a learning path. |
Did you know? IBM’s certification offerings are among the best system administrator certifications IT professionals can achieve.
Microsoft Azure offers a broad range of tools and add-ons for business intelligence. Azure is a cloud computing platform for application management and Microsoft-managed data centers. Microsoft certifications include various Azure offerings based on job role and experience level.
Microsoft’s certification program is role-centric, centered on the skills you need to succeed in specific technology jobs. Because Azure has such a broad scope, Azure certifications span multiple job roles. However, specific certifications exist for the following positions:
There are also certifications for learners at different experience levels.
For those looking to take their Azure knowledge to the next level, the Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals certification is the perfect place to start. This certification is for beginner database administrators interested in using Azure and mastering data in the cloud. It offers foundational knowledge of core concepts while reinforcing concepts for later use in other Azure role-based certifications, such as those listed below:
Certification name |
|
Prerequisites and required courses |
This certification does not have any prerequisites. However, for absolute beginners, Microsoft offers an Azure Fundamentals certification. |
Number of exams |
One exam, DP-900, which is administered via Pearson VUE or Certiport. |
Cost per exam |
The exam costs $99 in the United States, though the cost changes based on where it is proctored. |
URL |
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/certifications/exams/dp-900 |
Self-study materials |
Microsoft offers one of the world’s largest and best-known IT certification programs, so the exam is well supported with books, study guides, study groups, practice questions and other materials. Microsoft also offers a free online learning path. |
Oracle runs its certifications under the auspices of Oracle University. The Oracle Database Certifications page lists separate tracks depending on job role and product. MySQL is perhaps the leading open-source relational database management system (RDBMS). Since acquiring Sun Microsystems in 2010 (which had previously acquired MySQL AB), Oracle has rolled out a paid version of MySQL and developed certifications to support the product.
If you’re interested in pursuing an Oracle MySQL certification, you can choose between MySQL Database Administration and MySQL Developer.
The Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator (OCP) credential recognizes professionals who can accomplish the following tasks:
The certification requires candidates to pass a single exam (the same exam can be taken to upgrade a prior certification). Oracle recommends training and on-the-job experience before taking the exam.
Did you know? According to Oracle, approximately 1.8 million Oracle Certified professionals globally hold certifications to advance their networking careers and professions to validate their IT expertise.
For individuals interested in working in the Oracle environment who have the necessary experience to become a database administrator, Oracle’s Database SQL Certified Associate Certification is another top Oracle certification and an excellent starting point. This exam encompasses an understanding of fundamental SQL concepts that individuals must grasp for database projects.
By earning the certification, individuals demonstrate that they have a range of knowledge in core SQL concepts:
This certification also requires candidates to pass a single exam. While Oracle does not specify any prerequisites, the company does state candidates should have familiarity working with the command line.
SAP SE has an extensive portfolio of business applications and analytics software, including cloud infrastructure, applications and storage. The SAP HANA platform’s foundation is an enterprise-grade relational database management system that can be run as an appliance on-premises or in the cloud. The cloud platform lets customers build and run applications and services based on SAP HANA.
SAP offers a comprehensive certification program built to support its various platforms and products. We’re featuring the SAP Certified Technology Associate — SAP HANA cert because it aligns closely with other certifications we’ve highlighted and is in high demand among employers, according to job board surveys.
This certification ensures database professionals can install, manage, monitor, migrate and troubleshoot SAP HANA systems. It covers the following skills:
SAP recommends that certification candidates get hands-on practice through formal training or on-the-job experience before attempting this exam. The SAP Learning Hub is a subscription service that gives certification candidates access to a library of learning materials, including e-learning courses and course handbooks.
The annual subscription rate for individual users on the Professional certification track is $2,760. This online training program is designed for those who run, support, or implement SAP software solutions. Though this may seem like a steep price for online training, you will likely be able to pass any SAP certification exams you put your mind to by leveraging all the learning resources available to SAP Learning Hub Professional subscribers.
Typically, SAP certifications achieved on one of the two most accurate SAP solutions are considered current and valid. SAP contacts professionals whose certifications are nearing end-of-life status and provides information on maintaining their credentials.
Certification name |
SAP Certified Technology Associate — SAP HANA 2.0 SPS05 |
Prerequisites and required courses |
None required. Recommended: Hands-on experience and the following courses:
|
Number of exams |
One exam: SAP Certified Technology Associate — SAP HANA 2.0 SPS05, exam code C_HANATEC_17 (80 questions, 180 minutes) |
Cost per exam |
$500 |
URL |
|
Self-study materials |
The certification web page includes a link to trial questions. SAP HANA trade books and certification guides are available on Amazon. The SAP Help Center offers product documentation and a training and certification FAQs page. The SAP Learning Hub (available on a subscription basis) provides access to online learning content. |
Tip: To broaden your skill set, consider pursuing the best sales certifications to better sell and implement various IT solutions, including databases.
Additional database certification programs can further the careers of IT professionals who work with database management systems.
While most colleges with computer science programs offer database tracks at the undergraduate, master and Ph.D. levels, well-known vendor-neutral database certifications exist, including the following:
These are some additional certifications:
These credentials represent opportunities for database professionals to expand their skill sets — and salaries. However, such niches in the database certification arena are generally only worth pursuing if you already work with these platforms or plan to work for an organization that uses them.
Key takeaway: Pursuing additional database certifications can be helpful for professional development if you already work with these platforms or plan to work with them in the future.
Before pursuing certifications, consider their popularity with employers to gain a helpful perspective on current database certification demand. Here’s a job board snapshot to supply you an idea of what’s trending.
Certification |
Indeed |
LinkedIn Jobs |
LinkUp |
Total |
|
IBM Certified Database Administrator — DB2 |
867 |
1,337 |
1,911 |
753 |
4,868 |
Azure Data Fundamentals |
2,052 |
4,154 |
283 |
2,322 |
8,811 |
Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL Database Administrator |
339 |
473 |
143 |
23 |
978 |
Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate Certification |
138 |
177 |
10 |
273 |
598 |
SAP HANA |
32 |
37 |
57 |
466 |
592 |
If the sheer number of available database-related positions isn’t enough motivation to pursue a certification, consider average salaries for database administrators. SimplyHired reports $91,949 as the national average in the U.S., ranging from $64,171 to over $131,753. Glassdoor’s reported average is somewhat lower at $84,161, with a top rung for experienced senior DBAs right around $134,000.
Choosing the best IT certifications to enhance your skills and boost your career can be overwhelming, especially as many available certifications are for proprietary technologies. While picking a database certification can feel like locking yourself into a single technology family, it is worth remembering that many database skills are transferable. Additionally, pursuing any certification shows your willingness to learn and demonstrates competence to current and future employers.
Ultimately, choosing which certification to pursue depends on the technologies you use at work or would like to use at a future employer.
Jeremy Bender contributed to the reporting and writing in this article.
In our intensive and evening courses, which run over the course of several weeks and build upon one another, you can systematically work towards achieving a certain language level. The course content of the individual sub-levels is designed such that, by combining the applicable courses, the learning goals of a complete level are covered.
The difference is that our one-week Exam preparation in a group course focuses on targeted preparation for your German exam.
Yes, once you have completed the Exam preparation in a group course, you receive a certificate of attendance.
Yes, to attend an Exam preparation in a group course, you need previous knowledge of German to the level of the applicable course. This means, to do the Exam preparation in a group at level B1, you will need knowledge of German at level B1. To do the Exam preparation in a group at level B2, you will need knowledge of German at level B2. To do the Exam preparation in a group at level C1, you will need knowledge of German at level C1. To do the Exam preparation in a group at level C2, you will need knowledge of German at level C2.
One-week Exam preparation in a group costs EUR 340.
JULY
The four international competitors are accompanied by mentors who translate the test, inspect laboratories and arbitrate the scoring of the exams. Students and mentors also have opportunities to interact with one another and experience the host country’s culture through planned educational and social events.
GCSE examinations in 2023 will mainly return to pre-pandemic arrangements, after several years of disruption due to Covid-19.
Dr Jo Saxton from Ofqual said "I can confirm that, in 2023, we will return to pre-pandemic grading as the next step in getting back to normal.
"But giving the 2023 cohort some protection against any impact of COVID-19 disruption is the right thing to do.
"Students in the 2023 cohort have not experienced national school and college closures during their 2-year courses of study, but we know they have experienced some disruption.
"That’s why we’re putting in place some protection for this cohort."
Return to full curriculum
Grade boundaries for 2023 examinations will be guided by the grades achieved by cohorts of students in pre-pandemic years, alongside prior attainment data. Dr Saxton said this "means the 2023 cohort will be protected in grading terms if their exam performance is a little lower than before the pandemic."
In May the Department for Education confirmed that there would be a return to full curriculum coverage in examinations for all GCSE subjects.
Advance information of exam content will no longer be provided, but students taking GCSE maths, physics and combined science will have formulae and equation sheets.
According to psychologist Dr Anna Colton, all young people are different both in the way they revise and show their stress.
Stress can manifest in many ways. For example, tearfulness, insomnia, a lack of appetite, or eating all the time. Alternatively, young people may show their stress by socialising too much or withdrawing from social activities altogether. To add to this, blind panic, which some young people experience when they are under pressure can result in inactivity - this can often be misinterpreted by parents as laziness.
If you have technical difficulties with or technical questions about the online application, please email mhaprogram@bc.edu.
There are three convenient start dates offered per year (Fall, Spring, and Summer).
Each course is seven weeks in length. Students can easily take two courses per semester with a one week break in between semesters.
The program typically takes one to two years to complete. Most students take two 7-week courses per semester, finishing the program in two years. However, students can take longer to complete the program.
No, there is no application fee.
The tuition for the Academic Year 2022–2023 is $1,318 per credit. The program is 46 credits. You can find additional information on the Tuition and Aid page.
A comprehensive fee of $25 per semester in the fall and spring, and $45 per semester in the summer helps to support the cost of providing the online courses, online library access, academic support, career services, and more, all of which can be accessed virtually. Students pay the comprehensive fee when they take one or more classes during a semester. On-campus services are available upon request.
Yes, financial aid and payment plans are available. A recommended first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://fafsa.ed.gov. Please use Boston College’s FAFSA school code: 002128. More about Boston College’s payment plan for graduate programs can be found at /offices/stserv/financial/altfin/qppp.html.
The minimum number of credits to qualify for Federal Financial Aid at Boston College is six credits per semester. To meet this requirement, students can elect to take two, four-credit courses during any given semester, or a four-credit course and a two-credit course. A student’s advisor will help with course planning.
A bachelor’s degree is required to enroll in the program.
The Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program accepts applicants based on a holistic review of the application materials. The minimum undergraduate GPA for acceptance is 3.0. For those interested in beginning the program immediately after finishing an undergraduate degree, the minimum GPA is also 3.0. Conditional acceptance may be considered for applicants with a GPA below 3.0 at the discretion of the admissions committee. Conditionally admitted students are often required to achieve a B or better in the first two courses.
The Master of Healthcare Administration does not require the GRE or GMAT for admissions. If you believe your scores would enhance your application, please feel free to submit them. Our GRE reporting code is 7534 and our GMAT reporting code is 44X-HX-07.
The MHA program does not require that applicants have experience in the healthcare sector. The program is designed for those who seek to work across all industries of the health ecosystem.
Accreditation for Boston College’s online CBE MHA program is approved by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE).
Boston College operates in compliance with individual U.S. state regulations regarding distance education. Boston College’s MHA program currently enrolls online students living in all 50 United States. http://onlinemha.bc.edu/state-authorizations/
Boston College's values of justice and intellectual inquiry are incorporated into the curriculum of the Healthcare Administration graduate program. It's design reflects Boston College’s commitment to helping prepare students to become engaged and moral citizens of the world. Students engage in rigorous and sustained conversations about emerging issues and develop the analytical and critical-thinking skills that allow them to impact health outcomes.
The design of the Healthcare Administration graduate program and its pedagogy directly benefit from Boston College’s agility and intentionality. Preparing students to respond to emerging challenges in healthcare, the program continuously adapts the course content by incorporating current health-related crisis situations and considers contemporary challenges that the health industry faces in the fast-changing future across the health ecosystem.
Yes, admitted students who confirm their enrollment must pay a $250 enrollment deposit. The enrollment deposit is not an additional fee, and will be applied directly to your student account and will be deducted from your tuition bill. Anyone hoping to defer their enrollment will have to pay the deposit before their deferment request will be processed.
Republished December 2, 2022
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A member of the NSW Young Liberals, Leach claims politics has no place in a criminal law exam and asks the question, “what does this have to do with criminal law?”
Such a statement from a law student is naive. exam drafters purposely include factual elements such as political leaning in a criminal law exam to lead students astray. These red herrings create confusion and doubt in the students’ minds as to whether these opinions or statements made by the characters can amount to admissible evidence that can be used against them regarding forming any motive or intention to commit the subsequent crimes.
Sydney University’s hallowed quadrangle. Credit:Peter Rae
Political ideology such as this forces students to remove their own views and beliefs and requires them to decontextualise the situation by focusing only on the relevant factual matters presented.
It plays on what type of arguments the accused may run as a defence and or what the prosecution could raise and put to the jury.
While I can sympathise that Freya may have seen elements of herself in a fictional character which could have been distressing, it is worth noting that the take-home exam also used the first names of four other students in the criminal law cohort.
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The media’s interest in the story has had enormous ramifications for the entire cohort of students. The university has since withdrawn the exam and rescheduled a replacement outside of the semester dates, creating chaos for international and regional students who had planned to leave Sydney or return home. Additionally, this affects students enrolled in summer school subjects and those completing the course in part-time mode where additional time off work is required.
These assessments are confidential and any assistance or cooperation will be deemed collusion attracting commensurate academic penalties. The disclosure of this assessment by the media was guaranteed to create chaos.
The story should have been deferred until after this exam was completed. The faculty was remiss including first names of students currently enrolled in the subject without seeking their permission.
But the fact that the whole issue has been played out in public, jeopardising the entire criminal law cohort of 400-plus people, is the real outrage and the issue that should be sparking controversy rather than the perceived politicisation of a law exam.
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Women and ADHD: Peter FitzSimons talks to stage, TV and radio performer Em Rusciano, who was recently diagnosed with ADHD: “When I found out that my brain was in fact wired a different way, it was a relief to realise it wasn’t because I was a bad or inadequate person. I was just different.”
The crisis in teaching: Chris Summers has had a few tough career hats. He’s been a lawyer and playwright, but it was teaching that broke him.
Life in vivid colour: Australian actor Samuel Johnson nearly died after being hit by a car. When he first woke up after the accident, he thought he was a Japanese girl. Now he thinks he rides a rainbow every day.
Reda Hegazy speaking about 2023 Thanaweya Amma exams
The minister said that the mock exam is intended to familiarise students with the structure of the final exam (which will be an open book exam).
In order to ensure equal opportunities among students, Hegazy said that the mock exam will be made available through the ministry’s website. The website, he said, will also include links to information on all the essentials of every subject to help students master them.
According to the most accurate changes in the exam, he said, the exam now contains a short essay section constituting 15 percent of the total grade of the exam, whereas the rest of the exam is still composed of multiple choice questions (MCQs) that account for the remaining 85 percent of the total grade.
A bubble sheet and notebook will be provided for students to fill their answers, said the minister.
Hegazy also said that exams will be electronically graded, and written questions will be scanned and sent to two separate graders to ensure accuracy.
He reiterated that the MCQ questions will be given scores of either one, two, or six, adding that while the number of questions will remain the same as it used to be in the last two exams, more questions will be given a score of one.
Changes in Thanaweya Amma
For the last two academic years, the final exam has been composed of only multiple-choice questions (MCQs) as part of the state's effort to replace the decades-old system, based on memorisation, with a modern system based on the comprehension of academic material.
The introduction of the new exam system in 2019 resulted in less students passing the Thanaweya Amma exams, with the passing rate dropping from 81.5 percent in the 2019-2020 academic year to 75 percent in 2021-2022.
Short essay questions have recently been reinstated in September by the new education minister. The changes, he said, reflected a change in implementation mechanisms not an abandonment of the state's plan to overhaul the education system which is already in place.
The Thanaweya Amma (or high school grade 12) exams are critical for students and parents alike since they determine university prospects based on the grades obtained.
Short link: