1Z0-147 will satisfy the PL/SQL portion of the Oracle PL/SQL Developer Certified Associate certification. It is the predecessor to the newer 1Z0-144 exam that was created for Oracle Database 11g. The 1Z0-147 exam was created for version 9i of the Oracle database and the material has not been updated since. As a general rule, when Oracle has two incarnations of an equivalent test, taking the more current one is recommended. However, you may have your own reasons to take this test instead of 1Z0-144. Both the OCA and OCP-level Oracle PL/SQL developer certifications are highly sought after by candidates and so both of these tests are commonly taken. Having a demonstrated knowledge of PL/SQL development concepts is extremely useful for Oracle developers to add to their resume. The Program with PL/SQL exam has one of the highest passing score requirements of Oracle certifications, making it a relatively difficult test. It is certainly not an exam that should be taken without a great deal of preparation. The intent of this article is to provide you with information that can help put you on the right track in studying for the test.
Everything that will be covered in the 1Z0-147 exam is available on the Oracle Education website. Oracle PL/SQL has a significant number of capabilities and functions that are not in that list. However, only the topics provided will have questions on the test. The lists from Oracle Education are always accurate. The exam has ninety-one topics in eleven subject areas. The test itself will have sixty-six multiple-choice or multiple-answer questions and you’ll have ninety minutes to complete it. The passing score is seventy-seven percent. There is no partial credit for the multiple-answer questions. Any question that is not answered counts against your score as much as one answered incorrectly. You should never leave questions unanswered — even if you simply pick answers randomly in the final seconds before the test ends.
Most of the questions in the 1Z0-144 exam will reference one or more PL/SQL blocks. You must be able to read and interpret PL/SQL code quickly. In most cases the PL/SQL will not be formatted in the same way that you would write your own code. This may seem minor, but it will slow you down. You must have a good foundation in PL/SQL syntax in order to do well on the exam. Many of the questions will ask you to look at a procedure or function and determine if it will work; what it will do; or which line will cause an error. If you cannot ‘parse’ PL/SQL in your head and work out how it will function, you will be at a grave disadvantage when taking the test. Some of the questions will display a subprogram and you will have to determine what is needed for the code to function. This might be a privilege, or parameter value, or development environment setting. Possibly a third of the questions will not directly include PL/SQL code at all, but will deal in auxiliary information, such as definitions, parameters, or functionality.
There are a number of exhibits in the 1Z0-147 exam questions. Some of them will be required in order to answer the question asked and others might contain additional details that could be useful in answering the question, but are not required. The instructions in the test always indicate that you should look at the exhibit and then answer the question. I have never found that to be a good strategy when taking Oracle certification tests. Reading the question first lets me know what it is that I should be looking for on the exhibit. Also, I have often found that viewing the exhibit is not required to answer the question. If the exhibit can be skipped, then that is time saved that can be spent answering questions.
1Z0-147 covers a great deal of information and it has a fairly high passing score requirement. The combination of these two factors means that you would be well advised to prepare diligently for this exam so that you know PL/SQL fundamentals by heart. Be sure to take the time to look at the exam topics on the Oracle Education website. The topics are laid out in the form of a checklist. Use it as one and check off the topics once you feel confident that you have them mastered. Once you have done that, schedule the test. Good luck on the exam.
