wareSource.com
 Registration Form Purchase Form Pay for courseware  
 

What is the best way to prepare for Lotus certification exams?

So, you want to be certified, eh? Probably not a bad idea in today's economy.

NOTE: You may find some links no longer valid as the certification monopolists are winning injunctions against test-preparation companies and are increasing/enforcing the strength of confidentiality agreements that test takers must sign before testing (see March 11, 2002 eWeek article). So instead of developing more expensive skills-based tests, the vendors are milking their cash cow tests. And the test-preparation sites and resources reduce the value of their certifications by making them too easy to obtain.

Hide details for From the Lotus Clippings newsletter - October 2009From the Lotus Clippings newsletter - October 2009
PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY: LOTUS TEST PREPARATION POLICY

With the release of the final IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8.5 certification test, it seems fitting to restate Lotus' (and IBMs) test preparation policy. Though the courses, resources and articles listed on the exam prep pages are helpful, they represent a beginning in terms of getting to know a given product. Certification, however, is the end; the finish line where skills are proven and credentials solidified. In the middle is hands-on experience. This is the best way to prepare for any certification exam. Direct application of the skills learned cannot be substituted by any other resource. Professionals must spend time using the product and applying their skills. Tests measure how well an individual knows how to perform tasks associated with specific job roles; not how well someone memorizes features and functions.

In an effort to become more consistent with other IBM brands, protect our intellectual property and provide greater service to the certified community, Lotus Software will be creating assessment tests for all future certification exams.

These tests will be accessible via the Sample/Assessment Test tab on the Test Preparation pages. This means individuals can take these tests via Prime at any time that is convenient and get an accurate guide to how well they will perform on the actual exam.

These assessment tests will be written by the same experts who write the certification exam, ensuring high quality questions on relevant topics and maximum coverage of all competencies featured on the certification exam. The best part is that these tests will be available to any professional for the low price of $30 USD (or equivalent) each, which is a bargain for such an accurate diagnostic feedback tool.

IBM Lotus Software has not and will not make actual test questions available for any form of study preparation. These are the copyrighted property of IBM. An external organization, Self Test Software provides authorized Lotus study materials for sale. The IBM Certification Program strongly warns against utilizing unauthorized sites and test preparation materials. Candidates who are found to have accessed unauthorized Lotus study materials in preparation for their test will have their certification test score invalidated and may be prohibited from testing again in the IBM program.

For more information on IBM Certification's testing policy, please refer to the following article on the Professional Certification site: http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/policy/index.shtml

[Need more evidence of monopolistic behavior with regard to certification testing?]

Hide details for From the Lotus CLiPpings newsletter -- March 5, 2003From the Lotus CLiPpings newsletter -- March 5, 2003

For those who think we don't take certification seriously in this industry, I would like to share the recent story of the sentencing of a "braindump" site owner, Robert Keppel, to prison for selling certification exam questions. Mr. Keppel pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft of trade secrets in August. The charges stemmed from the sale of Microsoft certification exam questions through his Web sites, http://www.cheet-sheets.com and http://www.cheetSheets.com. [It seems like these sites have been taken down....]

Mr. Keppel was sentenced to 12 months in prison and was ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution to Microsoft. Mr. Keppel was also required to forfeit assets such as a Ferrari Spider, a Lexus RX300, and $56,000 seized from various bank accounts. More information on Mr. Keppel's case can be found at http://www.certcities.com/editorial/news/print.asp?EditorialsID=401.

We consider this great news -- the integrity of certification programs is based on the confidentiality of our copyrighted materials. Microsoft, along with other IT vendors, including IBM, will go to great lengths to protect these materials from distribution.

How can you help? Please be sure to report any instances of actual item sharing to us at mailto:CLP@lotus.com. We know that it is typical to share your experiences with each other, as we have also done via exam reviews. But posting actual items to Web sites violates our copyrights, and we will protect those rights and the integrity of your credential by investigating and pursuing violators.


- Barbara Bowen
Manager, WW Professional Certification Programs

[Ironically, the same newsletter has paid advertisements for two practice test companies. So is this the Lotus message: "it is OK to share test questions as long as you don't do it for free (and we get a cut of the action)" ?]

If certification is your only goal, and getting certified ASAP for as little money as possible, then we recommend that you tap into the resources provided by the certification industry:


Then try an exam to see how you do. Sometimes failing one will help you focus on the type of thinking you need to do to pass the exams. Just don't get discouraged if you score low or fail, as these exams do NOT really test your real-world skill or knowledge.

Comments on Lotus Education Certification Notes/Domino Competencies

Lotus Education really confuses us with their exam competencies (Get them here.):

  • They mix user and developer competencies in with their administrator competencies. Administrator competencies with developer competencies, etc.
  • On many occasions they include interesting but otherwise insignificant (from a administrator's perspective) features (e.g. resizable dialog boxes) and put them at the same level of importance with major, multi-step features (e.g. policy-based management).
  • Major, multi-step features are only given a single bullet point mention.
This makes it tough for you when you go to study. And tough on us in providing a curriculum that will help you study (our curriculum is designed to give you the significant knowledge and experience you need to actually upgrade your environment, but not necessarily pass the Lotus exam). Many of the vendors with practice exams have upgraded their materials to the latest version of Notes/Domino to help you focus your efforts.

Good luck!

Is Notes/Domino certification worth getting?

You will find various surveys, such as this one in 2004: Foote Partners study. It showed that Notes and Domino are hot skills, showing growth. But that was 2004. A 2006 study by certification test seller Brainbench doesn't even mention Lotus certifications.

Our opinion? It never hurts to get certified. Just don't expect an instant raise or for it to win you a new job for which you are otherwise not qualified.

Other opinions:


Where we stand on certification

Caution: Highly opinionated material ahead. If caustic remarks make you squeamish, do not read any further.

If certification is your only goal, then we recommend that you:

Now, if what you really want is an in-depth education in Notes and Domino, and certification is a less important goal to you, then we recommend our course materials!

Our R6, R7, and R8 courses map somewhat to the Lotus authorized courses. The truth is that our materials do NOT attempt in any way whatsoever to provide a direct path to certification. They are NOT a shortcut to certification. They are, instead, a path to a sound, working knowledge of how to use, program, and administer Lotus Notes and Domino. Though there is a really good chance that you will pass the certification exams by studying our materials, we do not make this claim or any guarantees. In some cases, knowing too much about how Notes and Domino really works is a disadvantage when taking the Lotus exams, as their questions are based on artificial scenarios and superficial solutions.

The Vendor Monopoly

As long as any vendor controls the certification exams and process, authorizes only their courseware, and limits their authorized education centers to use only vendor-certified instructors teaching vendor-certified courseware, then this type of certification is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

Remember that the ultimate purpose of any vendor certification program is to sell more of the vendor's product.

And testing itself is a great money maker. At one time Lotus claimed to deliver up to 10,000 tests per month. At $100 (USD) per test, that is a bundle of money. But they also claim that they only profit $25/test (the testing centers get the rest). But that still leaves a meager $3M/year for Lotus. Don't think for a minute they are in this for your benefit!

From another perspective, however, this "package" also is a monopoly, where domination in the courseware and training of the product uses certification and authorization as barriers to entry for other courseware and training providers (a monopolist cannot use his market power in such a way so as to prevent competition--DOJ v. Microsoft, Telex Corporation v. IBM). If the vendor also provides the product around which the certification is based, then this can certainly be defined as a monopoly in the legal sense ("a monopolist many not use a monopoly in one field as leverage to gain a monopoly in another" - United States v. Griffith). If only one vendor provides the product and that same vendor dominates the training industry surrounding that product, then this clearly qualifies as a monopoly. Any vendor who also competes against the authorized training centers is doubly culpable.

The Cramming Industry

Ironic that there are more and more vendors wanting to help you get certified with less and less effort. And they are successful at doing so! If all it takes is a day or two of studying and no real hands-on experience to pass, then what is the true value of certification? Not much. Certification may get you in the door, but genuine skill will keep you there.

Valid Certification Programs

A valid and valuable certification program is one designed to educate and validate the skills of qualified people. With this type of certification, you would see:

We would be the first to promote this kind of certification, as it would have a greater worth in the market and be a worthy individual achievement. Competition would force courseware and training vendors to improve, or perish.

Regardless of how well designed the certification program, not every one agrees that certification in the IT industry:

We will agree, however, that it doesn't hurt to be certified.
Contact Us Privacy Policy ©2010 wareSource