kodstationen Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Just tried a mock exam for Zends PHP Certification. One thing that struck me as odd was that I passed the over all test but faild some categories in the test. Will the true certification exam behave the same way? Can I pass the exam even though I faild the questions about Arrays or Database programming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xylex Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Yeah, it's pretty accurate I think. I passed my ZCE test a few years back and I know I failed the at least the DOM stuff then. The last time Zend talked about it that I know of, the test had an 85% pass rate, so I wouldn't stress about it too much. And for the same reasons, I don't really see a lot of value in the certification other than to show people you're serious enough about PHP that you're willing to invest $125 in a piece of paper about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodstationen Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 I agree with you completely. But when you live and operate in a country where each and every kid is hacking php and there is a total of 11 certified engineers that paper could mean business... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I once thought about getting a ZCE, but after took the mock test I decided I wouldn't bother. It was too easy IMO, and the mock test is supposed to be more difficult than the real test. I managed to score excellent (out of fail/pass/excellent) on all but one of the areas. After having taken that mock exam I haven't really regarded the ZCE as anything special. It's mostly just some stupid questions checking if you know what a particular function does (which you could look up), if you can do some stupid and obscure hex calculation in your head (which you could do on your calculator) and whether you can figure out which line to insert at a particular point in some fairly large script to get it to do X. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mchl Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Where can I find this mock test? The most I've ever found was something like 8 question sample... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 You have to pay a couple of bucks for it in the Zend Store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mchl Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I see... I guess I'm gonna try and see if I can make someone to buy one for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maq Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I see... I guess I'm gonna try and see if I can make someone to buy one for me. When you do that take screen shots at every page and send it to me with the answers, thx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mchl Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 How about I send you answers only? (And you have to figure out questions... like in Jeopardy!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redarrow Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 who put that on here bloody liberty's. http://koduleht.eu/phptest/ When you pass the exam you are a real php programmer, and your the man, you get added to a list off php programmers. WHALE! i got a cert MCSE and guess what my first job for a year was, wait for it printer maintenance lol. i still keep the cert up to date yee money i no. if you go to a collage to learn php it 3000 pound uk but the cert only 80 pound roughly. also collage certs are not as recognized as the zend exam. i personally want the exam paper to show the dog, i got put off because i don't no OOP. word off warning there loads off php experts saying the exam to easy. the problem is like mcse there so many emulators out there, cheats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel0 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 word off warning there loads off php experts saying the exam to easy. Dunno how you regard my skill level, but I truly do think that it's too easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maq Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 word off warning there loads off php experts saying the exam to easy. Dunno how you regard my skill level, but I truly do think that it's too easy. I've never taken it, or even a mock up test, but I've heard similar things from multiple people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corbin Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Errr just wondering redarrow... What does whale mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkWater Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 i personally want the exam paper to show the dog, i got put off because i don't no OOP. Also, why would you want to show the exam paper to a dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodstationen Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Ok, so I passed the exam last friday. I thought it was a bit tougher than the mock exams acctually. I don't know how well I did, just that I passed and that I definitely didn't get everything right. IMHO, if you took the test totaly unprepared and passed, then an "easy" test like this is perfect to show that you're skilled. But when you prepare for it, especially by using the mock exams, the test isn't such a good measure for your skill level. I think the php community should set up a hardcore php certification. As I see it it should be set up as follows: - Use the different fields that is covered in the zend exam - Use really difficult questions that is some how real world related (something you can't say about the zend exam's questions) - Have an offline version of php.net at your disposal as only help - Have 24 hours to complete the test - Let it be free of charge (or as close to free as is possible) the first time you try it. And let it be real expensive to take it a second time (to finance the cost to get a second/third/forth set of questions for the test) - Have an 90-100% pass grade. - If you pass ONE area (of the fields that are covered) you are "hardcore php certified". So you get a diploma that sates that you are a "hardcore php5 (or php6) certified engineer" and at closer inspection (in the fine print, or in the yellow pages (following zends standard)) it list which fields you are certified in. I really would like to be involved in something like this and I think it is the only way to go to convince people that you're truly top of the crop. If I look at my own skills today I should not be able to pass the test as I vision it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkWater Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I don't think that employers would be checking to make sure that you were "hardcore" certified. You'd at least need a more appropriate adjective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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