coldfusion certification

Interesting discussion..... Bob...I took the exam and got a 86% while at MAX. When I first started preparing I took Ben's study exam and got a 60%. I thought about awhile and agreed that was probably an accurate score...I use about 60% of CF. I've been developing on CF since 4.5. Well anyway I wanted to get Advanced certification and bought Centrasoft's exam buster which was a great study tool...not only identifiing knowledge gaps, but also on exam taking. Yes,... there is some trickery on the exam. I also read Ben's book, but the CF7 help files were the best resource.

With that said, I now have my Advance CF7MX certification....what's that mean to me? Not much...maybe get a promotion to senior developer....we'll see. Oh..I get use the CF7MX adv icon on my website!

http://www.missiondesign.net/yikes/index.cfm/2006/11/21/Certified

So I guess you could follow up that logic with the statement that if you can't find and maintain a decent position as a CF programmer, then you probably don't meet the standard either.

And Silent - Don't pay too much attention to Arrdvark.

Unless you are on CF7 you won't be seeing application.cfc get used at all as it was a new feature.

It's a great new feature, and if you are on CF7 I would highly recommend using it.

>> The test is an accurate reflection of your ability to construct
>> professional
quality CF based applications. True or False?

False - passing this test does not mean you can build cf apps. The test is a
money spinner and not at all challenging enough. (as such, is not respected
much in the industry)


"tclaremont" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ekhs39$s8d$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> So Bob, would you say that your experience with the test so far is that
> your
> eventual score is unlikely to correlate to your actual ability to create
> and
> maintain effective ColdFusion applications?
>
> Since you did not know the answers to a lot of the questions, you are
> obviously not qualified or capable of constructing professional quality CF
> based applications. True or False?
>
> The test is an accurate reflection of your ability to construct
> professional
> quality CF based applications. True or False?
>
> See where we are going with this particular certification?
>

Test is easy - but by the sounds of it you aren't ready. I am amazed at how
you have managed to build anything for any clients but are confused by the
things on teh practice test. Must have been very simple and basic apps?

"SilentBob'secretfusion" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ekhp4r$onp$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I just downloaded the CFMX Exam Buster by Centrasoft
> ( http://www.centrasoft.com/) and gave it a try. I didn't know the answer
> to
> alot of the questions. Funny, I have developed application for huge
> clients
> (banks, military, etc) and have no idea how to answer most of these. Is
> this
> what the test is like?
>

>> None of the developers I know need a certificate to prove to
THEMSELVES that they have a certain level of understaing of ANYTHING.

What is your point? That you don't know any of these developers who take the
cert to prove to themselves they meet a minimum level of understanding? I
never said you knew any of them.

>> People who know their stuff prove it to themselves day in and day out.

Yes, in all sorts of different ways. For example, projects they work on and
certifications that they pursue to name but a few.

>> I don't need to PAY someone, so I can take THEIR test, so they can tell
>> ME
that I know my stuff.

There's a solution for that - don't take their test.



"tclaremont" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ekhop6$ocl$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Please... None of the developers I know need a certificate to prove to
> THEMSELVES that they have a certain level of understaing of ANYTHING.
>
> People who know their stuff prove it to themselves day in and day out. The
> certificate is to prove to OTHER people (employer / potential employer)
> that
> they know the product or technology in question.
>
> I don't need to PAY someone, so I can take THEIR test, so they can tell ME
> that I know my stuff.
>
> It is kind of like the Mensa society. You get to pay them so they can tell
> you
> how smart you are. Sounds like the opposite of intelligent to me.
>

Hi SilentBob,

These are real testimonials:
http://www.centrasoft.com/cfbtestimonials.cfm

There are some very recognizable names on that page, including dozens who
regularly post in these forums.

I think the exams in CFMX Exam Buster are pretty well representative of the
real exam, but I'm biased obviously, so I'd rather the testimonials page do
the real talking. I'm the author of CFMX Exam Buster.

As for not knowing certain aspects of the product which would be tested
upon, I guess that's the real point of CFMX Exam Buster. Help you in your
weak areas or areas you know nothing about. And sharpen your skills at
other areas you are familiar with.

You could spend a lifetime creating ColdFusion apps and never use Custom CF
Tags. Seriously, I've seen it done at some major companies. Does that mean
that custom tags should not be tested upon? Of course not. You can't
expect the exam to start off with "Hey tell me what you know, I'm gonna test
you on that". :)

I have seen many employers requiring (or at least asking for) the CF
certification when sifting thru job candidates. Does that mean all will or
that it means anything to the employer. Nope. But it's my opinion that I'd
rather have it than not have it, if I were interviewing. I.e. how does it
hurt you?

If you know your stuff, can answer interview questions intelligently, show
examples of your work, and show a certification from a credible company, how
can that possibly be a bad thing?

The MCSD .NET, MCDBA, MCSE, etc... exams from Microsoft are the same way.
Is it a money making industry? Of course. But that doesn't mean employers
won't put some weight into it.

2 candidates equal in skill (on paper) and all other aspects. One has the
certification, the other doesn't. Most pointy haired Dilbert-esque managers
will pick the one with the certification and use that as the justification.
Like it or not, it's life.

Just my $.02,
Brian

--
Brian Simmons
bsimmons@centrasoft.com
The ultimate ColdFusion MX 7.0 Certification testing tool:
Check out CFMX Exam Buster 7.0 at: http://centrasoft.com

"SilentBob'secretfusion" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ekhp4r$onp$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I just downloaded the CFMX Exam Buster by Centrasoft
> ( http://www.centrasoft.com/) and gave it a try. I didn't know the answer
> to
> alot of the questions. Funny, I have developed application for huge
> clients
> (banks, military, etc) and have no idea how to answer most of these. Is
> this
> what the test is like?
>

This is a reflection of the fact that CF is a tool. How you use the tool is completely up to you.

I have not used application.cfc either. Not on my employer's site anyway. Sure hope they don't find out...

I only progressed through about 5 or 6 questions are realized I am an idiot, yet I wondered how did I get all those customers to buy my work?

The first two questions regarding application.cfc. I have never used application.cfc... I have used application.cfm. For all I know .cfc wouldn't work.