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November 20, 2006
Question

coldfusion certification

  • November 20, 2006
  • 21 replies
  • 2085 views
Hi,

I am considering going for the coldfusion certification. Any recommendations on books to prep with? I have been using coldfusion since 4.0 days, however I am certain that this type of test is going to require some prep work.

Any suggestions?
    This topic has been closed for replies.

    21 replies

    Inspiring
    December 1, 2006
    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
    December 3, 2006
    I occassionally see this topic come up in this forum and it tends to get the same series of replies, but I'll put in my two cents.

    My thoughts are similar to Brian's, I think overall I think it's a good opportunity to expand your CF knowledge, the exam does have a few gotcha questions on tags and variables that you'd almost never use, but at the same time it does cover a broad series of topics which although you do development work day in and out you may have gotten used to coding a certain way and forgotten that there are other means of doing the same task. It'll also expose you to capabilities you might not have encountered or worked around because you weren't familiar with it. My point is that there is value in taking it from the developer's perspective.

    There's more to application development than just having code that works. The certification forces you to demonstrate a basic knowledge of CF. I've known plenty of developers like yourself who have done development and are very capable of building functional apps, but they still have trouble answering the questions from the CF cert. I was in the same category, because in CF there's more than one way to accomplish something and once you get a working method you can become set in your ways (which may not necessarily be the best way). If you're not even aware of the other methods how can you begin to assess what's best and applicable.

    From the employer's perspective I think it only gives you a slightly favorable advantage. There's a lot more to that equation like what type of experience do you have, what other languages and technologies do you know, etc... I think the issue of a cert would be one of the last few factors or maybe act as an initial filter sort of the way a college degree is a minimal requirement for some jobs.


    -Tim

    tclaremont
    Inspiring
    November 30, 2006
    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.
    Participating Frequently
    November 29, 2006
    And Silent - Don't pay too much attention to Arrdvark.
    Known Participant
    November 30, 2006
    quote:

    Originally posted by: Kevin Schmidt
    And Silent - Don't pay too much attention to Arrdvark.


    I won't. I kind of feel sorry for the guy, he seems very angry and bitter, he must have a very miserable life.

    tclaremont
    Inspiring
    December 1, 2006
    Hey Bob, you have a good job as a CF developer, but no certificate.

    Andy has the certificate, but no job as a CF developer.

    Kinda ironic, isn't it?

    Participating Frequently
    November 29, 2006
    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.
    Inspiring
    November 29, 2006
    >> 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?
    >


    Inspiring
    November 29, 2006
    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?
    >


    Known Participant
    November 29, 2006
    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?
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Wow... you really are full of yourself. You must get along well with others.

    I have never seen application.cfc used. I am sure many others haven't either.
    Inspiring
    November 29, 2006
    >> 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.
    >


    Inspiring
    November 29, 2006
    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?
    >


    tclaremont
    Inspiring
    November 28, 2006
    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...
    Known Participant
    November 28, 2006
    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.