Oracle DBA Exam: Test 3 and Test 4 is the only book available to help DBAs improve their chances of becoming certified. Covers all required topics, concepts, and terminology. Helps readers make use of the best study materials available with end-of-chapter resource sections. Features practice exam questions formatted like those encountered on the actual exam. Provides a special tear-out Cram Sheet with tips, acronyms, and memory joggers that readers can review just prior to taking an exam.
Response to reviewsThis book (second in a series) was not designed for the beginning DBA. In the authors opinion(I believe I speak for all four of us) you shouldn't be trying for a DBA certification until you've had at least 1-2 years experience in the trenches. Knowledge without the experience to use it properly is a dangerous thing.
This is not to say that this isn't a good book for beginners, as a study guide and touch point (a place to go to see if you understand a topic) it is excellent. Indeed, other than to provide a review source for a QUALIFIED DBA, the books secondary purpose is to help guide a beginning DBA towards Certification, not to provide everything a computer savy person off the street needs to know about Oracle.
As to not covering Oracle 8, we never said we did and never intended to. Once the full suite of Oracle 8 tests is released we will undoubtably update the series.
The ExamCram series is not intended to be the sole source for exam materials, it is intended as a "pocket" guide (more or less) and is limited by the publisher to less than 400 pages. Within this framework it is the best book to buy for this purpose.