MySQL 5.0 Certification FAQ

Q: When will MySQL 5.0 certifications be available?

A: All MySQL 5.0 certification exams are now available.

Q: What is MySQL Certification?

A: The MySQL Certification Program is a high quality certification program that provides developers and DBAs with the credentials to prove they have the knowledge, experience and skills to use and manage MySQL Server.

Q: What is the benefit of MySQL Certification?

A: MySQL Developer and DBA Certifications provide developers and DBAs with the following benefits:

• Better recognition of your skills. As a MySQL certified user you can expect many benefits because your skills have been confirmed by a neutral testing body.
• Get a better position. Certification gives you the "edge" when being considered for a promotion or other career opportunities. Receiving your certification shows you have the knowledge and skills to accept more responsibility.
• Establishes professional credentials. Certification stands out on your resume, serving as an impartial, third-party endorsement to your knowledge and experience.

Q: What are the certification levels?

A: There are two levels of certification in the MySQL AB Certification Program for MySQL 5.0:

• MySQL Developer Certification is proof that you know and are able to make use of all the features of MySQL that are needed to develop and maintain applications that use MySQL for back-end storage.
• The MySQL Database Administrator Certification attests that you know how to maintain and optimize an installation of one or more MySQL servers, and perform administrative tasks such as monitoring the server, making backups, and so forth.

Q: Exactly what versions of MySQL are targeted with the 5.0 exams?

A: The exam questions all presume that you are using a stock installation of a production version (i.e. 5.0.15 or higher), as downloaded from the MySQL web sites.

Q: How do I best prepare for the certification exams?

A: MySQL AB provides several training courses that prepare you for the MySQL 5.0 certificiation exams. The courses MySQL 5.0 for Developers and MySQL 5.0 for DBAs are both closely aligned with the contents of these exams. If you are upgrading a MySQL 4 exam, you should consider one of these classes, or perhaps the Upgrade and New Features class.

Q: Where can I best do self-study for the certification exams?

A: MySQL Press has published the MySQL Certification Study Guide for exactly this purpose. It is available from several on-line bookstores as well as in most bookstores in the world that specialize in literature for the technical field.

Q: Where will I be able to take certification exams?

A: Person VUE, who delivers MySQL AB exams, has more than 3.000 test centers world-wide. Use their test center locator to find one near you!.

Q: Both MySQL 5.0 Certification levels consist of 2 exams, e.g. DBA-I and DBA-II. What does "I" and "II" signify?

A: "I" and "II" refer to the fact that the two parts of the exam set consist of different subject matter. One should not be harder than the other, and you can take either exam before the other.

Q: The MySQL Certification Study Guide and earlier versions of the Certification Candidate Guide had references to the MySQL Query Browser and MySQL Administrator. I can't seem to find these listed in the latest version of the Candidate Guide?

A: For a number of technical reasons, Questions on the MySQL Query Browser and the MySQL Administrator do not appear on the final version of the MySQL 5.0 certification exams.

Q: What are the prerequisites for the MySQL 5.0 certification exams?

A: There are no formal prerequisites for taking MySQL 5.0 certification exams, although having some working experience is obviously needed.

Q: The MySQL 4 exams had the Core certification as a prerequisite for taking the Professional exam. Is there a similar relationship between the Developer and DBA certifications?

A: No. In the MySQL 5.0 exam structure, the Developer and DBA exams are considered separate career tracks.

Q: How many exams do I need to pass to attain a certification?

A: Each level of certification for the MySQL 5.0 certifications requires you to take two exams. The two exams for a particular certification may be taken in any order

Q: Can I bring the manual or other books to the exam?

A: The exams are designed to be "closed book" exams, so you will not need (or be allowed) to bring any materials with you to the exam

Q: If I don't know the answer to a question, is it better to guess, or should I leave it unanswered?

A: You do not get a "negative score" for wrongly answered questions. Thus, you should always attempt to answer a question.

Q: I passed my exam, and the Examination Result printout that I have received after the exam says "If you have met the passing score, you will receive your official certificate by mail." Is this true?

A: Candidates that take a MySQL Certification Exam at a VUE testing facility receive a printout of the exam result. Among other things, the printout contains the following text: If you have met the passing score, you will receive your official certificate by mail. This may be interpreted in such a way, that candidates that have the "Pass" grade on an exam will always receive a certificate. However, this is not always the case: The DBA and Developer certifications both consist of two exams, which must both be passed before a certificate is issued.

Q: When will I receive my certificate?

A: Your certificate will arrive by postal mail 4 to 6 weeks after you passed the exam. For Beta exams, the review process is quite a bit longer, so for these you will need to have a bit more patience.

Q: What do the exams cost?

A: All MySQL certification exams are offered at the local equivalent of US$200 / EUR 170^*.

Q: How do I stay updated on the latest MySQL certification developments?

A: Subscribe to the MySQL Certification mailing list to stay updated on the latest MySQL Certification developments. Send an e-mail to certification-subscribe@lists.mysql.com to subscribe.

^*Prices for all exams are subject to local currency conversion and any local taxes.