7 best cergtification for 2013

1. Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)

Early in January 2012, Microsoft reintroduced the MCSA and MCSE certifications. Though the acronym remained the same there were significant changes made to the certifications. The Microsoft Certified System Engineer is gone, replaced with the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate. The major change associated with this certification is focus on the breadth and depth of the technologies. The new Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) credential focuses on the ability to design and build technology solutions. The previous Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator certifications focused on specific job roles.
Currently there are five MCSA certifications: Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008, Windows 8, Windows 7, and SQL Server 2012. Each of these MCSA’s require several exams, such as the Windows 8 MCSA which requires two (70-687 and 70-688) and the MCSA SQL 2012 requires three (70-461, 70-462, and 70-463). One thing to keep in mind is that an MCSA certification is required for the new MCSE certifications.

2. Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)
This change in the emphasis of the certifications is especially apparent with the MCSE. As a holder of the new MCSE, you are expected to have a deep knowledge on a variety of technologies in addition to the primary one you have certified. The Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification focuses on the ability to design and build technology solutions, which may include integrating multiple technology products and span multiple versions of a single technology, whether on-premises or in the cloud. The previous Microsoft Certified System Engineer certifications focused on a specific job role. In order to earn your MCSE in most technologies, you must first earn an MCSA. For example, the MCSE: Messaging (Exchange 2013) requires that you earn your MCSA: Windows Server 2012 certification as well as pass the two required Exchange 2013 exams. The MCSA: Windows Server 2012 certification is required for six of the eight MCSE track certifications-so this certification will be in heavy demand as people who want to certify on the new technologies will also have to earn this certification as well. Currently there are eight MCSE certifications: Server Infrastructure, Desktop infrastructure, Private Cloud, Data Platform, Business Intelligence, Messaging, Communication, and SharePoint.
3. Cloud Certifications
To the Cloud – that is the mantra we hear these days. The increased use of cloud computing and storage by service providers has also increased the demand for IT professionals who can build (and secure) private cloud computing solutions using common technology platforms. Seems most of the major IT players have a Cloud solution to meet the needs of the smallest to some of the largest businesses out there. But which is the right “Cloud” certification? There are several certifications that germane to our discussion of cloud Certifications.
One of the more interesting cloud certifications is the one offered by CompTIA. The Cloud Essential certification from CompTIA is vendor-neutral. This certification was originally developed by ITpreneurs and the Cloud Credential Council. CloudSchool is another vendor-neutral certification entity dedicated “to excellence in the fields of cloud computing technology, architecture, security, governance and capacity”. Microsoft also has their MCSE: Private Cloud certification (one of their new MCSE’s-Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert). This certification demonstrates your expertise in managing and implementing Microsoft private cloud computing technologies using Windows Server and System Center technologies. VMware has five cloud certifications ranging from the VMware Certified Professional-Cloud (VCP-Cloud) to the VMware Certified Design Expert-Cloud (VCDX-Cloud).
4. CCIE Collaboration
The CCIE Collaboration is new from Cisco and is evolved from the ten-year old CCIE Voice certification. The CCIE Collaboration certification reflects advances in networked collaboration solutions which go beyond simple audio phone calls. Collaboration is unique in its potential to affect every workplace employee, business partner, and customer. No longer just a voice call or IM session, workplace collaboration now happens in real time within a variety of integrated applications. The new CCIE Collaboration certification will cover solutions for voice, video, IM, presence, and call centers. The CCIE Voice certification will be retired as of February 14, 2014. A current holder of the CCIE Voice designation will now be able to migrate to a CCIE Collaboration credential by taking the CCIE Collaboration written exam only.

5. CCNA Routing and Switching
Cisco Evolves Associate-Level Certifications, Redesigns CCNA to CCNA Routing and Switching Certification to Support Next-Generation Job Roles. The new CCNA Routing and Switching certification has been redesigned and updated with content to meet the demands of the changes of networking technology and business requirements. As more and varied devices and applications access the “the Internet of Everything” will soon wake up everything imaginable. As the network evolves and changes, becoming more sophisticated, the job roles of network engineers also continue to change.
6. CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP)
The new CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) certification is a vendor-neutral certification exam that validates competency in enterprise security; risk management; research and analysis; and integration of computing, communications, and business disciplines. While there aren’t any “official” pre-requisites, this certification is aimed at security professionals who have at least ten years of experience in IT administration with at least five years of hands-on technical security experience. It is expected that candidates for this exam have earned their Security+ certification (though not required). The CASP exam covers a broad range of material and if you are attempting this exam than you should have technical knowledge and skills to conceptualize, design, and engineer secure solutions across complex enterprise environments. You should also be able to apply critical thinking and judgment across a broad spectrum of security disciplines as well as propose and implement solutions that map to enterprise drivers.
7. Certified Ethical Hacker v8 (CEH v8)

EC-Council recently released the Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH) v8 certification. This new certification has been designed to provide invaluable training for security professionals and organizations. The CEH v8 certification is in heavy demand by organizations and governments (the CEH is required for some US Military and governmental security jobs). Much of this course is hands-on, using the same tools and techniques that those who may attack your networks would implement. In many cases, you will scan and hack your own systems in order to see the affects these have on a working system. What makes this a unique and valuable certification is the focus of the certification. EC-Council recently earned the ANSI 10024 – the first time that a US based accreditation body has performed and certified an entity outside North America.

http://www.computerdealernews.com/news/the-seven-hottest-tech-certifications/27225

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Glo Datacenter Facility

National Telecoms Operator, Globacom has set up a world-class Internet Data Centre in Lagos to provide co-location services, disaster recovery and dedicated hosting facilities to corporate clients in Nigeria and West Africa.
The company has also announced plans to expand its existing data management platform by building another data centre  that will be Nigeria’s Largest Iconic Data Center, providing Tier 3  and Tier 4 enterprise data services from Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
The new data centre will provide network-based services, applications, equipment and Cloud Services in a highly safe and secure environment with back-ups.
According to Globacom’s Corporate Chief Information Officer (Information Systems), Mr. Cesar Camara, most of the websites and servers of various Nigerian organisations are hosted elsewhere across the world in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America due to unreliable power supply, insecurity and other challenges.
“This is why Globacom has stepped in to become one of the top players in the Managed Services Industry across Nigeria & West Africa. We are leveraging  on our existing telecoms infrastructure, Glo1 Submarine cable, reliable power supply network, experienced manpower and experience in building State-of-the-art technologies for our existing voice and data telephony  services,” he told journalists while conducting them round the Glo Data Centre in Lagos. .
Data Centres, especially the Tier 3 and Tier 4 categories, which provide the highest level of failure proof, redundant, secure and safe environment, fault tolerance, compartmentalization and continuous cooling, are highly valued by most organizations because all mission-critical/real-time applications today depend on server uptime

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Last Call for CompTIA A+ 700 Series Exams

If you trained for the CompTIA A+ 701 and 702 exam objectives, but haven't yet actually taken the exams, you need to register soon with Pearson VUE because CompTIA will retire the 700 series exams (in English) on Aug. 31. All other language versions will retire Dec. 31.
After that, students will only be able to become CompTIA A+ certified by taking the 800 series exams, which cover new technologies and include performance-based questions. You can compare the differences in the exams by downloading the exam objectives.
"If you've been studying toward the 700 series, you'll want to hurry and take it before Aug. 31," said Carol Balkcom, CompTIA director of product management.
Anyone taking the CompTIA A+ 700 series certification exams before Aug. 31 should start prepping now, trainers say. New Horizons CLC – Great Lakes held its last classes for the CompTIA A+ 701 and the 702 exams in October, transitioning quickly into the 800 series in November. But because the company is also an official Pearson VUE testing center, Career Services Coordinator Sue Ann Law expects some self-study candidates will come in to take the 700 series exams.
Law's test-prep rule of thumb is that students need a minimum of one month to prepare for an exam. "Given that there are two exams (the 701 and 702), June would definitely be my cut off for starting to prepare," she said.
CompTIA's authorized training partners will be reaching out to former CompTIA A+ 700 series students—via emails and webinars, for example—to remind candidates of the Aug. 31 deadline.
At New Horizons of Austin, a division of CompTIA partner 5 Point Enterprises, account executives are working with corporate and government customers to make sure former students take the 700 series exams before Aug. 31. "If necessary, a mentor will work one on one, in person or virtually with a student if they are struggling in a particular area," said James Cox, vice president of sales. "We'll do everything we can, down to meeting every single student one-on-one to make sure they are prepared to take that exam on time."

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Getting Certified In LPIC-1

Introducing the LPIC-1 Junior level Linux Certification
The Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) is a program which is designed to certify the competency and skills of the IT professionals in maintaining the Linux operating system. This professional certification program is divided into three levels. And the first and the basic level is the LPIC-1. This is actually called as the junior level Linux certification, and the first step in attaining the LPIC professional certification. This is the first IT certification; which is professionally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)
The skills required for LPIC-1 certification
In order to get this junior level certification the IT professionals must possess the following skills:

• In order to get this junior level certification the IT professionals must possess the following skills:
• The candidate must know to work at the Linux command line
• The candidate must be able to perform the Linux system maintenance tasks like backup and restore, reboot and shutdown, help the users, can add users to a large system etc.
• The candidate should know how to install and configure a work station and then connect the workstation to a LAN.

The required exams for getting the LPIC-1 certification


In order to get this junior level certification the IT Professionals have to pass two exams, the first one is Exam 117-101 and the other is Exam 117-102. These two exams are the only way to get certified in the LPIC-1 certification. The detailed description of both these exams has been mentioned on 
1) The Exam 117-101
The exam 117-101 is the exam code for the first paper required in the LPIC-1. This exam actually covers the simple and basic topics of the Linux operating system. But as per the course, following topics are being covered in the 117-101 Exam Questions.

• The System architecture
• The installation and package management of Linux
• The GNU and the UNIX commands
• The devices, Linux files systems and the file system hierarchy standard

There are total 60 numbers of questions in this paper and the candidates have to solve the paper in 90 minutes. No extra time will be allotted to the candidates.

1) The Exam-117-102
117-102 Test Questions is the second required paper in attaining the LPIC-1 certification. This exam also covers the basic concepts involved in using the Linux operating system. The main topics covered in this paper are as follows:

• The user interfaces and desktops
• Administrative tasks
• Network fundamentals
• Security
• Essential system services
• Shells, scripting and data management

This paper also consists of 60 questions that need to be solved in 90 minutes time.

The registration and scheduling procedure for the Exam 117-101 and exam 117-102
The candidates can get themselves registered for both these exams through Pearson VUE. The scheduling of the exams and locating the test center can also be done by visiting the Pearson VUE website.
Preparation materials for the Exam 117-101 and Exam 117-102
The LPIC provides the candidates with the helping materials, books and some online resources that would be helpful for the candidates to be prepared for both these exams.
cheers

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certified oracle training partners in nigeria

 

Total Technology Consultants Limited

4 God’s Grace, 5 Waterworks Road, Rumuola
Rivers State
Nigeria

Port Harcourt
Africa Operations

Phone: +234 8037100284

Infographics

8 Oduduwa way, Off Isaac John Street. Gra – Ikeja,Nigeria

Lagos
Africa Operations

Phone: +234 8023374835

DataEdge Systems

5 Sunday Adigun Street

Lagos
Africa Operations

Phone: +234 8033234869

Counterhouse Consultants Ltd.

Suite 16, Motorways Centre, Opposite 7Up Bottling Co. Plc.
Old Lagos-Ibadan Toll Gate, Alausa, Ikeja

Lagos
Africa Operations

Phone: +234 8028285451


E-mail: training@counterhouseconsultants.com
Website: www.counterhouseconsultants.com

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Beta Testing Begins for New Oracle Database Cloud Administrator Certifications

Oracle Certification begins beta testing this week for two new upcoming certifications - the Oracle Certified Professional, Database Cloud Administrator (OCP) and the Oracle Certified Master (OCM).

Beta participation is by invitation (only) to those who currently hold the following certifications:
1) Either the "Oracle Database 11g Administrator" Certified Professional (OCP) or Certified Master (OCM) certification,

-AND-

2) Either the "Oracle Certified Expert, Oracle Real Application Clusters 11g and Grid Infrastructure Administrator" (OCE) or the "Oracle Certified Expert, Oracle Exadata X3 Administration" (OCE).
You should have received a beta invitation by email if you hold these certifications. If you have not, please contact Oracle Certification Support.

Watch for more news and updates on this certification as we conclude beta testing.

 

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Oracle Fusion Distributed Order Orchestration 11g Certified Implementation Specialist

The "Oracle Fusion Financials 11g Accounts Receivable Certified Implementation Specialist" certification is designed for implementation consultants who possess a strong foundation and expertise implementing and configuring the Fusion Accounts Receivable application. This certification measures key knowledge and skills in areas such as Receivables, Billing and Revenue Management, Collections, and Receipt Management. This certification differentiates candidates in the marketplace by providing a competitive edge through proven expertise. Up-to-date training and field experience are recommended.read more on oracle.com
https://blogs.oracle.com/certification/entry/0887_04

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Nigeria has only 3,500 insurance professionals’

Insurance 

Nigeria has only 3,500 insurance professionals out of a population of over 160 million, the new President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria Mr Fatai Lawal has said.
Describing the figure has poor, Lawal said the only way the industry can get insurance to penetrate every nook and cranny of the country is to get more people involved as crusaders and vanguards.
Lawal, who made known his agenda in Lagos spoke on Promoting insurance education in Nigeria.
He said the industry can only create the necessary awareness when people are educated on the subject.
According to him, the less than optimal financial literacy in Nigeria is at the cause of poor patronage of financial services, adding that insurance is one of the most affected in the sector.
On his agenda, he said: “During my tenure, we shall focus attention on the empowerment of selected institutions offering insurance programmes to enhance their capacity to offer quality education and reinforcement of activities at the College of Insurance and Financial Management.
Others, he said, include: “Strengthening the professional qualification of the institute for global relevance, completion of the restructuring of the institute’s secretariat to enhance its service delivery, greater attention to funding and prudent management of the institute’s resources, resolution of the Victoria Island Building Project and promotion of the Insurance Industry Consultative Forum.
He explained that there would be efforts at expanding the capacity of institutions offering insurance.
“These institutions will be accredited by the CIIN based on their capacity to deliver quality insurance education. The institute will support these institutions in books, infrastructure, scholarship, and exposure to international seminars to ensure access to latest information about insurance.
“Luckily, in recent time, the Federal Government has approved insurance as a subject in secondary schools. The institute will provide the necessary support for the Ministry of Education to actualise the scheme one of which will be in the area of production of text books for this course and provision of training facilities for insurance teachers.
Lawal stressed that the professional examination of the institute is the hallmark of its activities.
He further said the institute has conducted the examination over the years, producing associates and fellows that are unquestionable in skills and character.
He noted that the institute needs to move a step further by ensuring that its associates could trade their certificates for the well-known Associateship Diploma of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London, even if it means just writing one paper, adding the on-going discussions with the CII London would be pursued to a logical end.
“It would interest you to know that CIIN is the only professional body conducting insurance examinations in the whole of Africa except South Africa. We should be a centre that others can log on to. Because we had always thought that our certificate is needed only in Nigeria, we have not been able to explore this viable option and a gaping opportunity to expand our horizon.
“The point also needs to be made that because of globalisation, the institute should be able to give its qualifiers the freedom to move around anywhere in the world and, I think this is good for every professional with his or her bidding.

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Providers find value in vendor-specific cloud certifications

When it comes to ensuring the integrity of cloud services, third-party groups have attempted to improve consumer confidence with various certifications for service providers. And while other organizations independently validate providers' promises of secure data and consistent protection, some cloud providers are going even further by certifying their technical expertise as well.
Serving as more than just a validation of the baseline security of a provider's cloud services environment, vendor-specific certification programs enable providers to distinguish their services with an endorsement of their expertise. Whether it's a partnership with Citrix, a silver competency from Microsoft or a certification from Red Hat, a vendor's seal of approval is designed to indicate a cloud provider offers reliable services and support.
"The vendor-specific certifications are extremely important," says Charles Weaver, CEO of the MSPAlliance, an industry association and accrediting body for cloud providers and managed service providers (MSPs). His organization focuses on certifying providers with its vendor-neutral credentials, including MSPAlliance's Unified Certification Standard, to assess such facets as a provider's physical security, data privacy and service-level agreements. But Weaver believes that vendors' certifications offer something distinct.
"They provide visibility perhaps better than any other type of certification could about the provider's capabilities and expertise in that technology," he says.

Cloud providers see benefits of vendor certifications

For Datapipe, a cloud provider and MSP in Jersey City, N.J., a vendor's certification represents a confirmation of its capabilities that can boost user confidence and improve the company's visibility.

I am sure that [our Microsoft certifications] helped us and helped when talking to new potential customers. Tudor Ciuleanu, Imprezzio Global

Ed Laczynski, Datapipe's senior vice president of cloud services, says the provider has obtained certifications from VMware, Citrix, Microsoft and Oracle, among others.
"They're all important to us," he says. "We pursue them because we have a very unique value proposition, where we are supporting customers in heterogeneous hybrid IT environments, everything from cloud to managed services to colocation and security. … We find that when we partner with the vendors that our customers are using and that we use to deliver [services], that we drive a lot of value to our customers, we grow our business and we get more exposure in the marketplace."
This kind of exposure was a major driver for Imprezzio Global, a European subsidiary of the Spokane, Wash., software development company Imprezzio Inc., with offerings that include Software as a Service and cloud-based applications for the enterprise. Earning silver competencies from Microsoft meant a place in the vendor's Pinpoint partner directory, which Imprezzio's Managing Director Tudor Ciuleanu explains was one of the most important factors in the move to get certified.
"I am sure that it helped us and helped when talking to new potential customers," he says. "This is an advantage since they trust our company more. We also had a few companies contacting us from Pinpoint."
Earning those Microsoft certifications also provided Imprezzio access to internal use licenses, press materials, discounts, product support and advisory services. The perks get better for providers in the upper tiers of certification -- silver and gold, in the case of Microsoft's classifications.
Imprezzio's three silver competencies -- which it expects to upgrade to gold soon for more visibility among Microsoft partners -- certify its status as a midmarket solution provider with expertise in application development and Microsoft SQL. Achieving those credentials required that members of the Imprezzio team get individually certified and that the company pass licensing overview as well as sales and marketing assessments. Testimonials from customers and the payment of a membership fee round out the list of requirements.
Microsoft's certification criteria have much in common with other vendors' programs, including the standards for membership in the three-tiered partnership program Red Hat offers. Marketing tools, community involvement and technological support come at the basic Ready partner level and expand for providers certified as Advanced, with the full suite of perks available at the Premier level.
Depending on the partner status they seek, providers looking to receive the benefits must have a minimum number of trained people in sales and IT, an approved business plan and positive customer feedback, among other achievements.

Vendor certification programs rigorous for a reason

Jane Circle, Red Hat's principal product marketing manager, says the technical baselines are the most rigorous: "We must ensure that they can actually produce a Red Hat Enterprise Linux image the same as if a customer were to buy Red Hat Enterprise Linux directly from Red Hat."
Red Hat is among the vendors continuously looking to expand its network of certified partners, adding new partners every month in an effort to further its own visibility and sales. Maintaining rigorous technical, business and operational baselines may limit the number of partners, but Circle points out that ensuring the security and quality of their services is a crucial priority.

The whole idea of a certification program is to provide consistency to our end customers at large. Jane Circle, principal product marketing manager, Red Hat

"The point is that when we work with our cloud providers, we want our end customers to have a service level that is pretty much in agreement with what they would get from Red Hat," she says. "The whole idea of a certification program is to provide consistency to our end customers at large."
Vendors have to hold potential partners to high standards or risk having a glut of overcertified, underqualified providers representing their brand.
"We are in talks with a lot of vendors who, in their channel recruitment programs, are facing great difficulty in finding qualified service providers who understand not only how to use the technology, but [also] how to be a good service provider," Weaver says. "And they've said, 'Look, we need a way to identify good, qualified service providers before we let them into our programs,' because for the vendor it's a great risk. It's a lot of resources that they're going to put in, and they want to make sure they're only working with the best and most qualified."
But the rigid requirements protect certified providers as well. And for uncertified providers already meeting the vendor's standards, getting the additional the stamp of approval is a valuable and visible recognition of their skill in terms that enterprise users in particular find relatable and credible.
Datapipe's Laczynski says certification programs are important to IT buyers.
"[Certifications] help us talk about our value proposition and allow us to show -- in the same language that [enterprise customers] use, in terms of the specific locations and infrastructure they're using -- how we add value," he explains.

Vendor certifications fit into a broader framework of evaluation

The sales requirements for many certification programs aren't usually an issue for Datapipe, as it has often met those goals already as part of its own business strategy.

More on cloud certifications and skills

Find out what training programs the top cloud providers offer
How is cloud computing affecting service provider IT jobs?
Work for a provider? You need cloud skills on your resume

"We have a really reliable and loyal customer base, so typically we've already qualified for all the revenue targets or use targets that these various vendors have," Laczynski says.
Considering their potential to undermine the neutrality of the certification process, these sales qualifications cause some concern for Weaver. Nevertheless, he believes "they've largely gone away."
Another potential challenge is that vendor certifications only go so far, Weaver says. These programs may validate a provider's mastery of a particular technology, but they don't necessarily guarantee a provider's "larger duty of protecting data for the client," he explains.
"As good as [vendor-specific certifications] are, they have a precise purpose, and they shouldn't be viewed as simply an excuse not to get any other certifications," Weaver says. "A truly independent audit is needed because there are things that have nothing to do with technical expertise that greatly impact the service provider's capability to deliver their services."

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The Latest Threat To Oracle's Database Empire

The biggest companies in the world keep their most valuable data in Oracle databases. But there's a new kind of database, known as noSQL, that has slowly become a threat. noSQL began life as a supplement to a traditional "SQL" database, handling the kinds of things that SQL didn't do well. It works with messy data and can be spread across multiple, cheap servers.
SQL likes its data clean and labeled and all in one place, requiring expensive, big servers. That's one reason Oracle bought Sun Microsystems and got into the hardware business.
Until recently, makers of noSQL databases said their tech didn't really compete with Oracle's because it fits different needs. "Traditional relational databases are not going to go away," Dwight Merriman, cofounder of the noSQL company 10gen told Business Insider in November. 10gen makes a popular noSQL database called MongoDB.
Now 10gen's competitor, Jonathan Ellis, is challenging that perception. Ellis runs the free and open source noSQL project Cassandra,  part of the Apache Foundation, the keeper of many open source projects. Ellis is also cofounder of DataStax, which provides commercial support for Cassandra users.
DataStax is flagrantly billing itself as an alternative to Oracle. Its website declares "Flocks of enterprises migrating away from Oracle to DataStax."
When asked by Infoworld's Paul Krill if Oracle should fear Cassandra, Ellis brazenly answered, "Yes." He says it's "getting hard to count" the number of companies yanking out Oracle for Cassandra.
He names Netflix, Openwave and Ooyala as examples.
We doubt that the mighty Oracle is quaking in its boots yet. Oracle commanded 48% of the database market as of 2012, according to Gartner.
But data from DB-engines.com shows that at least one noSQL database, MongoDB, is among the Top 10 most popular databases and that its popularity is rising, while Oracle's declines.

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Library to offer practice SAT exam

According to www.kaptest.com, “The SAT is a nationally administered, standardized test used by many U.S. colleges and universities to assess applicants’ readiness for college. The majority of competitive U.S. colleges and universities require students to submit a score from either the SAT or the ACT (the other nationally administered, standardized college admissions test) as part of their application; all colleges that require a standardized test score will accept either. (About 60% of Kaplan students take both tests, to see which they’ll perform better on.) Comprised of three scored sections (Critical Reading, Math and Writing) and an unscored experimental section, the SAT includes multiple-choice questions, student-calculated questions (math) and a written essay question. Scoring range is from 600 to 2400; less than 0.02% of the SAT’s nearly 1.7 million test takers earn a perfect 2400 score. Generally, students will take the SAT in the spring of their junior year, which allows them enough time to re-take the test during the fall of their senior year if they are not satisfied with their score.”

Library Youth Coordinator Thomas Shalin said the practice test is one of several collaborations between Kaplan and the library.

“It’s a great opportunity for those looking to get ahead who are taking the test next year,” Shalin said.

According to www.kaptest.com, “As the world leader in test prep, Kaplan Test Prep annually prepares hundreds of thousands of students for high-stakes admissions and professional licensing exams including the SAT, ACT, PSAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, NCLEX-RN, USMLE, MBE and state specific portions of the bar exam. Unrivaled experience dating back to 1938, extensive test expertise and ongoing interaction with a high volume of students gives Kaplan unparalleled insight into a range of relevant topics.”

Read more: The Daily Tribune News - Library to offer practice SAT exam

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On the GRE, changing answers helps

Graduate students who have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), probably would not say that it was easy. However, in 2011, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) made changes to the assessment, (now referred to as the GRE revised General Test),  that made it more test-taker friendly.

The ability to "mark and review" questions on the revamped GRE is among the features that make it more convenient for test takers. According to ETS' Web site, individuals can skip questions they struggle with and return to them later on, time permitting.

Based on the results of a study into the benefits of this feature, ETS officials have found that being able to skip and return to questions can actually boost individuals' scores. These findings, which were featured in an ETS press release, show that test takers may want to rethink trusting their first instinct when answering GRE questions.

"The results of this study disprove the fallacy that the first instinct is always correct when answering multiple-choice questions," said Lydia Liu, a senior research scientist at ETS. "Few people know that for about 80 years, research in this area has indicated the benefit of conscientious answer changing, yet the myth persists. It is important that students know that the research supports response changing when there is a good reason for doing so."

To arrive at this conclusion, ETS officials surveyed nearly 2,000 test takers regarding their approaches to answering questions on the GRE. What they found was individuals were able to increase their scores when they went back and changed their original answers to certain questions.

The GRE revised General Test's features provide prospective graduate students with clear benefits. Individuals should do what they can to ensure they are prepared to tackle this assessment and take full advantage of the chance to skip and return to questions if they get stuck.

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GMAT Verbal Mastery

For some typical math geeks, for some non-native English speakers, and for assorted others, the challenges of the GMAT Verbal section can seem like a nightmare.  Suppose you are so daunted by these challenges that you would be willing to exert any effort, take any risk, even sacrifice a virgin to any god who would deign to help you.  Even if it were your life-goal to excel on the GMAT Verbal section what concrete steps would you take?  Well, first of all, be advised that, outside of some of the boroughs of New York City, most municipalities frown on outright human sacrifice, and more importantly, the demonstrable effects of such sacrifices on GMAT performance are, admittedly, unclear at best.
In practical terms, one might think a profitable course of action would be to practice every single GMAT Verbal practice question on which one could lay one's hands.  Practice most certainly is helpful, but an admonition is in order here.  Focus on quality, not quantity.  You see, most GMAT practice math questions, even if they are not excellent, are at least acceptable.  It's relatively hard to write a truly atrocious GMAT math question.  By contrast, it's astonishingly easy to write a truly abysmal GMAT verbal question, and not surprisingly, the web is simply littered with GMAT practice verbal questions of truly abominable quality.   Caveat emptor.  It is well worth your while to check out the very best GMAT books, because if you don't check the quality of the source first, you may well spend your time banging your head against some idiocy that won't help you at all! 
Some folks think that they need to make a huge push in studying vocabulary, but that's not really the case.  The GRE, the test for poets and literary critics --- that's the test that employs extraordinarily recondite vocabulary.  For the GMAT, you do need to know basic Economics 101 vocab --- profit, cost, resources, interest, etc. --- but beyond that, you do not need to make a particular push to master vocabulary.
If the GRE Verbal is a test of words, the GMAT Verbal is a test of sentences.   How are you going to get a large number of complex, well-crafted sentences to pass before your eyes?  I have a magic one-word piece of advice: read.  Read every single day, over and above any of your GMAT practice.   Read academic books and articles, especially ones well outside of your field of expertise.  Articles in the NY Times and Atlantic Monthly are also great.  I highly recommend both the Wall Street Journal and the Economist magazine --- and, by the way, if an MBA is in your plans, it's utterly beyond me why you already wouldn't be reading these two crucial publications every day!  
For what are you reading?  Think of this reading as a three-fold task.  First of all, of course, you just want to understand what is being said, what the text is trying to communicate.  Practice extracting the "main idea", the "main point" of anything you read.  Someone had to spend a great deal of time putting those words together, and if the writing appears in any of those publications, it means someone else paid them a healthy chunk of change for those words.  What's the big deal?  Why is this in print in the first place?
Your second focus while reading, not wholly distinct from the first: play attention to arguments.  Opinion pieces are particularly good for this, and sometimes even advertisements can be used for this.  Is there anything controversial, or debatable, of which the author is trying to convince you?  If so, how does the author make that argument?  What evidence is cited? What assumptions are made?  What can you infer? What additional information would allow you to evaluate the validity of the argument?  Keep your eyes open for any time someone makes an argument to you in any context, and be ready to bring this full set of analytical skills to bear. 
Finally, when you read, pay attention to grammar.  What are the nouns and verbs?  What phrases and clause are used?  What modifiers are used, and what do they modify?  Can you identify the antecedent of every pronoun?  Is everything said as directly, unambiguously, and effectively as it could?  (In most of the above publications, the answer almost invariably would be "yes"!)  A good GMAT source will acquaint you with the guidelines of GMAT grammar --- as you learn and practice those grammatical forms in your GMAT practice, also keep your eyes open for where these forms appear among everything you are reading.
As the astute reader probably realized, these "three modes" of reading are designed, quite specifically, to prepare you the three types of GMAT Verbal questions.  Read every day with these foci, learn about the complexity of the world, and almost inadvertently, you will be well on your way to GMAT mastery. 
This post was written by Mike McGarry, resident GMAT expert at Magoosh. For more advice on taking the GMAT, check out Magoosh’s GMAT blog.

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FREE VCE READER

here are some links to download cracked free vce without filling any form or taking surveys
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ORACLE DUMPS FOR ALMOST FREE

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CIW CERTIFICATION AND DUMPS

Started in 1997, CIW has become the most popular vendor-neutral Web technology education program in the world.
Built for the Web industry by the Web industry, CIW courses and certifications are designed using leading technological standards, rather than any one specific software or hardware vendor. Some educators integrate CIW certification exams into their own curriculum by enabling students to conclude their coursework with a CIW certification. Others use Official CIW Curriculum for their courses, which can include ILT courseware, online supplements, practice exams and even virtual labs.
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CISSP® DEVELOPS A NEW CERTIFICATION:Expert-Level Cyber Forensics Certification

The world's largest not-for-profit information security professional body and administrators of the CISSP® and CSSLP®, today announced it has developed a new certification, the Certified Cyber Forensics Professional (CCFPSM), as the first global standard for assessing experienced digital forensics professionals' mastery and professionalism. The credential, initially available for the U.S. and South Korea beginning September 25, 2013, is designed to provide digital forensics employers and the legal community with validation that a digital forensics professional can lead digital investigations that yield complete, accurate and reliable results.
The CCFP spans the digital forensics and information security disciplines. It reflects internationally accepted standards of practice, forensic techniques and procedures and the legal and ethical principles required of digital forensics professionals. The CCFP will provide employers with an objective measure of the kind of broad-based, but deep knowledge required of today's experienced cyber forensics professionals.
As with all its credentials, (ISC)&sup2; conducted a job task analysis (JTA) study and exam development workshops to determine the scope and content of the CCFP credential programme. Subject matter experts from the (ISC)&sup2; membership and organisations from Africa, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States contributed to develop the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK®) that serves as the foundation for the credential, as well as the exam questions.
The CCFP provides multiple benefits to experienced cyber forensics professionals and to the organisations that employ them. For professionals, CCFP certification helps them to:

• Validate and enhance their standing as advanced cyber forensics professionals with a comprehensive, credible certification;
• Instill employer confidence in their abilities and expand career opportunities with a credential that confirms their current expertise as well as their capacity to grow and evolve with the forensics industry;
• Perform international forensics investigations, knowing that their CCFP counterparts in other countries will be using a common globally recognised body of knowledge; and
• Pursue ongoing education covering the latest advances in digital forensics science through the (ISC)&sup2; periodic recertification process.

For organisations, the CCFP offers:

• Confidence that their team has the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct forensically sound and accurate investigations and serve as undisputed experts in courts of law;
• An inherent screening tool and standardised measure of qualification to advance their digital forensics teams by hiring and promoting the most qualified professionals;
• Increased organisational integrity, credibility in the eyes of clients/stakeholders; and
• Peace of mind that their cyber forensics team is committed and capable of progressing with the forensics field through the CCFP's necessary Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements.

"Digital forensics professionals are becoming more and more essential to the security posture of any organisation," said W. Hord Tipton, CISSP-ISSEP, CAP, CISA, executive director of (ISC)&sup2;. "The CCFP is a comprehensive, expert-level programme that fills a significant void in the digital forensics certification market by validating the depth of senior-level professionals' experience and expertise. It assures credential holders have the necessary breadth and depth of knowledge and thinking skills needed to address today's complex cyber forensic challenges."
"Today, cyber forensics is a discipline in its own right, with its requirement now essential across the digital landscape, including mobile. Given the international nature of cybercrime, it is vital that sound and commonly understood principles in the field be established, that these encompass the entire forensic process - right from discovering and handling evidence to keeping records in a manner that meets the needs of business, law enforcement and legal communities, and that these principles can be understood across borders," said John Colley, managing director for (ISC)&sup2; EMEA. "The forensics professional must also be cognizant of laws and rules for evidence handling within the jurisdictions in which they operate. The CCFP has been developed to support both requirements."
Availability and Eligibility
To attain the CCFP, applicants must hold a four-year degree leading to a Baccalaureate, or regional equivalent and have at least three years of full-time, professional experience in digital forensics or IT security in three out of the six domains of the credential. Those not holding a degree must have six years of full-time digital forensics or IT security work experience in three out of the six domains of the credential OR an alternate forensics certification approved by the (ISC)&sup2; and five years of full-time digital forensics or IT security experience in three out of the six domains of the credential. All candidates must be able to demonstrate capabilities in each of the six CBK domains:

• Legal & Ethical Principles
• Investigations
• Forensic Science
• Digital Forensics
• Application Forensics
• Hybrid & Emerging Technologies

Candidates may find more information about CCFP, download the exam outline and register for the exam at https://www.isc2.org/ccfp.
Glenn S. Dardick, director of the Association for Digital Forensics, Security and Law (ADFSL), commented, "Today, it would seem obvious that it is no longer a question of if, but when a system or network will be breached. The severity and implications of such breaches - scope, financial, legal, etc. - may well rely not only on how well the risks have been mitigated, but on how well the resulting costs have been minimised. While protecting the systems and networks have traditionally been viewed as the domain of information systems security, the incident response costs have often depended on the domain of cyber forensics and the ability to determine the cause and extent of such breaches. The domains of information systems security and cyber forensics have long overlapped and have now become interdependent in that they are most effective when professionals are knowledgeable and certified to be proficient in both of those domains."

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Red Hat Certified Cloud Partner Program Continues

The world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that Acxiom, NewLease, and Verizon Terremark have joined the Red Hat Certified Cloud Provider program, continuing global momentum for Red Hat's open hybrid cloud solutions. The Red Hat Certified Cloud Provider program is for tested, proven solutions that extend the functionality of Red Hat's open hybrid cloud solutions. The addition of Acxiom, NewLease, and Verizon Terremark as Certified Cloud Providers demonstrates Red Hat's ongoing commitment to deliver open hybrid cloud solutions that drive business value for customers. 

Launched in 2009, the Red Hat Certified Cloud Provider Program assembles the solutions cloud providers need to plan, build, manage and offer hosted cloud solutions and Red Hat technologies to customers. A Red Hat Certified Cloud Provider offers a trusted destination for Red Hat customers, independent software vendors (ISVs), and partners to benefit from Red Hat offerings in public clouds under innovative consumption and service models delivered by the cloud providers. The Certified Cloud Provider designation is awarded to Red Hat partners following rigorous validation by Red Hat. Each provider meets testing and certification requirements to demonstrate that they can deliver a safe, scalable, supported and consistent environment for enterprise cloud deployments. The Red Hat Certified Cloud Provider program provides customers, ISVs, and partners with the confidence that Red Hat product experts have validated the solution so that implementations begin with a solid foundation. 

Red Hat Certified Cloud Providers offer Red Hat products on their clouds, as well as use Red Hat technologies to build and manage secure clouds. With resources from these, and other, Red Hat Certified Clouds, enterprises are able to do real work in the cloud today. Users and partners of Red Hat solutions via Certified Cloud Providers cross multiple industries, including manufacturing, financial services, consumer services, healthcare, media and entertainment and public sector organizations.

New Red Hat Certified Cloud Providers include:

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GMAT Tip: You Can't Always Get What You Want

This tip on improving your GMAT score was provided by Brian Galvin at Veritas Prep.
A common frustration among GMAT examinees is that the questions they see on test day “don’t look like” the questions they practiced, even those from the Official Guide for GMAT Review and other official GMAC-produced study materials. They’ve memorized formulas and problem structures for rates, triangles, averages, Venn diagrams—you name it—but many of the questions don’t lend themselves to the recitation of their notes and flash cards. Which reveals a secret:
The GMAT isn’t a content-based exam that tests “what you know,” but rather a reasoning-based test that uses that content to see “how you think.” In other words—let’s use Mick Jagger’s—you can’t always get what you want (a question that closely replicates one you’ve practiced a dozen times) but if you try, you’ll find you get what you need to solve the problem.
Which essentially means this: If you go into the GMAT having memorized the D = RT rate/distance/time formula and nothing else, you’ll struggle on rate problems that are above-average in difficulty. But if you use what you know about rates to “take what the test gives you” and leverage that to solve problems, you’ll likely be able to find what you need to get to a correct answer. Consider this problem:
A factory has three types of machines—the XS, the LS, and the RT—and each type of machine works at its own constant rate. If six XS machines and 13 LS machines can produce 140 widgets in an hour, and if seven XS machines and 13 RT machines can produce 120 widgets in an hour, how many hours will it take for a group of one XS, one LS, and one RT working together to produce 100 widgets?
(A) 3
(B) 5
(C) 7
(D) 9
(E) 13
While this problem may not look like a typical rate problem, the math required to solve it isn’t all that difficult. It’s much more a reasoning problem that hinges on conceptual knowledge of rates. If you remember that rates are additive (if I can produce two units an hour and you can produce three, together we produce five units an hour) and notice the similarities in the numbers, you have a good shot at recognizing that:
13 (Rate LS) + 6 (Rate XS) = 140 widgets / 1 hour
13 (Rate RT) + 7 (Rate XS) = 120 widgets / 1 hour
If you could find a way to add the 6 XS in the first equation with the 7 XS in the second, you’d have 13 of each—which brings up an algebra rule that you can add together equations. So you can combine both equations to get:
13 (Rate LS) + 13 (Rate RT) + 13 (Rate XS) = 260 widgets / 1 hour
And since you want the combination of one of each machine, you can then divide everything by 13 to get:
Rate LS + Rate RT + Rate XS = 20 widgets / 1 hour
That means that if one of each machine can do 20 per hour, then it will take 5 hours to complete all 100, making the correct answer B. But more important is the takeaway—the fact that a problem involves rates doesn’t mean that it’s a “plug what you see into the rate equation and chug away” problem. Harder GMAT problems make you blend together a range of skills and require you to bring in some ingenuity and problem-solving to determine which skills those are.
Or to paraphrase Mick Jagger, you won’t always see the problem you want to see, but if you try sometimes you’ll find that it’s a problem you know how to solve, just using a different blend of skills than you’ve combined before

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Oracle Certification for Advanced Database Task Management

Accomplishing complex tasks on the basis of Oracle training is easily possible with the consideration of the latest Oracle certification programs in a perfect manner. I have gone through Oracle training concepts as per the current organizational standards on the basis of various factors considered on the basis of latest Oracle certification features as per the requirement. It is necessary to go through Oracle training process in a flexible manner so that every task could be completed on par with the advanced Oracle certification standards as per the prevailing situations.

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Continue reading at NowPublic.com: Oracle Certification for Advanced Database Task Management | NowPublic News Coverage http://www.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/oracle-certification-advanced-database-task-management#ixzz2Val9bkbq

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Oracle Certified but not Oracle Employed

I see variations on a common story fairly frequently on forums and Linked In groups. An individual decides they want to become an Oracle DBA. They are told (often by an instructor for a training course) that Oracle Certified Professionals find positions easily and rapidly. They take the course, they pass the exams, and they get their certification. However, the story derails at this point. No employer rides out of the mists on a white horse to offer a great job with an incredible salary (after a brief glance at the shiny new certificate).

I wrote an article several months back with some tips on getting your first job as a DBA. If you have not read it, you might take a look: I Just Got an Oracle Certification - How Can I Get Hired As a DBA? An individual who is living the story above read that article and wrote to ask me if I could provide any further assistance. Frankly, I’m not sure that I can. I looked at the article this evening and I think my tips were reasonably comprehensive. I decided to take a somewhat different approach in this post.

I worked in tech support for various companies (including Oracle) for many years. One of the things I learned from that is that once you completely understand the problem, you are eighty percent of the way towards finding a solution. Anyone who believes having an Oracle certification without having Oracle experience will always lead to rapid employment does not yet understand the problem.

Anyone that goes to fast food restaurants much has encountered 'The New Employee'. This is the employee on their first day of work being trained on the register. Your order will take three times as long as it should and either the newbie or the trainer will apologize and note it is the cashier's first day. You never get an apology about someone's second or third day.  This is because it takes less than one day to learn the job of a cashier at a fast food restaurant. This is also why these employees are paid so little, which is why fast food restaurants have such high employee turnover rates, which is why we encounter so many employees running a cash register on their first day. A job that can be learned in a day will never provide much job security or income.

This post is not targeted at prospective fast food engineers, but prospective Oracle Database Administrators. The paragraph above is to point out that what makes Oracle DBAs valuable is the amount of time required for them to learn their job. It is simply not possible to learn to be an Oracle DBA in a single day. If it cannot be done in a day, then how long does it take?  Would it make sense to measure the time in weeks? No, I do not think anyone would accept weeks. If not weeks, then would measuring in months make sense? Frankly, I think any experienced Oracle DBA would not accept that either. The rule of thumb is that it takes three to five years of experience with Oracle to become a reasonably knowledgeable DBA. Senior DBAs would be expected to have more experience than that. Companies will often hire junior DBAs with less experience, but they would be expected to work under the supervision of a more experienced administrator.

The question then becomes how Oracle certification compares to Oracle experience. To do this, it makes sense to compare time spent studying to time spent working. When talking about ‘years of experience’, specifically the assumption is that the years are for a full-time job with a forty-hour work week. The amount of time a candidate needs to study in order to pass Oracle certification exams varies widely. I wrote an article here that deals with some of the variables. As a general rule I spend about a hundred hours studying for exams. This is not a hard number. Some exams take more time and others take less. I’m also a fast reader and very experienced with the exams. I would expect most individuals to require more study time. To be reasonably conservative, I will triple that figure. Three hundred hours of a full-time job would be seven and a half weeks. On this timetable, the three exams required for the OCP DBA track would take about five months assuming forty hours per week. However, time spent specifically reading documentation or other study materials is more valuable in many ways than an equivalent amount of time spent working as a DBA. On the job you tend to do the same things multiple times.  You are not constantly learning something new. If I were comparing two candidates for a junior DBA position – one with an OCP and one without, I’d probably grant the person with the certification as having the equivalent of an additional year of experience, possibly as much as eighteen months.

And now (finally) we have the problem defined. Most companies expect a DBA to have three to five years of experience before they are placed in charge of a database. I doubt most people have given as much thought to it as I have, but no one with knowledge of Oracle will treat someone with an OCP but no experience as equivalent to someone with three years of experience working as a DBA. That does not mean the certification is not useful by any means.  The equivalent of twelve to eighteen months of Oracle experience is a great deal more than zero months, which is what you (presumably) have without the OCP. It simply is generally only enough by itself for a junior DBA position.

As I indicated in the article mentioned above, the one thing that you must not do is sit back with your certificate in hand and wait for the job offers to roll in. Implement the suggestions from that article on making yourself more visible to employers. Keep in mind that what makes Oracle professionals valuable is the knowledge contained in their head combined with their experience using the database. Being visible is good, but if you want to be recognized as valuable, you need more knowledge and more experience. You also need a way to demonstrate that you have it. One of the things that make Oracle certifications valuable is that they are one method of demonstrating knowledge. Find others.

Oracle XE is free. Download it. Build databases using it that are well designed and actually do something. Document what you have done. Build an ERD for your system. Create (and document) a backup strategy and a disaster recovery plan for your database. Create a website using Application Express and build an application that showcases what you have been doing in Oracle. You can build one for free at http://apex.oracle.com/ or you can get a professionally hosted one for as little as ten dollars a month. My OracleCertificationPrep website is hosted with MaxApex but there are many others out there. One thing that you can do with a hosted Apex instance that you cannot do with one at Oracle’s free site is point a custom domain name to it. Registering a domain name for a year costs about twenty dollars. This means that for less than the price of one certification exam, you can purchase a year of a website with a domain meaningful to you showcasing your skills with Oracle. You can then put that URL on your LinkedIn page and your resume.

The above suggestions are off the top of my head. There are countless things that you can do to increase your knowledge of Oracle and your experience with the database. Pick one and do it. Anything that adds to what you know right now can only be beneficial to your Oracle career.

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