Zend's new ZCPE certificate based on PHP 5.5

On October 3, 2013, Zend announced in its blog about the availability of a new program for certification of developers, based on PHP version 5.5. The other day I successfully passed the test and became the third person in Ukraine who received this certificate. Inside, I will try to tell you more about the testing process itself and preparation for the exam.

What for?

As you know, in the CIS the Zend certificate is not very popular and is not a mandatory item in the list of requirements for most vacancies. To confirm this, just go to the directory of certified developers and view the number of people in the lists by country.
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For some, this is an opportunity to find work abroad or get a decent company in their homeland, but for me personally this has become a kind of challenge and an opportunity to test my knowledge. I think that this certificate will help me and will be a solid advantage in the further job search. It is also worth noting that all of its certified developers, the company Zend gives a perpetual license to Zend Studio Basic.

Training

One day, I thought about raising my professional level and began to study offers on the Zend website. It turned out that a test voucher for any of the two PHP programs (200-530 and 200-550) costs already $ 195, packages with training materials for preparing for the exam together with the voucher cost from $ 594 to $ 1000, and full packages that include PHP language training "From A to Z" cost up to $ 3,750. Get a test test and get a sample list of questions is generally impossible. I was a little taken aback, scratched my head and decided to prepare on my own.

I did not long torment the search engine and found out that in the free access there are old dumps of questions with answers . I flipped through the questions and determined for myself the directions in which I need to improve my knowledge. The Zend site has an outdated PHP 5.3 exam cheat sheet with basic concepts and questions for self-checking. The best assistant in the preparation was, of course, the official documentation on php.net .

If you pay at least two hours a day to read the documentation and test snippets at work, then in a month you can fully prepare for the exam. Personally, I worked for about a week, but I had two years of practical development experience behind me.

Testing

Sign up for testing on the PearsonVue website. You will need to register and specify your mailing address, a certificate will be sent to it after successful delivery. I signed up for two days in one of the Kiev testing centers for a certain time and immediately paid for the voucher with a regular MasterCard card.

In the Appointment letter I received the testing conditions and the address of the center. You need to take two identity documents with you and come to the exam at least 15 minutes before the start to complete all formalities. Immediately before the exam, you will be asked to sign two papers - one that you are familiar with the rules of conduct, the other that you have been given stationery devices for the draft.

I think it is not necessary to mention that it is forbidden to write off :) All personal belongings from the pockets are put in the lock box, and audio and video recording is kept in the room. The administrator is watching you through the transparent wall. It is impossible to start unnecessary applications on a test computer, but the testing application itself is running full screen. Naturally, the whole test is in English. All questions imply the use of PHP version 5.5, not below. Questions within the meaning are the same as here .

First, you are invited to read the rules. In total, you need to answer 70 questions in 90 minutes. It is possible to skip difficult questions with the button “Flag for review”. There are a total of three possibilities for answering - one option, several (the question indicates how many options you need to choose) or enter the value yourself. For example, the name of a function or the value that the function returns. Displays time counters and questions. At the end of the test, you can go through all the questions again or press the end of the test button. The result will be displayed immediately. There is only one gradation - passed / not passed.

After the end of testing, you need to sign again for the delivery of stationery and get a printed exam result.

What is the result?

In case of successful delivery you are placed in the developer's catalog, serials are sent to Zend Studio, you can join a closed group on LinkedIn. The certificate itself is promised to be sent by mail to the address specified in the PearsonVue profile. Delivery takes about a month.

Links

habrahabr.ru/post/126664
habrahabr.ru/blogs/php/61215
habrahabr.ru/qa/3716
habrahabr.ru/blogs/php/117688
habrahabr.ru/blogs/php/20479
habrahabr.ru/blogs/personal/50079
www.php.net/manual/en