New MySQL 5.6 Developer Certification Exam

You may have already seen the news: Oracle is launching an updated certification for MySQL Developers, based on MySQL Server 5.6.  This is exciting to me for several reasons that I want to share:

Only one exam

Earlier versions of the MySQL Developer certification required sitting for two separate exams.  One goal in redefining the certification process was to make it more accessible to candidates, and reducing the cost – in both time and money – developers need to invest in examinations.  This obviously presented a challenge to cover the same material – actually more, when you consider MySQL 5.6 features – in fewer questions, but we feel we’ve done it.

Content from the experts

Content creation for this exam has drawn from many different volunteers from a wide range of MySQL teams including Training, Engineering and Sales Consultants – but it drew most heavily from the amazing MySQL Support Team, who assist developers (and DBAs) daily with MySQL questions, and who understand better than just about anybody what these developers need to know in order to successfully develop applications against MySQL Server 5.6.  The covered exam topics are listed here.

Better question format

As we wrote new exam questions and reviewed those from the earlier version of the MySQL Developer certification exams, we ensured that the questions were written in such a way to test the candidate’s knowledge, rather than ability to decipher the question.  In particular, that means no more open-ended multiple-guess questions, where it’s unclear whether one … or two … or three … or four of the six possible answers are correct.  As somebody who has taken his fair share of MySQL certification exams in the past, this was a pet peeve of mine with earlier exams.

Development focus

Because this is a developer-focused certification, we want successful candidates to be able to demonstrate ability to write MySQL-backed applications in several common languages.  One does not need to be an expert at all languages to pass the exam, but understanding common language-specific idioms and best practices are important.  That’s a step beyond the earlier certification, which focused almost exclusively on SQL statements.  There’s more to writing good MySQL-backed applications than writing sound SQL, and this exam expands scope to include more of that necessary knowledge.

Alignment with MySQL Developer Training

Naturally, the certification process covers the same ground as Oracle’s MySQL Training for Developers course, making that an ideal opportunity to get up to speed on the topics which will help you pass the exam, but more importantly, develop successful applications that use MySQL Server 5.6 as a data store.

A huge thanks to the MySQL Support Team and Training Team at Oracle for helping drive this update, as well as those from other MySQL teams here at Oracle who contributed time and content.

6 thoughts on “New MySQL 5.6 Developer Certification Exam

  1. Hi..
    I am a beginner mysql developer with 6 months practical experience. I have knowledge of basic mysql.
    I want to increase my expertise in mysql development. I have few questions and I need your guidance:

    Q1. As i am beginner, should I go for Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.6 Developer
    or
    Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5 Developer(2 exams)? And Why?

    Q2. How to prepare for the exam. Any books or websites?
    I dont want to go for paid training from oracle. I want to do self study.

    Q3. In average how much time is required to prepare for the certification?

    Thanks a lot… I would be very happy, if an expert will answer my queries.

    1. Hi Pishu,

      I would expect a candidate with your experience profile to find the exams challenging. That’s not to say you (or anybody with 6 months of experience) can’t pass the exams – but you’ll need to be diligent in studying and experimenting to compensate for less experience. I would take the 5.6-focused exam – especially if you can find time to dedicate to studying before the close of the beta period on December 14. The 5.6 certification will be most current, and there’s only one exam – which translates into less cost, especially if you sit for the exam during the beta period, where the fee is only $50 USD.

      There is no official study guide; this blog series is my effort to share with other candidates my own study guide. I hope you’ll find it useful. I’ve also started collecting links to blogs and resources produced by others here.

      It’s hard to estimate how much time is required in preparation for the exam. I’ve worked with MySQL as both a DBA and developer for many years, and in honesty, I would expect to be able to pass the exams on the strength of that experience with little to no studying. If I was studying just for myself, I would probably take a full day for each exam (one for DBA, one for developer) just to review. I’m doing much more than that now, though, in the hopes that producing these blog posts will help other candidates.

      I hope that helps!

    1. Hi Ignacio,

      That book really sets a high standard, I agree! There are no immediate plans to publish an updated version, as far as I know. That’s part of the reason I’ve been (sporadically) working to publish study guides via this blog.

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