Rating: 
Summary: A good kit!
Review: After successfully completing the OCP DBA core path, I can sum up following thoughts , regarding this book..1. sql-pl/sql: A good book.But having the oracle manuals along side is advisable(Well actually for all the tracks) 2. Architecture&Admin : Too is good. well written, a few errors but you're not going to just use these books so compare your notes. 3. Backup&Recovery: WEll apparently everyone has given one and the same meaning over the RMAN issue. It covers very very little so read the oracle manuals.I mean the pdf downloads.
But the book is not as bad in other aspects. 4. Perf&Tuning : Is good as well. 5.N&A: Is OK. stongly advised to use the oracle manuals(if you can). All the best for the aspiring fellas. Cheers!! Tarry
Rating:
Summary: Very useful for OCP certification
Review: Although you can find mistakes across the three books, it was extremely helpful in studying for Oracle certification exams. The main advantage of this kit is that it explains almost all important points in a clear and short way, without exceeding with extra words that usually confuse the reader. It was recommended to me by a friend, and at the end of the OCP track I can tell it was a wise purchase. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: OCP
Review: Excellent starting book for aspiring DBA's.
From the exam point of view,
1Z0-001- Excellent book. Sufficent material and sample questions match the type in the exam.
1Z0-023- Excellent book
1Z0-024- Refer Oracle documentation also
1Z0-025- Sufficent for passing
1Z0-026- Refer Oracle documentation also
Rating: 
Summary: OCP Certification
Review: Good for an experienced DBA. All 5 books are enough for the exam along with the Oracle documentation.
Rating:
Summary: best books...cont'd
Review: I am the same "reader from bethesda" who wrote the earlier review. Let me add this: 1. I became an Oracle Certified DBA today and still believe that these books are good prep material. 2.In addition to these books, I used the software from selftest software ($99 a pop) and think they played a role in my success. 3. In my opinion, the part that covers backup and recovery is relatively poorly written- especially if you are a windows user (the book uses examples for unix). This section is painful to go through mainly because there are too many prints of log files or screen outputs and it does not do a good job of clarifyng the basics. But you can still get by. Strong recommendation: Use this book and the self test software and you'll be in good shape.
Rating:
Summary: Pass with the least amount of study
Review: I bought the whole set and last week I did the first exam. I read through the hints, examples and sample exams and it really worked wonders! I only studied in the evenings for one week. And the great thing is, I actually learned stuff! And I will definitely be using these books as a reference guide from now on.
Rating: 
Summary: Very bad for Backup and Recovery Section
Review: I bought this kit about a year ago but I just got chance to read them. Everything is fine until I read the Backup and Recovery section. There are so many mistakes that I wonder how it got published. I know I should not doubt the author's knowledge about the principles of backup and recovery. But I could not understand why there are so many errors in it. It is very comfused to the readers who are new to Oracle. I hope the 3rd book won't be as bad.
Rating:
Summary: It does the magic
Review: I decided to do my DBA certification on sep 1'st 2004 and I bought this book as my preparation material. The DBA certification track has 5 exams and as of now ( 6'th Nov 2004) I have passed 4 exams , the last one in due in a weeks time. The book is an excellent source for getting certified . I didn't score great in all my exams, but I wouldn't blame the book, its because I took 4 exams in about a month , if you prapare at a more genuine pace I am sure you can score well.
The only flaw I could find was the book on backup and recovery I felt lot of information was redundant and there were pages and pages of data showing the screen shots on executing the recovery and backup commands ( probably included for better understanding) didn't help me much though. Hey but I can't complain I got through the exam .
I am happy I bought the book, the authors did a great job. Do make it a point to do all sample tests on the cd, It really helps. If you are in a hurry to get certified this is the the best source.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the money
Review: I found the books (and selftestsoftware) well worth the money. I've been doing DBA work for almost 16 years with Oracle (since oracle 5) and finally decide to go for the OCP. I passed all the tests and learn some new things also. bottom line: This and selftestsoftware will prepare you.
Rating: 
Summary: Good content and presentation, but....
Review: I found the study guides well laid out and easy to read. The content was good, and the practice exams had the look and feel of the actual tests. However, there are number of typos/errors in the text, and several typos/incorrect answers on the exams in the book. On Network Administration "bonus" test contained on the CD, there is even a question which asks you to "Choose all that apply", but the answers are implemented with "radio buttons" which allow you to choose only one. In order to get the question correct, you must choose three. The problems have not prevented me from passing the OCP exams, but i think that the editors of an exam preparation book should pay more attention to accuracy.
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