Getting Certified In ColdFusion 8 Scares Me
Posted August 28, 2007 at 1:23 PM
With ColdFusion 8 finally out, I have started to think about updating my ColdFusion MX7 Advanced developer status. But to be honest, it kind of scares me. I will admit that I studied fairly hard for the ColdFusion 7 certification test. I know there a lot of people out there who can just sit down and take these test no problem, but I am not one of them. My problem is that ColdFusion is so robust and so powerful that there are many features that I simply don't use on a day to day basis (if at all). There is no way that I can answer questions on those topics without studying hard core.
With ColdFusion 8, this problem becomes hugely magnified! I mean just look at the Image manipulation functionality or even something like CFPresentation. Heck, CFPresentation could probably be a certification test all on it's own. As much as I would love to get certified again for ColdFusion 8, I think that the sheer vastness of the CF8 feature set would prevent me from being able to pass (and if I did pass, certainly it would not be with Advanced status).
But maybe I am jumping the gun here. I mean, after all, ColdFusion 8 did just come out. I should probably have at least a year under my belt with full time, hands-on development before I should even consider upgrading. I was developing in ColdFusion 7 for about two years before I got certified for that. I should probably show CF8 the same respect.
Anyways, that's my little panic attack for the day :)
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Reader Comments
I wonder if the certification exam for CF8 is going to be longer because of still wanting to cover all the content of CF7, but also cover new features. I also wonder whether I should amend my professional goal for this year (required by my employer) to take the CF7 exam since I would be immediately behind the curve. Then again, I wonder if the exam from Allaire CF Express is still available...it would be so easy...
Posted by Abbey on Aug 28, 2007 at 1:40 PM
I learned a lot just from having to study for the CF7 exam, so I would recommend it.
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 28, 2007 at 2:12 PM
I foresee many a long night in the office again, studying. I shouldn't have thrown away all my blank postcards we got for flash cards!
Should i point out to everyone that on our first practice test you still passed? Or maybe that you got almost 100 on the final exam? Or should i keep that between me and you?
Posted by Simon Free on Aug 28, 2007 at 2:24 PM
I think I might actually bothered to get certified soon for my own sake. Been doing CF since '98 and it hasn't been required anywhere where I've ever worked.
Posted by Todd Rafferty on Aug 28, 2007 at 2:27 PM
@Todd,
I highly recommend it cause it will definitely help to learn stuff you didn't know.
@Simon,
I barely passed on the first practice test :) Long nights at the office sound good to me, though.
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 28, 2007 at 2:39 PM
@ Ben, I did take the CF7 Practice test and I learned just how much I did / didn't know and made it a mission to start combing the docs again. Later, I took a brain bench test at the request of a recruiter and I passed it. I didn't take the offer from the recruiter, but it was nice to know that I passed. :)
Posted by Todd Rafferty on Aug 28, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Next time, get onto CF beta early on. Then combine beta-testing new features with learing for upcoming certification test :)
Posted by Erki Esken on Aug 28, 2007 at 3:13 PM
@Erki, Great advice, but it's only open to a select few to begin with. "Getting in early" is at the whim of Adobe.
Posted by Todd Rafferty on Aug 28, 2007 at 3:22 PM
I failed my first try at getting CFMX certified a few years back. I thought "I've written ColdFusion for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for the last year and a half, how can I fail?" I wanted to upgrade to CFMX advanced before 8 came out, guess I blew my chance. Ben, if someone like you, who is constantly blogging about the most obscure things in the language, is worried about passing, then I fear for the rest of us.
Posted by Jamie on Aug 28, 2007 at 4:00 PM
I think the Flash folks are in the same boat. The technology has gotten so complex in the last few years it's scary to think about sitting for an exam that would cover all that is Flash.
Posted by Mike Lyda on Aug 28, 2007 at 4:07 PM
@Jamie,
Ha ha, thanks :) I know what you mean, though - I had the same mind set. But then you start taking the practice test and they ask you all about CFReporting, client variable storage, web service invokacation, CFObject vs. CFInvoke vs. CreateObject(), and all this other stuff, which isn't necessarily complicated, but might just be stuff you never used. Like, for instance, I use CreateObject() all the time, so why would I know how to use the CFObject tag? For the stuff that I do, they do the same thing. And CFReport - I simply have never used it. Client storage - don't use that either. The language is just so robust that I don't use it all :(
CF8 is compounding that even MORE! Scary!
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 28, 2007 at 4:16 PM
It's funny, I was just remembering the FAQ panel at the end of CFUnited 2007. One of the complaints was that the ColdFusion exam was too easy to pass and it didn't mean enough in the business world (because of this). I suspect that in CF8, this will no longer be a question. I suspect that with CF8, the only people who will be able to pass are those that study their asses off!
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 28, 2007 at 4:18 PM
When the exam will be available? Any idea?
Posted by Tim on Aug 28, 2007 at 5:16 PM
No idea.
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 28, 2007 at 5:19 PM
There's two things that always bother me with these certifications..
First thing is that most of them (apparently also the CF exam) cover all the features..
I don't see why this is needed.. Its much more important you know your basics and know how to code secure, maintainable, scalable code..
As long as you know the feature exists, its not hard to research and apply it (its all syntax right?) I value people who know how to read documentation, not so much people with a dictionary knowledge of their programming language..
My second issue is.. never in my life has anybody asked if i was certified for anything.. so for me it seems more like a status symbol.
Posted by Evert on Aug 28, 2007 at 7:25 PM
Again it's always hard when a new version of software does come out. All i'd say is knuckle down and retune your skills to adapt to the new release of Cold Fusion. Don't be scared ;)
Posted by Andrew on Aug 28, 2007 at 7:49 PM
I'm very skeptical about certification. I've known people with all sorts of certification who were useless programmers and most every really good programmer I've ever met hasn't had a single certification.
Almost all certifications are about your ability to cram and pass a test - nothing to do with whether you can actually apply that knowledge.
Even a language's designer cannot be expected to know everything about the language - Bjarne Stroustrup admitted C++ had surpassed his ability to remember it all in the mid-90's and we continued to add a bunch of stuff after that!
As an employer, I don't care about a candidate's certifications (in fact, if a candidate has lots of certifications, it puts me off!) - I care about the way they think about problems and whether or not they can imagine and / or research a good solution to a new problem.
Posted by Sean Corfield on Aug 28, 2007 at 9:54 PM
The thing that has always annoyed me about the exam, is because it is a closed book, multiple choose test. It is becomes nothing more than a memory game, whereby people who can recall the most functions/tags with their correct syntax are at a clear advantage. The fact that there are trick answers in the multiple choices only reinforces this.
To me, programming is a creative craft of problem solving. The ability to recall the exact language syntax and functionality is a helpful but non-essential part of the processes.
Posted by Ben on Aug 28, 2007 at 11:42 PM
Personally, I don't think think the certification is worth the bit of paper it's printer on, and the only reason I took the exam is because it's a requirement for Adobe Certified Instructor Status.
However, I seriously think they are going to have to re-evaulate not just the exam, but also the official ColdFusion courses.
The Fast Track Course is more like an intro to Dreamweaver, and the Advanced course is a jumbled mismatch of topics. They really teach you nothing (I'll probably get put up before the firing squad for saying that).
I think it's time someone at Adobe, whether it be the ColdFusion management team or a department dedicated to education and certification (does one exist?) re-examine all the courses and exams on offer.
Maybe there needs to be a greater breakdown of the courses and certifications on offer; take a look at what's on offer for both Java and .NET. Whilst I can't comment on those courses; never sat them, never will, they do seem to offer a much more focused direction.
http://www.sun.com/training/certification/java/index.xml
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcsd/requirementsdotnet.mspx
The ColdFusion material is; OK, pick that, that and that and we'll throw it all together and make a little coffee shop app... wooo.
You learn nothing about the language, and if you want to get specific on the features, even with the CF7 courses you don't touch any of the CF7 only features; no reporting, no document and printing, no event gateways.
When I'm teaching the classes I actually take in a whole load of real world examples and spend time on them with the students, and whilst I make sure I get through all the official material (other Adobe would not be happy) I make sure the students get the moneys worth.
Back to your point though. Unless there's a significant change in the way the CF certification works, don't bother with the exam. Seriously. 66 questions asking you if you know all the attributes for the cfchart tag is not worth your time or effort - that's why you have documentation.
Posted by Andy Allan on Aug 29, 2007 at 1:44 AM
Almost all certifications are about your ability to cram and pass a test - nothing to do with whether you can actually apply that knowledge.
Posted by E. Friberg on Aug 29, 2007 at 2:43 AM
While I cannot speak to the certification as a means to employment (as I never applied to a job after getting certified), I can say that there is something a bit personally satisfying about getting satisfying. Just like writing a blog post or finishing a video game or something, you can turn about be like, "Yeah, I just did that and I done did it good".
But more than that, studying for the certification is like being back in school, which is an environment that I tend to miss from time to time. It's nice to have some structured learning - so much of what I do is all over the place and it's nice to have a study guide and practice tests that force you to sit down and systematically go over the entire language. Whether or not you ever use some of the stuff, its probably good to have a general understanding of at least what is capable.
But at this point, it might just not be worth it. My brain is a bit maxed out as it is right now (at least that's how I feel sometimes) with the nitty gritty of the syntax details. I guess I will wait to see what Adobe and Brian Simmons do about it before I even worry about worrying about it.
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 29, 2007 at 7:27 AM
My last job, I got because I was CFMX certified. They didn't care about my $80k bachelor's degree, they liked the initiative shown in my $150 certification.
Posted by Jamie on Aug 29, 2007 at 9:22 AM
"66 questions asking you if you know all the attributes for the cfchart tag is not worth your time or effort " Well put Andy. To me it was a ColdFusion trivia test, quizzing me on a lot of tags and functions I've never had occasion to use and probably never will.
Posted by Jim Collins on Aug 29, 2007 at 1:55 PM
i personallly felt certification in coldfuson mx 7 was really helpfull to me
though we dont user most of the functionality in day to day coding but it helps us in some where some point in our carrier.
i learnt a lot while preparing for mx7 certification now eagerly waiting for cf8 certification.
Posted by srikanth madishetti on Sep 18, 2007 at 4:27 PM
I would not worry - I will pass CF8 with advanced status right after exam is available without too much testing. did the same thing with CF7 and CF6, don't see why few extra tags in 8 are going to make this much harder to do. The exam is not very hard and passing it at a basic level should be a breeze.
Posted by Tom on Sep 27, 2007 at 11:56 AM
@Tom,
I am not so sure about that. While they may have added a "few extra tags", those tags are uber powerful and extensive. That could lead to a ton of miscellaneous questions about new features.
Posted by Ben Nadel on Sep 27, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Doing any certification is good. Not progressing would get us no wehre really. So anyone thinking of doing it do it!!
Posted by Andrew on Nov 15, 2007 at 7:48 PM
Getting Certified In ColdFusion 8 Scares Me.....Why would it.
If your a beginner then you'll soon get the hang of things and be there in no time.
Posted by Jack on Nov 15, 2007 at 7:49 PM
The problem with these types of tests ( ie multiple choice ) is that they are usually about deceit. The general concept of multiple-choice questions is to provide many CLOSE answers and only ONE right answer. Question researchers intentionally look for ways to fool the person taking the test. To me that's not an environment where an honest evaluation of what a person is capable of is revealed.
That being said, back in the day when I got CFMX Certified I believe it helped a LOT in getting work/contracts. So of course there are benefits and as far as I know the tests have always been about the basics of CF and have never gone very far into esoteric tags/functions. I doubt one would fail of the basis of not knowing them alone.
Posted by Daniel on Jan 29, 2008 at 10:20 AM
@Daniel,
I second your concerns about the concept of several "close" answers but only one right one. This is especially disconcerting if you have a question that covers a topic you have read about but never practiced.
Posted by Ben Nadel on Jan 29, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Getting certified means nothing more than that you hit the books and every employer I've ever interviewed with knew that: nothing more, nothing less. People who dismiss certification are missing the point: nobody said the test says a thing about your mastery over the subject - only that you had to have hit the books. The added bonus is that hitting the books means exposure to stuff you might not otherwise have a chance to explore. I might hire a developer who had no certification. But I definitely would not hire one who tried to justify not having one.
Posted by Ralph on Feb 17, 2008 at 5:08 PM
