Showing posts with label certification. Show all posts
Showing posts with label certification. Show all posts

CKAD Part 3: Tips

If you like to view the video version of this blog post, you can click on the video.

Exam Registration

Use only Chrome browser to check exam requirements to be able to access all peripherals including webcam (I used MS Edge and it was giving the test is ok although the webcam test was not performed!!!).

Desk / Computer Setup

  1. If using a laptop, add a new screen but disable the laptop screen monitor (Link to disable main laptop screen on Windows).
  2. Make sure the laptop is fully charged and plugged.
  3. I prefer to use a wired USB keyboard, and mouse, and avoid wireless devices, as you never know the behavior of the new terminal and browser.
  4. Please make sure to have an external good-quality webcam with an autofocus feature, you will be asked to scan the room, under the table, under the keyboard, under the laptop, or behind the monitor, it is better to have movable webcam. Autofocus is required as you will need to scan your id/passport with a clear name displayed. I used Logitech C922.
  5. Make sure the room is well-lit as normally webcam needs good lighting.
  6. You will need to disable the following features/applications (Other software might be listed by the browser before you begin your exam session):
a. Hyper-V
b. VMware
c. Docker
d. Zoom

Exam tips

  1. Open the following help pages to be ready:
  2. Direct Link Kubernetes documentation navigation
    Command line tool (kubectl) Doc -> Reference -> Command Line tool
    Kubectl commands with examples Doc -> Reference -> Command Line tool -> kubectl Commands
    kubectl Cheat Sheet Doc -> Reference -> Command Line tool -> kubectl Cheat sheet
    API doc in one page Doc -> Reference -> One-Page API Reference for Kubernetes
  3. Make sure to run the context command before answering the question, you should find a red warning on every question with the correct cluster.
  4. Make sure to use the correct namespace while answering the question, after answering, please verify the creation in the correct namespace.
  5. Read the question carefully, some can be tricky to understand.
  6. Partial scoring is supported. The Linux Foundation will calculate a score based on successful subtasks. Also, they will consider if some subtasks are harder than others.
  7. Edit ~/.vimrc to include either the following:
  8. Short form Long form
    :set ai cuc cul :set autoindent cursorcolumn cusrsorline
  9. Execute the following command to create 20 folders:
  10. mkdir `seq 20`
  11. Every time you want to copy text from Firefox into Terminal it shows a warning “Unsafe Paste”. You can just confirm this. You can also disable this in the Terminal Preferences -> General -> Show unsafe paste dialog.

Time management tips

  1. Use imperative commands as much as possible to get things done quickly, you can add using dry generate the output to yaml file as initial step then you edit the yaml file answering the question requirements:
  2. kubectl run nginx --image=nginx --labels="app=hazelcast,env=prod" --dry-run=client –o yaml > pod.yaml
  3. Try to use short names (ns, pv, pvc, cm, cj, hpa, as, svc, quota, deploy) as much as possible.
  4. Don’t wait for a graceful deletion of objects.
  5. kubectl delete pod nginx --force
  6. Consider using replace instead of deleting and then creation or apply. 
  7. kubectl replace --force -f pod.yaml
  8. Use the following command to search for fields/specs quickly:
  9. kubectl explain pod.spec --recursive | grep -i -B 30 serviceaccount
  10. My strategy in solving question was to solve easy quick questions first to gain as much as I can quickly as I know some topics will require more time to solve or troubleshooting, so I decided to skip and mark quetions of these topics for review later as usually require lengthy changes or validation: Network Policy, Ingress, Custom Resource Definition (CRD).

I hope this post will help someone out there, see you soon, bye.


CKAD Part 2: Practice, Practice, Practice

If you like to view the video version of this blog post, you can click on the video.

CKAD is an online, proctored, performance-based test consisting of a set of performance-based items (problems) to be solved in a command line within two hours. It is not a multiple-choice exam.

You will be given access from a Ubuntu terminal to 4 clusters (Details), and you will have 15 - 20 questions to be answered with different weights. Partial scoring for each exam is calculated so your sub-tasks to achieve an answer are supported.

On Jun-2022, the testing platform received a massive change in the exam environment, I have collected the most important links to show the changes and new restrictions:

  1. Important Instructions: CKA and CKAD
  2. Linux Foundation Proctoring Platform – Migrating to PSI Bridge
  3. Update on Certification Exam Proctoring Migration
  4. Youtube: Kubernetes Certification Updates | PSI Exam Updates | KodeKloud
  5. Candidate handbook (Using PSI BRIDGE Proctoring platform)
  6. CKS CKA CKAD changed Terminal to Remote Desktop

Practice is a must to pass this exam, so the following are the practice resource I have used to pass the exam and my opinion:

1. Dimitris-Ilias Gkanatsios: CKAD exercises: It is free and better to solve once you finish the course.

2. The following are two exam simulators and a comparison between them:

CKAD Killer.sh CKAD k8simulator
Exam environment availability 36 hours, so you can check your answers, plus during these hours your environment is evaluated again (Every 7 or 8 minutes) if you make changes, your exam score will change based on your modification. 2 hours (Exam only), I was not able to check my actual answers with the exam answers
Partial scoring supported as a real exam Yes No, you may score very low because of this.
Answer Explanation Provided, and very comprehensive as a learning mode Provided, and sufficient
Exam sessions 2 Identical 2 Different
Flag questions for review No Yes
Difficulty level compared to exam Longer and more difficult Similar somehow
Price Free included when booking the exam 16.99 - 24.00 Euro
Exam coverage Nearly covering most of the curriculum Hoping for better coverage for the curriculum
Exam typos or issues No Several issues in typos, and character sensitive

To Be Continued ...

CKAD Part 1: Recommended Study Material

If you like to view the video version of this blog post, you can click on the video.
Thanks to Allah; I passed "Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)" on 30-Oct-2022. In this blog post, I’m sharing my experience with the study path/material required for passing the certification.

Target Audience

This certification is targeting developers (No specific programing language) targeting cloud-native development either used on the cloud or on-premise.

Exam Info

  • Current exam release: Kubernetes v1.25 (Exam env updated: 2022-10-19, Specs: 2022-08-23, as per this tips link alignment with newer k8s versions happens approximately 4 to 8 weeks of K8s new version release date). Kubernetes releases currently happen approximately three times per year.
  • Exam nature: Performance-based not multiple choice. i.e. You will have scenarios including deployment, rollout, and network service you need to perform, or check the existing environment and do the troubleshooting for issues & resolve them. So, hands-on experience is a must.
  • The number of questions: (15 - 20 questions)
  • Exam duration: 2 hrs
  • Passing score: 66% 
  • Time/question: 6 - 8 mins/question, some are easy, and few are hard.
  • Validity duration / Expiry: 3 years
  • Location: Take from home as online proctored.

Pre-requisites / Path to CKAD (Personal opinion)

Officially, there are no pre-requisites for the certification, but I think you need to have a look at the below pre-requisites from my point of view. It is based if you are new in the field, you can skip if you are aware about the content and have hands-on experience. Initially, I selected to go for the online self-paced "Cloud Native Developer Bootcamp" from Linux Foundation (There are always discounts, just you need to subscribe (Free) and you will receive notifications on Sale).


# Requirements My selected courses My opinion / Alternative
1 Good Linux Foundation and hands-on experience focused on Ubuntu distribution Introduction to Open Source Development, Git, and Linux (LFD201) Good preparation course, that was supporting multiple distros of Linux, and the instructor is very knowledgeable and very responsive in the forum.
/
There are several Linux courses in the market, your target should be to be familiar with Linux, Vim, basic bash scripting.

Thanks, Jerry Cooperstein for such great course.
2 Docker Knowledge DevOps and SRE Fundamentals: Implementing Continuous Delivery (LFS261)

And

Containers for Developers and Quality Assurance (LFD254)
PROS:
1- The instructor is great
2- I learned a lot in DevOps while I was learning Docker, and Docker compose.
3- The course is full of hands-on experience with lots of labs.
4- Many tools (Jenkins, Spinnaker, ...) were used in labs.

CONS:
1- I was receiving delays in replies in the forum.
2- I like visual representation in a more structured way as PowerPoint, but the instructor uses hand-drawn diagrams which I don't think are the best in my opinion.

Thanks, Gourav Shah for such great courses.
3 YAML Knowledge Yaml Tutorial | Learn YAML in 18 mins It is a short sufficient video to know YAML, there are several videos on the Internet. YAML is quite easy but the troubleshooting sometimes gets tricky.

Thanks, Nana Janashia for sharing your knowledge with the world.
4 Kubernetes Knowledge and exam-focused course Kubernetes for the Absolute Beginners - Hands-on

And

Kubernetes Certified Application Developer (CKAD) with Tests
I think these two courses are simply the best in the market and you don't need to look for alternatives. For many reasons:
1- The visual presentation is great and easy to understand
2- The courses are full of labs.
3- There are also lab challenges to get you hands-on experience with K8s.
4- There is a lightning-speed test, to get you faster in answering questions.
5- It includes tests for the exam.
6- The instructor is great.

You can see a free sample on Youtube for explaining K8s services.

Thanks, Mumshad Mannambeth for such great courses.
5 Deep dive in network Policies Kubernetes Network Policy Recipes It is free.
Although the reference is considered old; I think it is the best out there, it includes link to very good video (I recommend seeing it first before solving questions).

Thanks, Ahmet Alp Balkan for such a great video, and GitHub repository.
6 Helm knowledge Helm: A cheat sheet Sufficient knowledge in one article to pass the exam.

Thanks, Tom Donohue for such an article.

To be continued ...

How to pass BIAN's Banking Architecture Foundation Certification

If you like to view the video version of this blog post, you can click on the video.

Thanks to Allah; I have passed "BIAN's Banking Architecture Foundation Certification" on Feb-2022. In this blog post, I’m sharing my experience on how you can achieve this certification.


Target Audience (Personal opinion)

This certification is targeting enterprise, business, application, data, solution, and integration architects working in FSI (Financial Services Industry) domain. It is not for infrastructure, technology architects. 


Pre-requisites (Personal opinion)

Officially, there are no pre-requisites for the certification, but I think you need to have a look at the below pre-requisites from my point of view.

Category Pre-requisite Mandatory / Preferred Rationale
Experience Have Enterprise Architecture experience or knowledge, such as a certificate or working experience in TOGAF Standard.MustThe material considers you have knowledge in Enterprise Architecture and multiple domains are classified based on TOGAF standard. Even book chapters is addressing multiple domains and relations with TOGAF.
Experience Having working experience in bank, Fintech or FSI service provider. Must Understanding BIAN artifacts (APIs, Service Domain landscape, ... etc) requires that you have working experience in FSI.
Experience Understanding of ArchiMate as a modeling language. Must It is used as standard notation in most diagrams (Strategy, Business, Application, Composite).
Experience Basic understanding of UML (Class, Sequence diagrams). Preferred It is used as standard notation.


Version releases

I found two versions of the certification in the store as of the time of writing this blog. I wanted to highlight the difference for you to make sure you are selecting the latest version.

The version in descending order Exam Link / Certification Logo Included book version Book publish date Book ISBN Exam price Service landscape version
Latest as of Feb-2022
19-Jun-2021 978-9401807685 Euro: 449.95 V9
Older
31-Jan-2019 978-9401803151 Euro: 544.44 Older


Exam information

  • Current code: BNF
  • Title: BIAN Banking Architecture Foundation.
  • Exam language: English - ESL has no time extension (There is a feature “Language aid” where you can set the language, and the exam engine provides Google translate feature in page content).
  • Open book: No
  • Supervised: No
  • The number of questions: 60 MCQ (Question include negation) (Single & Multiple correct answers (The number of correct answers is mentioned in the question)).
  • Exam duration: 60 mins
  • Passing score: 42/60 (70% confirmed score from certN platform).
  • Time / question: 1 min
  • Cost: 449.95 EUR (Excluding taxes).
  • Exam location: Online (There is an option for an on-site exam, but not aware of the details).
  • Validity duration / Expiry: 2 years.


Study material

Reference Cost Mandatory / Optional Note
BIAN – A framework for the financial services industry 50.49 – 65 USD (Included in exam voucher, no need to pay) Mandatory Certification is based on this book. But, I found the below issues, I hope they can be corrected in the newer version:

1- Some diagrams' resolution is not good and should be enhanced, some of them were not readable. Figure 2-14, 2-22, 2-27, 4-4, 5-5, 5-9, 6-3, 7-9, 9-6, A2-1

2- Some diagrams should be in color (Example: heat maps) and color has semantic but it is found diagram in greyscale. Figure 2-20, 6-4

3- It seems that copyright and the watermarked document are not allowing rotating a page. This made it hard to view landscape-oriented pages.
BIAN Semantic API Practitioner’s Guide Free Mandatory (Personal opinion) The first 3 chapters of this book clarified my understanding of BIAN. Especially “Figure 8 Diagram” which connected a lot of dots.
BIAN Open Digital Repository (v9.1) Free Mandatory Navigating the service domain landscape is a must, and this is the online version.
BIAN Reference Implementations Free Optional Not related to certification rather very good examples of companies adapting to BIAN standard.


Study tips

  • The exam depends on understanding more than memorization.
  • The longest & most difficult chapter of the book "BIAN – A framework for the financial services industry" was "Chapter 2: Explaining the BIAN Architecture", my recommendation will be to read the first 3 chapters of "BIAN Semantic API Practitioner’s Guide" as a start before you read the official exam book for the following reasons:
    • It contains examples for BIAN, that illustrated the idea of every component of BIAN toolbox and meta-model. I missed some of these examples in the main book.
    • Uses simpler English and more straightforward wording than the original book.


Register for home online exam

  1. Purchase the exam from the link (Payment: Credit cards, Invoice, iDeal, Paypal).
  2. Separate email for download ebook, and you need to enter the voucher code for it.
  3. You will be able to download a PDF with your email.
  4. In the same email, you will get a link to "certn.global" for certification and subscription instructions.
  5. It uses the email without a password (It sends a code for every login).
  6. Log in and submit your name details, and agree on some terms & conditions.
  7. Enter “exam voucher code” to activate a new exam.
  8. You will get activated practice exams (12 attempts) & actual exams (2 attempts), these will be valid for 1 year since the day you added the voucher.
  9. Practice attempts of exams are available for 3 months for review.
  10. I have tried the exam on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge based on Chromium and both were working fine.


Getting exam results

Exam results are provided instantaneously, with the categorization of questions provided. You will be able to download the certification and share it on social networks as well.


9 Tips for passing ArchiMate Practitioner exam

I have included links for Video and Slides for your convenience.


Youtube video The presentation shared in SlideShare




How to pass ArchiMate® Certification

If you like to view the video version of this blog post, you can click on the video.

Thanks to Allah; I have passed ArchiMate Certification on Nov-2021. In this blog post, I’m sharing my experience on how you can achieve this certification.


Target Audience (Personal opinion)

This certification is targeting Enterprise Architects and Domain Architects.


Version releases

The below table lists versions for ArchiMate, listed below as there are several resources on the Internet that are considered old and not matching the current version v3.1.

Version Release Date
ArchiMate v1.0 Feb-2009
ArchiMate v2.0 Jan-2012
ArchiMate v2.1 Dec-2013
ArchiMate v3.0 Jun-2016
ArchiMate v3.01 Aug-2017
ArchiMate v3.1 Nov-2019


Exam information

Foundation Practitioner
Exam code / name OGA-031: ArchiMate® 3 Part 1 Exam (English) OGA-032: ArchiMate® 3 Part 2 Exam (English)
Open Book No Yes
Duration 1 hr (ESL: 1 hr, 30 mins) 1 hr, 30 mins (ESL: 2 hrs)
Questions 40 simple single choice questions. 1 (Correct), 0 (Incorrect) point per question 8 Complex gradient scoring. 5 (Best answer), 3 (Second best), 1 (Third best), 0 (Incorrect) points per question
Time / Question 1.5 mins (ESL: 2.25 mins) 11.25 mins (ESL: 15 mins)
Passing score 24/40 (60%) 28/40 (70%)
Individual Cost 360 USD 360 USD
Combined Cost 550 USD
Validity Indefinite
Exam location Home (OnVUE Online Proctoring from Pearson VUE) or Testing center.
Retake policy After 1 month

Note about ESL

When you are booking the exam from one of the ESL countries, you will get approval for extra 30 mins.


Study material

Reference Cost Mandatory / Optional Note
ArchiMate® 3 Certification Self-Study Pack, 3rd Edition (B175) $49.95 Mandatory (Selected) Updated to 3.1 specs. Summer, Black Friday, and Christmas sales you can get 50%. I found it contains more examples than the public specs site.
ArchiMate Modeling Language – Youtube playlist 0 Optional Provide good introduction before you start learning if you are new to the language. Not all videos are required. Voice quality for some videos is not as expected 😌
Archi Five Minute Guides – Youtube channel 0 Optional Demo for using ArchiMate in Archi.
ArchiMate Cookbook (Patterns & Examples) 0 Optional The book is usually updated, download from the link. Introduces patterns and examples of what you can do with ArchiMate.
Many thanks 🙏 to the author for making such a book free, it is simply a treasure to any Enterprise Architect.
Mastering ArchiMate Edition 3.1 $31.87 Optional I received two recommendations for this book.
Enterprise Architecture at Work: Modelling, Communication and Analysis (The Enterprise Engineering Series) 4th Edition $54.22 Optional Referred as one of the best in presenting ArchiMate. Not exam-focused.


Practice makes perfect


Study tips

  • The foundation exam is easy to intermediate but requires memorization (I found it hard to memorize all the meta-models and decided not to do it).
  • The practitioner exam is tough (I will try to share my tips for this in another post).
  • Build a study plan (MS Project, MS Excel).


Exam Payment


Register for home online exam

  1. Go to website.
  2. From left menu, click “Take an examination”.
  3. Click “Login”, and use the Open Group credential.
  4. Click “View exams”
  5. Select “OGA-031: Archimate 3 Part 1 Exam (English)” / “OGA-032: Archimate 3 Part 2 Exam (English)”
  6. Click “OnVUE”
  7. Click “Next”, “Next”, “Agree”
  8. Select Exam date and time
  9. Make sure of your information, and click “Proceed to Checkout”
  10. Click “Add Voucher or Promo code”, enter Voucher coder, click “Apply”, you will find the estimated total due is 0
  11. Click “Next”
  12. Click “Submit Order”


Taking exam from home

For a detailed checklist for OnVUE exam preparation, please check this blog post Online Proctored Exams (OnVUE) Checklist


Getting exam results

After the exam was completed and within 15 mins, I received an email with the subject "Score Report Available Notification". You will need to log in to Pearson with credentials of The Open Group, and you will find the link "View score report" and you will see your score and detailed report.

If you didn't receive an email from "The Open Group" having an email with a link to agree on the Trademark License Agreement. You will need to send an email stating your issue to certifications@opengroup.org and it will be looked at only if 6 working days (US, UK timing) has passed. When you agree on the trademark license agreement, you will have your certificate ready as a soft copy and be able to download it.

In the same reply email, you will find that the open badge may take up to 10 business days to get issued in Credly platform. I received mine after around 1 day of accepting the agreement.

How to pass Digital Practitioner Certification: DPBoK™ Foundation in less than 1 month?

Youtube video about certification contents Presentation shared in slideshare
Youtube video how to pass the certification

Thanks to Allah; I have passed Digital Practitioner Certification: DPBoK™ Foundation on 2-Apr-2021. In this blog post, I’m sharing my experience on how you can achieve this certification in less than 1 month.

Target Audience (Personal opinion)

The exam is covering 12 competencies recommended for digital business based on company size.

Company Number of employees Capital
Founder 1-3 < $1m
Team 8 - 12 > $1m
Team of teams 40 - 70 > $10m
Enduring Enterprise 350 - 500 > $50m

The exam is covering all company sizes, I think candidates considering the certification should have worked in enterprise to be able to understand the challenges at every company size. A fresh graduate or entry-level computing and digital business professionals might not face such challenges and my recommendation to them will be reading Digital Practitioner Body of Knowledge™ Standard related to their company size and not target the certification.

Exam information

  • Current code: OGD-001 DPBoK™ Part 1
  • Current release date: October 2019
  • Open book: No
  • The number of questions: 40 (Multiple choice, one correct answer).
  • Exam duration: 60 mins
  • Passing score: 26 / 40 (65%) Each correct answer scores a single point, no negative scoring.
  • Time / question: 1.5 mins
  • Cost: 360$ (414$ including VAT)
  • Retake: After 1 month
  • Exam location: Home (OnVUE Online Proctoring from Pearson VUE) or Testing center.
  • Validity duration / Expiry: Indefinite, no recertification or renewal requirements.

Note about ESL

When you are booking the exam from one of the ESL countries, you will get approval for 90 mins. But I found the actual exam time is 1 hour only. I opened a case with OnVue and the answer was that 90 mins is covering all duration including tutorials, agreements, ...etc. And this is actually mentioned in the email when I purchased the exam, as copied below:
Your appointment's time extension applies to all information presented on the computer, including any agreements and tutorials, in addition to your actual testing time. The total appointment length noted in this confirmation includes each of these components and is not equal to the actual testing time available to you.

Study material

  • Reasonable price: Sometimes discounts reach 50% (Summer, Black Friday, and Christmas sales you can get 50%).
  • The number of pages: 231.
  • The number of chapters: 14 chapters.
  • It includes a pocket guide (I didn’t use it as it was 151 pages, so I thought of reading the study guide again better).
  • It includes a reference cards summary (I didn't use it as it is considered briefer than the required information about the exam, and a smaller set of figures you need to memorize).
  • It includes one exam that is good but the actual exam is harder.
  • PROS: Every chapter ends with questions, answers provided.
  • PROS: One document has it all, focused target.

Study tips

  • Exam difficulty: Above intermediate.
  • Build a study plan (MS Project, MS Excel).
  • The study guide must be read at least twice.
  • Understand & memorize all figures in the study guide, you will have lots of questions about them.

Register for home online exam

Follow the below steps:

  1. Login to The Open Group Certification website.
  2. From left menu, click “Take an examination”.
  3. Click “Pearson VUE launch page”.
  4. Review personal information that is from the open group profile page that will be used to create or login to Pearson VUE, before clicking “Proceed to Pearson VUE”.
  5. In the dashboard, click “View Exams”.
  6. Select “OGD-001” “DPBoK part 1 Exam”.
  7. Select “Online from my home or office”, click “Next”.
  8. In agree to online exam policies, please read carefully, and mark checkboxes, click “Next”.
  9. Click “Next”
  10. Select a suitable date. Your local time zone will appear, select the best way to view the timing 12/24hr.
  11. Value with estimated tax is $414
  12. Click “Proceed to Checkout”.
  13. Read and agree to policies, click “Accept”. (These important policies will be sent to you by email after completion).
  14. Add card details, click “Next”, then “Submit order”.
  15. ESL will be added after complete exam registration as long as you register from one of the ESL countries. Exam length 90 minutes!!!
  16. Check-in time will be 30 mins earlier.
  17. You will receive an email with details of the invoice, and policies / useful information.
  18. For customer service online chat, use this link.

Taking exam from home

For a detailed checklist for OnVUE exam preparation, please check this blogpost Online Proctored Exams (OnVUE) Checklist

Getting exam results

After the exam completed and within 15 mins, I received an email with the subject "Score Report Available Notification". You will need to login to Pearson with credentials of The Open Group, and you will find the link "View score report" and you will see your score and detailed report.

If you didn't receive an email from "The Open Group" having an email with a link to agree on the Trademark License Agreement. You will need to send an email stating your issue to certifications@opengroup.org and it will be looked at only if 6 working days (US, UK timing) has passed. When you agree on the trademark license agreement, you will have your certificate ready as a soft copy and be able to download it.

In the same reply email, you will find that the open badge may take up to 10 business days to get issued in Credly platform. I received mine after around 1 day of accepting the agreement.

Online Proctored Exams (OnVUE) Checklist

If you like to view the video version of this blog post, you can click on the video.

[8-Jan-2021: Blog created after passing the exam "TOGAF Business Architect Level 1" from "The Open Group"].

[3-Apr-2021: Blog updated after passing the exam "DPBoK foundation certification" from "The Open Group"].

[19-Nov-2021: Blog updated after passing the exam "ArchiMate certification" from "The Open Group"].

I passed my first Online Proctored Exams (OnVUE) exam for TOGAF Business Architect Level 1 certificate on 6-Jan-2021. In this post I'm trying to share a checklist for test-takers. I think the experience is the same regardless of the exam.

I will try to maintain this blog post if I found more tips in the future, as content is important.

Before Exam

  1. Make sure to use a personal laptop with administrative rights not a work laptop as be revoked based on your company policy.
  2. Use a Windows laptop, if you have Mac please check in the references section for steps to follow to make it work without issues.
  3. The following software are allowed to run during the exam:
    • Norton Anti-virus.
  4. The following software should be disabled/stopped before the exam:
    • Microsoft PowerToys.
    • Autodesk Desktop App Service: AdAppMgrSvc.exe
  5. Locate your laptop on the same location that you will be testing from.
  6. Perform system test (The URL with amended /onvue):

Exam night

  1. Prepare your room/testing space.
    • No notes.
    • No pencils.
    • No posters.
    • No TVs, or monitors.
    • My room was having mirrors and it was not an issue.
    • Clean desk (Laptop + Mouse only).
    • The room has enough light, and you may use a desk lamp. You need to make sure enough light so your picture is clear during the whole exam as usually, a computer webcam needs sufficient light to provide a good photo.
    • The room has a lock inside.
    • Prepare a "Don't disturb" sign to be hanged on your door from outside as a reminder to your family.
  2. Prepare your ID: Passport, driving license, ... If you will use a passport, prepare a dark surface that will be used as background for it. If you get an email that you need to use your ID with your signature, just use your passport it is widely accepted (I have confirmed that with support prior to the exam).
  3. Charge your mobile (You will need it in the beginning & if they wanted to contact you during the exam).

Exam day

  1. Prepare yourself:
    • Fully clothed.
    • No hat.
    • No hood.
    • No watch.
  2. Final room preparation:
    • Close Window for no sound if possible.
    • Hang the "Don't disturb" sign outside.
    • Lock the door.
  3. Start before 30 mins of the exam. From the dashboard, select your exam, and click "Checkin".
  4. Very important: Take a note with exam access code on your computer, you might need it later to file any technical case.
  5. Enter your mobile number.
  6. Test your system (Microphone, Internet speed, Webcam).
  7. Use your mobile to access the web browser for m.proctorcam.com?l=en-US
  8. Follow the steps to take picture of:
    • You.
    • Identification (Passport with dark background).
    • Workspace (Front, Back, Left, Right).
  9. Place mobiles, headphones and watches out of reach.
  10. The above process consumed around 15 mins, then wait for the proctor facing the webcam.
  11. In one of the exams, I was asked before the exam start to lift & rotate the laptop, and use the webcam to show the desk content I was using in the exam.

During Exam

  1. Food, drinks, smoking and gum are prohibited.
  2. You must stay within your webcam view all the time.
  3. You cannot move your webcam once your testing session has started.
  4. You cannot use scratch paper, take physical notes, or talk.
  5. You cannot get up and walk around.
  6. You cannot leave your testing environment for any reason.
  7. No one can enter your testing environment.
  8. You can use the scratchpad provided within onVUE software (It was slow, but recent versions (After Apr-2021) are near real-time and you can use them).


References


How to pass APMP Foundation in 2 weeks?

If you like to view the video version of this Blog, you can click on the video.

I have passed APMP Foundation in 25-Nov-2020. In this blog, I'm sharing my experience on how you can achieve this certification in 2 weeks.

Exam information

  • Current code: APMP (2015) Foundation
  • Current release date: 12-Feb-2016 (Exam option: 2015), updated every 5 years.
  • Number of questions: 75
  • Open book: Yes (Unrestricted material)
  • Exam duration: 1 hr – ESL (1 hr, 15 mins)
  • Passing score: 42/75 (56%)
  • Time / question: 48 secs – ESL (1 min)
  • Cost: 400$ Exam + 160$ Membership + Course fees
  • Validity duration / Expiry: 2 years (20 Educational Units CEU to renew, blogging, publishing articles, presenting).
  • Exam availability: 24/7
  • Exam location: Home / Authorized Training organization.

Training courses

On Oct-2020, I have checked all approved Training Organizations. I have made a quick comparison based on available information on these companies website:


Course / Link

Cost

Duration

Notes

baachuscribble 161 USD 12 hours / 1 - 2 weeks
  • Lifetime access.
  • Includes 200+ sample practice questions.
  • Opportunity for money back with WOW2K program.
  • Found some youtube videos about APMP
  • Very responsive in email's reply.
Bidcraft 360 USD
thebidtoolkit 307 USD 4 hours / on demand
sixfold 602 - 712 USD 1 full day training
  • Includes exam fee.
  • Seems they are confident to sit for the exam in the same day after you finish the training.
  • Includes Study guide.
  • Includes glossary.
  • Include quick reference guide.

I have selected baachuscribble from the above list based on the notes mentioned above and reasonable course price.

Study plan

I will recommend you start by answering the free sample exam, and select "APMP Foundation" before studying to understand how the exam looks like. 
I'm sharing with my MS project study plan to achieve both certifications in less than 2 weeks of study (Study time 20 hours / week ). If you don't have MS project, here is a link for Excel sheet having the same information. You can use it as a base for your study schedule.

Exam registration

1. Register on the apmp website. Offer 15 months for 12 months price 160$ (PayPal).
2. Register in course from WOW2K link.
3. Register in course from Baachuscribble link. Price 153$ (VISA, MasterCard, American Express). Your will find two courses:
  • APMP Foundation Level Certification.
  • APMP Foundation Practice and Revision.
4. Booking the exam on website
  • Language: English.
  • APMP Foundation (2015).
  • Enter last name, and APMP membership id so exam fee is 400$ (Without membership 600$).
  • If you didn’t register, you will need to register in this site. Fill your data.
  • Is exam in a second language? Yes (This will add an extra checkmark in same page that you won’t be able able to book your exam until APMG confirm your request by contacting you).
  • Click “Pay by card”.
  • Enter information and card details.
  • Gives you a booking reference with a validity of 1 year & sent by email (Login information will be sent within 24 hours unless further information is required as ESL).
5. Within 1 day, I received an email to register on the exam website after filling:
  • Personal information
  • Employer
  • Industry
  • Communication preference
  • Name appearance on certificate First, Middle, Last.
  • Data protection.
  • Confirm declaration about entered data is correct.
  • After this step, you are ready for an online exam at any time.
  • I received a receipt for purchase after 4 days.

Exam tips

  • The exam can be scheduled anytime, I prefer to have it during vacation or before work.
  • Pick a quiet time to test.
  • Disable notification from your PC (Windows Focus Assist).
  • Silent Smartphone, no vibration, screen facing down.
  • Avoid conducting the test from your work network and use your home network.
  • Fully charged laptop not PC & connected to an electrical outlet.
  • Test your internet connection & have a backup connection up & running for an easy switch (Mobile Hotspot and set as a metered connection on your laptop).
  • Use Chrome browser.
  • Have Study guide, APMP Glossary website for quick reference, but use it as last resort as no time will be available in the exam.
  • Have google translate opened or its plugin installed to your browser.
  • Have the APMP tracking sheet printed per exam attempt.

References

APMP Certification Program

Frequently Asked Questions for the APMP Accreditation Program


APMP Certification for IT Professionals

This post list references I have used to prepare the video and presentation for APMP.




Youtube video Presentation shared in slideshare


References