Certification Exam

Taking the Certification Exam

The SAP certification exam is designed to be challenging; take my word for it! Most are offered as a 3-hour exam (breaks are optional), with 80 questions and typically a 55% pass-rate... Think about it, that's about 2 minutes per question (excluding breaks), and each question is a complex multiple choice (e.g. a question can have one or more answers out of many, and most questions are scenario-driven). Given that amount of time, and necessity of thinking through questions methodically and carefully, you will need to be very prepared.

Worst case, you can take the exam up to three times per year, with an elapsed interval between each retake (rules might have changed already, so don't quote me on that). In any case, below are some tips on how to prepare for the exam and use techniques during the exam to succeed.

> BREAKS Given the short amount of time, it is very hard to take a break. Inevitably, your body will need it, so try to plan for one break every hour; usually 2-3 minutes for a quick stretch and bathroom break works best.
> COUNT Keeping count of your answers is a handy method to gauge your possible pass-rate. If you feel 100% confident about at least 60% of the questions, then you are in a fairly good shape to get to the 60+% you need when doing the final review at the very end.
> FLAG Use the flagging functionality for questions you are not sure of. It is VERY helpful when revisiting questions at the end that your uncertain of.
> NOTES Use your note sheet to create diagrams of the scenarios presented in the questions. Also use it to keep count of confident/non-confident questions you answered.
> READ Read the questions very carefully; they are often scenario-based and you have to understand it very well before answering or considering the multiple choice answers.
> RELATIONSHIPS Believe it or not some questions have relationships to others, so it is good to keep a tab in your mind or note sheet of some of the more complex questions as others might be related and answers could be "deduced" if you are clever enough ;-)
> SCENARIOS Since most questions are scenario oriented, requiring some effort of thinking, try to play them out in your mind as if you were doing them in real life. This can often help confirm your answers.
> TIMING Keep time; watch the clock on the screen, and time yourself with your own watch. Remember to keep it short, quick and efficient per question; 1 to 1.5 minutes per question is usually a good strategy, this way you gather enough buffer time for breaks and doing a final review at the very end.
> TITLES The titles of every question often provide a good context for what to expect, so make sure you read the title/topic before reading the question.

Last, but not least... Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. Before taking the test review your notes and training material. It is often very helpful to review the summary sections of each unit; you will find most of the complex concepts documented there that are often used in the exams.

Keep studying, and best of luck!

Rebloggued from SAP Community Network Blogs

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