Qlikview certification developer tips

[#1]

Hello,

I just failed the exam with 69% correct, but needed 75%.

The hardest questions for me was the link table a concatenate questions. Not that i dont understand the two concepts, but its hard to decide which one is the best approach when lacking of experience:

example:

Budget table:

Product

Year

Name

Budgetamount

ActualTable:

Product

Year

Month

Date

ActualAmount

These tables create syntheic keys, how would you approch the solution eliminating syntheic keys

1: concatenate

2: left join

3: Create a concatenate key of product-year-month

4: Rename to BudgetYear and BudgetMonth

Furthermore there were questions which approach a developer would take to optimize performance.

The expressions questions are not that hard and really simple set analysis questions.

And some questions can be hard to understand or to decided what is correct, heres is an example:

When should a developer make a new tab in edit script

1: when code exceeds 255 lines

2: When he first time access edit script

3: when the script is no more logically related

A thing i dont understand is that there is no feedback, so i dont know where im good and where im wrong. So next time i might could study an area to be better!

[Anonymous]

synthetic keys are resource intensive and slows down your app, at all cost  ensure synthetic keys are out....they mke your table viewer difficult to interpret,

a loop is a circular reference, avoid repetition of similar fields in different tables---- can be removed by renaming fields that cause the loop, create a composite  key or a linked table

Example of a loop:

[#3]

Thoams,

I would have answered 2. because I had read (and understood) we're talking about section access. In this case, we should create an hidden script. I do not understand why we shoud create a new tab after 250 lines (and not 150 or 212). it depends on the process.

Because the exam is in English, I am sure I will make obvious mistakes due to bad comprehension.

When reading all comments, I see that we need to pass the exam:

1) RTFM (I mean the reference manual)

2) RTFB and RTFTD (I mean the blogs and the technical documents that explain deeply some particular points)

I am sure you will be more prepared the next time.

Fabrice

[#4]

ITs not section access - but i would have answered two also.

I read the book/some blogs and some technical documents.

I have skimmed the refereance manuel. I feel that i have okay knowledge about the different things. But some things i dont have any experience with - but i will try again, and hopefully not fail this time.

[Anonymous]

some questions are tricky ...we fail because of a simple misinterpretation....of some questions..

[#6]

A certification always require deep knowledge (and not just a comprehension of the tool): some people recommand to try it after 1 year experience of QV, perhaps the time needed to mature all things and get this deep knowledge.

it is why it is hard to succeed, and worth the price.

Fabrice

[#7]

The problem is that many employers insist on certification. How do I get 1 year experience if there is no job ?

[#8]

John,

I got certification one month ago. 1 year experience  is perhaps too much. I got certification after 6 months.

I got the experience mainly in the forum: I tried to answer many (and many) questions. I answered two types of questions: 1) the easiest ones (I knew the answer)   2) the most interesting ones (the functional problem was there, how to replicate the problem also): I just needed some time to achieve it (no matter anyone answered before I could do, I wanted to answer by myself and learn => and sometimes, however, I was the first person to give the right answer). In other words, the forum is a great tool to get experience.

I read also many documents (HIC's blog is a must read)

Fabrice

[#9]

Hi Fabrice,

Please tell me the name of HIC's blog. Also, did you have to read the reference manuals ?

Thanks.

[#10]

John,

HIC=Henric Cronström. Henric Cronström

I read partially the reference manual, but I have to say that I do not like it: most of the time, Often, it describes something obvious but do not go deeply (with all details, with do and don't) as a reference manual should do.

Henric's blog are incredibly well written (let's say that I am a fan): each time, a blog covers a specific topic. And that topic is clearly and completely covered. It is why they are sometimes difficult to understand (I have to say that I did not completely understand some of them because they are too high level for me). According to me: you have to read them to understand QlikView. Even if you do not understand them the first time, re read them one month later: you will see your progress at that time because you will understand more clearly some subtilities you diod not catch the first time.

To go to the certification:

1) read the book "QlikView for developers" (perhaps several times, because the 1st time, you do not understand everything or do not catch every point)

2) read blogs (HIC's blogs are a must read as I said above)

3) read other docs you may found in the forum (I have written some docs).

4) do exercices. As I told you, try to answer questions people ask: they face true problems, and that is a good way to gain experience and understand what the docs are saying

I decided also to write some docs, so that I was able to go deeply into a particular subject like Set Analysis or Load.

5) be patient: QlikView is a software we need to learn to do great applications. That is why an experienced consultant may be searched by companies

Fabrice

[#11]

Thanks fabrice. Henric Cronström - Is this the correct link for his blog ?