In the end of 1999, Microsoft has published officially the beta version of certification exams' outline for desktop and distributed applications in Visual FoxPro. Several developers who's active members of Universal Thread has gathered themselves and organized a study group, that has reunions three times per week, intending to study together with a clear goal: to become Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCP) in Visual FoxPro. From those reunions was generated an intense material, that was lapidated and consolidated on a book, co-writed by Cindy Winegarden and Evan Delay.
I had the privilege to talk with Evan, trying to make clear the route towards the certification.
Hi, Evan. Thank you so much to make this interview happen .
You're welcome.
What was it like taking the beta exam, when people weren't even sure what material they would be tested on?
Even before our book came out, we had the Microsoft official outlines for the exams. So, we knew the material we had to cover and we just had to pull all of the materials together. This made for more work.
How long did you study before you took the exam?
The study group met 3 times per week for 1 hour over 6 weeks for each exam. I studied on my own about an equal amount of time. So about 36 hours of studying for each each of the two exams.
What do you think was the hardest part of the exam to study for?
For me personally it was covering topics that I wasn't familiar with. In particular DCOM and MSMQ. Having to learn something, then figure out how it applies to the exam is certainly more difficult than just brushing up on something you knew before.
Why should a VFP'er get certified?
A few reasons:
How did you get the idea of writing a VFP Certification book?
The concept of a guide had been discussed a number of times when we were studying for the exam during the beta period. The idea didn't really seem to go anywhere, but apparently people like Whil Hentzen, John Koziol and Ed Rauh were working behind the scenes to make it happen. Cindy was approached by Whil in the summer of 1999 to write the book and she asked me to co-author it with her. Creating a book was a wise decision because it helped us distill our knowledge from the group and our posting on fox.wikis.com into something more precise and readable.
Congratulations! You've both done a really good job!
I really appreciate that. It is good to hear from people that have read the book. The beta exam study group had prepared and collected materials on http://fox.wikis.com but it really need to be distilled into something more precise. A book made sense.
Did you have any idea that Microsoft would recommend your book as a Preparation Guide?
Our book isn't a Microsoft official preparation guide, but Microsoft has been very kind in supporting and promoting the book. The Visual FoxPro Group Manager Ricardo Wenger wrote a very flattering forward to the book. Microsoft has linked to our book from their main page for several months. Barbara Decker in the Microsoft certification group ran a exam promotion that conicided with the release of the book.
I've read Ricardo's forward. It must have really boosted your ego, eh? LOL
When we were writing the book we didn't know who would be doing the Foreword. I was pleasantly shocked to see it was Ricardo. Believe me, I showed the foreward to everyone... my boss, my wife, my parents. I think I even told my barber!
It must be like getting an extra gift for your efforts, isn't it?
To get the praise of someone as bright as Ricardo is certainly an honour.
In your opinion, how much time would it take VFP'er of intermediate skills to study (reading your book, as well as the references that the book recommends) to achieve his MCP certification (both exams - desktop and distributed)?
As mentioned in the previous question, I studied about 36 hours for each exam. If I had this book, I might have been able to shorten that by half. But each person learns and studies differently. Some people I know have successfully written the exam without studying, others took several months and several attempts to pass the exam.
What do you think is the easiest to way for a VFP'er to achieve the goal to be a MCSD?
Personally, I think the easiest way is to start with the VFP exams to build confidence as this is probably the student's main programming language. Next study for the 70-100 exam since this is required. For this exam it is necessary to download some of the various sample exams to become familiar with the testing format. After this, the final elective can be taken. The last exam is then be the elective. If you want the easiest path, then write the exam for a product or subject you know well. I took the Visual Basic Desktop test, since I new a bit about VB. Many other people wrote one of the SQL Server exams since this could be counted as a credit towards a MCDBA. In addition, start a group with some co-workers or members of your local user group. This is a good motivator. Some user groups would spend 1/2 hour at the start of each meeting to go over topics before starting into the main presentation for the night.
What kind of benefits have you already received because of you being a MCSD?
Shorly after becoming an MCSD got a new job working as a VFP developer in the Biomedical Engineering dept of Canada's 2nd largest hospital. This position came with a raise and increase responsibilites. I believe that the MCSD helped to distinguish me as a person who improves himself and is serious about his career.
Do you have any idea of the percentage of VFP'ers in USA that are MCP or MCSD developers?
Sorry, I don't have any idea. Oh, and I will take this opportunity to mention that I am Canadian. LOL
LOL, yes I did know that. LOL I asked about the USA because that's where many VFP developers are from, and I know you have a lot of contacts there.
That's true, most of the VFP talent is coming from the United States. Though it is nice to see that European and Latin American gurus have started to come out of the woodwork. There were a number of European and Latin American MVPs awarded this year. Off topic, but a interesting fact... the two most popular Visual FoxPro websites are based in Canada: fox.wikis.com and www.universalthread.com
What, in your opinion, is more important for a VFP'er: to have a university degree or a Microsoft Certification?
I have both and I think both are important pieces of the puzzle. Learning is life long and we need to keep improving our skills and adding to our knowledge. As well, formal education is often academic and vendor neutral, while Microsoft certification is product driven. These two approaches complement each other well. In Vancouver, more technical colleges are integrating Microsoft and other vendor certifications into their programs.
Do you have any information about a VFP7 Certification?
Microsoft has not made announcement about this. I don't know anything beyond that.
Would you considering the possibility of coming to Brazil for your vacation, and talking to a User Group about VFP Certification while you are here? LOL
If I did go to Brazil, I certainly would. I enjoy travelling and Brazil is on my list of places to go. Don't hold your breath though. LOL.
Evan, thanks a lot for this interview.
Thanks for letting me talk about our book and certification in general.
