This is the official guide to passing the two MySQL certification tests for MySQL 5, the long-awaited major revision of MySQL. It includes a voucher for 25 percent off either exam-a $50 value! The number of MySQL certification exams taken has doubled in the last six months.

Certcities.com lists the MySQL certification as one of the top 10 certifications to grow in 2005. MySQL professionals need a way to distinguish themselves from the vast majority of database administrators and developers. With more than 4 million active installations, MySQL is the world's most popular open-source database. Known for its speed, reliability and case of use, MySQL has become a low-cost alternative to expensive database systems such as Oracle, IBM and Microsoft. MySQL AB has aggressively improved the feature set of MySQL with MySQL 5, making it more suitable for enterprise-level applications and uses. The MySQL certification tests, available at over 3,000 PearsonVUE testing centers, is a key component of this enterprise growth strategy, establishing a base level of skills for database users, administrators and programmers.

The MySQL Core Certification is aimed at the database user who wants proof of his or her abilities in such fundamental areas as SQL, data entry and maintenance, and data extraction. The MySQL Professional Certification test is designed for the advanced user who wants to prove his or her knowledge in such areas as database management, installation, security, disaster prevention and optimization. Both tests are thoroughly covered in the MySQL 5.0 Certification Study Guide. Written by Paul DuBois, the leading author of books on MySQL topics, and reviewed for technical accuracy by MySQL AB, this book is the fastest, most reliable way for MySQL users, developers, and administrators to prepare for either of the MySQL tests.

Concise
As many people, when I first got the book I marveled at the size and thought upon myself that a book this large is going to take a long time to read. Realistically I’ve breezed through it rather rapidly and feel very confident facing the DBA certification. Unlike most I did also read the other Certification Exam’s part as my primary job role is a developer I plan to attain both Certifications. Both sections were concise and precise, I learned quite a bit that I had thought I already knew enough about. I would highly recommend this book to anybody with at least some solid foundations in SQL and MySQL.

Way exceeded my expectation!
The book is quite big and my first impression was it’s going to take a long time and it’s full of useless info. But once I started reading, I had a nice surprise. The book actually covers 2 certifications (Dev and DBA), 2 exams each. I can’t speak for the Dev part, but the DBA part was very well structured and each exam required less than 200 pages of reading. The information was dense enough and always up to the point. The practice questions were really not a question samples, but more like a 60 pages summary of possible exam topics.

I also liked the style very much. It’s very proffesional but not too dry and reading is not boring.

There are a few glitches here and there (table of content is off, the CD ROM didn’t work well), but they are not really impacting your study.

Overall, I liked it very much and I wish more vendors would adopt that format and style.

And, by the way, I passed both exams at the first try using this book only (well, I’ve been working with MySQL a bit in the past, but I clearly had holes in my knowledge before).

So I highly recommend this book as a perfect MySQL certification guide and general reference.

Read It thoroughly and ur certified
Well I’ve been using Mysql for the last 5 years now and got to say that I already had pretty good hold on it. But through this book I came across numerous interesting things that I was unaware of and no prizes for guessing that I cleared the exam with ease. The book has each and every detail of topics that are asked in the exam and hence is a must for anyone looking to give the exam

Vouchers no longer printed with book
This is the book for MySQL CMDBA, CMDEV, and CMA certifications!

But please note we do not include vouchers for the exams in the latest printing.

Well organized and concise. Good information source.
I didn’t buy this book for the exam, I bought this book as a general resource for MySQL. I already have a background in MS SQL Server. The book was very good at covering the essentials needed to become proficient in MySQL, and is a great desktop reference. However, I wished it had covered advanced topics such as clusters. But you really can’t expect one book to cover everything.

Comprehensive Study Guide
If you need the information to study for the MySQL dev and dba exams, this is the book. It covers most everything, but it is more of a manual than a book covering the subject. So although it covers all the material (and then some), it isn’t a comfy read.

Good book
I like this book. It’s easy, clear, and absolutely suitable for new guys to MySQL and preparing for taking the MySQL DBA test.

MySQL Certified because of this book
I studied for the MySQL DBA exam using this book, chapters 23-42. I passed both exams on the first try two weeks apart. I can truthfully say that in order to pass both exams, you must know certain facts from several different chapters to answer a single question. This is especially true for mutiple choice questions that require multiple answers. While there are many typos and changes to MySQL since the books release, just go to the URL http://www.mysql.com/certification/studyguides/errata50.html and make those corrections, and you will find that this book is indeed a complete study guide. The developer chapters (1-22) are just as replete with needed info. Have fun studying the book and passing the exams.

great prep for exam
I took the MYSQL 5.0 dev I and Dev II exams from this book.

More than any other book I’ve ever read, this book prepares you for the exam. There’s no material on the test that is not in the book, another first. In fact, some of the examples on joins and subqueries are taken straight out of the book’s questions on CD’s; some of the tables used in the exam are taken straight out of the book’s examples. I can’t stress this enough: more than any other Cisco, MS, Red Hat, Sun, or CISSP book, what is on the exam is in the book if you are willing to read carefully.

The questions are challenging, even more so than the exam itself. The writing is clear, as good as any book I’ve read. The examples are all excellent.

4 stars instead of 5 because the authors can’t resist putting their political views in the text. They prominently list "Palestine" as a country (unnecessarily IMO) and refuse to say "fire triggers" because of the association with guns.


Besides that, it’s a great book.

great prep for exam
I took the MYSQL 5.0 dev I and Dev II exams from this book.

More than any other book I’ve ever read, this book prepares you for the exam. There’s no material on the test that is not in the book, another first. In fact, some of the examples on joins and subqueries are taken straight out of the book’s questions on CD’s; some of the tables used in the exam are taken straight out of the book’s examples. I can’t stress this enough: more than any other Cisco, MS, Red Hat, Sun, or CISSP book, what is on the exam is in the book if you are willing to read carefully.

The questions are challenging, even more so than the exam itself. The writing is clear, as good as any book I’ve read. The examples are all excellent.

4 stars instead of 5 because the authors can’t resist putting their political views in the text. They prominently list "Palestine" as a country (unnecessarily IMO) and refuse to say "fire triggers" because of the association with guns.


Besides that, it’s a great book.

Good Product
I just started reading this book and found its good. A good pick for people who are serious about MySql Certification.

Very good information, leaves more to be desired
I found myself wanting more when it came time to try the practice exam questions. The book comes with PDF’s that serve as the practice exam. What I expected was software that would simulate the test. I’m taking the DBA class next month and I don’t expect any issues passing the exam, though I would feel more comfortable forking out the $ to take it if I had a wider pool of questions to study from.

The book does a fairly good job of covering both exam tracks (DBD & DBA) from what I’ve seen thus far and is laid out in a practical way for those preparing for the exam. This book is not intended as a reference, though some new admins may choose to use it like that.

Thorough
This is an excellent book covering MySQL in great detail.

I did buy this book not because I want to be certified, but because I wanted to have detailed information about MySQL version 5 and all the new functionality it has. I am certainly not disappointed.



There are useful examples for every subject covered and the book is much more readable than the online MySQL manual.

This is not a book for beginners or a book about designing a relational database. If you want to learn SQL or database design you should look elsewhere.

Thorough
This is an excellent book covering MySQL in great detail.
I did buy this book not because I want to be certified, but because I wanted to have detailed information about MySQL version 5 and all the new functionality it has. I am certainly not disappointed.

There are useful examples for every subject covered and the book is much more readable than the online MySQL manual.
This is not a book for beginners or a book about designing a relational database. If you want to learn SQL or database design you should look elsewhere.

Exam voucher not honored for MySQL 5 exams! (but great book)
I love this book, but I am outraged that VUE refuses to honor the included voucher code for MySQL 5 exams. The book is targeted for MySQL 5, and the text in the book clearly states the voucher is for ANY MySQL exam. But VUE claims the included voucher is only valid for MySQL 4 exams.

I attempted to escalate this issue but was told by VUE that it is Amazon’s fault for including the wrong voucher number. The code is clearly printed by the book publisher, not Amazon, so this is just very poor finger pointing by VUE trying to blame Amazon.

The book is worth every penny despite the false advertising related to the voucher.

Taken directly from the exams and written by top-notch authors, this book is a must for any exam candidate!
Quite simply, this book should be on the shelf of anyone who intends to take the MySQL Certification exams.

The book was written by Paul DuBois, certainly the top author of MySQL related books. Paul’s style is very readable and the book provides extensive coverage of the exam material.

In fact, the book is so extensive because it was written not only by Paul, but by Carsten Pedersen, certification manager at MySQL AB. The book was written by the people who created the exam, and it shows. I can tell you right now that if you read the certification study guide and know its content, you will pass the certification exam. There is not a question on the exam that is not covered by this study guide.

The exercises are good, though not always formatted the same as what you will encounter on the actual exam. Doing the exercises should reveal how well you understand a given topic in the guide.

Here’s an overview of what the book covers:

* MySQL and MySQL AB
* MySQL Software
* Using MySQL Client Programs
* Data Definition Language
* The SELECT Statement
* Basic SQL
* Update Statements
* Joins
* Importing and Exporting Data
* MySQL Architecture
* MySQL Installation and Configuration
* Security Issues
* Optimizing for Query Speed
* MyISAM Tables
* InnoDB Tables
* Advanced Server Features

Finally, here is the best part about the MySQL Certification Study Guide: it’s free. In the back of the guide is a voucher code for 25% off the cost of a certification exam, or roughly the price of the book. If you are serious about taking the MySQL Certification exams, you can’t go wrong with this book.