A simple word – certification – can create so much confusion. Nearly every day we are asked about this word. How do I become certified on Primavera P6? Or how do I become a certified Primavera P6 scheduler or trainer?
Let’s start with the highest level of certification: Oracle University. Yes, there really is an Oracle University. In order to sell Oracle software a company must become an Oracle Partner (which involves a lot of paperwork and payment of fees) and get a certain number of employees certified on the Oracle programs the company wants to sell. Oracle offers Guided Learning Paths (GLPs) to help its partners prepare for these certifications.
In order to view the GLPs, however, you must have access to the Oracle Partner Network. In other words, individuals who do not work for an Oracle Partner cannot review the training materials. The GLPs cover a lot more than just the software itself, so it is vital to access to this training. Moreover, this trainer is geared towards implementing software solutions in various industries, which goes beyond what most schedulers would be expected to understand.
The next step is to take a proctored exam. By “proctored” we mean an exam observed by a third party. Oracle offers some exams during OpenWorld in San Francisco (an annual event for Oracle Partners, programmers and devotees) but there are computer learning centers around the country who offer the same exams on a more frequent basis. A passing score is 70%.
Passing this exam (1Z0-535) establishes someone as a Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management 8 Certified Implementation Specialist. If you are wondering, the “8” refers to Release 8 of P6 EPPM. Oracle has not changed the certification process even though we are now up to Release 17.7 as of July 2017.
You can view my certificate here.
Wait a minute! What about Primavera P6 Professional and Primavera Contractor? Well, Oracle does not offer separate certifications for those programs. But the reality is that P6 EPPM is by far the most difficult version of Primavera to learn and there are many features common to all three programs.
In addition, there is a desktop component of P6 EPPM that is identical to P6 Professional with one exception; the Admin menu is missing. Administrators are required to use the web component. But this also means that users who understand P6 Professional understand P6 EPPM to some extent, and vice versa. No one other than the administrators are required to use the web component and most schedulers prefer the desktop component.
I can promise you that just understanding Primavera P6 is not enough to pass this exam. There are questions related to the target markets for this software and how to implement various solutions. Companies who sell Oracle software are expected to be able to demonstrate why this software is the right solution. As you might imagine, P6 EPPM is the solution favored by Oracle.
In a nutshell, this is what it means to be “Oracle Certified”. Not all trainers are certified, and it should be rather obvious by now why firms that are not Oracle Partners are unlikely to have trainers who are certified by Oracle University. Being certified by Oracle University implies a pretty serious commitment to teaching Primavera P6. Oracle Partners also have access to resources unavailable to anyone else.
The next level of certification is by an Oracle Partner. While this may not sound as prestigious as being certified by Oracle University, the ultimate goal for non-trainers should be to learn the program, right? We are aware that job postings sometimes specify that applicants must be “certified” yet it is unlikely that the company posting the ad really understands the certification process.
Certification by an Oracle Partner will vary depending on the class. For example, our online classes are either 8 or 16 hours of instruction, while our in-person classes are 8, 16 or 24 hours. Each class has its own certification. We also offer certification via our On Demand Primavera P6 Training. When someone asks us which class to take, we try to understand what their job function requires. We offer a variety of classes to accommodate everyone’s needs.
The fact is that we have certified more than 2,500 people and not one of them has been turned down for a job because they lacked the correct certification. Each certificate we issue includes our Oracle Partner logo, and these companies know they can call us to discuss our curriculum. We want our students to succeed and we want companies to accept our imprimatur.
Perhaps more importantly, the employers we talk to overwhelming support training provided by an Oracle Partner. They appreciate that Oracle Partners are accredited by Oracle University and maintain a formal business relationship with Oracle. Moreover, only Oracle Partners can offer software sales and training. Oracle Partners are the most qualified to recommend the right solutions.
Some companies are looking for certified trainers to teach other employees – someone often referred to as the Subject Matter Expert (SME). These individuals most certainly need to be certified by at least an Oracle Partner given their additional responsibilities. After all, they are setting the standards for the entire organization. Oracle Partners work with companies in many industries and understand the proper procedures for each.
Several people who have taken our classes were initially trained by non-accredited instructors at companies not affiliated with Oracle and learned that their prospective employers would not accept their certifications. Those classes might have been cheaper, but in the long run these people end up paying a lot more to get the proper certification. And keep in mind that just because the instructor knows more about Primavera P6 than you do does not make them an expert.
Of course, real-world experience is important as well. Our company has prepared more than 600 initial schedules and more than 10,000 periodic updates. Each of our instructors has at least 25 years of experience in project management. We are in fact often asked to teach Primavera courses offered by other training firms because they recognize that our level of experience is unrivaled.
Yes, you read that correctly: some of our competitors are willing to pay us to teach their classes!
A couple of years ago a gentlemen contacted our firm and said he already knew Primavera P6 very well and therefore did not want to take a class. Instead, he wanted to buy a certificate from our firm! Needless to say, we declined. We have had our share of “experts” who did not understand the program all that well.
Any questions? Hopefully not, but let us know!