Solaris Certification Exams

Now that we’ve examined what Solaris is, we’ll look at the certification process for Solaris. The three exams we will cover in this book are

Sun Certified System Administrator for the Solaris 9 Operating Environment Part I (310-014)
Sun Certified System Administrator for the Solaris 9 Operating Environment Part II (310-015)
Sun Certified Network Administrator for the Solaris 9 Operating Environment Part II (310-016)

These exams were also available for Solaris 8 and previous releases. The exams will be referred to as Sysadmin I, Sysadmin II, and Network Admin throughout this book. It’s important to note that a pass on both Sysadmin I and Sysadmin II is required for full certification as a system administrator. These two exams are prerequisites for taking the Network Admin exam.

There are several ways to book a test. You must contact Sun Educational Services through one of the following ways and purchase a voucher:

Snail: UBRM12-175, 500 Eldorado Blvd., Broomfield, CO 80021
Phone: (800) 422-8020 or (303) 464-4097
Fax: (303) 464-4490
WWW: http://suned.sun.com/USA/certification/

Once you have a voucher for the test you wish to take, you need to contact a Prometric Test Center at a location convenient to you. You can register online with Prometric at http://www.2test.com/. Once you have attended the center and taken both Sysadmin I and Sysadmin II, you’ll be certified immediately as a system administrator if you have passed both exams. Of course, you don’t need to take them on the same day: it makes sense to attempt Sysadmin I and pass it before attempting Sysadmin II. Since Sysadmin I is a prerequisite for Sysadmin II, you won’t be able to book a sitting for Sysadmin II until your Sysadmin I results are certified. Once you have completed the two exams, and you have become a certified system administrator, you’ll need to take the Network Admin exam to become certified as a network administrator.

The current cost for attempting each exam is $150. Sysadmin I has 57 questions, comprising multiple choice, free response, and drag-and-drop types. You will need a score of at least 64 percent to pass the test, and you will only have 90 minutes in which to complete it. Sysadmin II has 58 questions, comprising multiple choice, free response, and drag-and-drop types. You will need a score of at least 65 percent to pass the test, and you will only have 90 minutes in which to complete it. Network Admin has 41 questions, comprising multiple choice, free response, and drag-and-drop types. You will need a score of at least 68 percent to pass the test, and you will only have 120 minutes in which to complete it.