Exam Guide For 1D0-541
CIW v5 Database Design Specialist
Important program notice
The CIW v5 Database Design Specialist exam (1D0-541) will be released on March 15, 2008. This exam replaces the CIW Database Specialist exam (1D0-441) and now earns a stand-alone certification. The CIW Database Specialist exam (1D0-441) will be retired October 31, 2008. However, candidates who have previously passed exam 1D0-441 are still eligible for the Master CIW Enterprise Specialist certification.
- Credit Toward Certification
- Prerequisites
- Exam Information
- Skills Measured
- Exam Preparation Tools
- Exam Retake Policy
- Exam Retirement
CREDIT TOWARD CERTIFICATION
CIW v5 Database Design Specialist 1D0-541 is a requirement for the following CIW certifications:
- CIW v5 Database Design Specialist
- Master CIW Enterprise Developer
PREREQUISITES
The following prerequisites are recommended or required for candidates taking the CIW v5 Database Design Specialist exam and seeking CIW v5 Database Design Specialist certification:
- The CIW Certification Agreement is required for CIW certification eligibility. The candidate can submit this agreement after taking the exam by logging on as a CIW Candidate to the CIW Candidate Information Center site. This agreement needs to be completed only once, but no CIW certification will be awarded without it, even if you pass the exam.
EXAM INFORMATION
Students who have taken CIW courses are encouraged to continue their studies and apply their new skills before attempting the 1D0-541 CIW v5 Database Design Specialist exam. Skills taught in the CIW v5 Database Design Methodology course are best reinforced with real-world experience.
The candidate is responsible for learning the content and earning a passing score on the exam. Comments regarding course delivery should be referred to the training company or educational institution that delivered the course.
The 1D0-541 CIW v5 Database Design Specialist exam will be subject to the following:
- Each delivery of the exam will include a random selection of 50 items.
- The examination period will be 90 minutes.
To earn a passing score on the 1D0-541 CIW v5 Database Design Specialist exam, candidates must:
- Correctly answer at least 39 of the 50 questions to achieve a total score of 75% or greater.
| Module | Number of items |
| Relational Database Fundamentals | 18 |
| Relational Database Design and Application | 4 |
| Normalization and Database Design | 8 |
| Structured Query Language (SQL) | 10 |
| Relational Algebra and Databases | 5 |
| Transactions, Currency Control and Database Security | 5 |
| Total Scored Items | 50 |
Each multiple-choice item offers four solutions or distracters. Exam candidates must select the one best solution for each item. After passing the CIW v5 Database Design Specialist exam, candidates are eligible for CIW v5 Database Design Specialist certification status. To obtain your CIW v5 Database Design Specialist certificate, you must log on to the CIW Candidate Information Center to verify your address and complete the CIW Certification Agreement. Your certificate will not be mailed until you complete this step.
SKILLS MEASURED
A CIW Database Design Specialist plans and designs relational databases. This individual defines the structure of a database, employs entity relationship (ER) diagrams and normalization to optimize databases, builds database client applications, and performs database maintenance and security administration. Database design skills are a combination of technical and non-technical theory and knowledge required for those interested in developing databases in most popular platforms. The 1D0-541 exam tests the following knowledge domains:
Domain 1: Relational Database Fundamentals
- Objective 1-1: Identify basic database types and management systems.
- Objective 1-2: List common database languages and their purposes, and identify language subsets of Structured Query Language (SQL).
- Objective 1-3: Identify relational data modeling schemas, characteristics and manipulation.
Domain 2: Relational Database Design and Application
- Objective 2-1: Identify the steps of the database planning life cycle.
- Objective 2-2: Identify the activities in the conceptual design phase of a database.
Domain 3: Normalization and Database Design
- Objective 3-1: Apply normalization techniques and processes.
- Objective 3-2: Describe logical database design steps and practices.
- Objective 3-3: Interpret logical data models into a physical data model that can be implemented by a particular database management system (DBMS).
Domain 4: Structured Query Language (SQL)
- Objective 4-1: Identify SQL commands and syntax.
- Objective 4-2: Create statements using Data Definition Language (DDL).
- Objective 4-3: Form commands using Data Manipulation Language (DML).
- Objective 4-4: Use Data Control Language (DCL) statements to control the access to data in a database and to grant users permissions for data operations.
Domain 5: Relational Algebra and Databases
- Objective 5-1: Define and describe the use of relational algebra in order to create new relationships from existing database relations.
- Objective 5-2: Compose joins in a database.
Domain 6: Transactions, Currency Control and Database Security
- Objective 6-1: Create transactions and enable currency control.
- Objective 6-2: Identify elements of database security.
EXAM PREPARATION TOOLS
Official Curriculum
Instructor-Led Training
Practice Exam Sites
All CIW examinations are copyrighted material. CIW does not endorse Web sites that list study guides or practice questions containing items from live CIW exams. Any practice exam site that offers a guarantee that you will pass the exam is suspect and should not be used. To maintain the security and value of our program, we reserve the right to decertify and/or prohibit from examinations any individuals who republish or distribute our copyrighted certification exam questions.
Third-Party Books, Web Sites, and Newsgroups
The following resources are provided as a supplement to your studies, and will reinforce the skills and concepts learned with CIW official course materials.
- Connolly, Thomas, with Carolyn Begg and Anne Strachan. Database Systems. Harlow, England: Addison-Wesley, 1999.
- Date, C. J. An Introduction to Database Systems. Harlow, England: Addison-Wesley, 1999.
- Gruber, Martin. Mastering SQL. Alameda, CA: SYBEX, 2000.
- Harrington, Jan. Relational Database Design. Chestnut Hill, MA: AP Professional, 1998.
- Taylor, Allen G. SQL For Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books, 1997.
TAKING CIW EXAMS
CIW exams are delivered through Prometric and VUE testing centers worldwide. Contact Prometric or VUE to register and schedule exams at your convenience. For more details, please see Taking An Exam.
EXAM RETAKE POLICY
The CIW Exam Retake Policy outlines the conditions under which a candidate may retake a CIW exam. A waiting period between retakes of a single certification exam maintains the security of the exam and strengthens the value of the CIW certification. Each CIW exam is defined by a unique exam ID (e.g., IDO-540). A retake is any subsequent sitting of an exam with the same CIW exam ID by the same candidate at any authorized testing center.
In the event that a candidate passes a CIW exam, the candidate will not be allowed to retake that CIW exam. If the CIW exam objectives change, the exam ID changes to reflect the new exam version. Candidates who have passed an exam may sit a newer version of the exam that may have the same title but a different ID number.
In the event that a candidate fails a CIW exam on his or her first attempt, a 24-hour waiting period is required between the first and second sittings of that CIW exam. Candidates are required to wait for a period of no less than thirty (30) calendar days from the date of the previous sitting before any third or subsequent sitting of the same CIW exam.
Exams administered in any ways that do not comply with the CIW Exam Retake Policy shall be considered invalid and ineligible for a refund.
In the event that a candidate has violated this Exam Retake Policy, the candidate may be deemed ineligible to register for or schedule any CIW exam for a minimum period of twelve (12) months from the date of such determination.
In addition, any candidate determined to have violated the CIW Exam Retake Policy may be subject to any or all of the following:
- Denial of a specific CIW certification for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of such determination;
- Revocation of a specific CIW certification, if such certification had been previously granted to the candidate;
- Revocation of all CIW certifications previously granted to the candidate;
- Ineligibility to receive any CIW certification for a minimum of twelve (12) months from the date of such determination;
- Any other appropriate actions, including legal remedies, deemed necessary or appropriate to enforce the CIW Exam Retake Policy.
EXAM RETIREMENT
No retirement date has been announced for exam 1D0-541.
COMMENTS
To make a comment or recommendation about CIW certification exams, please contact our CIW certification department.