Would appreciate your help in finding a list of modules required for obtaining certification for MySQL & PHP programming, and where I am able to take the necessary exams.

At present, I don't know of any official PHP certification, and the MySQL folks haven't launched theirs yet - they're looking for Beta testers at present, but although they talk of worldwide testing and several levels of certification, the details on just where the testing will be are absent as they are "still negotiating".

See http://www.mysql.com/training/certification.html for MySQL details; the best  independent source I have seen folks coume up with for PHP is  http://www.brainbench.com but that suggestion had a "??" after it.

Taking a step back, I have to say that I feel that some certification programs seem more designed as a profit source for the companies behind the certification rather than for the pure benefit of the person being certified - but that's an issue of some contention and if you want to go off and get certificatons, fine.  Don't yet know how the MySQL one will pan out - might turn out to be much better.

You may not have come across our owns tests (at sister sites) which offer you short  tests to check out your knowledge level in MySQL, PHP and other subjects:
http://www.mysqlquiz.co.uk
http://www.phpquiz.co.uk
http://www.perlquiz.co.uk
http://www.javaquiz.co.uk
http://www.tclquiz.co.uk
These were written so that trainees who are wondering if the need training, and if so at what level, can run a short self-test to find out.  With 15 questions in each test, they are statistically significant, but they're no substitute for a full set of exams. Do visit any of them and have a look at the FAQ for more details - but they are NOT the certification you were looking for.

You ask about finding a list of modules you would need for training;  I would suggest that a typical PHP and MySQL user would cover the basics of both on courses such as http://www.wellho.net/course/ph.html and http://www.wellho.net/course/mq.html and that any good general certifications should cover the sort of material covered in those courses - after all the courses are designed around the majority of practical uses that are made of PHP and MySQL, and the real intent of training is not to get a certificate but to get a knowledge to do a job, isn't it?

Once you've covered all the core subjects, which are more or less the same for everyone, you'll probably find you can read into any other specifics you need;  if you prefer to get some official training, we can provide "extra" days.



A follow up .... it's a year since I wrote on this thread, and a message in my inbox has lead me to have another look ...


There's certainly *not* a certification with the same general visibility out there that there is in Java or the Microsoft products.    In the last year, the situation has changed somewhat as regard to MySQL, but I've not come across anything that's looking official as regards to PHP.

I suspect that the reasons for a lack of PHP certification are 2-fold.   (a) the Open Source ethos, which provides a set of tools and then lets people do it THEIR way differs from the prescriptive approach of a certification program and (b) many PHP users don't do PHP as their major job; it's just a side issue that accounts for a small proportion of their work time. Much more important for them to know other technologies / their application area to a certification / exam lever.

It's *not* exactly what you're looking for, but we do issue certificates of completion on our training courses, and if asked at a future date we'll confirm attendance at the course and course content.  See http://www.wellho.net/course/phfull.html for the course details;  we tend not to shout out about the certification as it's not a big topic for most folks.

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