The Oracle Database 11g: SQL Fundamentals I exam is the first stepping stone in getting the Oracle Certified Associate Certification for Oracle Database 11g. The SQL programming language is used in every major relational database today and understanding the real world application of it is the key to becoming a successful DBA.

This book gives you: the essential real world skills to master relational data manipulation with Oracle SQL and prepares you to become an Oracle Certified Associate. Beginners are introduced to concepts in a logical manner while practitioners can use it as a reference to jump to relevant concepts directly.

We begin with the essentials of why databases are important in today's information technology world and how they work.

We continue by explaining the concepts of querying and modifying data in Oracle using a range of techniques, including data projection, selection, creation, joins, sub-queries and functions. Finally, we learn to create and manipulate database objects and to use them in the same way as today's expert SQL programmers.

This book prepares you to master the fundamentals of the SQL programming language using an example-driven method that is easy to understand.

This definitive certification guide provides a disciplined approach to be adopted for successfully clearing the 1Z0-051 SQL Fundamentals I exam, which is the first stepping stone towards attaining the OCA on Oracle Database 11g certification.

Each chapter contains ample practice questions at the end. A full-blown mock test is included for practice so you can test your knowledge and get a feel for the actual exam.

What you will learn from this book

• Get insights into the fundamentals of databases and how they work
• Create and manipulate databases
• Create complex reports by joining data from multiple tables
• Use functions to manipulate data for solving real world problems
• Create database objects from scratch to store the types of data used in businesses today
• Use SQL in application development
• Aggregate data transformation using group functions
• Combine SQL queries

Approach

This book is packed with real word examples. Each major certification topic is covered in a separate chapter, which helps to make understanding of concepts easier. At the end of each chapter, you will find a variety of practice questions to strengthen and test your learning.

You will get a feel for the actual SQL Fundamentals I exam by solving practice papers modeled on it.

Who this book is written for

This book is for anyone who needs the essential skills to pass the Oracle Database SQL Fundamentals I exam and use those skills in daily life as an SQL developer or database administrator.