When I took the Professional Institute of SQL Server (PIS) exam recently, I was nervous about the challenges that would be presented to me. I was a little concerned about having to prepare for an exam in my field that I have no training in whatsoever and even less experience doing it. What I didn’t know was that there are a lot of options available to me if I wanted to take this exam, and they aren’t nearly as expensive as I thought they were.

If you are like me, then you likely already know that you can take paid exams. The SQL Backup Pro paid version is popular among many SQL developers for its ease of use and affordability. The other paid course that I looked into was SQL Server Professional, which also has a lot of positive reviews and has a reasonable price tag. After all, these types of exams are not always written with real world applications in mind.

However, for the cost of one or two of the paid programs, I believe that I should at least attempt taking one of these more advanced exams. Granted, they will not be written as they would appear on paper, but they still have their place in the SQL market. So, instead of continuing to suffer through these cheaper courses, why not give them a try?

As with anything that requires skill, there are some techniques that you will want to familiarize yourself with. For example, most of the tests include multiple choice, which will require you to select a single character from a multiple choice prompt. You are not allowed to select more than one character. Once you click “submit” or “OK,” your score will be calculated. This type of quiz tends to be fairly simple and the true mark of a good course is how easy it is to complete.

There are a few other questions on these online quizzes, which will require a bit of patience on your part. Some questions will ask you to choose an item out of several selections. To choose the correct item, you must determine what the item would represent in a SQL Server operation. For example, a column in a table might represent an employee’s name, grade, or department. You may also be required to respond to a selection regarding the type of employee (i.e., private or public). The goal of these types of questions is to expose you to the different nuances of SQL Server so that you can apply what you have learned when you take the actual exam.

If you do decide to take the paid course, make sure that it is from a reputable source. There are a lot of places out there that are willing to sell courses that are not accredited by SQL Server itself. SQL Server professionals have taken notice of these scams online courses and so it is important that you research the vendor prior to purchasing the course. Most of the time, they will have a link to the SQL Server training or sample exam that you can take for the fee that they charge.

Another thing that you need to know about taking an online SQL exam for me is that there is no way to “get around” some of the exams. You will need to either take the test right before your scheduled exam date or schedule the exam at a time that is most convenient for you. Also, if you choose to take the course on your own, then you will need to get a full understanding of how to use all of the tables, stored procedures, and so forth. This is something that cannot be learned in an online course. You must be able to understand how to do each task in order to pass the exam.

As you can see, there are quite a few things that you need to consider before you go ahead and sign up for any paid SQL course. Luckily, learning how to master the database is not all that difficult once you get started with a paid course. The key is to find the right course for you. Try to get a few different quotes and see what they cost. Also, it is a good idea to try and find out the actual costs that you will incur once you take the course. A few websites even offer free trials so you can get a feel for the price and if they are worth it.