I used this book to study for the exam. The explanations on this book is very good. The only fault on this book is the level of the questions. The questions on this book are very weak compared with the real exam. So, keep in mind that to think to take the exam, you will need to have a score upper than 90% on the test of the book, to have a chance to pass on the real exam. I bought the SelfTest too and there is the same problem with the questions. But, the key is: you need to understand the concepts behind the questions. If you understand that, you will not have problems to pass on the exam.

I had take the test last week and a I pass on the exam with 82% score. To study I use this book and the Self Test Software.

I used this book to study for the Performance Tuning Exam. This book covers all the objectives of the exam in much more organized way. The chapters reflect the contents of the checklist designed by oracle. Study the chapters carefully before taking the practice exams. Concerning the practices exam itself, it has some mistakes. Some of the answers to the questions are wrong but if you understand the material you will notice those mistakes. Or if you want to clear any doubt you can also check the oracle online manual.
On the exam, expect a lot of questions concerning the views, latch contentions, and some initializations parameters.
My suggestion to you is if you want to maximize your chance you can buy the sybex study guide which is also good. Both books are good for the exam except that I found the Oracle press book more organized. I will definitely recommend them if you are planning to take the performance tuning exam.

Read this book - took the Beta exam failed by 6 wrong answers. Second attempt passed - thanks now an OCP Certified. The explanations are good. Need more explanation, the new feature and their effectiveness on the 9i with respect to performance tuning. This would have helped use this book for standard reference for performance tuning 9i. I don't like to keep lot of books around. Now I have to get rid of this and get a book for 9i tuning reference purposes.

My purpose was to pass the exam and I have done it using this book but also the Sybex book by J. Johnson.
Both of them are very good books and are complementary.

Pros:
- very well structured and very clear
- the exam-based questions are representative
- the level of detail for package procedures is good

Cons:
- some answers to exam questions I had can't be found in the book
- there are typing mistakes in capital letters commands

My advice:
- have a good understanding of Oracle views. I had between 10 and 15 questions relating to views.
- use both books to be well prepared. This exam is quite difficult.

I bought the Sybex book. One of my colleagues bought this Oracle Press book. I read both and passed the test with plenty to spare. For the Oracle9i Performance Tuning Exam, I strongly recommend Oracle Press over Sybex. If you are buying just one, get the Oracle Press book. In particular, the Oracle Press sample tests and CD-ROM tests are much closer to the actual exam than Sybex.

This book does exactly what it sets out to do - prepare you for the OCP 9i Performance Tuning exam. However, be warned - it is not a comprehensive tuning manual, nor does it have in-depth explanations of tuning concepts. For this reason I would recommend supplementing this guide with the following books from the Oracle Docs: 1) Oracle 9i Database Performance Guide and Reference, 2) Oracle 9i Database Administrator's Guide. I used these two books and Mr. Pack's guide to clear the exam quite handily.

A strong showing of the Oracle 9i features for performance tuning, and a well written guide for the OCP exam. In addition, this book would be a good source for tuning tips and techniques.

This book is not only an excellent study guide for both the OCP classes and the exam, but a wonderfully written explanation of the complexities of performance and tuning. Of all of the material I've read on this subject [for training and examination purposes], nothing has made more sense or been more enlightening than this book.

All of the key elements of performance tuning are covered, the illustrations are excellent and aid in understanding, and the drills, self tests and practice questions have been a tremendous help.

Mr. Pack has come through on his effort to prepare the Oracle9i OCP test taker for the performance tuning exam. His writing is a model of prose, and his examples are on the spot. In this book (I like the fact that it's hard cover) his examples are clear and concise. He follows the objectives of the Performance tuning exams to a tee, yet the book remains usable long after the exam has been put to rest. Indeed, I'm certain that my copy will sit on top of my bookcase here at work, dog eared and well worn, for some time to come.

This book is an excellent guide to performance tuning. The errors that plagued the first two books in the series are just not present in this one. This book does a great job of showing the statspack reports alongside the standard queries to the v$ tables in the event you don't have access to statspack. The author just does an amazing job of explaining everything and presenting the material in an order that makes sense.

Examples are abundant and useful. Many of them I am using for our production databases as I work through the book.

The book also does an excellent job of not only talking about what the reports can show you, but it also goes into all the possible causes and makes resolution recommendations for all the problems that show up in the statspack reports and queries. As a beta tester for performance tuning who hasn't yet taking the exam, I feel well prepared for my upcoming exam date.