What to use to study for the Clad exam?

[Myke]

Hello to all who may read this.

I will be going for my CLAD exam in just a few months and I hope that I will pass it and finally attain my certification.

I have a question for anyone who can answer it. What materials should I consider using to study for this test? I have been to the Basics 1 and 2, with Daq following that. I was a novice using LabView and could write a fairly decent program measuring temperatures and frequency sensors / transducers. However, I transferred to a new lab and haven't been able to even crack the book to maintain my level of knowledge for approximately 1 1/2 years. I haven't ever built a state machine or anything like that. My test will be in about 2 months, and I need a little direction on the study materials. Any help for me cramming all this in my head would be useful and appreciated. Preferably an app engineer or a clad, cld holder advice would be most helpful.

Please email me with any questions and / or advice you may have.

mburney@rheem.com

thanx in advance,

Myke

[BJD1613]

The CLAD exam is based on multiple choice questions.  These questions can range from basics 1 and 2 to intermediate 1 and 2 classes.  Specific items that you should study would include syncronization techniques, memory allocation, property nodes, local variables, basic programming techniques/style guides, differences between controls and indicators, calling subvi's, and references.  These are mostly some of the items people get hung up on.  I would suggest reading as much as you can on state machine programming also, because if you pass the clad, you will probably go on the to CLD.  You will need to be able to program for that test.  If you have taken the basics 1 and 2 classes I would suggest you try and take the intermediate 1 and 2 classes.  They will give you alot of the review and intros to most of the topics I have described.  Another way to learn is to simply look at posting on the developer zone.  There are alot of these topics covered in detail here.  I wish you the best of luck.  Hope this helps.

[Ankita]

Hi Myke,

Here is a KB that contains a pdf document that should serve as a CLAD preparation Guide.

[link removed]

Best of Luck for the exam.

Ankita

[maat]

I believe this is the correct link to the prep guide for the CLAD (Associate Developers) exam:

[link removed]

(when I clicked on the above link it took me to the page for the CLD prep guide)

I've been studying to take the CLAD exam for the past few weeks.  It's to my understanding that the CLAD exam only covers Basics I and II.  If it covers Intermed. I and II I'll be upset, as I'm already scheduled to take the exam this week!

Here are some other links on the NI website for help, there is a bit of documentation on the different levels of certification and requirements:

https://www.ni.com/en/shop/services/education-services/certification-program.html

https://learn.ni.com/pages/certified-labview-associate-developer

There is also an online "Sample Exam" you can take.  It only covers Basics I, but it gives you a good idea of the kinds of questions which will be on the exam (at least I'm guessing it does!!)

Good luck!

Message Edited by maat on 07-18-2005 08:51 PM

Message Edited by Support on 05-29-2007 03:12 PM

[Myke]

Thank you all for the advise you have posted. I plan on buying some books at my local Barnes and noble book store to help in this task. Your information has been invaluable as far as what the test will entail and what I need to study. Armed with this I'm sure that I will pass the test and obtain my clad. When I do, I will write again to let all y'all know.

Mburney

[maat]

Mburney,

I took the CLAD exam this morning and passed.  I won't divulge any information from the test, but I'll say after taking Basics I & II on CBT and going through the help files and application notes on the developer zone, it was still helpful for me to have gone back and practiced writing small vi's using functions and nodes which I don't program with much.  I am a test engineer, so I don't write LV programs every day, sometimes I forget what all the functions do.  The test is very detailed.

Good luck,

Matt

Message Edited by maat on 07-22-2005 11:39 AM

[Myke]

maat,

While divulging any test information would be sort of like cheating, I wouldn't want any information like that. I want to know if I can do it and having prior info wouldn't be right. Congrats on passing your test. I hope to soon attain the same status. Thank you for letting me know how you did. I'm getting excited about my test and almost can't wait to take it. I do have a question though. If I were to get the "labview for everyone" book and knowing that it only covers 6I or 6.1, would it still be helpful to study it?

I will be getting the labview student edition and the book that accompanies it which covers 7.0 and / or 7.1.1.

Myke

[maat]

I havn't read the book, but I bet it would be very helpful.  On NI's website somewhere, it mentioned something to the effect of the test covering up the the version previous to the current version.  I took that to mean it only covers up to version 6, but I wasn't sure.  I bet a phonecall to NI would clear it up.  I would definately check out the online sample CLAD exam pdf file, and take the online test to get a feel for the kind of questions which will be on the test.  Good luck!

[ryank]

You are correct that the exam covers up to the version prior to the current LabVIEW version, however, as the current LabVIEW version is 7.1, the test can cover concepts in LabVIEW 7.0 (when counting versions, we do count .1 releases, such as 7.1, but not maintenance releases such as 7.1.1).  You can find the current version that we are testing on in the CLAD Exam Topics here:

http://www.ni.com/pdf/custed/us/clad_exam%20topics.pdf

Hope that helps,

Ryan K.

[LV_Pro]

To add to one of the previous posts, if you can get a hold of a newer (7.x) version (while there are differences between 7.0 and 7.1 they're not huge) write programs using as many of the main concepts (Loops, cases, etc.,) as possible. It will help you in the CLAD exam, things that are theoretical will also be remembered in the practical part of your brain!. Plus, if and when you are ready to take the CLD exam being _very_ familiar with the environment will really help. The following only applies when you are ready to take the CLD exam:
    As an addition to the previous post, (when you are taking the CLD exam), while you will be tested up to the version previous to the latest release, the test center may have the latest release on the computer you will use. Not much difference between 7.0 and 7.1, environment wise, but if all you have programmed in were the previous to 7.x releases, the environment (look and feel) of the "out of the box" installation is very different. The biggest problem that many have with the CLD exam isn't the difficulty of the problem as much as thinking of a solution and then implementing it within the test time. A good friend, and one of the best LabVIEW programmers I've known, wasn't familiar with the new lay out and didn't know that NI had given switches to make 7.x look like 6.x and the mental context switching and the looking for familiar tools in unfamiliar places cost him the exam (CLD) the first time he took it. The exam(s) are not terribly tough if you are prepared, but they are definitely not trivial either. Which is as it should be for them to have any validity!

Study hard and good luck.

P.M.