CLAD Exam Experiences

[SercoSteveB]

As at least a couple of 'The Daily CLAD' regulars have now sat the NI Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer exam,  I thought I would create this post so that people can comment on their experiences.

Some things which I would like to know are listed below, but please feel free to comment with anything you feel is relevant:

1. Comment on their experiences
2. Views on the exam
3. Exam format (40 questions in 1 hour, PC or Paper based etc.)
4. Future topics to cover in 'The Daily CLAD'

CLAD 2017 Preparation Resources

CLAD Preparation Guide using LabVIEW 2017

LabVIEW and DAQ evaluation resource from mon3am

Training Links from Hooovahh via the Unofficial Forum Rules and Guidelines document

Hardware Basics

LabVEW Basics

DAQ Application Tutorials

3 Hour LabVIEW Introduction

CLD Preparation Resources

Study Guide and Sample Exams

Following the update to the CLAD Exam in July 2017 the links below are no longer available.

An excellent collation of the CLAD Preparation material available from NI.

Check out the Sample CLAD exams on ni.com; the Answer Sheet, at the end, includes links to information relating to each question, which is really cool (no link to 'The Daily CLAD' though....not so cool).

http://download.ni.com/pub/devzone/epd/clad_sample_exam1.pdf

http://ftp.ni.com/pub/devzone/epd/clad_sample_exam2.pdf

Lots of resources here from Jarda

More resources here from HuiRu

[mini09]

I had taken a CLAD exam , Mine was quite ok because i had the complete revision through the sample question papers and the class taken, u need to have bit knowledge on the manuals gib=ven because it contains more theory questions than the practical , but don neglect the programs it also included 40% of the CLAD questions.

Expecting my results!!! it will be in three weeks ... Have hope that i will clear the exam...

Hope the best!!!!!!

All the Best for those who gonna take take your exams in future...

[Gabe712]

So.. I failed my first attempt. I missed 14.. you're allowed to miss 12.

You can review the problems you got wrong, but the correct answers aren't indicated.

My advice is to read the context help menu very carefully as you build programs, until you are very familiar with the items/icons/vis you're using.

The test really looks to see if you know and understand intricate details that come with experience.

I didn't like the multple answer questions (one or more may apply), it's just more opportunities for missing a question.

Good Luck to anyone taking the exam!!

[SercoSteveB]

Hi Gabe 712.

Thanks for your post and candor.  Sorry to see you just missed out.  I agree; my memory of the CLAD is the multiple answer questions really test your in depth knowledge about how LabVIEW works.

Looks like yours was PC based and gave instant feedback, whereas gnshmrthy has to wait for his result?  Must be a location thing!

Without giving any specific detail (which would be frowned on by NI), can you post the sort of questions and topics you struggled with?

Steve

[RustyStrings]

It sounds like there is more than one format for the CLAD

I thought it was a 40 question multiple choice

I have not heard anything about building programs

[SercoSteveB]

I have only ever seen/heard of 40 multiple choice questions.

[RustyStrings]

What I would like to know is:

are there questions or concepts  that are not covered in the practice material

[mini09]

CLAD here in India is based mostly on the materails which they issue at NI, we need to learn them work with the help of context help as Grabe 712 said.

@RS my answer to your question is yes as for as i experienced.

[SercoSteveB]

Yep.  I agree with gnshmrthy.  What I am hearing from the guys who took it here is that, the practice material is a good starting point, and although the questions in the exam are in the same format the exam takes things a little bit further on (seems a little bit harder).

[RustyStrings]

I suppose this is a good reason to use this blog

I know all of the stuff in the practice questions, I am concerned about stuff I never use (thanks for bringing this things up Steve)

it would be nice to have a reference that covers everything on the test (I know the manual does, but who has time)

[Anagha.G]

am gonna give CLAD next month...i have solved all the sample question papers provided by NI and i want some new one...

offcourse  daily CLAD is helping me a lot..but i juss wanna know whether any new question papers or questions from CLAD are available?

[mini09]

Use context help window when u design an application and have a glance to it G.ana, that will help you 20% to improve in the examination point of view.

[dharmendra]

CLAD certified !!!

A few pointers....on the big day

1. Review Qs from Sample Exams

2. Review NI Course Material Core 1 & 2

3. Review all Qs from here, The Daily CLAD

4. Prioritize as per the latest NI CLAD Prep. Guide Qs listing

5. View NI CLAD Webcast Videos

6. Read each Q carefully on the actual exam

I finished my exam way ahead of time

- Dharmendra

[Anagha.G]

thanks Dharmendra

[SercoSteveB]

Nice one dharmendra congratualtions!!!!... and thanks for the pointers. 

Any concepts/question topics you struggled with that you'd care to share?

[dharmendra]

Steve,

Thanks for the Congratulations.

You are doing a good job covering all the CLAD topics.

As a backup plan, I studied the CLD-R Sample Exam Qs.

I struggled with these CLD-R questions but it maybe a bit off-track for CLAD.

- Dharmendra

[mini09]

@darmendra can u please share your CLD-R Sample exams here..

[dharmendra]

Ganesh Murthy,

Everybody can download these Sample Exams here...

https://lumen.ni.com/nicif/us/custedcldrexamprep/content.xhtml

-Dharmendra

[mini09]

Friends cleard my CLAD exam..... The Daily CLAD helped me a lot with the preparation for my exam thanks to Steve who is doing a great job here in the Daily CLAD forum.

I need a job in the LabVIEW based firm can anyone help me in getting a job?

[RustyStrings]

Congratulations

[Gabe712]

<<CLAD Certified !! Woo HOO!!

Thanks for everyones help!

[dharmendra]

Congrats Gabe &amp;  Gnshmurthy !!!

Was it paper based ? What were the scores ?

[mini09]

Cong Gabe712....

My score was 77.50% yet to be achieve more in the next attempt.

[StefanoFacchine]

Hi everyone,

I am a CLAD now! I had a pc-based exam, everything went just fine. Congratulations also to all the others that obtained the certification! And to this very useful blog!

[SercoSteveB]

Nice one gnshmrthy.  Not sure what you mean 'My score was 77.50% yet to be achieve more in the next attempt'.  Are you planning to take it again?

[SercoSteveB]

Nice one Gabe712.  How did it compare to last time, anything standout as being considerably different?

[SercoSteveB]

Nice one StefanoFacchinetti. Any suggestions for future 'The Daily CLAD' subjects?

[SercoSteveB]

Nice link dharmendra.  I will add it to the post.  Cheers.

[Mantesh]

Steve can you please cover topics on VI server.

[SercoSteveB]

Will do mahantesh.  Has anyone seen a VI Server question in the CLAD?

[Mantesh]

@Steve: I found that topic in clad_exam_prep_guide_english.pdf, which carries 2 marks.

[StefanoFacchine]

Hi Steve,

thank you very much! In my CLAD I had a question about Control References that I didn't know at all... I checked on the Core 1 and Core 2 manuals that I have and didn't find further explanations on this topic. Maybe this could be a subject for future posts!

[SercoSteveB]

Hi Stefano,  Yep; I have seen questions on implicit and explicit property nodes in one of the sample CLAD exam papers, you would need to know something about Control References to use explicit property nodes.  I have the latest Core 1 manual but not Core 2, so cannot really comment.  I will ping your question to NI and see if we can get a response.

I will slide in some questions on Property Nodes in the near future.

[StefanoFacchine]

Hi Steve,

I have studied how to use explicit property nodes, and my understanding was that a Reference has to be provided inside the SubVI to properly set the environment. Is a Control Reference the same object as a Reference? In my CLAD question, a Control was moved inside a Control Reference (as if it was moved inside an array...?) and the consequences of this action were to be discussed.

Thanks!

[SercoSteveB]

Hi Stefano

Wow, that seems like quite a big subject for the CLAD.

Let me see if I have got this right:

You have a Control and a Control Reference on the FP (something like this)?

You drag and drop the control into the Control Ref (giving something like this)?

Without giving away the question, what were the subjects of the possible consequences?

[StefanoFacchine]

Hi Steve,

I would say that the intended scenario was something similar to what you have shown, but there were no images in the CLAD question. The subjects included error generation, Control Reference transformation and similar. I spent a lot of time on this question eheheheh

[mini09]

No Steve my Score was 77.50 out of 100 and was quite happy with the mark in my re certification need to achive more.

[SercoSteveB]

Seems way to complex for the CLAD, definitely one to leave until then end of the exam (if time permits)?

[SercoSteveB]

I understand now; re-certification is every two years. Are you planning to go for the CLD, if you get the CLD you are not required to re-certify the CLAD?

[mini09]

Sure stve i will go for CLD and i need to work hard from now. Please share some of your experience and groups to follow and practice the questions on CLD

[ogebler]

I took the CLAD recently ( yet to receive results! ) and was thrown off slightly during taking it in that dispite a thorough search I could see no mutiple answer type questions within the paper. In every practice exam and even I think in the NI CLAD reference material I believe it states that the format will be 40 multiple choice questions of which 5 may have more than one answer. I asked the proctor ( an intern I believe, who was fairly clueless! ) and he couldn't clarify, and there was no mention on the front of the paper either. Hopefully I haven't made a glaring omission! Has anybody else had a similar experience??

[crossrulz]

Going way back into my memory here.

The first time I took the CLAD, there were just a couple of questions with multiple answers.  The second time, there were none.  I remember it was absolutely clearly stated in bold when a question had multiple answers.

[ogebler]

Yeah I'm 99% sure I didn't miss any such statement, it was just the fact that I was expecting multiple answer questions that threw me off. Cheers

[mini09]

Sorry I didn`t any such issues. I`m not sure about the current test type for CLAD. Hope there will be an proper response from the NI Certification department. write your queries to certification@ni.com i suppose anyway check the site.

[ASD-MS]

I strongly belief that 'The Daily Clad' has given me the edge when taking my exam.  I have been solving all posted examples diligently over the past few months and found them extremely helpful.  The PC test lets you flag questions that you are not sure off.  I found the answers to mine in the wording of others questions later in the test and could so go back and revisit my original answers.  'The Daily Clad' has been part of my daily routine at work and I am continuing to solving the posted quizzes now that I am a CLAD.

[SercoSteveB]

Congratulations ASD-MS and thanks for the marketing

[mini09]

Cong ASD-MS  Bravo...!!!

[kurt.rightler]

I recently took the CLAD and aced the exam. No  LV experience prior to 2 months ago. I contribute alot of my success to The Daily Clad. As far as my experience and what I recommend studying,

1.) Go through NI LV Core 1 & Core 2

2.) Go on Youtube and review LV tutorials by Sixclear & EnableEngVideo

3.) Take the 5 practice exams provided on this link and make sure you understand every question. If you are unsure on a question, Google the question topic and study it.

     https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-22062

4.) Review and understand every question on The Daily Clad. Some of the questions are beyond the CLAD, but it wouldn't hurt to know.

When taking the exam,

5.) Read every question on the exam carefully, answer the question, and then go back and read it again. Some of the wording on the exam can be tricky. I was done the exam in less then 20 minutes, but spent another 25 minutes reviewing everything and made sure I understood what was being asked. I actually ended up catching 1 or 2 mistakes by going back and reviewing. You get a full hour for the exam and don't get points for finishing early.

If you do all of the following, you should pass the CLAD no problem

[SercoSteveB]

Congratulations kurt.rightler and once again thanks for the marketing

[mini09]

Congrats Kurt.rightler....

[Mosi55]

Greeting Guys

Glad to find this page, many thanks for all your efforts, I also missed exam last week. I want to understand the size of binary files when the data type are changed like U8,U16,I32, and etc. At following picture the size is 80 as data type is I64. It will be 17 when data type is U8. I think I missed a very fundamental issue and thats the point