I have recently completed my Associate level certification in SAP BW 7.3 & SAP BI 4.0 with 97% and would like to share my experience with all those interested in getting certified.
Disclaimer: Each exam is different and the weightage, complexity quoted here are for general understanding for those aspiring to become certified and it may vary in the actual exam. These are just my thoughts and there is no guarantee that you will have a similar exam.
C_TBW55_73 is the certification offered by SAP to test the knowledge in the area of Business Intelligence. It verifies knowledge in modelling as well as data management with SAP BW 7.3 and BI 4.0.
Duration of the exam is 180 minutes and the minimum score required to clear is 68% (it may vary). It is divided into 10 sections spanning across BW & BI with BW having maximum weightage around 70 – 75% and BI around 25 – 30%. Below is the deep dive into the sections, topics in the descending order of weightage.
1) InfoProviders – 20 – 25%
2) Data Modelling – 10 – 12%
3) Reporting Tools – 10 - 12%
4) Administration & Performance – 10%
5) Data Flows – 10%
6) Source Systems – 10%
7) Fundamentals - 8 – 9%
8) BI Platform – 7 – 8%
9) BODS – 6 – 7%
10) InfoObjects – 5%
Out of the 10 sections listed above, challenging and in depth questions which tests your understanding of the concepts as well as the practical experience (hands on) are from the below sections (in the descending order of complexity):
- Administration & Performance
- InfoProviders
- Data Modelling
- Data Flows
Books required for these sections: BW310 (Units 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9) & BW330 (Units 5 to 9). Practical knowledge is highly recommended.
Most of the questions are scenario based and requires understanding of the concepts, not just definitions. Main focus is on InfoCubes, DSOs, MultiProviders, InfoSets and Master Data Characteristics. It is recommended to have a thorough understanding about each and every detail to ensure success in these areas as they cover at least 50% of the overall weightage.
Easy and straight forward questions are from the sections listed below:
- BI Platform
- BODS
- Reporting Tools
- Fundamentals
- Source Systems
- InfoObjects
Books required for these sections: BO100, BOE315, BODS, BW310 (Units 1, 2, 5 and 7), BW330 (Units 1, 2, 4, 10 & 11) and BW350 (Units 1 to 7 and 10). Questions on these sections verify the basic understanding such as use cases, connectivity options for various BOBJ reporting tools etc. and are straight forward.
Overall, here is the quick summary:
- Level of difficulty greatly depends on ones efforts towards the preparation
- For those new to SAP BW, read every detail in the books BW310 & BW330, do not skip any topics and practise your exercises
- For those who are already working in earlier versions of SAP BW, aiming to get certified in the latest version and if you don’t have the latest books, refer help.sap.com for the latest features in SAP BW 7.3. It is a great source of learning.
- Visit SCN for examples and detailed explanation for topics which you feel you need more detail
Additional resources:
https://training.sap.com/v2/uploads/C_TBW55_73_sample_items.pdf
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/a3/fe1140d72dc442e10000000a1550b0/frameset.htm
http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/boexir4/en/xi4_bip_admin_en.pdf
I hope this helps and feel free to contact if you need more information.
Enjoy learning and Good luck with your Certification!
Hema