And what did my best effort result in this time? I passed. Come on, you didn't doubt that I would, did you? Geez, odds are I wouldn't have written this article if it didn't have a happy ending. And what was my score? Passing, that's all you need to know! But if you insist on knowing, I'll just say that I over-studied by 10%. I'm now 11 for 11 in Lotus certification exams, and I look forward to continuing the streak.

How did I prepare?
How did I prepare for the update exam? Well, the main secret to my success was the "Notes Domino 6 Application Development Update" course from TLCC (at http://www.tlcc.com/r6). This is an excellent course that will not only quickly help any application developer prepare for the update exam, but will also help him to really understand all of the improvements, both significant and minor, that have gone into Domino Designer 6. This is a course that you'll refer back to long after you pass the certification exam. The material is extremely well presented and even prints out nicely, which really helped me when I wanted to study but was tired of sitting in front of the computer.

The cost of TLCC's update course is $499, but for a limited time you can get it for $449, a $50 savings. Also, for a limited time, TLCC is offering a free Notes Domino 6 Application Development practice exam valued at $79. Trust me, this course is well worth the cost if your goal is to not only prepare for the update exam but also master the new development features in ND6. And the fact that you can download it immediately and take it on your own computer at your own pace makes it a bargain when you compare it to in-person classes.

As good as the TLCC course is, you do need to use it in conjunction with other preparation methods and resources in order to have the best chance at passing the update exam. One of the things that has helped me is that I've been beta-testing ND6 since Pre-release 1 became available in February. You need to spend some time with both the new Notes 6 client and Domino Designer 6 before you take the exam. The good news is that the TLCC course will walk you through most of the great new features, but I'd encourage you to do as much exploring on your own as possible.

There's also a ton of free and fantastic resources available on the Web that will help not only prepare you for the update exam, but also help you to truly understand all of the new features of ND6. Below is a list of a few resources I'd recommend you check out.

SearchDomino.com Webcast: What's New in Domino Designer 6
The SearchDomino.com Webcast: What's New in Domino Designer 6 (with Gary Devendorf) can be found at http://webevents.broadcast.com/techtarget/100202/domino/index.asp?loc=05.

If you only have an hour to learn as much as possible about what's new in Domino Designer 6 and don't feel like reading (see below), this Webcast will quickly tell you the information you need to know. Gary Devendorf will expertly take you through a list of the latest improvements. The Webcast has been archived and you can pause it whenever you like to go try some of the new features out.