Terp10 experience at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University

[Former Member]

The TERP10 certification was held at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University on Friday, 29th of May 2009. The associated boot-camp was conducted in the days preceding the certification. The class achieved a 100% pass rate.

I attempt to share my overall experience w.r.t the certification in this thread:

The boot-camp is fairly intensive as the class lasts the entire day. Given the amount of information to be absorbed, it is important to learn in the class, alongside the lecture rather than allocate a separate post-class study time. Nevertheless, 2-3 hours of study time for revision outside of the class is useful.

A few tips:

1. In order to perform well in the certification, it is important to gain a sound understanding of every topic. Alongside, one must also keep the exam's format in mind while preparing. Since the test consists of mostly multiple choice questions, the need to memorize vital bits of information is reduced, but not eliminated. A solid understanding of the concepts, coupled with some amount of memorization is necessary to perform well.

2. It is important to understand how each module fits into the larger scheme of things.You're expected to know how the modules interact with each other.

3. While not absolutely essential, it is useful to prepare a set of notes that can be referred to.

Given the breadth of topics covered, the TERP10 exam is challenging. However, with a sound study plan the complexity is reduced, and the entire process becomes a lot more enjoyable!

Edited by: anpai on Jun 3, 2009 2:19 AM

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Anpai, thanks for posting this. As a professor who plans to take this class later in the summer, this helps me know better what to expect. The 100% pass rate is impressive. What was the background/previous knowledge of the students going in to this class? (I'm wondering if the 100% pass rate is attributable to experience before the TERP10 training session.)

You mention 2-3 hours of study time outside of class. Were you referring to that as being necessary daily or overall? (My guess would be daily, but from the wording I wasn't absolutely sure.)

[former_member498724 · Accepted solution]

Tony,

The students had completed ERPsim as well as BPI 1 and 2 before the certification class. They had also completed a team project configuring SAP based on a case that was given to them. I would say that the students were very well prepared academically before the TERP10 course. In fact, we finished the TERP10 material a day and half ahead of schedule. Also, the 2-3 hours of study anpai mentions is every day during the boot camp.

Bipin

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Tony - I concur with Bipin.

BPI 1 and BPI 2 are very useful to get an overall feel for modules before starting off with the certification.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Bipin and Anpai,

Thanks for the info. On my campus the plans are to integrate BPI into a class that would be taken before the TERP10 is offered, so your information makes me feel good about that plan.

Thanks for taking time to post your information. As you think of anything else that might be useful for one planning to take the class or a school planning to offer TERP10 in the future, I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Tony,

I agree with Bipin that the students were very well prepared academically. Bipin did a great job teaching them BPI 1 & 2 just before TERP10. I was fortunate to teach TERP10 to such a good and ready group of students. The class was very enjoyable to teach. They performed very well in the exam. The average score was 90% (89.6% to be exact) -

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20% over what's required to pass! Itu2019s the highest average I have ever seen in my TERP10 classes.

While TERP10 material does not cover SAP configuration, students who have learned basic configuration through case problem solving (not just following spoon-fed instruction/manual) learn faster and perform much better in TERP10. They will be able to say, u201CAha! I can see now how the pieces fit together.u201D

Just before I came to Bloomington, I taught a TERP10 class at CMU. The class just completed their BPI project the day before TERP10 started. Steve Tracy u2013who developed BPI materials-- taught the BPI class. It was a very enjoyable class to teach as well. Also, 100% pass rate!

I would say that the 2-3 hours of studying outside the class every day that Anpai mentioned is a modest estimate. During the course of the Academy at IU Bloomington, I saw Anpai's classmates regularly study at the lounge next to the classroom/lab from until 11pm or even later.

Focus and effective time management are essential to succeed in TERP10. Every time I start teaching a TERP10 session, I usuallysay, u201CIf you are not ready to drop your life for the next two weeks to focus only on TERP10, there is an exit door.u201D

Sap

ps. Anil, thanks for sharing your TERP10 experience. It's very useful for future TERP10 participants.

[Former Member]

Hello Anpai,

Many thanks for the informative post. And very well done with the pass rate! I would have to agree with you on the need to have some understanding of every topic. That and remembering to answer absolutely every question. The tree network and ability to jump between branches makes it very easuty to forget. I asked my students to open up the tree at the very end of the exam to its maximum extent just to see if there were any buttons unchecked. It's rare but it does happen that sometimes students have forgotten a question in one section - often one they thought they would go back to.

I think it is also important to have a study plan - the material can be overwhelming to begin with and a clear navigational aid can be invaluable. In fact I tell my students that the best thing to do before starting the course is remove any section headers, blank pages, note pages and so on from their course books - anything which doesn't add anything. This can reduce the volume of the materials considerably and gives an important psychological boost! Combined with a clear navigatinal aid and practice questions the students know exactly what they need to do and don't feel lost.

I also agree with Timothy on the need to express to the students that they will need to commit to the topic. The TERP10 course certainly isn't a walkover and students need to know that this is not a 'basic' SAP course - it is an SAP course and all of the courses are designed to be taxing in order to make them valuable in the marketplace. Once they understand that - and note how valuable it is - they are prepared to commit to it. 2-3 hours is I think more of a minimum time to spend on reading - depending on your ability to absorb information - but my best students (and indeed faculty) are thosew that spent until 11pm / midnight each night studying and making notes.

I think finally the most significant thing to take away would be that the stduents both need to understand how the modules interact. There are specific comments within the reading materials and of course questions that ask deliberately how module A interacts with module B. But the course title is something of a giveaway and the students who gain the clearest understanding of how the system extends beyond inidivudal rooes not on ly does better at the exam - they have taken the key learning away from the course!

Martin

Martin Gollogly

Director, University Alliances

United Kingdom and Ireland

[Former Member]

Hello Everyone,

As part of the student group from Kelley School of Business, Indiana University who are now SAP certified, I would like to add my observations and experience of the TERP10 exam.

I concur with Anil, Prof. Bipin and Dr. Saputro in all their summarizations. It is vital to have a good background understanding of SAP modules before attempting to take the TERP10 Certification.

1. What worked for me was that apart from learning in class its important that post the daily session, after a small refreshing break to simply read and revise the concepts taught in class. This helps in memorizing some tid-bits of information which are necessary for the exam and also builds confidence in the subject matter.

2. Dr. Saputro's guidance in terms of giving importance to certain modules with a higher % allocation in the test helps you to focus on these chapters more,

3. A picture speaks a thousand words. There are several diagrams in each chapter which facilitate better and faster understanding. Additionally, sometimes it was easier to memorize the diagrammatic flows/representation rather than the text.

4. Good competitive/cooperative class spirit facilitated peer knowledge sharing and motivated everyone to perform better. In addition to that we were also able to provide some suggestions for improvements in the exam material.

In all, it was worth the experience and hard work when you see the Congratulations screen at the end of the certification exam !! Thank You to everyone who made it possible for us to be SAP Certified.

Best,

Darshini

[Former Member]

Darshini, thank you very much for your feedback.

Your comment "Good competitive/cooperative class spirit facilitated peer knowledge sharing and motivated everyone to perform better." is right on.

A student at CMU also had similar comment about positive peer pressure, "I think it was the product of (...) and high level positive peer pressure."

sap

[HDM]

Anpai,

Thanks for reaching out the community to share your views -- and congratulations on achieving certification!

Your feedback is something that students in upcoming TERP10 classes need to hear. I know their professors stress the amount of time and energy that should be dedicated during this two week class, but I'm not sure that everyone believes it! I will make sure that students and instructors in upcoming classes see your comments!

Best Regards,

Heather