Is there such a certification to help my resume?I have good quant finance essentials and intermediate-level C++ skills (half of Duffys book)

QuoteOriginally posted by: AdvaitaIs there such a certification to help my resume?I have good quant finance essentials and intermediate-level C++ skills (half of Duffys book)it will definitely be good but i guess apart from helping you to prepare for the actual online exam they want you take anyway dont bother with itas i said they will want you take a exam from certification authority of their choice anyway

QuoteOriginally posted by: AdvaitaIs there such a certification to help my resume?I have good quant finance essentials and intermediate-level C++ skills (half of Duffys book)I am biased but I suppose it does no harm to read my book. BTW I have an intro C++ book with all bells and whistles and it is the A to Z with exercises and financial examples. TOC “Introduction to C++ for Financial Engineers: An Object-Oriented Approach” John Wiley and Sons Chichester UKDaniel J. DuffyPart I C++ Essential SkillsChapter 1 Introduction to C++ and Quantitative FinanceChapter 2 The Mechanics of C++: from Source Code to a Running ProgramChapter 3 C++ Fundamentals and My First Option ClassChapter 4 Creating Robust ClassesChapter 5 Operator Overloading in C++Chapter 6 Memory Management in C++Chapter 7 Functions, Namespaces and Introduction to InheritanceChapter 8 Advanced Inheritance and Payoff Class HierarchiesChapter 9 Run-Time Behaviour in C++Chapter 10 An Introduction to C++ TemplatesPart II Data Structures, Templates and PatternsChapter 11 Introduction to Generic Data Structures and Standard Template Library (STL)Chapter 12 Creating Simpler Interfaces to STL for QF Applications Chapter 13 Data Structures for Financial Engineering ApplicationsChapter 14 An Introduction to Design PatternsPart III QF ApplicationsChapter 15 Programming the Binomial Method in C++Chapter 16 Implementing One-Factor Black Scholes in C++: Finite DifferencesChapter 17 Two-Factor Option Pricing: Basket and Other multi-Asset OptionsChapter 18 Useful C++ Classes for Numerical Analysis Applications in FinanceChapter 19 The Monte Carlo Method: Theory (with Dr. Joerg Kienitz)Chapter 20 C++ Frameworks and Monte Carlo (with Dr. Joerg Kienitz)Chapter 21 Student Projects: Lattice Methods, Volatility Surfaces and Skills ConsolidationPart IV Background Information Chapter 22 Basic C Survival GuideChapter 23 Advanced C SyntaxChapter 24 Datasim Visualisation Package in Excel: Drivers and MechanismsChapter 25 Motivating COM and Emulation in C++Chapter 26 COM Fundamentals

Mr Duffy,Wont this book be released in Nov 06? Can I get it from some where now? (Perhaps a pre-copy?)Thanks much for your response.

QuoteOriginally posted by: AdvaitaMr Duffy,Wont this book be released in Nov 06? Can I get it from some where now? (Perhaps a pre-copy?)Thanks much for your response.Adva, The last I hear was that September was the date. The review process is well underway so I expect no delays; of course, I am only one link in the chain.Unfortunately, I cannot release pre-releases.

As a pimp, I'd say having read (and understood) Daniel's book is better than most of the certificates out there.Maybe we should do just that, suck out the best bits of the 7City course & Duffy's stuff, and and ask hard questions.

QuoteOriginally posted by: DCFCAs a pimp, I'd say having read (and understood) Daniel's book is better than most of the certificates out there.Maybe we should do just that, suck out the best bits of the 7City course & Duffy's stuff, and and ask hard questions.Of course, seeing me in person is a great experience as well Seriously, most certifications are a waste of time (BTW I had a look at online C++ (C?) exam questions. Mon Dieu).

Having taken Brainbench C++ test and glanced at the content of Cuch's book, I am fairly sure that reading his book will NOT be sufficient to pass this test (JP Morgan, for example, dropped me because I failed Brainbench).

QuoteOriginally posted by: nocturne2Having taken Brainbench C++ test and glanced at the content of Cuch's book, I am fairly sure that reading his book will NOT be sufficient to pass this test (JP Morgan, for example, dropped me because I failed Brainbench).My first book was not an intro book on C++. it is for experienced OO developers. I assume that the reader is an experienced C++ programmer and has does QF. In hindsight I now realise that not everyone knows all the nitty gritty.The first book is on generic and OO implementation, not for passing exams. In Chaper 0 I state that the book is not a C++ course.Chapter1(see section 1.7)But I agree that people are screaming for C++. My new book in September will hopefully rectify this situation. It goes from A to Z of C++ with many applications of C++ in QF.What - in your opinion - is needed by BrainB and is missing in the Contents?Now a remarks: I did the MS exams many moons ago; success does not implly you can write applications. It proves you the syntax.What are the typical questions in BrainB? Syntax? Here is my view:. The best way to learn C++ is by doing it but the chicken and egg problem is: how do you get the chance to learn C++? One option would be to work in non_QF (computer graphics or other technical app) and then move into QF. Or whatever it takes.. At an interview the questions may reflect the background of the interviewer.For my new book, I try to answer questions like how do I create a robust, accurate and efficient C++ application to model QF applications? This determines which C++ syntax to use that satisfies these requirements.On a more general note, CS and IT is moving away from its roots (maths and real-life(remember Alan Turing)) and more into syntax-related issues. In the past application developers talked less about syntax and more about the problem. It was explicitly assumed one knew the syntax.As with everything, asking the right questions is ...

Noct,here are the possibilities regarding exam questions:1. My book is wrong (written by a human)2. The exam questions are wrong (written by a human)3. books and exam questions test different kinds of knowledge4. None of the above is true5. Some are trueIs it like 1) theory of driving a car 2) theory exam 3) driving to work every day??

Banks like Barclays use BrainBench because it's cheap, not because it's good.They're not bad people, but if the customer wants a lump of meat for $1 it's going to be burger not steak.The maths of interviewing are not nice.It's easy to end up seeing 10 people, each of which are met by 5 people. That's the equivalent of an expensive person for a week.You may not even find a good one, or they may take a better offer elsewhere.The highest body count I've seen was for a quant developer where apparently 37 people were interviewed, and I don't assert that this is the world record, either.Thus it's sooo attractive to automate the process, or find some ther way to do it cheap.I'm actually mildly suprised that some gang of jerks like Accenture or EDS don't offer to do interviews for banks by getting cheaper Indians and Chinese to ask questions.Persnoally I'd use being "approved" by EDS as an accusation, not a recommendation, but time and again we see Accenture in banks, so there is a process thatconventional interpretations of rational behaviour do not explain.Ever see a banking project with EDSthan ended well ?

The brainbench c++ test is terrible…the majority of questions relate to string processing and output. I think its more a test of whether you can be bothered to think about each question through to the end of the thing, than know how. I believe that barcap use it as no more than a filtering tool in that to pass is good enough, but the score is irellevant.Probably the best way to test someones apreciation of a programmign language is conceptual questions, not ability to remember syntax and behavior of library functions. That sort of thing comes and goes from memory much more quickly.

WoW. Thanks for the input.So all that STL templating learning that I did has really no use GETTING a job!Another question: How important are coding skills for a trader in the long run?How useful is OO programming for a quantitative trader?? The place where I work (in a bank), the traders use excel add-ins. Are coding skills important for a trader in a hedge fund scenario or do they use add-ins too?

QuoteOriginally posted by: patch22The brainbench c++ test is terrible…the majority of questions relate to string processing and output. I think its more a test of whether you can be bothered to think about each question through to the end of the thing, than know how. I believe that barcap use it as no more than a filtering tool in that to pass is good enough, but the score is irellevant.Probably the best way to test someones apreciation of a programmign language is conceptual questions, not ability to remember syntax and behavior of library functions. That sort of thing comes and goes from memory much more quickly.I aggree.At the weekend I did 3 online tests 1. basic C++ knowledge2. Template syntax3. memory managementMy conclusions are;A. You can pass these exams with almost no C++ experience because 80% of the questions are C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Buy K&R bookB. lots of questions on char, 0 and 1, malloc and the kind of stuff I needed when I worked in CAD in the 80'sC. These exams prove nothing all they prove is that you can pass exams On the other other hand, they are no worse than many of the others I've seenD. The exam questions could have been made by someone with no experience of software development; it feels very nerdy theoretical high-shoolish...So buy the Kernighan and Ritchie book. Back to the future. Mind-boggling.

QuoteOriginally posted by: AdvaitaSo all that STL templating learning that I did has really no use GETTING a job!Depends on the job you applied for. And it depends on othe factors, such as exam questions and the person interviewing you.C++ life without STL is unthinkable. In the 80's 90's we had no C++ library. That was the Stone Age.If you know STL that's an asset. If STL is not required then I feel one becomes a "C maintenance programmer"