Esri ArcGIS Desktop Professional Certification Study Guide. Mike Flanagan

measured

       Given a scenario, convert and aggregate data to an appropriate format

       Given a task, determine the necessary schema changes so that the data can support a particular operation

       Given datasets that do not align, determine the best workflow to resolve the issue

       Given a project, determine how to manage coordinate systems

       Given a scenario, determine the method to create a surface dataset

       Given a scenario, determine how to automate data management

      Chapter 4 Visualization and Sharing

       Skills measured

       Given a scenario, use advanced cartographic techniques to visualize content across the ArcGIS platform

       Given a scenario, determine how to optimize the rendering of maps across the platform

       Given a scenario, determine how to create and render scenes

       Identify procedures to create and publish layers, maps, and apps for a given task

       Given a scenario, determine the most effective process for sharing content

       Given a scenario, determine how to automate visualization and sharing using ArcPy in ArcGIS Desktop

      Chapter 5 Analysis and Geoprocessing

       Skills measured

       Determine how to create and edit a Python script to automate a simple, repetitive process in an ArcGIS workflow

       Determine how to create and edit a model in ModelBuilder to automate a complex workflow in ArcGIS for a given task

       Given a failed workflow, determine the cause of the failure

       Given user requirements, determine an appropriate method for sharing a geoprocessing model, script, package, toolbox, and so on

       Determine how to customize the user interface to perform a task

       Determine how to author tasks in ArcGIS Pro

       Given a scenario that requires an analysis, determine the workflow, data, tools, settings, and parameters to perform the analysis

      Acknowledgments

      I would like to thank all those who made this book possible. Special thanks to Alan Coyle, Diana Haberkorn, Stacy Krieg, Jessi Mielke, and Paige O’Neil for their support throughout the project; to Jackie Gaskill, Nick Giner, Caitlin Hillis, David Oberman, Mark Stewart, and Brittney White for their technical and editorial reviews; to the staff at Esri Press for bringing it all together; and to my wife, Leila, for more than I have space to mention.

      Chapter 1

      Introduction

      The Esri® Technical Certification Program recognizes qualified individuals who are proficient in best practices for using Esri software. Achieving a technical certification involves preparing for and passing an exam. Esri is committed to supporting you throughout your certification journey. We encourage you to carefully explore all exam qualifications, including skills measured and software information, to identify any knowledge gaps so you can focus on the topic areas you need to study.

      This book will help you review the skills and knowledge needed to pass the ArcGIS® Desktop Professional exam. Each chapter covers one section of the exam. Used in conjunction with the additional resources referenced throughout, this book is a comprehensive exam preparation guide — though it is by no means an all-inclusive, in-depth compendium of fundamental GIS topics. Use this book to build on your existing knowledge of ArcGIS concepts and workflows and to refresh and reinforce your knowledge of the subjects covered by the exam.

The ArcGIS Desktop Professional exam

      The current ArcGIS Desktop Professional 10.5 exam tests a candidate’s experience in applying ArcGIS concepts and processes to a variety of workflows. Qualified candidates should demonstrate proficiency in applying advanced GIS concepts and knowledge to establish workflows, processes, and methods during project definition. In addition, candidates should have experience in troubleshooting nonroutine issues and defining and successfully completing complex GIS projects that use the ArcGIS platform.

      This book prepares you for the current ArcGIS Desktop Professional 10.5 exam, which expects candidates to be familiar with ArcGIS® Pro 1.4 and ArcMap™ 10.5.

      The two-hour exam consists of eighty multiple-choice questions. Candidates achieve certification after earning a passing score. All Esri technical certifications are scored at the exam level, though in some cases candidates may receive a section-level score report showing areas of proficiency.

      Candidate qualifications

      It is recommended that qualified candidates have the equivalent of five years of experience using the ArcGIS platform. You can review a full list of qualifications, skills measured, and software that a candidate should be familiar with on the Esri Technical Certification website at https://www.esri.com/training/catalog/582b66bb146072a52e8e55c3/arcgis-desktop-professional-10.5/.

Using this book

      We encourage you to use this book as the first step on your path to achieving certification. The best opportunity for success lies in a combination of study and hands-on, practical experience. This book contains content that will help you to become familiar with fundamental concepts and will point you to supplementary exercises and study materials wherever they are available. Although it is advisable to study all chapters for a comprehensive review, you may choose to focus on a specific chapter to close any gaps in your knowledge.

      Organization

      Each subsequent chapter of this book covers one of the four exam sections: data storage, data management, visualization and sharing, and analysis and geoprocessing. Each chapter covers the skills and concepts measured by an exam section, as listed in the skills measured.

      Within each chapter, you will see these components:

       Prepare: ArcGIS documentation topics that should be studied before taking the exam.

       Practice: Tasks to perform or links to resources, including Esri Academy web courses, to give you hands-on software practice. You can also search for additional web courses on the Esri Academy website at www.esri.com/training.

       Skills