WSO2-CEID exam success - WSO2 Certified Enterprise Integrator 6 Developer (6.5 version) Updated: 2024

The A-level exam results are out in the UK. Over 350,000 teenagers have been placed on undergraduate courses, according to UCAS, the organization that manages applications to UK full-time higher education courses. And while they jump for joy, excited at the prospect of going to university, some social commentators and education critics are harrumphing.

They feel that despite their success, these exam-savvy youngsters are woefully ill-prepared for the real world. And that the ones who go to university are simply entering outdated institutions that don’t prepare them for the world of work.

Most university courses aren’t vocational. Yet, the debts that mount up throughout a course (an average of £50,000) are forcing students to create a “personal brand” and a portfolio of work before they leave – so that they have a chance of competing in a crowded marketplace once they graduate.

In the past, students were only expected to step-up their writing, thinking and analytical skills while at university. Now, they’re expected to take Instagram-worthy internships and use social media to network their way to success. They’re expected to document their skills and capabilities across a range of social media so that they can effectively secure work opportunities.

A report from the Department of Education showed that in 2017, graduates and postgraduates had higher employment rates than non-graduates. And that the average, working-age graduate earned £10,000 more than the average non-graduate.

So good, so far. But this emphasis on securing work is contributing to a hole in their university life. This manifests as poorer quality reading and writing skills on the essays they write throughout their course. And the writing they do in the business world. This is not new. And it’s not down to youngsters spending more time on Snapchat than perusing the abridged works of Shakespeare. But it’s a skill gap that doesn’t seem to be closing.

Many arrive at university after years of teachers “teaching to the test”. Students haven’t necessarily been given the opportunity to think for themselves. At least, not in an academic sense. Their teachers have been judged on results throughout their teaching careers. So, their primary task hasn’t been to help students to write fluently, or accurately. In fact, while 26.4% of exams scored an A or A*, just 1.8% of English language exams were graded A*. Overall, the teachers have done their jobs, which has been to get their pupils to pass. And the overall pass rate for 2018 sits at 97.6%.

But when school leavers get to university, many will find themselves in a quandary. It’s likely that they’ll feel a pressure “to get their money’s worth”. Yet, they’ll also be faced with a barrage of new concepts and theories. And they may not have the writing skills to communicate them effectively. Ironically, this can hamper their chances in the job market.

A Royal Literary Fund report called “Writing Matters” labeled the writing skills of students “shocking” and “inadequate”. What’s more, an academic survey cited in this report found that 90% of lecturers said it was necessary to teach writing skills to students. Yet, university is structured so that the teaching of writing skills is not embedded into courses. It’s a veritable chicken-and-egg situation.

In any case, qualifications alone don’t sell themselves anymore. So, students need to see themselves as a package, not as a vessel for their exam results. They need to hone their soft skills – their ability to think well, write well, be emotionally intelligent and communicate with themselves and others.  Employers want to hire people who are creative, resourceful and resilient.

So, as students crack open the prosecco and celebrate their results – I say we give them a break. Going to university is a massive life transition in itself, as is starting work for the first time. It’s easy to forget the days when you couldn’t boil an egg. And it’s easy to forget that it’s the system itself that isn’t teaching students the writing and communication skills they need to truly succeed in life and work.

You’ve all heard the mantra: “better, faster, and cheaper”. It seems that a system administrator can’t go to a management meeting without hearing it. Thinner profit margins and higher customer expectations require that IT departments up their game. In this eBook, I discuss how enterprise monitoring can help and how to deploy a quality enterprise monitoring system successfully.

Students should double check the location of their exam prior to arriving at the Accommodated Testing Center. PTS uses other locations across campus as needed and will change the location in the PTS Student Portal. The PTS Accommodated Testing location is STEW G59.

Check-in Process

To check in for an exam, students will need the following items:

• PUID (required for all testing appointments)
• Pens/pencils, erasers, rulers, calculators, etc.*
• Any materials students are allowed to use on their exam as specified by their instructor and/or accommodations

* PTS will not provide writing utensils or calculators. Students must bring their own supplies.

Students will be asked to place all of their electronics (i.e. cell phone, smart watch, etc.) into an envelope and turn them in to the Proctor prior to receiving their exam. If students have any questions during their exam or they feel as though their accommodation is not being met, they are asked to inform the PTS Staff immediately.

Student Expectations

Breaks: Students are expected to treat breaks as they would in most classrooms. Bathroom breaks will not be allowed unless specified otherwise. If students have concerns about breaks during examinations, they may contact their access consultant.

Food and Drink: Only a CLEAR water bottle will be allowed in the testing rooms.

Keeping Time During an Exam: Clocks will available on the walls in the exam rooms to keep track of the exam time. There will not be clocks at each individual seat. If a student feels the need to keep time at their seat, they may wear a non-smart watch that does not make noise. Their watch must be approved by the proctor in order to take it into the exam room. Official time of the exam will be kept by PTS staff.

Personal Belongings: All items (hats, purses, scarves, hoodies, etc.) will need to be stored in a bag provided to the student upon their arrival to the Testing Center. These bags are sized to fit under their testing station during their exam time.

We do ask students not to bring additional items other than what is required for their exam to the Testing Center.

We understand that students may be taking exams in-between classes and may have backpacks. In this case, they will need to store them in one of the bags provided by the PTS staff.

If a student is seen reaching into the provided bag during an exam, they are at risk of having their exam terminated as a possible breach of academic integrity. Students will continue to turn in their cell phones and smart watches to the proctor at the time of check-in as has been the procedure in the past.

Exam Start Time: Students must start their exam within 15 minutes of their scheduled start time. Failure to start on time may result in not being able to take the exam. Please be sure to take this into consideration when planning travel to the Testing Center.

PUID: Students are required to present their PUID to check-in for each exam. No other form of ID will be accepted and students will be at risk of not being able to take their exam without their PUID.

Scantrons: All scantrons must be completed within the allotted exam time. If students have an accommodation that requires PTS staff to fill out their scantron, the student must inform the proctors at time of turning in their exam. Failure to do so may result in a scantron not being filled out and answers not graded.

Harrow's GCSE students appear to have done better than ever in this year's examinations.

LEOMINSTER — Process Cooling Systems, which makes water processing systems for manufacturing plants, made a surprise announcement during their holiday party this year. On Dec. 22, after employees gathered for the party, owners informed them that, in six days, the company would become employee-owned.

“Our employees are the foundation of our success,” said Ted Rudy, president and co-owner of Process Cooling Systems. “We are fortunate that most of our new customers become repeat customers. That would be impossible without our dedicated team, who never consider a project complete until customer expectations are exceeded.”

The existing shareholders will transfer 49% of Process Cooling Systems’ shares to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This new structure provides employees the benefit of ownership and creates a new model for the company’s continued growth and future sustainability.

“What better way to demonstrate our gratitude to our employees for their commitment to our shared success, than to provide them with stock ownership,” said Rudy.

Rudy and co-owner David Doucet agree that their primary goal when planning for the future of Process Cooling Systems was to reward employees for their hard work and, for many of them, years of loyal service.

Process Cooling Systems was founded in 1963 and was purchased by the management team in 2004. In 2019, they relocated to a new, 60,000 square foot corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility in Leominster, MA. This allowed the company to expand their workforce to support a growing customer base.

Process Cooling Systems have expanded from primarily serving the plastics industry into the metal treating, chemical, and food processing industries. They currently support customers across North America and several customers in South America and Europe.

What exactly do they do?

Process Cooling Systems designs, builds, installs and services process water systems for industrial manufacturing operations of all types and sizes. For more information about Process Cooling Systems, Inc. visit www.processcooling.net.

Asana's (NYSE:ASAN) recent quarterly earnings call unveiled a complex yet promising scenario. Despite macroeconomic challenges, the company has shown serious improvements, especially in its enterprise segment. Since my last update, the stock has settled nicely despite a 32% fall since my sell call, and the valuation looks more balanced, though it is not yet a bargain buy.

Asana Earnings Download

Asana's Q3 revenues grew by an impressive 18% year-over-year, reaching $166.5 million, surpassing both top- and bottom-line expectations.

Asana's focus on operational efficiency can be seen in its improved non-GAAP operating margins. The non-GAAP operating loss margins were 5.9%, marking an improvement of over 30 percentage points compared to the previous year.

The leadership team expects this trend to continue for the full year. This growth was primarily driven by the company's success in the enterprise sector, with revenues from Core customers (those spending $5,000 or more annually) growing by 20% and enterprise customer revenue growing even faster.

Enterprise customer growth is a pivotal metric for software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, often serving as an indicator for their long-term success. Typically, the adoption cycle begins with a company like Asana being utilized for a specific project or a limited scope. When a product proves its value, it's not uncommon to observe a customer satisfaction-driven expansion as the software gets integrated into additional facets of the client's operations. This pattern of adoption and expansion is a strong indicator of both customer satisfaction and the potential for sustained revenue growth.

It's particularly encouraging to witness the stickiness of enterprise customers and their expanding contribution to revenue. This is evident in Asana’s impressive dollar-based net retention rate, which exceeds 120% for customers with annual expenditures of $100,000 or more. Such a high retention rate, substantially surpassing the average across all customer segments, shows Asana's growing appeal and efficacy within the enterprise sector. This trend not only reflects the quality and adaptability of Asana’s offerings but also underscores the strategic importance of nurturing high-value enterprise relationships for long-term business viability.

Strategic Initiatives and Product Innovation

A pivotal area of Asana's strategy is its investment in AI and product innovation. In Q3, Asana introduced several AI-powered features like Smart Summaries, Smart Editor, Smart Fields, Smart Answers, and Smart Status. These innovations have received positive feedback from beta users, with Smart Summaries and Smart Status being particularly well-received for enhancing productivity and project management efficiency.

Asana's AI integration focuses on amplifying the value of the Work Graph, aligning human intention with AI guidance. This approach differentiates Asana from tools that focus narrowly on individual or team-specific use cases. The company's AI features are designed to orchestrate work intelligently, leveraging the Work Graph context to predict task durations and facilitate better work management.

Enterprise Growth and Customer Engagement

As mentioned, Asana's enterprise growth is accelerating, with enterprise customers being the fastest-growing cohort. The company's new packaging strategy, introduced at the Investor Day, aims to further drive AI adoption and on-ramp customers to advanced tiers. The strategy has been well received, indicating a robust demand for Asana's enterprise offerings.

The company continues to diversify its success across various industries, with significant expansions and new deals in sectors like media, healthcare, transportation, and retail. High-profile customers like Paramount Global and Direct TV have expanded their usage of Asana, showcasing its effectiveness in managing complex business processes.

Looking Forward

Asana's journey through this transitional year has been marked by strategic investments, product innovations, and a focus on enterprise growth. The company's disciplined approach to improving efficiency and profitability, coupled with its commitment to AI and enterprise market penetration, presents a compelling narrative for investors and stakeholders. The problem is that those shareholders may have to wait some time before these inspirational strategic shifts begin to pay dividends in the company's bottom line.

In fact, we can see in the illustration below that analysts expect the company to be more or less flat in terms of EPS by January 2026

Delving into the earnings per share history, we find a narrative of consistent overachievement. Not just a one-hit wonder but a symphony of five consecutive quarters where the company didn't just meet expectations — it soared past them. Such a track record isn't just good; it's a veritable drumroll heralding a robust financial rhythm going into what could be a shift to profitability.

Rewind to the time of my previous article, and you'd see Asana priced at $28, with profitability seeming like a distant mirage in the desert of the stock market. Now, the stock has tumbled by 32%, but this could very well be the precursor to an upward climb. We're at a juncture where EPS improvements could begin to catch investors' eyes, hinting at a future where profitability isn't just a dream. Even a single quarter painted in black rather than red could send a signal loud and clear: Asana is gearing up to finally provide returns to its faithful early investors.

The stock doesn't have me clambering to buy just yet; let's be clear on that. However, it's akin to a ship that's weathered the storm: the worst of the tempest has passed, thanks to the steady hands of its leadership, or it's already been endured. What we're left with is a stock that's found its footing, with no disaster looming large — aside from a potential cash call before it sails into the profitable sunset. It's not a siren song for investors yet, but it's certainly humming a more optimistic tune than at the time of my last dispatch.

The Takeaway

In closing, the main things that come to mind are the products, the prospects and the profitability. The product innovations, particularly those harnessing the power of AI, show Asana is not merely riding the wave of current trends but paddling forward to create ripples of its own in the productivity software ocean. With Smart Summaries and other features gaining traction, the company is poised to enhance user experience, which could well translate into sustained revenue growth and a bolstered market position.

The enterprise sector growth is particularly heartening, signaling that Asana is more than a tool; it's becoming integral to the business workflows of high-caliber clients. When giants like Paramount Global and Direct TV are not just using but expanding their reliance on Asana, it speaks volumes. It's this organic growth and the stickiness of enterprise customers that could be the north star guiding Asana to the promised land of profitability. Sure, the path is peppered with ifs and buts, and the timeline to a prosperous bottom line might test the patience of even the most stoic investors, but the trajectory has a glint of promise.

As the final curtain draws on this fiscal narrative, one can't help but muse on the patience required for such a story to unfold. Analyst projections suggest a flat EPS into 2026, which might make some investors restless. Yet, for those with a longer lens, Asana’s commitment to operational efficiency, AI innovation, and capturing the enterprise stronghold could spell a slow but steady metamorphosis from a caterpillar of potential into a butterfly of profitability. For now, Asana seems to be a melody in the making; the question for investors is whether they’re willing to wait for the chorus. Given these considerations, I rate Asana as a hold.

As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles.

Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services.

These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local community.

It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.

IN the LAMDA examinations held on November 24 and 25, the pupils of Jean Willis of Great Harwood achieved the following results.