On the other hand, doing the 8i track gives you the 8i cert (obviously), but then all you need is one more test to get 9i. So, for the effort of studying/passing six exams, you have certification in two releases. It's like eye candy on a resume - it looks like you have more experience with Oracle. 8i will still be around for some time. Some big companies are still on 7.3.4. If you commit to 9i, you stay there, as there is no "downgrade" exam.