Experience is a critical component of achieving recognition as a Sybase Certified Professional. Unlike some vendors who directly map their exam questions to course content, Sybase intentionally reserves a portion of the questions to measure real-world experience questions that are not answered in our course material. If you perform database administration or applications development, then you have internal customers - department managers and individuals who need to have the comfort of knowing that you can do the task at hand. Knowing that you are Sybase Certified Associate or Professional is one of the ways in which you can gain their confidence. And by getting your professionals certified, you are getting a real-world, objective evaluation of your professional's capabilities.
Certification is just a ploy by vendors to get more education business.
While concepts and tips learned in training courses will certainly enhance one's ability to become a Sybase Certified Associate or Professional, courses are not required. In the case of the PowerBuilder developer program, its launch in 1993 was in direct response to requests from customers for such a program. Exams are created largely through feedback from Sybase's PowerBuilder Review Committee comprised of senior PowerBuilder experts from Sybase, customer organizations and education partners. The Committee recommends the questions to be asked - those that will fairly measure abilities. Certification costs too much - the cost of training, exams, and time away from the office.