I B M C E R T I F I C A T I O N
C9002700 IBM Certified Developer – IBM i 7.x Practice Exam
Exam Number: 4388 | Last updated April 17, 2026 | 378+ questions across 5 vendor-aligned objectives
RPG and IBM i developers who build and modernize applications on IBM i 7.x target the C9002700 credential. The exam validates ILE RPG development, database-access patterns using Db2 for i, and the modernization surface that brings IBM i applications toward web and services integration. Candidates should be fluent with RPG free-format syntax, ILE concepts, embedded SQL on IBM i, and the Rational Developer for i tooling that modern IBM i teams use day to day.
Straddling 26% of the exam, ILE RPG Programming covers free-format syntax, subprocedures, service programs, and the ILE model. At 22%, Database Access covers Db2 for i, embedded SQL, cursors, and SQL-based data access versus native I/O. A further 20% targets Modernization, covering Integrated Web Services, REST on IBM i, and the move toward services-based application patterns.
Mopping up the remaining domains, Tooling and Environment accounts for 18% and spans Rational Developer for i, source control, and change-management tools. Integration and Data Exchange represents 14% and spans DDM, DRDA, XML, and JSON handling. IBM i questions reward developers who favor SQL-based data access over native I/O where the choice is open — it ages better.
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Question #1 - ILE RPG Programming
An IBM i 7.x developer at Crosmere Logistics writes a new RPG module with modern syntax.
Which ILE RPG approach fits?
A) Use RPG II conventions only
B) Write everything in fixed-format columns with no subprocedures
C) Skip prototypes and rely on positional matching
D) Use free-format RPG with declarations (dcl-s, dcl-ds), subprocedures (dcl-proc), and explicit prototypes, compiled as ILE modules that can be bound into service programs
Show solution
Correct answers: D – Explanation:
Free-format RPG subprocedures prototypes ILE binding is the IBM i 7.x developer reference. Fixed-format only, no-prototypes, and RPG II-only all fail modern RPG. Source: Check Source
Question #2 - ILE RPG Programming
An IBM i 7.x developer at Carsonleigh Bank wants reusable routines callable from multiple programs.
Which ILE approach fits?
A) Copy-paste the routines into every program
B) Package the routines as subprocedures in a service program, bind the service program into the calling ILE programs by reference, and publish the prototype interface
C) Skip service programs and rely on static duplication
D) Invent custom linking unrelated to ILE conventions
Show solution
Correct answers: B – Explanation:
Service programs with bound-by-reference subprocedures is the ILE 7.x reuse reference. Copy-paste, static duplication, and custom linking all fail ILE. Source: Check Source
Question #3 - ILE RPG Programming
An IBM i 7.x developer at Thornfleet Shipping needs structured error handling in RPG.
Which ILE RPG 7.x construct fits?
A) Use monitor / on-error blocks to catch specific error conditions, keeping error handling clean and maintainable rather than relying on global error indicators
B) Rely on indicator-based error handling everywhere
C) Ignore errors and let the program abend
D) Use GOTO to handle errors
Show solution
Correct answers: A – Explanation:
Monitor/on-error blocks is the ILE RPG 7.x structured error-handling reference. Indicator-only, ignore-errors, and GOTO all fail modern RPG practice. Source: Check Source
Question #4 - Database Access
An IBM i 7.x developer at Pellworth Insurance must read customer data from Db2 for i with a complex WHERE clause.
Which IBM i 7.x database-access approach fits?
A) Use native I/O with nested loops reimplementing the WHERE
B) Use embedded SQL in the RPG program (exec sql) with the WHERE clause — SQL’s optimizer chooses the access path — rather than hand-coding native I/O with read/chain loops
C) Skip Db2 and load the data into RPG arrays
D) Invent a custom database outside Db2
Show solution
Correct answers: B – Explanation:
Embedded SQL with WHERE is the IBM i 7.x database-access reference. Native I/O loops, in-memory arrays, and custom DB all fail Db2-for-i practice. Source: Check Source
Question #5 - Database Access
An IBM i 7.x developer at Ashenwick Bank iterates over query results in RPG.
Which IBM i 7.x database-access construct fits?
A) Declare a cursor in embedded SQL, OPEN, FETCH rows (single or into host-variable arrays), and CLOSE — using the cursor API that handles result-set positioning
B) Read all rows into a single record buffer and hope
C) Skip cursors and use positional reads
D) Reimplement cursor semantics from scratch
Show solution
Correct answers: A – Explanation:
Embedded-SQL cursors with OPEN/FETCH/CLOSE is the IBM i 7.x reference. Single-buffer reads, positional reads, and reimplementation all fail cursor practice. Source: Check Source
Question #6 - Database Access
An IBM i 7.x developer at Dovingshaw Retail has native I/O code and considers moving to SQL-based data access.
Which IBM i 7.x guidance fits?
A) Skip data access discussions entirely
B) Always stay on native I/O regardless of context
C) Always rewrite native I/O to SQL even when risky
D) Favor SQL-based data access where the choice is open — it ages better than native I/O, benefits from the SQL optimizer, and supports modernization — while respecting that some legacy patterns still need native I/O
Show solution
Correct answers: D – Explanation:
Favor SQL-based data access is the IBM i 7.x modernization reference. Always-native, always-rewrite, and skipping discussion all miss the guidance. Source: Check Source
Question #7 - Modernization
An IBM i 7.x developer at Hartfield Insurance must expose an RPG subprocedure as a REST service.
Which IBM i 7.x modernization approach fits?
A) Expose the RPG program via a green-screen terminal emulator only
B) Rewrite the entire program in another language
C) Use Integrated Web Services (IWS) for IBM i to wrap the subprocedure as a REST endpoint, or call the RPG from a separate REST layer — so the existing RPG logic becomes consumable via HTTP
D) Skip modernization and keep RPG off-line forever
Show solution
Correct answers: C – Explanation:
IWS or REST-layer wrapping is the IBM i 7.x modernization reference. Full rewrites, terminal-only exposure, and no-modernization all miss the pattern. Source: Check Source
Question #8 - Modernization
An IBM i 7.x developer at Rendworth Finance must handle JSON output in an RPG service.
Which IBM i 7.x approach fits?
A) Concatenate strings manually to produce JSON
B) Use the DATA-GEN built-in opcode (or Scoped Structure with DATA-GEN options) to generate JSON from a data structure, and DATA-INTO to parse JSON input — avoiding ad-hoc string building
C) Skip JSON and force clients to use green-screen only
D) Embed Python inside RPG for JSON handling
Show solution
Correct answers: B – Explanation:
DATA-GEN / DATA-INTO for JSON is the IBM i 7.x reference. Manual string concat, no-JSON, and Python-in-RPG all miss the opcodes. Source: Check Source
Question #9 - Tooling and Environment
An IBM i 7.x developer at Hensbridge Bank needs a modern development environment with source control and debugging.
Which IBM i 7.x tool fits?
A) Skip debugging and guess at issues
B) Use only SEU (green-screen source editor) for all new development
C) Use Rational Developer for i (RDi) with Git-based source control integration, syntax coloring, and the interactive debugger — avoiding legacy green-screen-only development for new work
D) Avoid source control entirely
Show solution
Correct answers: C – Explanation:
RDi Git debugger is the IBM i 7.x developer-tooling reference. SEU-only, no-debug, and no-source-control all fail modern tooling. Source: Check Source
Question #10 - Integration and Data Exchange
An IBM i 7.x developer at Quarrymoor Logistics needs to exchange data with a remote IBM i system.
Which IBM i 7.x feature fits?
A) Use DDM (distributed data management) or DRDA (for SQL-based access) to access remote IBM i data in a coordinated way, rather than ad-hoc file transfers
B) Use FTP for every data exchange with no coordination
C) Skip integration and re-enter data by hand
D) Invent a custom undocumented protocol
Show solution
Correct answers: A – Explanation:
DDM / DRDA for remote IBM i data access is the 7.x integration reference. FTP-only, manual re-entry, and custom protocols all fail integration. Source: Check Source
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Exam mode & learn mode · Score by objective · Updated April 17, 2026
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What the C9002700 i v7 developer exam measures
- Write and organize free-format RPG, subprocedures, service programs, and the ILE model to build maintainable RPG applications that take advantage of modern ILE capabilities
- Access and query Db2 for i, embedded SQL, cursors, and SQL-versus-native I/O trade-offs to use the right data-access style for each situation while maintaining performance
- Modernize and expose Integrated Web Services, REST on IBM i, and services-based patterns to bring IBM i applications into modern integration topologies without rewrites
- Develop and control Rational Developer for i, source control, and change-management tools to apply modern development practices to IBM i code bases
- Integrate and exchange DDM, DRDA, XML, and JSON handling to move data between IBM i and other platforms cleanly through mature interchange patterns
How to prepare for this exam
- Review the official exam guide to understand every objective and domain weight before you begin studying
- Work through the relevant IBM Training learning path — ibm certified developer ibm i 7 x C9002700 — to cover vendor-authored material end-to-end
- Get hands-on inside IBM TechZone or a comparable sandbox so you can practice the console tasks, CLI commands, and APIs the exam expects
- Tackle a real-world project at your workplace, a volunteer role, or an open-source repository where the technology under test is actually in use
- Drill one exam objective at a time, starting with the highest-weighted domain and only moving on once you can teach it to someone else
- Study by objective in PowerKram learn mode, where every explanation links back to authoritative IBM documentation
- Switch to PowerKram exam mode to rehearse under timed conditions and confirm you consistently score above the pass mark
Career paths and salary outlook
IBM i developers maintain scarce specialized skills that command premium rates at mid-sized enterprises:
- IBM i Developer — $95,000–$135,000 per year, building and modernizing applications on IBM i (Glassdoor salary data)
- Senior RPG Programmer — $110,000–$150,000 per year, leading IBM i modernization projects (Indeed salary data)
- IBM i Modernization Consultant — $115,000–$155,000 per year, advising clients on IBM i transformation (Glassdoor salary data)
Official resources
Work through the official IBM Training learning path for this certification, which bundles videos, labs, and skill tasks aligned to every objective. The official exam page lists the full objective breakdown, prerequisite knowledge, and scheduling details.