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I'm a programmer with 15 years experience in other languages who just recently switched to Java. After reading numerous books, including two for the certification exam, I felt I was ready to take the SCJP test.
But first I visited Java Ranch and learned about JQPlus. I purchased their exam software and followed their directions in how to use JQPlus to guarentee I would pass the SCJP exam.
I flunked the first practice exam, scoring a very poorly 44%. But I kept at it, continue to study and review where I'd made mistakes, and passed the SCJP with an 88% on my first try.
I recommend JQPlus to everyone who is preparing for the exam. It does several things for you:
1. Helps you understand what you know and don't know. You can customize it so that you can have practice tests that consist only of the areas your weak on.
2. Familiarizes you with the actual test layout. Though the SCJP is not exactly like th JQPlus practice exams in layout they are close.
3. Now matter how many books you've read and how many Java programs you've developed there are areas on the exam that many people don't use much in normal Java programming. For me it was bit operations and also some parts of I/O. The JQPlus tests are comprehensive and provide you the reasoning for why an answer is right or wrong.
4. If you follow the JQPlus directions and work you way through all the practice exams and the final random exam with passing scores, you will pass the SCJP exam. The JQPlus exams have much harder questions. The best I ever did on a practice exam was an 84% and I scored 88% on the actual exam.
Don't take the SCJP exam without first preparing yourself by taking as many mock exams as you can. For $20, JQPlus was a great deal and I'm very glad I purchased the software. I think I would've flunked the SCJP exam if I had not used JQPlus first.
BTW the two certification books I studied were:
1. Java 2 Sun Certified Programmer by Syngress. The CD is terrible, but the text is easy to follow and has good practice questions.
2. EXAM Cram Java 2 by Brogden.
Prior to those I read numerous Java texts and especially liked this one:
Java How To Program by Deitel and Deitel (get the new 4th Edition).
But first I visited Java Ranch and learned about JQPlus. I purchased their exam software and followed their directions in how to use JQPlus to guarentee I would pass the SCJP exam.
I flunked the first practice exam, scoring a very poorly 44%. But I kept at it, continue to study and review where I'd made mistakes, and passed the SCJP with an 88% on my first try.
I recommend JQPlus to everyone who is preparing for the exam. It does several things for you:
1. Helps you understand what you know and don't know. You can customize it so that you can have practice tests that consist only of the areas your weak on.
2. Familiarizes you with the actual test layout. Though the SCJP is not exactly like th JQPlus practice exams in layout they are close.
3. Now matter how many books you've read and how many Java programs you've developed there are areas on the exam that many people don't use much in normal Java programming. For me it was bit operations and also some parts of I/O. The JQPlus tests are comprehensive and provide you the reasoning for why an answer is right or wrong.
4. If you follow the JQPlus directions and work you way through all the practice exams and the final random exam with passing scores, you will pass the SCJP exam. The JQPlus exams have much harder questions. The best I ever did on a practice exam was an 84% and I scored 88% on the actual exam.
Don't take the SCJP exam without first preparing yourself by taking as many mock exams as you can. For $20, JQPlus was a great deal and I'm very glad I purchased the software. I think I would've flunked the SCJP exam if I had not used JQPlus first.
BTW the two certification books I studied were:
1. Java 2 Sun Certified Programmer by Syngress. The CD is terrible, but the text is easy to follow and has good practice questions.
2. EXAM Cram Java 2 by Brogden.
Prior to those I read numerous Java texts and especially liked this one:
Java How To Program by Deitel and Deitel (get the new 4th Edition).
And then they get so excited about it, they take SCWCD. No points for guessing, they again score 98% 
