Hi
Took the exam on Monday (7 Jan) and passed with a score of 96%.
This is my first post to this site though I have been visiting it for over a year (as well as ]
JCHQ). Thank you to all who have contributed to this site in any way (maintain site, ask questions, answer questions or like me just visit). Without you I would have found preparation very difficult.
I will add to this post with details of my preparation in a couple of days (at moment I have work commitments).
One thing I would say is that I do not consider myself to be a
Java guru or expert. I would urge everyone to use the exam preparation as a means of getting a good UNDERSTANDING of the fundamentals (declarations, modifiers, overloading, overriding etc). SUN have set the pass mark to be 61%. It is in their interests that anyone who obtains this mark has such an understanding otherwise the Certification becomes meaningless. So if you pass you have met the requirements. By all means try and aim for as a high a mark as possible (for it can do you no harm if you get a high mark), but do not get unnecessarily caught up in the numbers game. Your aim should be UNDERSTANDING of the fundamentals.
Most people who are taking the exam are doing so as a means to a better/new job. The fact that you have the Certification on your CV/job application will help in getting you the interview. When you get to the interview, a potential employer will then use the interview as a means to assess your ability. This is where the understanding you have will count, so even if you got a "relatively" low pass, if you know the fundamentals you will be able to demonstrate this. Most potential employers do not want to know if you know the File constructors by rote.
Additionally, this certification is only the first step along your IT education in Java. Don't hinder that by spending too long searching for perfection. Get an understanding of the FUNDAMENTALS and GO FOR IT.
Omeed
[ January 10, 2002: Message edited by: omeed khan ]
[ January 10, 2002: Message edited by: omeed khan ]