I took the SCJP1.4 exam Tuesday (05 Aug). And I passed the exam with 85%. I got 100% in 4 sections. But I got 66% and 62% in GC and Tread respectively.
I'd like to introduce my preparing for the exam as follows.
Actually my job is not relevant to coding. I have some experience in C language. I didn't have any OO concept before I attended a 21-hrs course in C++ last June.
I studied
Java by myself. I was using Khalid Mughal's book. I studied it in my spare time because I had to work. I studied the book in detail from last Oct to Dec and finished the fist time carefully. Then my learning was interrupted.
I was planning to take the exam in March. Due to work conflict, I had no time to read the book again.
From June on, I began to go through the book the 2nd time. And one month ago, I took some mock exams introduce in the JavaRanch forum. I sometimes visit this website. So many people recommend K&H book, then I bought the book 2 weeks before my exam date. I go over it two times. The Learnkey mock exams, Exam1, I got 91%. Exam2, I got 89%. I think it is very useful. Because the questions and the simulator are very close to the real exam.
I also took Marcus's Mock Exams. I got around 72% excluding the AWT and I/O questions.
After I read K&H's book, I got more and more confident for the exam. But for beginners, I'd recommend to read Khalid's book first.