What is the best certification for EJB?

[r raj]

Hi,
I am looking for good certification for EJB. I donot want to do SCEA as it has UML and I have already done IBM OOAD with UML. I am thinking interms of IBM 483 and IBM 157 or 158. What is the best exam for EJB? I am not able to find the objectives of the BEA exams. Does the BEA exam cover EJB better?
thanks and regards,
Raj
SCJP, SCWCD, IBM OOAD with UML, ITProject+

[Sudd Ghosh]

I too have a similar question. I've started preparing for SCWCD but I see that IBM offers "Test 486" (Enterprise Connectivity Test-with J2EE) which covers servlets, JSP, EJBs and much more. Now my question is why should one separately do the SCWCD, SCEA and not take this combined exam ?
Can someone list some advantages of taking the Sun exams separately over the IBM's exam ?
Thanks, Sudd

[Ricardo Cortes]

SCEA is 3 parts and includes an assignment and an essay. I'd say that completing it is not an insignificant task and will provide a lot more value over any single multiple choice exam.

[jawa lal]

SCEA is time consuming the best certificate would be IBM-486...and the websphere/weblogic is too much into tools

[Theodore Casser]

I would go for either IBM 483 (J2EE Technologies) or one of SCEA or SCWCD.
The WebSphere exams referenced (157/158) are application specific, and while they do stress some J2EE technology, they aren't definative proof that a certified person knows J2EE - they just know sufficient amounts in an exam about a proprietary tool to pass the test.
483 is mostly on the technologies involved, and shows that you understand the concepts. SCWCD shows you understand to a great extent some of the specific technologies used for creating web-based applications. And while SCEA is time consuming (and expensive!), it's both impressive to many employers and valuable as a sign that you do truly understand architecture and J2EE in depth.
Just my $0.02, though.

[Chris Mathews]

Originally posted by jawa lal:
SCEA is time consuming the best certificate would be IBM-486...and the websphere/weblogic is too much into tools

IBM-486 is not a certification. It is an exam that is part of other IBM certifications. Taking it by itself (without the other exams in the track) does not make much sense. The same goes for the 483 exam.

[Claude Monet]

I agree with Theodore Casser. The 483 is much better choice than 158. Doing 483 would give you head start with any new/old J2EE development project.