Pass 486 today

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi all,
I have passed 486 today with 72% (a bit danger ).
Below is my score distribution:
1. Development Process 71% (5 out of 7)
2. Requirement Modeling 80% (8 out of 10)
3. Architecture 86% (6 out of 7)
4. Static Modeling 83% (10 out of 12)
5. Dynamic Modeling 46% (6 out of 13)
6. Design and Implementation Techniques 71% (5 out of 7)
It is not a great score, but I feel very happy, cos I am running out of time. I have only prepared for 1 week, since I need to take SCMAD on 7 Mar
Lucky, get a pass finally.
Below shows the materials I used:
1. Apply UML and Patterns, Chapter 1-6
2. UML distrilled, All chapters
3. Larmen's notes
At first, I wanna read all materials, however, as I am running out of time, I have selected the most important materials to read.
Among the 56 questions, the ratio of conceptal and diagramatic are 6:4, which is a bit different to others (4:6). I feel the diagramatic questions are not that difficult, most of the questions are related to Class diagrams, Sequence diagrams and Interaction diagrams. The conceptal part is more difficult, as it asks very in depth questions on how the UML diagrams are used.
So, if you dont know UML diagrams, or not sure the basic stuffs, you need to read through UML distrilled 1st. Larmen's notes is very useful for the last minute prepartion, it covers all *MUST KNOW* concepts of ALL objectives.
Best wishes to those who are on the same way.
Nick

[Hari Vignesh Padmanaban]

Congrats Nick !!!
people like you inspire me to take more certifications !!!
hopefully I beat you some day in the certification list ..
maybe I will!!!
Goood luck with your future exam's
Hari
[ March 13, 2004: Message edited by: Hari Vignesh Padmanaban ]

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Hari,

hopefully I beat you some day in the certification list

Definitely you will beat me
I will take a long break after passing 287 (hopefully) SCJWSD beta and SCBCD.
My next exam will be 287, which has been scheduled on 20 Mar.
Best wishes for your exam as well.
Nick

[Hari Vignesh Padmanaban]

Hey nick,
will take a long break after passing 287 (hopefully) SCJWSD beta and SCBCD
Do you when SCJWSD beta will take place? sometime aroung end of march ?
and wany idea when the beta exam vouchers will be available ?
I would love to take the exam !!
Thanks and Good luck again

[Satish Avadhanam]

Hey Nick, Congrats.
SCWSD -- Is this for Web Services? I will be glad to know if any beta exam is going to come soon and ofcourse will be more happy to get a free voucher
Thanks.
Hey Hari...you from SVU, Tirupathi?

[Axel Janssen]

congrats Nick.
You are kind of human certi Ferrari.

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Hari,
I guess the exam will be held during end of Apr, or beginning or May.
But that's not confirm yet. Still tune with the Web Services forum, Evelyn will let us know more.
Nick

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Satish,
SCJWSD refers to Sun Certified Java Web Services Developer.
You can find more in Web Services forum when the exam or the survey is available.
Nick

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Axel,
That's why I need to have a long break. I guess SCBCD will be my last exam till Dec 2005.
Nick

[Ko Ko Naing]

Congratulations, Nick. You are really agressive in taking lots of certs like this... Anyway, I do admire you, Nick....
Cheers
Happy Celebration for you

[Satish Avadhanam]

Originally posted by Nicholas Cheung:
Hi Satish,
SCJWSD refers to Sun Certified Java Web Services Developer.
You can find more in Web Services forum when the exam or the survey is available.
Nick

Thanks Nick. I will keep up with the Web Services forum for further details.

[R.x Lan]

Did you use any mock exam simulator?

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Rixin,
No. I only read those materials I pointed out in above.
Of course, having on hand practices is better, however, if you have some basic knowledge before, such as Class diagrams, Sequence diagrams, Activity diagrams, Collaboration diagrams and Interaction diagrams, how they are used and when they are used, and what diagrams are used together with which diagrams, you find the exam easy.
In my exam questions, the diagram questions are very straight forward, it gives you a case, some background information, and ask you which diagram is correct.
But the conceptal part is more difficult, you need to know those project management issues, SDLC, etc. Thus, I read Chapter 1-6 of Larman's book, and I read his notes 3 hours before I take the exam.
I even feel that ICE's pre-assessment is more difficult than the real exam. As the complexity of the diagrams in ICE is much more difficult that the real ones.
Best wishes to you.
Nick

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Ko Ko,
I taken those certs are because of promotion. If I need to pay for it, I will not take IBM exams, cos it is vendor dependent. In fact, I have never thought about IBM exams before I know there was a $10 voucher promotion.
As I told you before, all my certificates are either have great discounts (like SCJP 1.4, SCWCD 1.3), company paid (SCJP 1.2, SCJD 1.4, OCP) or nearly free of charge (ICED, SCWCD 1.4, SCMAD 1.0).
Nick.

[Ramon Gill]

Nick,
Good score - well done. Wish you all the best in the others. Interesting that your company pay for some of your exams. I've had to pay for them all (apart from the first, SCJP). My manager doesn't believe in encouraging people to take certs. He thinks people leave once they get certified (is it any wonder?).
Interesting about 'web services'. I'll keep an eye on this cert.
Good luck,
Ray
SCJP, SCWCD, SCBCD, SCEA (part 1), IBM-484

[Nicholas Cheung]

Hi Ramon,
My company works with latest technologies. We used VAJ for J2EE applications 3 years ago. My company *not encourage*, but *force* us to get certified, so that she can claim that all developers know the technologies well.
Nick

[Vijay S. Rathore]

Congratulations Nicholas

[Krishna Mukdapu]

Congrates Nicholas Cheung..... Pass is always Pass...... Great...
You mentioned that you studied Larman's notes..... Can you please tell, where you did find it. Could you please help me....

Thanks,
Krishna

[Marc Peabody]

I think this may be it:
http://www.objectsbydesign.com/books/larman_notes/larman_notes.zip