1. Will the SCEA change your life dramatically? that is, will you become an architect after you become a SCEA?
It depends. One just doesn't become an archtiect just because he/she took the
test. SCEA only serves as a professional accreditation of your architectural skills. It is hard to make further inferences just based on a certification. There are plenty of
J2EE architects out there who don't have SCEA certification and still are in demand. Similarly there will be several individuals with SCEA certification who may not be worth their salt as architects.
2. I will work for a company that uses eXtreme Programming. Is a SCEA still useful? for XP
I believe XP is a methodology that is agnostic of the platform, implementation, technology or business domain. As such XP addresses broader issues of software development lifecycle, processes and practices. SCEA is extremely focussed on software development using
Java and J2EE technologies.
3. Is there some SCEA still working as a coder or developer?
Plenty of us are. In real life( and especially crunch times like this when one is required to wear multiple hats), one can hardly call himself an architect, write some UML diagrams and get away without doing the hands-on work. Architects assume additional roles of a designers, client liasons and technical leads. They are normally involved in the project life-cycle early on whereas coders/developers come later in the process. However architects are not usually "exempt" from getting involved in coding. Infact, architects are instrumental in getting the application framework in place before the actual development cycle begins. As an architect, I am often involved in developing proof-of-concept systems and application frameworks.
HTH,
