New SCWCD

[Vasanthi Rudra Rudramuni]

Hi all,
I heard that a new version of SCWCD is coming into picture, do any of u know when is that going to be, as i am taking my exam on 14th june,my preparation for the exam should not go futile.
Thanks
Vasanthi

[Andres Bonifacio]

Even with a revise version of the exam, most of your efforts will not be in vain, a few adjustments maybe necessary but, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Andres Bonifacio ]

[Amer Khan]

Hi Vasanthi,
If i were in your place i would skip this exam(SCWCD)and just practice with jsp/servlets by writing a good MVC-style web application and try different functionalities(dig a bit deeper) and than after a few months go straight for the SCBCD exam.(ejb---).
SCWCD exam is too easy i have serious doubt about its market value.

This is my opinion,its not necessary that everyone agrees with me!
Cheers

[Jessica Sant]

just to play devil's advocate -- From my experience, more companies build pure JSP/Servlet applications than those that use EJBs. So from that regard, JSP/Servlet knowledge could be more valuable.

[Hung Tang]

just to play devil's advocate -- From my experience, more companies build pure JSP/Servlet applications than those that use EJBs. So from that regard, JSP/Servlet knowledge could be more valuable.

JSP/Servlet is certainly useful things to know for Java web development but they do not offer significant value to a company IMO. Seriously, anyone can take a day or two to remember the entire JSP/Servlet specs and pass the exam. Alright, I'm exaggerating a bit but the point is SCWCD is not difficult to obtain, and the exam itself is certainly very easy to pass. I remembered over a year ago taking two weeks to study for it. And the exam before? 2.5 months and that was SCJP. This tells you something about the amount of material required to study for each exam. Sun should work on the SCWCD to increase its value, perhaps having a developer assignment that stresses proper web development design and architecture using standard J2EE patterns, and what not.
My advice, like the other member, skip the SCWCD, wait for the new one. Don't waste your money, learn about it, do something with it, dont take the SCWCD though.

[Andres Bonifacio]

For me the motivation is not even the market value it brings (Ok maybe a little if there is one) but, the benefits I received when preparing for any kind of certification. It's one thing that you actually used the stuff and it's another when you go back to the same concept on a more structured perspective. It so easy to take for granted little things, sometime this little nugget may turn to be really useful in the future. And that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
[ May 29, 2003: Message edited by: Andres Bonifacio ]

[Ken Januski]

I think it really depends on how you study for it. And I believe Amer posted a very similar reply a couple of days ago. If you just memorize enough to pass the test then all you gain is the market value of the certification. But if you actually learn and understand, not just memorize, all the required material I can't help think that you come away as a much better servlet/jsp programmer. That will always be valuable.
A number of people have commented on this forum I believe about being stumped by questions in interviews. If you really learn what's behind jsp/servlets I don't think you'd be easily stumped. But for me the real reason, outside of possibly adding a little job security, is just making myself a better jsp/servlet programmer because I understand it better.
Just my .02.

[boyet silverio]

hi Vasanthi,
If you think you are "ready", then just take it. Then go on with your next plan.
Any exam may be updated sooner or later. As to when, it's hard to know. You can wait for the "updated" one and if it comes out way later than sooner, then you'd be waiting a long while. Good if you want to review the specific exam topics again and again, which isn't necessarily bad....
As to deepening your knowledge of the topics involved you could do that after the exam. ... there's really a lot of depth and width in jse and j2ee, and related technologies, to keep us going.

[tony kanvas]

IMO That depends if you want to be certified then go for it now of you want to learn more then wait until updating Kathy said the new ver of exam will be more difficult than now so go for it if you want to get the certificate that why I am working on to pass the exam as soon as possible

[Vasanthi Rudra Rudramuni]

Hi all,
Thanx a lot for ur valuable suggestions, i think i will write the exam on june 14th.
Regards
Vasanthi

[Amer Khan]

hi Vasanthi,

Good Luck!!
[ May 31, 2003: Message edited by: Amer Khan ]

[Anonymous]

I'm in agreement with:
Jessica - colleagues report more widespread use of JSPs and Servlets than EJBs.
Hung - the certs do need to be strengthened and assignments are a great way to do this. Employers need to know that when they see "SCXX", there is punch behind it.
Andres - I've used Struts a great deal to put some full featured UIs out there for clients, but still received appreciable enlightenment from the SCWCD studies.
Ken - for much the same reason, but additionally for his mention of interviews. It's a mean mean market these days, and the less you stumble on an interview question, the better. It's possible that, despite months of experience, you may not have ever touched on the one detail they ask about.
Everyone on this forum is seeking certification, and we all have individual reasons, but we do have a common responsibility: to present certifications for what they are - a means to really understand a particular aspect of Java. I've had to defend my certs even here at work, not by getting defensive, and not by trying to out shine colleagues, but by explaining that it helped me better understand the landscape... and nothing else. The same goes for technical interviews. Certs demonstrate your dedication to this line of work.
I feel strongly about this topic because I've seen firsthand that some people see a certification on your papers and for whatever reason, they get huffy. Sure, I knew a couple things about JSPs and Servlets before the SCWCD, but the exercise helped further my comfort level. So too, I knew how to normalize database tables before getting a CS degree, but the experience was beneficial nonetheless.
Collectively, we are responsible for how Sun certifications are received in the market.
[ May 30, 2003: Message edited by: Erick Reid ]