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Help! I don't know anything...

 
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hello everybody...
am aravind...am doing my btech 3rd year computer science..
ive just completed java course(corejava+little of j2ee) in my collage..now i wud like take SCJA certification exam..it wud help me in my placements..

so..i need help in taking it....how to apply ?(prometric?)..then..do they send us any preparation kit or some kinda CD after we pay and register for the test?..what wud be a good score?..how do i know my result?(then n there as soon as i finish?,like GRE)..or will it take some time to get my score report?(how long?)..

coming to preperation..i read all the articles in the forum and ive got a basic idea on how to prepare..is it really tht tough to pass the exam?...and there are many new technologies(coz i know only core java and lil j2ee)...is it enough if i know the overview and aplication areas of these technologies..?

i dont find books specifically written for SCJA..so if i read genral java books(like complete reference to java,thinking in java) and read free tutorials on the net and take some mock exams..will i be able to do it? or shld i buy "cameroon..", book suggested in many posts.

PLEASE HELP ME !


Edit by mw: Removed shouting (all caps) from subject line.
[ June 07, 2007: Message edited by: marc weber ]
 
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Welcome aravind,

There are a lot of answers in the frequently-asked questions in this SCJA forum:

JavaRanch's SCJA FAQ

Pay close attention to Sun's SCJA Exam Objectives.

Sun's SCJA Exam Objectives

You buy an exam voucher from Sun. You can study using the materials of your own choosing. Sun has classes and you can rent their website for 6 months to a year but it is WAY expensive.

The $100.00 for the exam voucher (maybe more in your Locale) doesn't include any study materials. The fee only includes the two-hour exam, a certificate, a lapel pin, rights to the SCJA logo, and Sun keeps track of your certification in their dtabase.

I bought both of Cameron's books and Sun's ePractice exams ($35.00 USD). (I got 94%).

Get the latest printing of Cameron's books directly from him because he improves them with every printing.

Buy Direct And Get the Best Editions

After I took my exam at the Prometric testing center in my Locale, they gave me my score, but told me to wait until 4 weeks after passing to get my packet which includes my certificate and lapel pin etc. I was able to download the SCJA logo though and am going to put it on my resume.

I liked Cameron's books because they are the only books available that specifically cover the SCJA (unless you want to spend $600 to $2000 USD for Sun's materials or courses).

I liked Cameron's books too because they are a good overview of Java EE, UML, designing using interfaces, and programming to an interface.

I have a similiar background as you, having a CS background and having studied Core Java. Core Java covers the Java Language and the core of the Java SE API.

If money is tight, you can resell Cameron's books on Amazon.com and get most of your money back.

My exam voucher was good for a year and the ePractice exames (the $35.00 ones from Sun) were good for 6 months.

Kaydell
[ June 07, 2007: Message edited by: Kaydell Leavitt ]
 
aravind arav
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Thank you very much kaydell for your reply , it was very helpful.

so ill get my score as soon as i finish my exam,but have to wait for my certificate(4 weeks atleast?). And i can download the logo immediately..is it? .am asking all this because i have my placements in first week of august this year, and so have to get my resume ready by then,hopefully with the logo.

ive just gone through the proceedure for downloading the logo..and there was a form to be filled...there was one field saying "certification date(on the certificate)" ..how do we fill it without the certificate?...certification date is the date on which we passed the exam?..its too early to know all this..but just wanted to know everything before i start off..
 
Kaydell Leavitt
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> so ill get my score as soon as i finish my exam,

I got my score right away and a paper that said "Do Not Lose This Paper!" It was embossed, but I don't know if that is my official certificate or whether the official certificate comes in my packet.

> but have to wait for my certificate(4 weeks atleast?).

They said something about my packet coming in about 4 weeks at the testing center.

> And i can download the logo immediately..is it?

I don't know if it is immediately available. I downloaded the SCJA logo a couple of days after passing the exam and was able to get it.

> am asking all this because i have my placements in first week of august this year, and so have to get my resume ready by then,hopefully with the logo.

Be aware that some people advise skipping the SCJA and going directly to the SCJP. Some people do that but I choose not to when I tried the free practice exams. I'm now studying for the SCJP though. When you interview for a job, try to determine how technical the interviewer is. HR people may not want to hear "technical talk". Even a technical recruiter sent me to www.proveit.com with an extremely difficult Java EE test when I told her that I was half-way through the SCJA & half-way through the SCJP. I don't think she understood what I was saying.

Interviewers who have the SCJP will value it. Interviewers will ask you what they know. They value what they know. They know what they know. They will ask you about what they know about.

> ive just gone through the proceedure for downloading the logo..and there was a form to be filled...there was one field saying "certification date(on the certificate)" ..how do we fill it without the certificate?...certification date is the date on which we passed the exam?..its too early to know all this..but just wanted to know everything before i start off..

Yes, I believe that the certificate date is the date that you pass the exam.

Kaydell
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
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