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SCJA

 
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Hello! I am planning to take up SCJA exam. Can anyone please guide me on the following:
1. How should I start?
2. What are the suggested resources - books, tutorials, etc?
 
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hey gautam,

I just started preparing for SCJA. How you should start really depends on how much you are in to java. Since you are planning to take SCJA i would suppose that you already know the basics of java and you are in to programming.

I would suggest you to start with any good java text book,like HeadFirst,JAVA the complete reference and have a refresh on basics like concrete classes,interfaces,abstract classes,inheritance,polymorphism,primitive types,enums etc. check out the exam objectives.

Then coming to specific SCJA resources,check out SCJA FAQ section of this forum. Well ,there are not many books available for the exam, except one that is suggested in this forum.

It would help you if you start with doing some mock exams available freely on the net(links in scja faq). You would know how difficult the exam is for you and you would also know what kind of questions are asked in the exam.

GOOD LUCK!

Aravind
 
Gautam Sathe
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Dear Aravind,

Thanks a lot for your help. You have guessed it right. I do have a little bit knowledge of programming in C, C++ and Java. But when I saw the syllabus of SCJA, I found out its more of a concept based rather than programming based. Let me know if I am wrong.
 
aravind arav
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hey gautam,

Yah you are absolutely right,they test on more of concept than just programming. You will also get questions which includes code, like they give you a piece of code and ask what would be the output?,or where will you get a compile error?.

All in all you should be comfortable with doing basic programming in java and you should be knowing the object oriented principles like inheritance,polymorphism,encapsulation and also basic java constructs like interfaces,abstract classes etc. That is prerequisite before you start preparing for SCJA.

As i already told you,i would suggest you to start with any good java text book and read it (with reference to exam objectives). If you know java programming(compiling and running etc),then it would be very useful to write some small programs on the concepts on which SCJA exam is based(objectives of SCJA).

As far as i see from the exam objectives, first 5 sections of the exam test you in basic OO concepts and javas implementation of them.
There's a bit of UML unified modelling language too,but i guess it will not be a trouble at all. Its very easy to understand and a free booklet is provided by the exam authors,which has all the UML needed for the exam.

Sorry, i dont know about the last 3 sections which are based on JAVA technologies, iam still doing the first 5 sections right now.


Aravind
[ June 14, 2007: Message edited by: aravind arav ]
 
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So, you want to get SCJA certified, eh?

First thing you should do is take a look at the exam objectives. Reading the exam objectives, and knowing what you need to study is a good start, regardless of the exam you're working towards.

Next thing I'd say is you've got to start hacking out a little Java code. You don't need to be a Java expert, but you do need to know the syntax. I like the Beginning Java Programming for Dummies if you're a real novice, and then, Head First Java if you're a bit more advanced. Head First Java is more SCJP focussed than it is SCJA focussed.

Then, I'd start nailing down the definitions of all the terms talked about in the client and server technologies sections of the Sun Certified Java Associates exam. Make sure you know what the abbreviations mean, and how the technology can be used. Going to the Sun technology pages, and even Wikipedia, is a good start.

You also need to know a little object oriented design and UML. I have a few sections in my SCJA Certification Guide that deal with OOA and OOD that have been getting pretty good feedback. It's definitely worth a look.

And as I just said, I do have a fairly popular book that covers all of the SCJA Objectives, which you can get to from my signature links. It's the best SCJA Study Guide on the market.

Also, you'll want to practice. I also have a book that's just dedicated to SCJA exam questions - over 350 of them in fact. The equivalent of 7 exams. I totally recommend it if you want to get in some good practice.

Best of luck on your studies. And good luck on your certification!

-Cameron McKenzie
 
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Hello! I am planning to take up SCJA exam. Can anyone please guide me on the following:
1. How should I start?
2. What are the suggested resources - books, tutorials, etc?



If you only buy one thing, I'd buy Cameron's "SCJA Certification Guide". I think that the point of the SCJA is that Java is so immense that you can get lost. The SCJA helps you to focus on an overview of the Java language and the various Java editions Java ME, Java SE, & Java EE.

The SCJA also focuses you on related technologies such as HTML, etc.

You can Google and use wikipedia.org, but Cameron's study guide is still worthwhile to focus on the basics of Java.

Kaydell
[ June 25, 2007: Message edited by: Kaydell Leavitt ]
 
With a little knowledge, a cast iron skillet is non-stick and lasts a lifetime.
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