Help in preparation for the SCJP 1.4 exam

[Paulo Aquino]

Good day to fellow ranchers! Im planning to take the SCJP exam this year. Sun microsystems offers a discount for its exam vouchers in our country(philippines). They are giving a 30% discount for the exam vouchers provided you buy the voucher before september 30, 2002 and schedule your exam on or before december 2002. My problem is sun will be releasing a new set of exam and i'm confused about the transition of java 1.3 exam to java 1.4 exam ...when will it take effect? when will sun release the new objectives for the exam? i was about to buy the book, Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide (java 1.3) , but good thing i read from this forum that there will be a new book due to be released in july and many topic wont be included in the new exam...can you suggest some new books that i can use for the exam preparation? if i start studying by mid of august and take the exam by mid of november...do you think this is ample time to prepare for the exam? considering that i work from mon to friday 8-5 pm and my time for study is about 2 hours a day after office hours (from 5 to 7)also to add ot that, i have an 8 months experience in programming java...i want to hear your inputs guys! thank you very much!

[bob towers]

hi there Paulo,
I understand they are trying to get the new exam ready for release by the end of July. You're right there will be a new version of the Roberts & Heller book out in July too. There is a new set of objects for the exam .... but these are basically the same as the old set of objects but with AWT and IO sections take out. If i were you, and actually i am in the same position as you. I would start on the basics now... buy the Khalid Mughal and Rofle Masmussen book now... and supplement your study come July with the new version of the Roberts and Heller book (though, there will be no 'history' of previous readers who will have spotted the errata for us).
I hope this helps
best wishes
Bob