• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

Resurrection Alert - Top ten things that aren't on the exam!

 
author
Posts: 9050
21
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
A couple of threads have come up recently that remind me of something we did a while back...

Here's an old thread that talks about things you don't have to study...

https://coderanch.com/t/241739/java-programmer-SCJP/certification/Top-Ten-Topics-Everyone-Thinks

I think it would be great if you recent test takers added comments about stuff that you studied for that wasn't on the exam...

Any thoughts ?

- Bert
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1934
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Thanks Bert for clarifying these things.

I am making some coffee on your name at my office. Come have some
 
Sheriff
Posts: 11343
Mac Safari Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Well, let's be careful...

My understanding is that actual exam questions are from a larger pool; so just because a specific item didn't appear on one person's exam, doesn't mean it won't appear on someone else's exam.

(Or am I wrong about this?)
 
Kishore Dandu
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1934
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Originally posted by marc weber:
Well, let's be careful...

My understanding is that actual exam questions are from a larger pool; so just because a specific item didn't appear on one person's exam, doesn't mean it won't appear on someone else's exam.

(Or am I wrong about this?)



U have to see the original poster. He is one of the exam authors and book authors for the SCJP preparation. So, that is reliable info to a greater extent.
 
marc weber
Sheriff
Posts: 11343
Mac Safari Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Originally posted by Kishore Dandu:
U have to see the original poster. He is one of the exam authors and book authors for the SCJP preparation. So, that is reliable info to a greater extent.


Yes, that part seems fine. But I'm concerned about "recent test takers" adding to this. The information might still be helpful, but it should be kept in perspective.
 
Cowgirl and Author
Posts: 1589
5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Marc, you are absolutely correct about what any individual exam taker would see on the exam, but Bert and I know the scope of the *entire* exam... in other words, we know the explicit ways in which the objectives have been interpreted, and we're trying to help make sure people do not spend TOO much time going down roads that are not a productive use of brain power or time because we (Sun/exam developers) have decided that it is not reasonable to expect programmers at the SCJP level to have memorized those things...

But you're absolutely right about people taking the exam Marc. And besides, people cannot remember exactly what is on the exam. I have seen people write letters complaining that they got a question on "XYZ", and they were absolutely certain, but when I pulled up their exam, and in fact searched through ever question in the exam database, there were no questions of that type... so, memory is a tricky thing

So just because someone says, "I HAD no questions on bit shifting" in no way means that someone else won't. (Although that's a bad example, because you can ALL count on having questions on bit shifting )

What IS guaranteed is that all versions of the exam have been ranked absolutely equal in terms of the weighting of the objectives and the difficult level of the exam. Each person may have different questions on a given objective, but everyone has questions on that objective. They just mght have *different* questions related to that objective. And everyone takes an exam that has been tested to have the same difficult level as every other version of the exam. There is no one *killer* version while someone else gets *the easy one*

cheers,
Kathy
 
Kishore Dandu
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1934
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
BTW will there be questions related to String literals.
Will the following notes from JavaRanch journal is tested from 1.4 perspective.

1.String literal pool is a collection of references to String objects. Strings, even though they are immutable, are still objects like any other in Java. Objects are created on the heap and Strings are no exception. So, Strings that are part of the "String Literal Pool" still live on the heap, but they have references to them from the String Literal Pool.

2.Equivalent String Literals (even those stored in separate classes in separate packages) will refer to the same String object.

3.In general, String Literals are not eligible for garbage collection. Ever.

4.Strings created at run-time will always be distinct from those created from String Literals.

5.You can reuse String Literals with run-time Strings by utilizing the intern() method.
 
Bert Bates
author
Posts: 9050
21
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Kishore:

Well I have to be careful but I think I can help a bit:

- you can skip intern() - it's not on the exam!

- focus on non-String objects when you're studying GC, don't worry about GC and Strings together.

I know I'm not answering ALL your questions but hopefully this will help.

- Bert
 
Think of how stupid the average person is. And how half of them are stupider than that. But who reads this tiny ad?
a bit of art, as a gift, the permaculture playing cards
https://gardener-gift.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic