Sun Certification - help/advice needed

[Venkat Paspula]

Hello Java gurus,
Before I ask you some thing ,let me tell you something about me.I am mainframe programmer since 7 years.Recently my company got a mainframe to Java conversion project.Thay are asking me to learn Java and probably do Java certification.I am totally new to this Internet technologies.I need your advice on the following

1) What is latest version of Java now
2) What is SCJP 5.0 (I mean how is it diffrent from SCJP 1.4 or SCJP 1.5)
3) What is difference between Sun Certified Java Associate(SCJA) & Sun Certified Java Programmer(SCJP).
4) Can I directly take Sun Certified Java Programmer(SCJP) certification.
5) Suggest some good books for Certification.

[Christophe Verré]

1) What is latest version of Java now
Java 1.5 (aka 5.0, aka Tiger )

2) What is SCJP 5.0 (I mean how is it diffrent from SCJP 1.4 or SCJP 1.5)
Sun Certification Java Programmer for Java 1.5.
Officially called :
Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition 5.0 (CX-310-055)

There are many new topics which were not on 1.4. Also, some topics in 1.4 were removed in 1.5
For more:
http://www.sun.com/training/certification/java/java_progj2se.html

3) What is difference between Sun Certified Java Associate(SCJA) & Sun Certified Java Programmer(SCJP).
his certification is for entry level Java programmers and students interested in pursuing a career application development or software project management using the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE) technology

I think you'd better go for SCJP.

4) Can I directly take Sun Certified Java Programmer(SCJP) certification.
Yes.

5) Suggest some good books for Certification.
"Head First Java"
"SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 Study Guide (Exam 310-055)"

Good luck

[Devi Sri]

Hello friend,

Also, read 'Java Certification' book by 'Khalid A Mughal and Rasmussen'...
That is a very nice book for learning the subject...

For any other certification exams, you should first take SCJP exam...

Regards,
Devisri.