1.4 or 5

[auvrm papu]

I booked for SCJP 5 and my friend booked for SCJP 1.4 , yesterday.
( both of us are planning to take it in an year .)

I felt its reasonable to take the recent version rather than updgrading it later...spending another 100$

She said the reasons for her choice of 1.4:

1. There aren't enough materials to prepare for 5
2. She already started preparing for 1.4, so not wanting add more to it..
3. Since 1.4 exam is there for almost (X) years now, people can understand that she has this certification since (2007-X)...and If she takes 5 now, there is a chance for them to guess, she knows java only since....200Y ( when sun initited exams for 5)

etc......

Now, am confused..Replies are appreciated..

Thanks!!

PS: I don't know X and Y, Someone please fill the blanks

[ June 25, 2007: Message edited by: Ais Kaly ]
[ June 25, 2007: Message edited by: Ais Kaly ]

[marc weber]

Originally posted by Ais Kaly:
...There aren't enough materials to prepare for 5...

I think 1.5 is in its prime now, and there should not be any difficulty in finding materials.

Originally posted by Ais Kaly:
......Since 1.4 exam is there for almost (X) years now, people can understand that she has this certification since (2007-X)...and If she takes 5 now, there is a chance for them to guess, she knows java only since....200Y ( when sun initited exams for 5)
...

Hmmm... By that reasoning, wouldn't 1.1 be the most valuable? :roll: Holding an old certification does not necessarily mean x years of experience. It's about what you know, not how long you've known it, and Java 1.5 has a lot of valuable new features. (I'm certified in 1.4, and I feel like I'm overdue for upgrading.)
[ June 25, 2007: Message edited by: marc weber ]

[Oscar Gonzalez]

Yup, it seems that she'll had to look for new reasons to do 1.4

In my opinion is more valuable to take the Java 5 cert, bucause you know all the new features the language has.

[Remko Strating]

Just do the 1.5 version. The reasons given for the 1.4. version are not valid.

A reason for choosing the 1.4. version would be that in general this version is considered easier.

[Oscar Gonzalez]

Yeah, but that depends for me the exam 5 is easier, you have to memorize fewer things like the keywords and the exact values the primitives can take.

[John Stone]

I used study materials for both, 1.4 and 1.5.

1. There are a lot of materials available.
2. Sooner or later 1.5 will come to use, in companies where now only 1.4 is used.
3. Having experience and having certificate are 2 different things. Also 1.5 certificate can demonstrate your ability to learn new things.

[Patrick Williams]

I was faced with this problem a year and a half ago. I think Java 5 should be the overwhelming option at this point, but that's just my opinion.

[victor kamat]

I got the SCJP designation 2 months, and a new job.

When I interviewed I was asked searching questions about generics and the foreach loop covered only in 1.5.

My advice go for the 1.5