Beta for Sun Certified EJB Developer Java EE 6 Exam

[Theodore Casser]

Saw this on Twitter this morning, from @javacert (the official Java Certification tweet-feed from Sun/Oracle):

Sun Certified EJB Developer Java EE 6 beta exam now available through July 31 -Just $50. Register at Prometric.com/sun

Now, this is just me... maybe I'm spoiled and too used to the free beta exams that we used to have. But why would I pony up $50 to help them test the test? My understanding is that the prior system was a quid-pro-quo - we spend the time to take the test, help them level-set the passing score and eliminate questions that were outliers in difficulty, in exchange for getting a certificate if we passed.

So what does the $50 get us?

[Christophe Verré]

So what does the $50 get us?

Oracle might have thought that this costs them too much money It's less expensive than the real exam ($300) !

[Theodore Casser]

Christophe Verré wrote:

So what does the $50 get us?

Oracle might have thought that this costs them too much money It's less expensive than the real exam ($300) !

That might well be the logic. I seem to recall, now that I think back on it, that Sun tried this once before with less-than-wonderful results.

Now, granted, they might also just be weighing the fact that getting the credential is worth something too, and that they dislike "giving" it away when a beta-tester passes. I know, however, that it deters me from volunteering four hours at a stretch to help them out, if I'm paying for the privilege - I always considered the quid-pro-quo of potentially getting the credential as "payment" for my time.

The fact is, so long as other providers offer free betas, I don't think offering folks the chance to take a "beta" exam for a modest fee is going to be popular.

[Leonid Shchervinsky]

unless one is about to get SCBCD anyway, then it is a steal...

Where would one get objectives for the new version of this exam?

Thanks
Leonid

[Mikalai Zaikin]

Leonid Shchervinsky wrote:unless one is about to get SCBCD anyway, then it is a steal...

Where would one get objectives for the new version of this exam?

Thanks
Leonid

They call it "Exam topics"

Exam Topics
[ ] Plan the development of a business service model
[ ] Create a Stateful Session Bean
[ ] Create a Stateless Session Bean
[ ] Create a Singleton Session Bean

[ ] Create a Session Bean Client
[ ] Create interceptors for an EJB
[ ] Modify a Session bean to be asynchronous
[ ] Create a Message Driven Bean
[ ] Create a Client that Sends a Message to a JMS Queu

[ ] Add Transaction Demarcation Information to an Enterprise Bean
[ ] Add security checks to business logic
[ ] Schedule the execution of business logic
[ ] Package and Deploy EJB applications

[Lucas Smith]

And that lasts for more than five hours. It should be free.

By the way, can I pay with PayPal for that [redirection from Prometric site]?

Do you suggest any materials for preparation? Should I go for that beta or SCBCD5?

[Theodore Casser]

Lucas Smith wrote:And that lasts for more than five hours. It should be free.

Well, to go back to what Leonid said, it is a steal if you're already planning on going for the equivalent from Java EE 5. And I don't know that it has to be free - my question still remains what you get for your cash if you fail, since you're theoretically helping them out. I'm just not personally inclined to pay for the privilege of helping someone, especially a large company like Sun/Oracle. I'd suffice for a second-shot when the real exam comes out as payment-in-kind, for example.

[Lucas Smith]

Why is it a steal? From whose side?

[Theodore Casser]

Lucas Smith wrote:Why is it a steal? From whose side?

Well, compared to paying full price for the exam, $50 is a great deal for the prospective candidate. I just don't hold out that it's such a wonderful one when you realize that we're talking about a beta exam - and that Sun used to offer their beta exams for free (to the first x number of people who signed up).

[Lucas Smith]

So, it is not a steal. Just the opportunity ;)

[Frank Kellinghusen]

Putting the discussion about a payed beta aside... I think the update ist quite good. Reflecting the new EJB specification JPA has been taken out of the exam. I think Oracle will release a new Java JPA Certification on its own.

[Ivan Krizsan]

...and the 311-094, Sun Certified JPA Developer for JavaEE 6, beta exam has also showed up in the list of exams at Prometric.
Exam fee for the beta is also $50.
Don't know for how long it is available.

[Mikalai Zaikin]

Thanks, Ivan !

It looks like the test is available through August 13th (may be wrong), and there is no exam objectives (or "test topics") on oracle.com:

See the list of Java certifications on Oracle web-site

In Beta

* Sun Certified JSP and Servlette Developer for the Java EE6 Platform
* Sun Certified EJB Developer for the Java EE6 Platform

What a mess ! 8-)

Best regards,
MZ

[Ivan Krizsan]

Hi!
More mess:
I've contacted Oracle regarding the SCBCD 6 beta certification, since it is impossible to take it here during the holidays in July (every testing-center within decent distance is closed).
They told me that the beta may be extended to the end of August. However, I still cannot schedule a test after August 1st.
I'll update this thread when/if I find out something more.
Best wishes!

[Mikalai Zaikin]

Ivan Krizsan wrote:Hi!
More mess:
I've contacted Oracle regarding the SCBCD 6 beta certification, since it is impossible to take it here during the holidays in July (every testing-center within decent distance is closed).
They told me that the beta may be extended to the end of August. However, I still cannot schedule a test after August 1st.
I'll update this thread when/if I find out something more.
Best wishes!

Howdy !

Taking into account (1) paid beta test (which never happened before) and (2) no exact test objectives, it's probably not too many people decide to take this beta, so it very likely the beta will be extended. But Oracle still ignores JavaRanch community, which is kind of... unwise...

Best regards,
MZ

[Ivan Gonzalez A.]

Does anybody knows the limit day to do the exam? I mean the Business Component Development with EJB Technology Java EE 6. If I pay the exam price. When is the limit for scheduling the exam?

Thanks.

[pete reisinger]

I just received an email from oracle "Invitation to Participate in Java EE 6 Certification Beta Testing", so I checked java ranch and it's been here since.
If I buy it, do I have one year time to attend the exam as with the normal exam, or is there shorter time limit?

[pete reisinger]

In the email I received they have four beta exams, which can be found here
scroll down to "In beta"

[Christophe Verré]

pete reisinger wrote:do I have one year time to attend the exam as with the normal exam, or is there shorter time limit?

I don't think the beta exam will take that long. But I don't know for sure. And I don't think that you need a voucher anymore. You have to go to Prometrics to book the exam and pay there.

[Jaime Freire]

Hi All!!

Well, this is my experience; I took this exam yesterday; 185 questions and 5 hours of which I used everything but 10 minutes. I'm getting the results in 6-8 weeks. The test was similar to SCBCD 5 but without JPA questions and a little bit of the new features like the @Asynchronous annotation; @Singleton beans questions; different profiles...

It was way too long and deffinitely the little price (50 CHF) is not worth the time and having to wait that long for the results.

Apart from that there's almost no documentation and I had to prepare for the new questions reading articles like this: http://www.theserverside.com/news/1363656/New-Features-in-EJB-31

Cheers!

[Khp Virajith]

Does anyone know the due date of this beta exam? Was there any official annoucement on a due date (other than that 150 exam takers thing)?

[Frank Kellinghusen]

Jaime Freire wrote:Hi All!!

Well, this is my experience; I took this exam yesterday; 185 questions and 5 hours of which I used everything but 10 minutes. I'm getting the results in 6-8 weeks. The test was similar to SCBCD 5 but without JPA questions and a little bit of the new features like the @Asynchronous annotation; @Singleton beans questions; different profiles...

It was way too long and deffinitely the little price (50 CHF) is not worth the time and having to wait that long for the results.

Apart from that there's almost no documentation and I had to prepare for the new questions reading articles like this: http://www.theserverside.com/news/1363656/New-Features-in-EJB-31

Cheers!

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[Kingsley Udeh]

@ Jaime Freire,

Is the Sun Java Certified EJB Beta Exam structured in multi-choice format? Can one reschedule the beta exam for a later time?

Thanks.

[Ivan Krizsan]

Just discovered that the SCBCD 6 beta period has been extended to the end of August here - at least according to the Prometric website.

[Mikalai Zaikin]

Ivan Krizsan wrote:Just discovered that the SCBCD 6 beta period has been extended to the end of August here - at least according to the Prometric website.

Yes, they shift the final dates for beat tests back and forth. 8-)
Also, JSF beta exam was available to schedule, and later disappeared (however mentioned on Oracle.com web-site).

regards,
MZ

[Jaime Freire]

Kingsley Udeh wrote:@ Jaime Freire,

Is the Sun Java Certified EJB Beta Exam structured in multi-choice format? Can one reschedule the beta exam for a later time?

Thanks.

Hi: sorry for the delay. The kind of questions is the same as the other exams. "single-choice, multi-choice... the usual.

It's taken in independent phases to which you cannot return later after having completed them. That is to say... topic: "MDBs", with 15 questions, for example. Done, reviewed and sent; then to the next stack of questions... same with other topics.

Yes; you can reschedule the exam once scheduled to a later date; just what I did. This works as a normal prometric exam".

Kind regards.

[Joe San]

Any idea as to when the JPA certification will be available? Is there a chance to write it this year?

[Joe San]

Guys,

Anyone of you who wrote the exam got any feedback?

Is there any expected date for the JPA certification to go live?

[thomas jacob]

Hi,
I just gave the exam today. I did not receive any kind of report after completing the exam forom the test center. Wondering if anybody got a receipt after completing the exam.

Regards
Thomas

[Ben Clark]

thomas jacob wrote:Hi,
I just gave the exam today. I did not receive any kind of report after completing the exam forom the test center. Wondering if anybody got a receipt after completing the exam.

Regards
Thomas

Me neither

[Ben Clark]

By the way, is that someone has received his results ?

[Lucas Mogari]

I still didnt received my results.. What can i do to resolve this?

Thanks

[Will Myers]

11 weeks after the close of the Beta exam so roughly the week begining 13th December

Oracle Beta Exams

[Ben Clark]

It's a looooong wait
Too long sadly

[Mikalai Zaikin]

According to calculator, results to be released on Thursday, December 16, 2010

[Ben Clark]

Is it a joke your calculator ?

[Mikalai Zaikin]

Ben Clark wrote:Is it a joke your calculator ?

Sorry ? Is it funny ?

[Ben Clark]

I thought so with your link

[Ben Clark]

grrrrr

[Mikalai Zaikin]

Ben Clark wrote:grrrrr

I received a note from Oracle, according to the note results can be available after 12 weeks.