"Spring in Action" is a great way to learn Spring without requiring pre-requisite type knowledge (beyond
Java.) There are no books specifically for the exam - although you could argue the training class handouts are. I put together a
study notes PDF that turned out to be way more detailed than what is on the exam. Also, if you click my signature, you can read more about the exam.
Overall, I'd take the exam if you were taking the course anyway. The cert isn't valuable on its own so I wouldn't take the course just to get certified.