Hey, guys. Didnt want to start a new topic for this. So I post what I have to say in this
thread. So:
I have passed the OCJP
1Z0-851 today with score 95 %.
First of all(even though I dont like cliches) I would like to say
big thanks to Kathy and Bert for the work they are doing. By that I mean mainly writing books in human readable form and making
Java learning fun and available to masses. Even though the classic programming books arent big problem for me, the head-first method and Kathy's and Bert's informal style of explaining made the studying of java realy enjoyable experience for me. It kept me motivated throughout the studies, made harder things easier to understand and remember.
Also I would like to thank you to all authors and contributors to JavaRanch and StackOverflow (I hope I can mention it here) who do another tremendous job of making knowledge available to all who want to learn and transforming the typical dry definitions into something which inexperienced coder can understand.
Here is what I mainly used to prepare for the exam:
For study:
SCJP Study guide Java 310-065 from Kathy and Bert
http://www.amazon.com/SCJP-Certified-Programmer-Java-310-065/dp/0071591060
www.coderanch.com and stackoverflow forums
For mock exams:
OCP Java SE 6 Programmer Practice Exams (Exam 310-065)
http://www.amazon.com/Programmer-Practice-Exams-310-065-Certification/dp/0072260882
http://www.certpal.com
The main observations:
-Preparing from 310-065 materials is no problem for 1Z0-851 ( I learned about this new exam version for SE 6 only few days before exam).
-All questions were either 1 option (radio button) or multiple options ( the number of correct answers was specified).
-Devil is in the detail. Understanding the principles is not enough. You must know the details of the language (often not applicable in real world of IDKs) and details of some core API. This was very anoying for me to study but now I am happy that my java knowledge is more complete:)
-Doing mock exams is the key to success. I often learned what I dont know from the mock exams. What I recommend is checking the answer after each question (therefore apps where you can take only whole 3 hours long
test were no go for me).
-I did not have much experience with java before (only some simple programs and HeadFirst Java book completed) and had it been not for the busy season in my work and illness, one month would have been enough for preparation while full-time working (of course you have to spend some hours a day ). After all, the best indicator if you are ready is score on your mock exams. What I had problem with was that I was not sure whether I am ready or not. To sum it up:
OCP Java SE 6 Programmer Practice Exams are harder than the real exam (almost everything is harder than real exam). On average I scored 70% in these tests (with not so minor number of mistakes comming from lack of concentration rather than from bad preparation)
Certpal questions are easier but I still think a little bit harder than the real exam.
There are catches in questions on exam too, but they are far more obvious than in those in Certpal or Kathy's and Bert's book.
Actually I dont understand why some people say that SCJP/OCJP is hard exam. If you have enough time and patience you can prepare for it without a problem. The study materials are very good and a large number of mock exams make it easy to find the problems in your knowledge and mainly to find out if you are ready for the exam.
If you have any questions regarding the exam feel free to contact me.
Btw: I noticed that lot of people write SCJP near their names as some sort of title. Is the "title" called now OCPJP ? That sounds kind of weird:)
