OCA Java SE 8 Programmer I Certification Guide question

[George Herson]

My, perhaps pointed, question re: Mala Gupta's new book OCA Java SE 8 Programmer I Certification Guide is as follows.

Could I probably pass said certification by studying instead the free canonical material that Oracle keeps current through the Java versions, in so doing making it additionally a useful and ever-ready reference?  If yes, why buy the Guide?

[Mala Gupta]

George Herson wrote:My, perhaps pointed, question re: Mala Gupta's new book OCA Java SE 8 Programmer I Certification Guide is as follows.

Could I probably pass said certification by studying instead the free canonical material that Oracle keeps current through the Java versions, in so doing making it additionally a useful and ever-ready reference?  If yes, why buy the Guide?

Hi George -

Yes, you can pass the certification without buying any certification book. You can prepare for the exam using Oracle tutorials or other freely available online resources. Write and practice using lot of example code to understand the topics better. Also try attempting a few mock exams or sample exam questions to verify that you are heading in the right direction.

Certification books include curated content and take you through the topics from the perspective of the exam. They also include sample exam questions at the end of chapters to help you evaluate your progress. In short, they ease your journey to prepare for the exam.

With much respect,
Mala

[Paul Anilprem]

George Herson wrote:My, perhaps pointed, question re: Mala Gupta's new book OCA Java SE 8 Programmer I Certification Guide is as follows.

Could I probably pass said certification by studying instead the free canonical material that Oracle keeps current through the Java versions, in so doing making it additionally a useful and ever-ready reference?  If yes, why buy the Guide?

Not just to a guide book but this question applies to any resource. You can learn something without going through any particular resource. Even JavaDoc  and an IDE would suffice. It is a question of time really. There is a sea of information on the internet. How much time do you want to spend in sorting out the information that is relevant for the exam. If you include the time cost of collecting relevant information, getting a good guide book or a good set of mock exams is a no brainer, IMHO