Passed both OCA and OCP >80%

[Laurynas Robotas]

Hello,

For past 8 months coderanch stories of passing Oracle SE exams were inspiration and both source of information. Thus I wanted to share my own experience for future readers.

OCA. Material:
- OCA Study Guide Jeanne Boyarsky and Scott Selikoff (Big shout out to them, great material)
- Enthuware mock exams (Great mock exams)

I started preparing for OCA during 2017 spring, and it took me about 3-4 months to both finish studying (making notes and memorizing) and practice Enthuware exams. I did not finish all of them, because I wanted to have some left just in case I fail OCA. The results of Enthuware were always between 70% and 80%. I was a bit worried, but most of you here, in coderanch, said that they were harder than the real OCA exam, so I took my shot.

Result: 82%.

OCP. Material:
- OCP Study Guide. Jeanne Boyarsky and Scott Selikoff
- Enthuware mock exams.

After I finished OCA, I started to prepare for OCP right away. It took me 5-6 months to read the book and start Enthuware exams. This time around, my results were always between 60 and 70%. I took the same strategy and left few behind just to make sure I would have something to practice if I failed the exam. Enthuware mocks really showed where I lack knowledge and I was able to improve on those points. However, this time I was really worried as my results were not great.

Result of OCP: 87%.

I can conclude that Enthuware is pretty close to OCA, but when it comes to OCP, its really harder compared to the real exam. And its a good thing, it makes you push even harder. At one time during OCP exam I thought that maybe I bought the wrong test as it seemed so easy.

Also, if somebody is doubting whether there is any use of certs - don't. Firstly and most importantly, preparation for them will give you a solid ground for more complex technologies (Spring, JavaEE). I have worked and talked with other Java developers and it really shows. Secondly, streams are awesome. Really understand them, memorize them, because they will help you in your daily programming life. And thirdly, most of the companies appreciate the effort and certs so it will be way easier for you to find your first job.

Next stop I believe will be Java EE (OCEJWCD), Spring 4.3 Programmer Cert and (OCEJPAD).

By the way, does anybody know if Jakarta EE will have their own certification?

[Thiago Antunes]

Congratulations !!! !!! I started my preparation for the OCPJP and I felt a little more difficulty than the OCAJP.

[Pete Letkeman]

That is a great first post Laurynas which gets a cow and welcome to CodeRanch.

Are you willing to share your Enthuware exam scores?

When you get a few moments would you please add yourself to both the OCA Wall Of Fame and the OCP Wall Of Fame which are located here
https://coderanch.com/wiki/659980/Ocajp-Wall-Fame and here https://coderanch.com/wiki/659976/Ocpjp-Wall-Fame.

Laurynas Robotas wrote:By the way, does anybody know if Jakarta EE will have their own certification?

I think that you may want to start a new thread for this question.

[Pete Letkeman]

Welcome to CodeRanch Thiago Antunes.

I hope that you find the community here welcoming, sharing, knowledgeable and helpful.
Feel free to post any Java related questions questions you have to this site as there are some community members who are very well versed in Java and well be happy to help you out.
There is actually a variety of knowledgeable people who know more then Java so feel free to ask about other programming stuff as well.

[Thiago Antunes]

Pete Letkeman wrote:Welcome to CodeRanch Thiago Antunes.

I hope that you find the community here welcoming, sharing, knowledgeable and helpful.
Feel free to post any Java related questions questions you have to this site as there are some community members who are very well versed in Java and well be happy to help you out.
There is actually a variety of knowledgeable people who know more then Java so feel free to ask about other programming stuff as well.

Thank you ;) !

[Laurynas Robotas]

Thiago Antunes wrote:Congratulations !!! !!! I started my preparation for the OCPJP and I felt a little more difficulty than the OCAJP.

Hello Thiago! Thank you OCP is more difficult. Especially when it comes to Generics, Streams and Files/Paths methods. But once you pass it, you will have enough to start working or even reading other's code. Also, don't beat yourself too much and keep a normal pace. I think it's really important to let the information sink. Best of luck in your preparation!

Pete Letkeman wrote:That is a great first post Laurynas which gets a cow and welcome to CodeRanch.

Are you willing to share your Enthuware exam scores?

When you get a few moments would you please add yourself to both the OCA Wall Of Fame and the OCP Wall Of Fame which are located here
https://coderanch.com/wiki/659980/Ocajp-Wall-Fame and here https://coderanch.com/wiki/659976/Ocpjp-Wall-Fame.

Laurynas Robotas wrote:By the way, does anybody know if Jakarta EE will have their own certification?

I think that you may want to start a new thread for this question.

Hello Pete, thank you for a cow Concerning Enthuware exam score, unfortunately I have already removed my Enthuware software and cannot say the exact scores For future certs I will keep a note of them.
And thanks for suggestion regarding Jakarta EE. I will create a new topic

[Thiago Antunes]

Laurynas Robotas wrote:

Hello Thiago! Thank you OCP is more difficult. Especially when it comes to Generics, Streams and Files/Paths methods. But once you pass it, you will have enough to start working or even reading other's code. Also, don't beat yourself too much and keep a normal pace. I think it's really important to let the information sink. Best of luck in your preparation!

Thanks for the advice. I will keep going with patience and baby steps

[Pete Letkeman]

Thiago, reading some of the stories from others whop have passed could be helpful. You can find some of these stories listed in the Wall Of Fame pages listed in this thread.
These stories may help by listing how others have prepared, what resources they used and how long they took to prepare along with other useful tidbits.

[Thiago Antunes]

Yeah, Im doing it. Thank you again.

[Giedrius Ceinorius]

Hello Laurynas Robotas,

Congrats with your pass! Last week I, eventually, also passed OCP So, say, you are from Lithuania, right? Are you working as a developer? Curious to know whether these certificates does some kind of impact for employers..

[Liutauras Vilda]

Giedrius Ceinorius wrote:Curious to know whether these certificates does some kind of impact for employers..

I'd think only to some extent. First, and most important - it does for you. Confidence about the language questions during interviews, perhaps easier to conform with syntax validity during your daily coding.

Anything else I'd say is very difficult to measure what kind of impact it does - whether it makes you a better programmer? Maybe. But I'd say it gives you only the sense of the language (in case of OCA), and understanding about the more advanced language constructs (in case of OCP), but there are other equally important (mostly would agree with me - more important) areas to know so you could write quality software.
And unfortunately when it comes to these areas (i.e.: code readability, ease of maintenance, flexibility for extension, overall design), I think certificates are of little use.

Even such things need to be considered whether programmer can solve logical problems with confidence. Regardless he/she holds certificate or not.

All over, if there is a chance to have certificate (why not), of course 2 "sort of equally" good candidates and one with certificates while other without - perhaps odds to get hired are better of the former candidate, but then again - things comes to candidate's personality, how possibly he could fit to team, et cetera. I know that some companies and managers in particular are even suspicious about the candidates who hold several various certificates.

[Giedrius Ceinorius]

Hello Liutauras,
Thank you for your replay. Of course you are absolutelly right in the case where two candidates considered equal. And I definitelly can‘t argue that when you are learning for a certificate it makes you to know a lot of stuff, so here‘s big plus. But other things you mentioned „code readability, ease of maintenance, flexibility for extension, overall design“ comes with experience doing your job, I think. In my opinion the biggest plus of the certificate to show to yourself and to employer the endeavour you make. To learn and to pass takes time more or less, to me it took a while .
Personally, I don‘t know if I ever work as a programmer, just like to reach goals I set to myself. Anyway, good to hear an opinion from the professionals .

[Liutauras Vilda]

I caught myself in several posts that my thoughts may sound negative about the certificates. Just to be clear - not at all. I'm just saying that candidate shouldn't stop researching the field after gaining OCA and OCP.

Giedrius Ceinorius wrote:And I definitelly can‘t argue that when you are learning for a certificate it makes you to know a lot of stuff, so here‘s big plus...
In my opinion the biggest plus of the certificate to show to yourself and to employer the endeavour you make.

Agreed