Took the exam yesterday morning. Here are the results. And conclusions...
Development Process.................... 85%
Requirements Modeling.................. 80%
Architecture........................... 100%
Static Modeling........................ 100%
Dynamic Modeling....................... 84%
Design and Implementation Techniques... 57%
Overall score.......................... 85%
In my opinion, questions were not difficult but tricky.
Many with very similar answers which require concentration and attention all the time. I remember almost missing a correct answer because
I couldn't see part of the exhibit at all from the screen. Make sure you scroll the screen to all sides and see clearly what options are available.
Many questions were similar to the ICE ones but with different terminology in both the question and the answer.
There were lots of exhibits. And I mean lots. Sometimes the scenario repeated across questions, so pay attention when you read it so you don't need to reference many times later.
Got no questions on CRC, one on refactoring, one on
patterns, one on state diagrams, many on class and interaction diagrams.
My approach to the exam:
Read UML Distilled (this was years ago actually);
Took the ICE mock exam. Didn't pass;
Read UML User's Guide up to interaction diagrams;
Read Enterprise
Java with UML;
So far I was looking not only to take the exam but to apply UML efficiently. Enterprise Java UML not only helped me with UML but put it in a context in a way I haven't seen in any other book.
Read Applying UML and Patterns;
Took the ICE mock exam again. Passed with 68%;
Concentrated on undertanding and answering the questions for the mock exam. Added The Unified Software Development Process as a reference;
Noticed the key book for the exam was UML Distilled and read that one again;
After many tries got all the answers correct for the mock exam;
Skimmed Applying UML and Patterns and UML Distilled.
Took the exam.
Suggestions:
If you want just to pass go ahead and read UML Distilled a couple of times and Applyiing UML and Patterns. Then concentrate on the mock exam questions and answers. However I have to tell that many questions I didn't find anywhere and answered based on experience (both on the mock and the real exams).
If you want to put UML in a development context read the Enterprise Java UML. It is more comprehensive than UML Distilled and less "formal" than Applying UML and Patterns.
Anyway, I suggest you do not seek to pass only.
Good luck for those about to take the exam.
PS: Anybody going to the WSAD exam ?
