Sun Certified Programmer daw oh :)

It was November last year when I took the Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition 1.4 (CX-310-035) exam. The test, according to the Sun site, 'is for programmers experienced in using the basic syntax and structure of the Java programming language.' My original plan was to take it this year but the company's training department announced that they have spare Sun vouchers that will expire in barely two weeks. Since I thought that I'm better in cramming (hehehe pasaway) than in long-time reviewing, I, along with other officemates took the risk.

The exam consists of 62 questions and the passing score is 52% (that's 32 out of 61). The review guideline says that you should have 6-12 months java programming experience. Personally speaking, I think that reading reviewers and taking mock exams can do you more good than having actual experience but not reading at all (well of course experience + review is a win-win situation :)). Not that actual coding experience won't help you, it's just that most of the questions are based on the standard features of the language, and some of these features are not commonly used by programmers. One thing to remember when reading review materials: don't let the idea that 'the exam is very very tricky' get deep into you. Thinking about that while taking the exam will cause more confusion. And don't let your nerves overcome you. And one more thing! choose a good testing center :-P

We were advised to read the following books:

1. Sun Certified Programmer & Developer for Java 2 Study Guide (Exam 310-035 & 310-027) by Kathy Sierra, Bert Bates

2. Addison Wesley-Programmer's Guide to Java Certification, A Comprehensive Primer, Second Edition-fly

I would recommend Bates since it discusses the topics in a very interesting way. Both books have sample questions at the end of every chapter, answers are also provided.


The following are some mock exams that you can find on the net:
Java Ranch Rule Roundup Game - good to start with since it's easier compared to other mock exams
Marcus Green Mock Exams - questions are comparable to the actual exam


With the advent of Java 5, Sun also released this new certification exam:
Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition 5.0 (CX-310-055)
and this update exam for those who have already taken the Java 2 Platform exam:
Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition 5.0 Upgrade Exam (CX-310-056)