Blog: SCJA Experience

On Wednesday I passed the SUN Certified Java Associate exam with 80%. Originally I was preparing for the SCJP - the Java Programmer exam but I saw early enough that I still need more time and experience for that. My manager proposed I could do first the SCJA. It was very good that I have worked through the SCJP Study Guide since some chapters also prepare for the SCJA. The entry level exam from SUN requires detailed knowledge of object-oriented concepts and its representation in UML as well as Java implementation of object-oriented concepts . Also you need more than basic knowledge of Java algorithm design and development. The last three sections mainly deal with Java platforms: Standard Edition (J2SE), Micro Edition (J2ME) and Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and its technologies. Here is a list with all the materials I used for preparing the SCJA:

• SCJA.de e-Book with 200 example questions. The real exam questions are a bit more complex.
• SCJP Study Guide from Bates, Sierra:
  • Chapter 1 - Declarations and Access Control
  • Chapter 2 - Object Orientation
  • Chapter 3 - Assignments
  • Chapter 4 - Operators
  • Chapter 5 - Flow Control (Exceptions, Assertions not required)
  • Chapter 6 - Strings (I/O, Formatting, Parsing not required)
  • Chapter 10 - Development
• UML for the Java Associate (free PDF). Thats is really enough to understand the UML diagrams of the exam.
• Studying the Java API Specifications and its class and package descriptions was helpful: J2SE, J2EE
• SUN J2EE 1.4 Tutorial:
  • Chapter 1 Overview for repeating if you are already familiar with JSP, Servlets, XML, SOAP
  • Chapter 23 Enterprise Beans
  • Chapter 33 Java Message Service API
• J2EE specification Chapter 2.6
• Java Micro Edition Tutorial (German) or J2ME data sheet, but better is a detailed tutorial about J2ME configurations, profiles and development
• Mockup exams:
  • scja.de, some example questions are for free but the eBook with more questions is very useful
    
  • scja.com, the study guide is not needed, the 6 free mockup exams are a good overview of the exam level
  • free trial version of uCertify but easier than the exam
  • Whizlab free demo, the diagnostics exam has the same level as the real exam
• other resources
  • Java ranch forum

Courtesy:- Realityisimportant.blogspot.com