posted 14 years ago I would think SCJP for Java 6 is the book to read. I did two Java courses at University and reading this book make me thinking I am new to Java. There is a large amount of details in this book. It is not made for beginners but for people who know some Java and want to prepare specifically for the certificate. Personally, I think writing lots and lots of code is very important, so when going through the book I write lots of small programs to try out what I have read. The book contains a CD with mock exams which are very useful. In the exam you are told how many answers you have two choose, but in the mock exams from the book you are not told. This makes the mock exam a good learning experience and much more difficult than the real exam. So most people do much better in the real exam than in the mock exams. I have also bought the Enthuware mock exams which I find very useful. Hope you enjoy the preparation.
John