Java 7: OCA and K&B 6

Hi Guys,

If you're studying for the Java 7 exam(s), and if you're not already certified, you now have to pass your OCA exam before you can attempt the OCP exam.

If you're studying for the OCA, our book (K&B 6), should give you pretty good coverage. If you study the following chapters from K&B 6 you should be in pretty good shape for the OCA:

chaps: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
chap 6 - the String and StringBuilder sections
chap 7 - the hashCode() and equals() sections, and only the ArrayList class.
chap 10

The chapters (and sections) listed above ARE NOT a perfect overview of everything you might encounter on the real exam, but I'd say they represent a 95% overlap. We'll be nailing down that last 5% over the next several weeks.

In terms of the OCP - we have some MONSTER additions to make to K&B 7 to cover that exam - we're working on it!

hth,

Bert

Looking forward to the next iteration of your Java Certification guides. Can't wait to see how you tackle Java File I/O (NIO.2) and concurrency.

For a contrast between the OCAJP and the OCPJP exams, test takers can go right to the source. Here's the objectives for the Oracle Certified Associate Exam:

Java SE 7 Programmer I (Associate Certification)
Java SE 7 Programmer II (Professional Certification)

You may have to click one of those links twice if Oracle redirects you to a page that tries to establish your geo-location. It keeps doing it to me, but maybe it's because I'm Canadian.

Cameron Wallace McKenzie wrote:
You may have to click one of those links twice if Oracle redirects you to a page that tries to establish your geo-location. It keeps doing it to me, but maybe it's because I'm Canadian.

It does that in US as well...every time. It is so annoying.

Bert Bates wrote:Hi Guys,

If you're studying for the Java 7 exam(s), and if you're not already certified, you now have to pass your OCA exam before you can attempt the OCP exam.

If you're studying for the OCA, our book (K&B 6), should give you pretty good coverage. If you study the following chapters from K&B 6 you should be in pretty good shape for the OCA:

chaps: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
chap 6 - the String and StringBuilder sections
chap 7 - the hashCode() and equals() sections, and only the ArrayList class.
chap 10

The chapters (and sections) listed above ARE NOT a perfect overview of everything you might encounter on the real exam, but I'd say they represent a 95% overlap. We'll be nailing down that last 5% over the next several weeks.

In terms of the OCP - we have some MONSTER additions to make to K&B 7 to cover that exam - we're working on it!

hth,

Bert

Hi,

I am a newbie to java. I just wanted to clearify that if you just go through SCJP 6(1,2,3,4,5,6,7 & 10) is enough for OCA 7 or we should study all the chapters of SCJA 6 as well.

Thanks in Advance.
Arc

It's important to distinguish between the older exam, SCJA, and the new exam, OCA. As far as the older exam goes, I believe there are several good books already published for that exam, check out the JavaRanch bunkhouse.

For the NEW OCA exam, I believe that as of April 2012, there are several books in the process of being written, but that none are yet available. (If anyone knows of an OCA book that's available now, please add a post to this thread!)

So, in the meantime, until an OCA-specific book is available, you can use the chapters I mentioned earlier (from the K&B SCJP 6 book), to study for the OCA. As I said, those chapters aren't a perfect fit, but I'd guess that they're a 95% fit.

Please remember that any book written for the old SCJA is probably only about a 30% fit for the new OCA - the new OCA exam is REALLY, REALLY different than the old SCJA.

hth,

Bert

Bert Bates wrote:It's important to distinguish between the older exam, SCJA, and the new exam, OCA. As far as the older exam goes, I believe there are several good books already published for that exam, check out the JavaRanch bunkhouse.

For the NEW OCA exam, I believe that as of April 2012, there are several books in the process of being written, but that none are yet available. (If anyone knows of an OCA book that's available now, please add a post to this thread!)

So, in the meantime, until an OCA-specific book is available, you can use the chapters I mentioned earlier (from the K&B SCJP 6 book), to study for the OCA. As I said, those chapters aren't a perfect fit, but I'd guess that they're a 95% fit.

Please remember that any book written for the old SCJA is probably only about a 30% fit for the new OCA - the new OCA exam is REALLY, REALLY different than the old SCJA.

hth,

Bert

Thanks a lot for the info.
Arc

for noobs

is K&B SCJP 6 book http://www.amazon.com/SCJP-Certified-Programmer-Java-310-065/dp/0071591060

Hi Guys,

Just to add an important point here.

As soon as ANYONE knows of new books or materials that are available for the NEW OCA exam, please let us know here, and we'll add them to this thread.

Also, for any of you SCJP authors out there - if you do a little research and let us know which parts of your book will cover the new OCA, we'll post that here too!

Thanks,

Bert

Please remember that any book written for the old SCJA is probably only about a 30% fit for the new OCA - the new OCA exam is REALLY, REALLY different than the old SCJA

Perhaps I am missing something then. I attempted and passed OCA Java SE 5/6 back in January. I only studied from the SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Study Guide and found out that exam was pretty much in line with the guide.

One intersting thing that happened was that a couple of days before the exam, I visited the Oracle site to take a look at exam topics. I noticed that while a high level overview of J2EE was part of the SCJA guide I used, these topics were not listed on the Oracle site. So I stopped studying them from the guide as well thinking that the material wouldn't be on the exam. To my dismay, about 35% of the exam was on these J2EE concepts. I lost most of my marks on this tail end part of the exam as as result. Perhaps my testing centre was using the old SCJA exam.

Oracle gets Richer :P

Hello all,
I am referring SCJA Study Guide CX-310-019 Robert J.Liguori and Edward G.Finegan.Some people here are telling SCJA is completely different from new exam. Can anyone tell why is it and which is the new exam?
I am going to attend the exam on 15th august 2012, i am scared that i am not referring the right thing. So please guide me, i want to clear the exam in one go and as soon as possible. ---- .My book contains 8 objectives however in oracle site its just 7 , they have skipped UML chapter. I dont know which is correct. Please help me.

Harinder Hanjan wrote:

Please remember that any book written for the old SCJA is probably only about a 30% fit for the new OCA - the new OCA exam is REALLY, REALLY different than the old SCJA

Perhaps I am missing something then. I attempted and passed OCA Java SE 5/6 back in January. I only studied from the SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Study Guide and found out that exam was pretty much in line with the guide.

One intersting thing that happened was that a couple of days before the exam, I visited the Oracle site to take a look at exam topics. I noticed that while a high level overview of J2EE was part of the SCJA guide I used, these topics were not listed on the Oracle site. So I stopped studying them from the guide as well thinking that the material wouldn't be on the exam. To my dismay, about 35% of the exam was on these J2EE concepts. I lost most of my marks on this tail end part of the exam as as result. Perhaps my testing centre was using the old SCJA exam.

Hello Harinder . I too stay in India can you please help me i have posted my problem here.
Please tell me the cost of the exam - -- .I request your email id mine is [email protected]. I hope you will help me out. Take care.

Hi Jamie (and anyone else who is confused),

Have you gone to the Oracle website and looked at the objectives for the exams you're interested in?

That's the best thing to do because the exams are updated from time to time. If you read the threads at the top of this forum, the threads with the "sticky" notes attached, you can get a good sense of what topics are on what exams, and how to find the most current Oracle objectives. In addition, you can find links to books and legal mock exams that are suited to the exam you're pursuing. Mock exams do a great job of giving you a sense of the kinds of questions that will be on the real exam, and also how the real exam questions will be formatted.

hth,

Bert

jamie bell wrote:Hello Harinder . I too stay in India can you please help me i have posted my problem here.
Please tell me the cost of the exam - -- .I request your email id mine is [email protected]. I hope you will help me out. Take care.

I do not reside in India so I am afraid I wouldn't know cost of the exam there. As the user above mentioned, check Oracle site for such info.

Bert Bates wrote:Hi Guys,

If you're studying for the Java 7 exam(s), and if you're not already certified, you now have to pass your OCA exam before you can attempt the OCP exam.

If you're studying for the OCA, our book (K&B 6), should give you pretty good coverage. If you study the following chapters from K&B 6 you should be in pretty good shape for the OCA:

chaps: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
chap 6 - the String and StringBuilder sections
chap 7 - the hashCode() and equals() sections, and only the ArrayList class.
chap 10

The chapters (and sections) listed above ARE NOT a perfect overview of everything you might encounter on the real exam, but I'd say they represent a 95% overlap. We'll be nailing down that last 5% over the next several weeks.

In terms of the OCP - we have some MONSTER additions to make to K&B 7 to cover that exam - we're working on it!

hth,

Bert

Hello Bert,
I am planning to attend the exam on 15th august 2012.First of all i need to clear my doubt about scja exam.

1)I am referring to SCJA exam guide CX-310-019 Tata McGraw-Hill Edition 2009, Copyright 2010.It contains 8 objectives including UML.I purchased this guide on 16th june 2012. As i saw in oracle site the syllabus for "Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 5/SE 6" Exam number 1Z0-850 has 7 objectives in which UML is not included.
Please refer the link below
[url="http://education.oracle.com/pls/web_prod-plq-dad/db_pages.getpage?page_id=41&p_exam_id=1Z0_850&p_org_id=1001&lang=US#3"]
Which one should i refer to for appearing the latest scja exam.

2)What is SCJA exam called presently? And what is "Oracle Certified Java Associate Programmer I certificate exam".If it is same like SCJA exam then why is oracle site displaying both the exams? What is the difference between "SCJA exam CX-310-019", "Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 5/SE 6 Exam number
1Z0-850 " and "Oracle Certified Java Associate Programmer I certificate exam 1Z0-803".
Please refer the link below
[url="http://education.oracle.com/pls/web_prod-plq-dad/db_pages.getpage?page_id=41&p_org_id=1001&lang=US&p_exam_id=1Z0_803#3"]

Please help me clear my doubt as soon as possible, i need to attend the exam next month.

Thank you.

Difference between OCA Java SE 5/SE 6 and OCA Java SE 7 Programmer certification
http://www.epractizelabs.com/blog2/?p=522

Note that "UML representation of OO concepts" chapter is completely removed for OCA Java SE 5/6 exam.

rajeswari kannan wrote:Difference between OCA Java SE 5/SE 6 and OCA Java SE 7 Programmer certification
http://www.epractizelabs.com/blog2/?p=522

Note that "UML representation of OO concepts" chapter is completely removed for OCA Java SE 5/6 exam.

Thanks a lot for replying rajeswari.
So you mean to say i can attend OCA Java SE 5/SE 6 which is same as scja cx-310-019 ?
Ok so are you sure that i should omit the uml chapter from my study guide?
I dont want to go for OCA Java SE 7 Programmer certification directly, can i do that?

Thank you

Hi

Not sure this is right thread To ask this question. Actually Today I am putting my first query on JavaRanch.
I took OCPJP exam today at Prometric Center . They did not give me any certificate But asked to create profile on PearsonVue.com
I did that and in bout 6 hours I received mail from PearsonVue providing my account userId/PAssword.
Hhere I logged in with given information But I could not see anything in My Exam Histroy.. It simply says You hav not taken any exam so far..

Could Anyone suggest me If that's right? Do they take time to update my certification details there? Do I need to worry or wait?

Thanks

Bert Bates wrote:It's important to distinguish between the older exam, SCJA, and the new exam, OCA. As far as the older exam goes, I believe there are several good books already published for that exam, check out the JavaRanch bunkhouse.

For the NEW OCA exam, I believe that as of April 2012, there are several books in the process of being written, but that none are yet available. (If anyone knows of an OCA book that's available now, please add a post to this thread!)

So, in the meantime, until an OCA-specific book is available, you can use the chapters I mentioned earlier (from the K&B SCJP 6 book), to study for the OCA. As I said, those chapters aren't a perfect fit, but I'd guess that they're a 95% fit.

Please remember that any book written for the old SCJA is probably only about a 30% fit for the new OCA - the new OCA exam is REALLY, REALLY different than the old SCJA.

hth,

Bert

Thanks a lot for replying.
So you mean to say i can attend OCA Java SE 5/SE 6 which is same as scja cx-310-019 ?
Ok so are you sure that i should omit the uml chapter from my study guide?
I dont want to go for OCA Java SE 7 Programmer certification directly, can i do that?

Thank you

rajeswari kannan wrote:Difference between OCA Java SE 5/SE 6 and OCA Java SE 7 Programmer certification
http://www.epractizelabs.com/blog2/?p=522

Note that "UML representation of OO concepts" chapter is completely removed for OCA Java SE 5/6 exam.

Thanks a lot for replying.
So you mean to say i can attend OCA Java SE 5/SE 6 which is same as scja cx-310-019 ?
Ok so are you sure that i should omit the uml chapter from my study guide?
I dont want to go for OCA Java SE 7 Programmer certification directly, can i do that?

Thank you

Bert (or someone else if I missed a post),

Any update on the last 5%?

TIA

Bert Bates wrote:

...

If you're studying for the OCA, our book (K&B 6), should give you pretty good coverage. If you study the following chapters from K&B 6 you should be in pretty good shape for the OCA:

chaps: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
chap 6 - the String and StringBuilder sections
chap 7 - the hashCode() and equals() sections, and only the ArrayList class.
chap 10

The chapters (and sections) listed above ARE NOT a perfect overview of everything you might encounter on the real exam, but I'd say they represent a 95% overlap. We'll be nailing down that last 5% over the next several weeks.

...

Bert