First failed OCP 11 with one point short, retook it 2 days later got 80%

Background:
I've been working as a Java developer for nearly 7 years now. Yet, because of my poor career decisions my first company had barely to do anything with the language. I was working with a system based on IBM Domino (even though as its core there is Java, I barely wrote code in Java). Then there was a company where I had to write Groovy scripts instead of Java code (it was a low-code system). As a result I ended up with poor expertise in the language but decided to make up for it by passing the certification. I've been studying for the OCP Java 11 certification 3 years on and off but this year started taking it very seriously.
Also, now I've been working at a company where Java is used directly for 2 years.

Study Material:
Java SE 11 Programmer I and II by Boyarsky J., Selikoff S. (read it twice)
Enthuware (1Z0-819) (did every single test, avg - 72%)
OCP PRACTICE TESTS 1Z0-819 Boyarsky J., Selikoff S. (did every single test, avg - 70%)

First unsuccessful attempt:
I was pretty confident that I was gonna pass the exam but on my first try I failed.
Don't know why but apparently the system where the exam is taken to blame.
I could barely get around it and there were questions where I had to keep variables in my head.
The paint-like whiteboard is just terrible. Imagine keeping track of variables and how they pertain to each other by drawing (!) text with a "digital" pencil...
I really hope that someday Oracle would switch to a better alternative.
When I studied for the exam I relied on a pen and a piece of paper instead for keeping track of what's going on, much simpler, old-school solution that is always quicker and more reliable.

Second successful attempt 2 days later:
After I failed I got a better idea of the system, used a mouse instead of trackpad for "drawing" and retook the exam. Got 80% of the answers right.

Recommendation:
Since it's no longer possible to take the exam at a test centre, I would recommend that you should use Paint or similar software when you come across a question where you have to keep track of the variables in your mock tests... That way you'd get real-like experience of answering such questions.

The module-info.java file question:
By the way, in the real exam there was a question about modules that apparently, Enthuware's authors got wrong but Boyarsky and Selikoff got right.
The question was if a module-file.java file can be empty. I relied on the authors on the book and yes, the module-info.java file can be empty.
Think I got it right since in my exam report there is nothing saying that I made a mistake in the module section.

But Enthuware  think different, so beware.

Now I plan to take OCP 17 and Java EE afterwards...

Want to thank the authors for the study material, it's been enormously helpful!

Congratulations on passing and thank you for uour feedback  
Are you sure the question was about  module-info.java file and not about "module-info" ? Because an empty module-info.java file won't compile but a module-info that is empty is fine (as the screenshot you mentioned explains).

Ruslan, if you are sure that the question was about module-info.java and that it assumes that module-info.java file can be empty, please open a ticket with Oracle because it is definitely incorrect.
I reported this to oracle and received the following response:

We request you to kindly share the email address that you used to register for the exam along with a screenshot of the registration confirmation email which you would have received after scheduling the exam so that we may review this further.

P.S. You may open a support request here: https://help-education.oracle.com/

Paul Anilprem wrote:Ruslan, if you are sure that the question was about module-info.java and that it assumes that module-info.java file can be empty, please open a ticket with Oracle because it is definitely incorrect.
I reported this to oracle and received the following response:

We request you to kindly share the email address that you used to register for the exam along with a screenshot of the registration confirmation email which you would have received after scheduling the exam so that we may review this further.

P.S. You may open a support request here: https://help-education.oracle.com/

Well I'm not so sure because in Java SE 11 Programmer I (Chapter 11) there's the following description of the module-info.java (specifically with the .java extension) stating that the file can actually be empty and nothing will be created.

Indeed with such a file a module will be most likely an automatic instead of a named one since the proper module-info.java file is missing, making an option of the module-info.java file being empty correct I guess...

Ruslan Mussalimov wrote:Indeed with such a file a module will be most likely an automatic instead of a named one since the proper module-info.java file is missing, making an option of the module-info.java file being empty correct I guess...

While the module-info.java exists, the module-info.class does not. (per the screenshot you posted, the compiler exits without creating one). And since module behavior relies on the compiled code, it's like there isn't a module info file at all.

I'm surprised to see that on the exam though. We included it because we thought it was a fun fact, not because we thought it was important to know!

It is true that any empty .java file can be passed through the compiler without any compiler error but that is only if you are compiling non-modular Java code.

If the question is talking about module-info.java, then it is reasonable for the candidate to assume that the question is about compiling modules and that module-info.java is not just any random java source file but the file that is supposed to contain the module descriptor of the module being compiled. This file cannot be empty and will cause a compilation error if it is.

If this option were written as, "An empty java source file is a valid Java source file", one could argue that it is correct because it is talking about general Java code. But asking specifically about module-info.java, when command line compilation and execution of modules is on the exam, and expecting the candidate to think of the general non-modular case, is not fair at all, imho.

Anyway, after explaining the situation to Oracle, they have promised to have an SME look into it:

We are working with the Subject Matter Expert (SME) on your query and shall revert with an update at the earliest.

It will be good to know what Oracle's official stance is on this.

Ruslan Mussalimov wrote:
Indeed with such a file a module will be most likely an automatic instead of a named one since the proper module-info.java file is missing, [b]making an option of the module-info.java file being empty correct I guess..

Not quite true. module-info.java sits one level above the rest of the code (assuming the code is structured as a module). So, even if you were to package the compiled stuff in jar without module-info.class, it would not be a valid jar because there would be one extra directory path at the top level in that jar.  JVM will not be able to find classes in the right directory structure inside that jar. Therefore, it would not be a valid automatic-module either (or may be it would be, with no usable class inside that module).

The only way this can work is if you have a file named module-info.java sitting along with regular non-modular java source files, in which case, the name of the file is immaterial. It can be anything.

Good to get this reply from Oracle:

Thank you for your input.

Our Subject Matter Expert (SME) is working on it.

Meanwhile, this question is temporarily removed from the exam.

If you have any further concerns, kindly raise a new SR referring to this SR number.