Kyle Walker

Thank you both for your replies and clarifications.

Hi everyone,

I would like to know if I'm elligible to sit for the 1Z0-809 exam? I'm a Java 7 certified associate. Is it possible for me to sit for the Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE 8 Programmer or do I have to pass the 1Z0-808 exam first?

Thanks in advance for your clarification.

I tried it again today and I passed it with 85% score (14 days after I had failed it with 60%).

Best approach is to never get discouraged. Always smile and no matter how many times you fail, keep going at it until you pass.

My advice to anyone planning on getting certified with the 1z0-803: do as many exercises and answer as many questions as you possibly can.

Study guides helped me a lot, but mock questions are the real deal. Once you answer enough mock tests and questions, there will be little to no surprises on the actual exam. So remember: answer as many questions as you possibly can.

One final advice is to never get nervous. I failed my first attempt because I got nervous and anxious, and I couldn't focus even though the questions were not that hard. Go in with a smile, and tell yourself that even if you failed, it wouldn't be the end of the world, and that you wouldn't rest until you take that bad boy home.

Really happy and proud with this result, and I'm looking forward to improving.

Before wrapping everything up, I would like to thank a man named "Paul" from the Enthuware team simply because he was nice enough to answer my questions and give me some of his precious time. So, thank you, Mr Paul!

Hi guys,

I failed the Java SE 7 Programmer I (1Z0-803) exam just a couple days ago with 60% score after studying for roughly a month. No biggie.

Now, I have decided to take the exam again, but I want to prepare myself better than last time. Problem is, I don't know whether I should re-read again the book that I studied with for the first time and do the same mock exams again, or study with something else? Which approach would you guys recommend? And more importantly, if you think I should go with something else, what other books/mock exams/etc should I choose?

BTW, for the first time, I studied with Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates' book and did the 6 mock exams from this book.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

It was this one "1Z0-803: Java SE 7 Programmer I" and the price was USD 150.00.

Maybe I got confused with the abbreviation. I took the Oracle Certified Associate for Java 7 exam (not programmer), and there were 80 questions.

If you were referring to another exam, then I apologize in advance for the misunderstanding.  

Thanks for your comment and encouragement, Liutauras Vilda.

I thought the links you gave me were quite helpful, especially the second one, and I agree with you completely.

I guess the reason (aside from being not completely ready) for failing the exam is because I got very stressed out (couldn't even sleep last night from anxiety), and I was scared to fail because I wasn't the one who paid for the exam, it was the company I work for, and I was very nervous and desperate not to let them down.

But guess what? I ended up failing anyway. So my advice to whoever is reading this and planning on taking the OCA7 exam (or any exam certification for that matter) is to not get nervous, stressed or anxious. Stay cool and do your best.

Or better, forget about getting certified and keep on learning Java. If you do that, the day you decide to get certified, you won't even need to "prepare" for the exam. The exam itself will look easier and you'll feel as if you were doing something you do every day.

I took the exam today (February, 14, 2017) and there were 80 questions,not 70.

Hello Everyone,

First of all, I would like to thank the CodeRanch team as well as its members for being so incredibly patient and generous with their time. Your tireless efforts and generosity is what makes this place quite special, and keeps people coming back for more.

I had been preparing for the OCA 7 exam for the past month, and I have visited CodeRanch countless times in the process. Needless to say, this site helped me understand the answers to many tricky questions. So even though I failed the exam, I would like to give each and everyone of you a big thank you.

I took the exam today, and unfortunately I didn't pass (had 60% and needed 63%). No worries though, I'll keep practicing and try again some other time.

I studied with Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates study guide and did my mock exams with Enthuware's Java SE7 Associate Practice Exams.

These books have helped thousands before me get certified, so me failing the exam has nothing to do with those books, and I have only myself to blame.

Problem is, now I really don't know where to go from here. Should I go back to those books and read them again or try something else?