Dear Ranchers,
I passed the SCDJWS exam yesterday with the score 79%. It's not a fancy score, however it does reflect my skill level on it - I have zero real project experience with
EJB and Web Services even I have been doing JSP/Servlet/Struts for over 7 years. So this exam definitely the hardest one for me comparing my previous
SCJP and SCWCD 5 years ago. It took me around 4 months to prepare for it.
The reason I studied for the SCDJWS is not just purpose on passing it, instead, I'l like to take the opportunity to motivate myself to go through all the Web Services aspects in more detail and depth. So the way I study on it is not try to memorize it, instead, I try to make them link together and get a whole picture. That's really helps in the real exam because a lot questions you have to think and make them links.
Here I'd like to thank all the ranchers' support and useful information they offered. Thanks for MZ's study guide/quiz; Thanks for Whizlab product release manager Sajal Jain and the simulator author Valentin Crettaz.
Alos, I'd like to share some of my study experience with you:
- For me, the sequence to go through different materials is really important.
1. J2EE Web Services by Richard Monson-Haefel ISBN: 0321146182.
if you don't have real experience with Web Services, make sure to read it carefully and may be multiple times. Some simple exam questions do directly come from book concepts.
2. Blue Print
Once you master all the concepts in the book first, then go through this Blue print. There are not much directly questions come from this print. However, in order to correctly answering some design scenarios questions in the real exam, you have to have solid knowledge on it. Read all the real life examples in the Blue Print.
3. MZ study note and quiz
read all detailed explanation on each quiz question including the explanation on the wrong answer. Couple questions in my exam seems not directly map the MZ quiz question , but was generated from the explanations on the wrong answers.
4. Whizlab simulator
Even though I found some bugs in the simulator, I still recommend it to you. The release manager told me they fixed those bugs and is going to update the version for their future customers.
The simulator is a good guide to lead you to make up all the aspects you may not thinking of.
5. Always questioning yourself
Other than depending on study materials, it's import to always bring up any questions and doubts by yourself, this way will lead you to go back books, online forums, and other resources to find your answers. I think it is a 'digest' in opposite of 'swallow' in terms of you will get a real understanding instead of short term memory.
The real exam itself contains a lot of questions on XML schemas details, SOAP1.1 specifications, design
patterns in real life. XML validation and JAXB binding are important and a must know issue. Make sure to understand the EJB/Servlet endpoint design difference. The security is not much, just the high level knowledge is enough. Most of them are mutiple choices, one or two drag and drop. That's what I can recall, but remember, the exam questions are random, so when it's your turn, the weight on each objective may be different.
Well, wish everyone success in their exam! My next target will be SCBCD.
Helen
SCJP,SCWCD,SCDJWS