I finally (after one year of evening and midnight preparation) passed the SCPJ2 exam. Passing score is 79%. I think this was the hardest exam I took in the past. "A Programmers Guide to
Java Certification" was the book that in the end helped me the most to get up and running.
I am already working in the IT industry as software developer, but mainly with microsoft tools. I really got to appreciate the smart design of Java during the time of preparation.