Well what can I say? It's been a hard slog up to this point of the journey - it's taken me 1 year and 10 months from not having any programming experience to getting certified. I'm going on holiday for a month and I can assure you there will be no books on
Java in the bottom of my case!
Thanks to Valentin, Corey and all you other ranchers out there for you help over the past 6 months. I really do believe that without this site being available, I would have struggled to pass. What I found the most useful thing on this site is the search tool - just type in the subject you�re struggling with - and hey presto tons of invaluable info.
Some tips for passing the exam:
Know
Thread and I/O - coz you�re gonna get at least 5 q's on each.
Know how the post and pre increment/decrement operators work. Maha's got a very good way of how to calculate complicated examples. I can't find the link though. If you do a search under 'increment operator' it will be in there somewhere.
I found the biggest problem with sitting the exam is nerves. They can completely destroy you if you�re not careful. I had a game of squash about 2 hours before the exam to calm me down. It really did help - I was also a lot more focused when I did sit it.
This exam does require you to memorize quite a lot of stuff. A good book on memory techniques is by Tony Buzan called Improve Your Memory.
Try playing around with mind maps - they can be a good tool to understand the principles of complicated subjects and also help in memorization.
Above all else, spend a lot of time studying - reading books and writing code.
Cheers for now.
Rob
SCJP