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Mock Exam testers needed NOW!

 
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Howdy all,
-Beta test my new cert book's mock exam (book comes out in December), and if you provide useful feedback, we'll put your name in the book. But... you only have through this weekend!
Sorry for the emergency topic post, but I only just learned today that this has to be done this weekend. I'm in the final deadline of the book (Osborne/McGrawHill -- comes out December 10) and I am desperately seeking people to beta-test/proof the 160 questions.
And of course you'll get that warm inner glow that comes from the satisfaction of knowing you'll help those future readers of the book to have a technically accurate experience. (Oh man can I lay it on thick )
If you participate, I will email the questions and answers to you in Word or .rtf files.
Anyway, after having helped to develop the real SCJP 1.4, I can tell you that you will not find a mock exam that is any closer to the real exam than this one. Obviously the challenge (same one Simon and Phil have) is to create questions in the spirit, form, tone, topic of the *real* exam, but not make them so close as to give anything away or lower the value of the exam.
But I do believe this will be the best way to determine how ready you are for "the real thing".
The new exam *is* different in several ways from the previous exams, in the way the questions and answers are designed and worded. This book's mock exam is extremely close in most cases.
Sometimes, though, we put in a few slightly more difficult questions, and didn't tell you the number of correct answers, but that was just for the giddy pleasure of being mean and heartless. After all, when *I* took the exam we didn't get to know how many answers were correct.
(of course, the exam was a lot easier back in the 1.1 days!
If you're interested, please send me an email directly -- but ONLY if you are able to look at the questions and test them within the next two days.
I'll let everyone else here know when and where to find them on the web when they're posted.
Write to:
kathy.sierra@sun.com
or kathy.sierra@wickedlysmart.com (better)
Thank-you!
 
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I'm in...
I sent you an email
 
Kathy Sierra
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Howdy again,
Thanks to all the responders! We have enough folks for this test now, so I don't need any more beta testers for this round.
But I think we are going to have another set of questions (for the CD that goes with the book) in a few weeks. If that is the case, I'll post again and hopefully it will not be such a last-minute cry for help
Cheers,
Kathy
 
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"Anyway, after having helped to develop the real SCJP 1.4, I can tell you that you will not find a mock exam that is any closer to the real exam than this one."
I will of course consider that a challenge in the near future. I suggest the decider should be the margin between the score people get on the real exam and the score that people get on a mock exam
 
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I also want to be there......
Pleaaaaaaaase
- Manish
 
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Kathy Sierra,
can send sample question to this id dora_babu_2k@yahoo.com.
thanks,
dora
 
Kathy Sierra
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Originally posted by Marcus Green:
"Anyway, after having helped to develop the real SCJP 1.4, I can tell you that you will not find a mock exam that is any closer to the real exam than this one."
I will of course consider that a challenge in the near future. I suggest the decider should be the margin between the score people get on the real exam and the score that people get on a mock exam


Well, I left some room in there for another one to be "just as close" (but not CLOSER )
So I reckon if anyone will have a mock exam just as close, it is definitely you!
And good idea on the scoring thing Marcus. I think that *is* a good indicator, and I have no idea how mine will stack up yet. It *should* be a close indicator, but it hasn't been put to the test!
Anyway, the world can never have enough mock exams and mine is relatively short (160 I think).
Have fun...
-Kathy
 
Manish Hatwalne
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Have you guys heard sth abt this from Kathy? I just want to make sure that I did indeed send my feedback on time, I don't particularly understand timezones well.
- Manish
 
Valentin Crettaz
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Manish,
the beta testing happened last week-end (saturday and sunday) and is now over. Maybe Kathy will come by and answer your question more throroughly... Cheers.
 
Kathy Sierra
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Howdy Manish -- yes I got your feedback and used it! Sorry I missed you on my email list I made to send to all the testers I got feedback from -- so you made it on time and thanks to all! I can't believe how smart ya'all are, and those of you who haven't taken the exam should do well. Here are the folks I have in my list; if I have forgotten you please write me.
Mikalai Zaikin
Katherine Rogers
Dan (mr. mock exams) Chisholm
Alfred Raouf
the infamous Valentin Crettaz
Junilu S Lacar
Peter Tran
aniruddha mukherjee
Angelo Celeste
Oussama Azizi
Manish Hatwalne
I have to give an EXTRA special credit to Valentin, Dan, and Alfred for finding a few particularly tricky ones that nobody else saw. But everyone gave excellent comments and help including ways in which some of the questions were technically correct but could still be misinterpreted.
These folks ROCK!
Anyway thanks again everyone, including those of you who wrote to volunteer after I already had a full group. I'll get you on the next one
We have another whole set coming in a week or so -- this time I'll try to give more notice. Like maybe one hour instead of two this time.
Cheers,
Kathy
 
Manish Hatwalne
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Thanks Kathy
I didn't get much time, but I hope the feedabck I gave was helpful.
- Manish
 
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I'm happy to know you got my feedbacks on time Hope they were useful
 
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Hi, Just want to let all of you know that I passed the exam today mostly due to her book.
I was one of the lucky few who was chosen to "review" Kathy's practice questions. Actually it is more like "wow what a great source of study material".
You can pre-order it here
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0072226846
Check out my tips in the Certification Results forum.
Thanks
 
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