>> Do I really have to give 1.2? Is it absolutely necessary? if YES where? nope, you don't have to take the 1.2 exam, and in actuality -- not many people do.
>> Can i directly give the 1.4? does this matter for the certification? yes!, and I highly recommend it. The 1.4 exam is more current -- you don't have to worry about IO and AWT. And you get to learn a useful new feature in the language like Assertions.
So go for the 1.4 exam! There's lots of great books out there to help you study. Check out our
Bunkhouse for lots of book recommendations. And of course, feel free to ask a bunch of questions here. We're more than happy to help!