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Am I ready for the SCJP exam?

 
Greenhorn
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Hi, is there anyone can give me some advice about this.
I thought I knew Java pretty well, and I studied the book for a month in my spare time, and I took the 2 master exams, but only got about 68% and 69% correct.
I also bought the enthuware, and just used the 5 tests. My scores are always between 78% to 83%. I was careless about some questions because I tried to finish the exam as quickly as possible, usually I finish the mock test in 90-100 minutes. And of course I'll do the real exam more carefully. A lot of the questions were tricky.
I don't care how much I'll get in the real exam and I just want to pass it, because I don't have much time for it.
Can anyone tell me if I am ready for the exam? Besides, is enthuware a good mock test software that I can use to evaluate my understanding of the exam objectives?
I'll appreciate every piece of advice you give.
Thanks in advance!
 
author and cow tipper
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I think you're ready, if only because most people that wonder if they are ready are actually ready.

The best way to find out it to write. You can spend five more months, and hundreds of dollars getting more prepared, or you can just write the darn thing. If you are ready, you'll pass. If you're not ready, you won't pass, but you will know where you are weak,and your studying will have more focus.

Write the darn thing!

-Cameron McKenzie
 
Ranch Hand
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You only need to score 59% to pass the SCJP, so from the information you provided, it sounds like you're ready to do the exam. Most mock exams are a bit harder than the actual SCJP, because they usually don't tell you how many options you need to choose. If you already have substantial Java programming experience, one month of preparation sounds about right. Good luck!
 
K Zhang
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Thanks for your reply.
I've been using Java for 3 years now, and I would like to get a certification for it. But I don't think the exam is worth spending a lot of time preparing because normally those are problems you can resolve by compiling and executing a Java program. That's why I want to take the exam as soon as possible.
What I'm not confident is that I neve get a score higher than 85% in the mock exams. And I didn't even get 70% correct in the 2 master exams. If the real exam is as difficult as the master exam, I'll probably fail.
 
Kelvin Chenhao Lim
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Hi Kenny,

Have faith in yourself! Your mock exam scores are excellent, especially considering that you didn't check your answers before grading them. As a general rule of thumb, people tend to score about 10% more on the actual SCJP than the mock exams, so you probably will have no problem passing it.

My own SCJP preparation experience was similar to what you seem to be going through now. I too already had some years of Java experience before I became interested in the SCJP. Like you, I did a bunch of mock exams (Master Exam, Whizlabs) without spending time reviewing my answers, and my scores were in the same range as yours (~70% for the Master Exams, ~80% for Whizlabs). After just two weeks of preparation, I took the SCJP and passed it with a score of 98%.

Someone who's totally new to Java may need as much as over a year of preparation to be ready for the SCJP. Most people with some professional Java experience will probably need far less time. At the end of the day, you're ready when you're ready!

Don't be intimidated by the SCJP. After all, it's only a basic-level certification; it's not meant to be all that difficult. Go for it!
 
K Zhang
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Thanks a lot!
I'm more confident now, and I just scheduled the exam today.
 
K Zhang
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I passed the exam with 97% correct rate, which makes me feel so lucky!!!
 
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Originally posted by Kenny Zhang:
I passed the exam with 97% correct rate, which makes me feel so lucky!!!




So then the answer to your original question is:

yes.


Congratulations!


Bu.
 
Kelvin Chenhao Lim
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Originally posted by Kenny Zhang:
I passed the exam with 97% correct rate, which makes me feel so lucky!!!



There you go. See, there wasn't anything to worry about, was there? Congratulations, Kenny!
 
Ranch Hand
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That's a wonderful score, congrats!!
 
Ranch Hand
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Hi,Keny
First of all Congratulation. I am preparing for SCJP.I want to know that how you scheduled your exam preparation & how much Max time you take for preparation.My base is clear for java programming.I am not new to Java,but i want to know that how much time it takes for total preparation.I am referring Kathy & Bert Books for SCJP Certification.Any advice is appreciated.
 
Ranch Hand
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Congratulations for the great score!

Best wishes
Ritu Sharma
--------------------
Whizlabs Software
Success, certified!
World's BEST Java Certification Preparation Solutions
SCJA| SCJP 5.0 | SCJP 5.0 (Training))| SCWCD SCBCD | SCDJWS | SCEA | SCMAD
DEVSQR
With Unconditional 150% Test PASS Guarantee!
 
K Zhang
Greenhorn
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Sorry for not replying for a long time.
After the exam, I seldom visited this forum until now I start to prepare another exam.
I spent 1 month reading the book and doing all the mock exams (from the book and enthuware) I had, then I booked the exam and passed it.
 
Sheriff
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"Ken",
Please check your private messages.
-Ben
 
Greenhorn
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Java
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Hi all, congratulations to all that have cleared the exam. I am at that stage where I am not sure if I am ready to schedule the exam yet. I read the book. I did mock exams. I did ePraticeLabs and score 70 or higher on the mock exams. But, I am not sure if ePracticeLabs is a true measure for the exam? Can anyone please advise if I am getting 70 or more on those exams, am I in good shape to pass? Thanks for your time and help. I also started to do Whizlabs and I found those a bit harder. I was getting 40 out of 72 right. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
 
Ed Orsini
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So, the Whizlabs tests I did not pass, but I did learn a lot from. I just dont think doing them over again would do me any good since I am afraid I would be memorizing the answers. Thanks for your advice and help.
 
Ranch Hand
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If a person is scoring around 60-65% in mock test, is he eligible to pass the SCJP with good score around 75-80%.

Please advise..
 
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