Take 6 or 7?

[Kolton Honkala]

Hello JavaRanch!

So I have been studying for SCJA 6, and I was wondering what I should do. Would I be fine taking the SCJA 7 exam after just studying 6, and if I did what concepts would I need to review for the new exam.

Or, should I just take the SCJA 6 exam, and pass it with no problem.

Thanks in advance!

[Robert James Liguori]

Kolton Honkala wrote:Hello JavaRanch!

So I have been studying for SCJA 6, and I was wondering what I should do. Would I be fine taking the SCJA 7 exam after just studying 6, and if I did what concepts would I need to review for the new exam.

Or, should I just take the SCJA 6 exam, and pass it with no problem.

Thanks in advance!

Ultimately you will want to achieve the OCA 7 and the OCP 7.

The OCA 5/6 1Z0-850 is a "feel-good" test. It gets you familiar with the certification process and gets you involved in a test that you will have a high probability of passing. Note though that since it is not a difficult test (based on the SCJA), it is not highly regarded by those that are highly technical.

However, I personally feel that it's an ideal test for new candidates to the certification process, entry level programmers and folks like project managers, as it proves that you have at least gotten your feet wet with Java, and especially with understanding the surrounding Java-related technologies at 30,000 feet.

So, if you are new to the Java certification process and have the funds to get the voucher, I would (prepare for), take and pass the OCA 5/6 exam just to put a smile on your face. After that, I would take a deep breath and then buckle down to engage in studying for the OCA 7 / OCP 7 pair of tests. And when you pass these tests, let everyone know and celebrate!

Good luck to you!

Robert

[Kolton Honkala]

Thank you very much

This is what I am planning to do at the moment!

[Lewis Marshall]

Kolton,

First of all, you need to understand that there is a lot of difference in the exam topics and the type of questions for Oracle Certified Associate Java exams 6 and 7.

OCA Java 6 exam topics:
===============
Section 1: Fundamental Object-Oriented Concepts
Section 2: Java Implementation of Object-Oriented Concepts
Section 3: Algorithm Design and Implementation
Section 4: Java Development Fundamentals
Section 5: Java Platforms and Integration Technologies
Section 6: Client Technologies
Section 7: Server Technologies


OCA Java 7 exam topics:
===============
Section 1: Java Basics
Section 2: Working With Java Data Types
Section 3: Using Operators and Decision Constructs
Section 4: Creating and Using Arrays
Section 5: Using Loop Constructs
Section 6: Working with Methods and Encapsulation
Section 7: Working with Inheritance
Section 8: Handling Exceptions

The choice of this exam depends on your role (Developer/ Manager) and the next level of certification that you may wish to persue (if any).

If you are developer, go for version 7. As you can see, version 6 covers less Java programming language topics as compared to OCA Java 7. It also covers a lot of non-programming topics (section 5, 6, 7). Another important point to consider is that OCA Java Version 7 is a pre-requisite for OCP Java version 7 exam. If you wish to persue the OCP exam, I strongly recommend that you opt for OCA version 7. There is no point writing multiple versions of the same exam.

If you are in a mangerial role, go for version 6. For this role, you may not like to be asked a lot of questions on programming. Also, you may not be willing to write the OCP exam.

Cheers
Lewis