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Passed Scjp 1.4

 
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I'm still shaking!! Okay, I should confess that my mark was low (60%) but, some of the questions are really tough.
First off, thanks to everyone here for all their help and to Dan and Marcus for the mocks. I'm new to OO and Java (<4months) so I had a lot to learn!
Many, Many questions combine topics. Also one thing that is a problem for 1.4 is that there were several methods/classes that in 1.2 sources say "....will not be covered on the exam". Lots of these you'd come by with experience but, if you come accross this, learn it inside and out. I think Sun should publish "official" books that cover what you need to know. There were some methods that I've only seen in the API, and not in any of the 1.2 books.
I can see why they dropped the %, it reflects just about what I would expect if I added in difficult awt and io questions.
Alan Phillips
SCJP 2 !!!
 
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Can you give some examples of classes or methods that were not covered in 1.2 but were on your exam?
 
Alan Phillips
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Hi Ron,
There were lots that I've only seen in the API. String methods were really tested heavily. Threads were tested heavily, but also intermixed with other kinds of questions (is it a gc question or a thread question???). As far as Collections go, you need to know ALL sub and subinterfaces. Really, really far down the tree here. There were many questions with several levels here, very few simply tested one part of the API, most were combinations where the output has been run through many methods and tests. RHE(the 1.2 version, I here the 1.4 version has been recalled) is no where near enough to pass, nor are any of the other books I used. Using JLS + the API is essential (unless you've done lots in which case you might run accross these methods when you're trying to do stuff).
The exam is easier than Marcus' exams (although, they're so good and really worthwhile), I average high 80's and low 90s on the three and I thought even more difficult than Dan's. I would take the exam questions and randomly mix up the answers, even if they seem unrelated to get a better picture.
[ September 17, 2002: Message edited by: Alan Phillips ]
 
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Hi Allan:
Thanks for your feedback.

posted by Allan
The exam is easier than Marcus' exams (although, they're so good and really worthwhile), I average high 80's and low 90s on the three and I thought even more difficult than Dan's. I would take the exam questions and randomly mix up the answers, even if they seem unrelated to get a better picture.


I do not follow your points:
1. Is real exam easier than Marcus or difficult than Dan's?
2. What do you mean by mixing up the answers?
Thanks and keep in touch for rest of us who are on this side of wall...

[ September 17, 2002: Message edited by: Barkat Mardhani ]
 
Alan Phillips
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if (Alan'sBrainisFull) && (AlanMakesnosense)
{
System.out.println("AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!");
}

Alright let me try that again
The exam is MORE difficult than Marcus' (and pretty close to Dan's more difficult questions. Take Dan's q's mix up the answers ie take them from different topics but so they still make sense then that's pretty close. Now, experienced Java and OO programmers may have a different take as you'd probably run into these methods by trying to figure things out. I'm really serious when it says in a 1.2 book that it will not be tested on the exam it's on 1.4, it seems like the 1.4 writers read them and purposefully put them on the exam. I could see the words from the textbook in my head ... this is not required but is just used to illustrate....WARNING!
Memorize ALL the methods of Object, String, Thread, all methods of all members of collections. (knowing just set,map and list won't get you anywhere, you need to know specifics about subinterfaces).
While I'm really relieved I passed, I'm but I'm still kinda annoyed that Sun doesn't publish a proper guide. With a proper text, it would have been much easier
[ September 17, 2002: Message edited by: Alan Phillips ]
 
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Good job Alan
 
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Originally posted by Alan Phillips:

Take Dan's q's mix up the answers ie take them from different topics but so they still make sense then that's pretty close.
[ September 17, 2002: Message edited by: Alan Phillips ]


Alan,
Thank you for using my exams and congratulations on passing.
Yes, the single topic exams only contain questions from a single topic, but the comprehensive exams are a random combination of questions from all topics.
All of the questions are developed in XML format and are parsed into a tree structure in memory that is implemented using the Java Collections Framework. (JDOM does all the parsing.) To create the set of comprehensive exams I first randomly shuffle each tree that represents a single topic. (I use the Collections.shuffle method.) Then I take questions from each single topic tree to create a set of trees that represent the set of comprehensive exams. Each comprehensive exam is shuffled again before the Xalan XSLT processor is invoked to generate the html.
 
Barkat Mardhani
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originally posted by Allan Philips
The exam is MORE difficult than Marcus' (and pretty close to Dan's more difficult questions.


Sir Dan and Sir Marcus:
Will the conventional wisdom (that Marcus tests are close to real exam and Dan's are much more diffictult) now tend to change?
Any new strategy on focusing on threads and collections?
I would like (just like Allan) a resource that can accurately annotate the topics (and their depth) covered in 1.4 exam from Sun or 3rd part!!
Thanks
Barkat
 
Dan Chisholm
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Barkat,
Alan has pointed out that many of the questions on the Sun exam cover multiple topics and I know that he is correct. I have focused on developing single topic exams that can be used as a person works through a certification book chapter by chapter. For that reason, I have made a conscious effort to avoid questions that cover multiple topics.
The Sun exam is intended for those that have already completed the study process, but my set of exams is intended for those that are still working through the study process. That's why I always encourage people to use the Marcus Green exams after completing my single topic exams.
I believe the conventional wisdom still holds: my exams are most effective early in the study process while the Marcus Green exams are a better choice later in the study process.
At some point, I will probably add some multiple topic questions, but I intend to remain focused on the single topic exam set in the near future.
 
Alan Phillips
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Hey Guys,
Dan don't change around the mocks at all, the topic forms are excellent!!!
I just meant that an individual should swap things around for themselves using their own collection or something!!!
I was more surprised at some of the methods and the depth for collections. Assertions and hashcode were easy q's, Sun's docs are good here!
It might be good to add a full section on String methods, I had 10+ questions with different string methods!
 
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Much thanks for the feedback Alan, and congratulations.
Marcus
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
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