Scored 91% and here are my hints

[Ruediger Waurig]

Hi there,
I took advantage of the hints I've found here when I prepared for the exam so I'd like to write down what I think is important.
Here we go:
To prepare for the exam I used:
- The core WEB programming book (authors: Marty Hall, Larry Brown) to get explained what�s important and how things work together
- The Servlet 2.3 specification
- The Servlet 2.3 API description
- The JSP 1.2 specification
- The JSP 1.2 API description

To clearify some problems it was good to have found someone that wanted to pass the exam with me. We discussed a lot and that helped a lot.

The real push for the exam gave me SCWCDWhiz. Don�t miss that.

Here are some detail points you should keep in mind when preparing:

Learn the structure of the deployment descriptor and of the taglib descriptor file by heart.

Don�t worry about design patterns. Just figure out which one of MVC, Business Object, Data Acess Object, and Value Object it migth be and forget about all the other options that could be chosen.

Get a deeper understanding how the different possibilities in Servlets and JSPs work together and what�s equivalent.
Example for how things work together: A bean object defined in a servlet and assigned to an attribute in the servlet�s context can be referenced in a JSP page; the id in jsp:useBean action must then be the name of the attribute defined in the servlet.
Example for equivalence: Assuming the bean �myCar� not yet existing the following holds: <jsp:useBean id=�myCar� class=�myPackage.Car�/> is equivalent to <% myPackage.Car myCar = new myPackage.Car(); %>

Get a clear understanding how JSP actions, scripting elements, and directives are or could be realized in the servlet code that is generated from a JSP page. Work out what could be expressed by JSP standard actions and what can't.

Repeat what you�ve leard about threads when preparing for the SCJP2. That will help a lot for the questions of the threadsafe ojective.

Go through the methods listed in the Servlet and JSP APIs, try to understand them and how they can work together. I myself used intensely the index link in the Servlet and JSP APIs to figure out where to find methods in different types with the same name and analogous meaning or with the same name but different or slightly different meaning. I.e.The method �log� can be found in ServletContext and in GenericServlet, but in GenericServlet this method additionally adds the servlet�s name to the string being written to the log file.


Hope this helps
Ruediger

[Jim Bertorelli]

Congratulations Ruediger. Great job!

[Fei Ng]

Congratulations

[Sonalika Kapoor]

Congrats reudiger. What's next in your list?
Regards
sonalika

[Ashik Uzzaman]

Congrats Ruediger Waurig, gr8 job done dear friend? I'll stick with ur tips for my exam preparation....
What r u planning next?

------------------
Muhammad Ashikuzzaman (Fahim)
Sun Certified Programmer for the Java� 2 Platform
--When you learn something, learn it by heart!

[jawwad ahmed]

Well Done.
Congratulations................

[Ashu Garg]

Hi Friend,
Good job by you and many thanks for the tips. You help us follow your success.
Thanx again
ashu

[Ruediger Waurig]

Thanks to all of you for the congratulations and I wish you all the best on your ways through the jungles of Java.
I probably gonna try next the IBM's certification to get an IBM certified specialist for VisualAge for Java.
CU
Ruediger

[Tony Alicea]

Congratulations and thanks for the good feedback.

[Sonia Virmani]

Ruediger,
Is there any exam for VA only. I heard about websphere and vaj combined. Please provide more details and also what prospects you see of VA exam. I am fond of ibm certifications.
Regards
sonia

[Reda Mokrane]

Congratulations !!!
thanks for the tips
Reda

[Ruediger Waurig]

Hi Sonia,
here�s my answer to your question about the IBM certifications.
To pass IBM exams for VAJ and WebSphere will confirm the expertise I have on these products.
My next step is therefore to become an �IBM Certified Specialist - IBM VisualAge for Java, Professional Edition, V4.0�.
=> To do so, the following test has to be passed: IBM VisualAge for Java, Professional Edition V4.0 (Test # 283)
The next aim is to become an �IBM Certified Solution Developer �
IBM VisualAge for Java, Professional Edition, V4.0�.
=> To do so, the folowing 3 tests have to be passed:
1)Sun Cetified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform (Test # 155, if you�re already a SCJP2, it�s accepted by IBM as equivalent)
2)Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with UML (Test #486)
3)IBM VisualAge for Java, Professional Edition V4.0 (Test #283)
Because by then I will have already passed 1) and 3) I only need to clear 2) to reach this aim.
The next goal is to become an �IBM Certified Enterprise Developer �
IBM WebSphere Application Server, Advanced Single Server Edition for Multiplatforms, V4.0�
=> To do so, the following 2 tests have to be passed:
1)Enterprise Connectivity (with Java 2 Enterprise Edition) (Test # 483)
2)IBM WebSphere Application Server, Advanced Single Server Edition for Multiplatforms, V4.0 (Test # 488)
That�s what I can see now, but who knows what will happen �
For more information on IBM�s certifications check out http://www-1.ibm.com/certify/index.shtml, and there escpecially the link �Index by Brand Category�
Ruediger

[Ashik Uzzaman]

And Waurig, AFAIK u can appear the Test#283 free if u appear within 31st December. Correct me if i m wrong...

------------------
Muhammad Ashikuzzaman (Fahim)
Sun Certified Programmer for the Java� 2 Platform
--When you learn something, learn it by heart!

[james edwin]

first of all congrats on your success and all the best for the exam and future.

[Eric H.Y. Chen]

Congradulations!
BTW, how about the chapter "JSP Document" in JSP 1.2 Spec.?
Is this chapter important?
Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Eric

[Ruediger Waurig]

Hi there,
for the free IBM testing:
Ashik, where have you found this information?
For the chapter �JSP Documents�:
You shouldn�t skip this chapter completely. In a first approach learn the contents of the table XML view transformations� in which JSP page elements are mapped to the corresponding XML view.
Regards
Ruediger

[Poonam Akash]

Hi Ruediger,
Congratulations on ur success and thanx 4 sharing ur gr8 experience with us!
Can u tell me if u have also read "Web Development with JSP" by "Mark Fields".If u did then which chapters can be skipped camly from it.
Bye,
Poonam.

[Axel Janssen]

Don't know if it is inteligent to take VAJ-exam, cause VAJ 4.0 will be last release of VAJ.
IBM will replace the product completly by something which is called WebSphere Studio Aplication Developer!
Links: http://www7.software.ibm.com/vad.nsf/Data/Document2020
very clear is the section
Relationship between Application Developer and VisualAge� for Java
of the following link: http://www7b.boulder.ibm.com/wsdd/library/techarticles/0108_studio/studio_beta.html


Axel

[Ruediger Waurig]

Hi,
For "Web Development with JSP" by "Mark Fields": Sorry, I haven�t read the book.
For VisualAge will be replaced by WebSphere Studio Application Developer:
My focus is to get confirmed my expertise on VisualAge. When the successor product is completely installed (including certification possiility) and I will have some experience with it, I will take this exam as well. But till then I will �only� be a IBM certified specialist for VisualAge, at least that�s what I plan.
Regards
Ruediger

[Rajat Singla]

Hey ruediger,
What do you say about the job prospects of the certs you are working on?
Thanks
rajat