Am I ready?

[Dan Lastoria]

(My first post here)
When do I know I'm ready to pass the exam? I've taken countless self-assessments and my scores are all over the place. I feel I have a very good base understanding of the topics covered on the exam.
I am curious though...how do some of these tests compare to the real thing? I took the ones over at http://www.jchq.net/mockexams/exam1.htm and I scored in the 70%'s...
Are there any other reliable metrics for self-assessing exam readiness? I am anxious to achieve this certification.
Thanks for any information.

[Valentin Crettaz]

Check this out: http://www.jdiscuss.com/Enthuse/jsp/ViewAllResults.jsp
jhcq tests are known there as Marcus tests.
HIH

[Dan Lastoria]

Great, thank you! From those results, it seems like the Marcus tests are a little on the easy side. I guess I'd better keep studying...
From that matrix, I'd assume once I start nailing the JQ+ exams I should be ready for the test.

[Valentin Crettaz]

You got it Dan, JQ+ is tougher than the real exam. Once you get good scores at it, you can be pretty much confident.

[Dan Lastoria]

Ok, here's the scoop...
I got a 61% on the JQPlus exam (Standard Test#2)
I got a 75% on Marcus Test#1
I got a 68% on the Sample Exam in the back of the Exam Cram book...
I get a 88% to 94% on the Rules Roundup
Think I'm still cutting it close? Should I hold off a few weeks? I'm just a little anxious to take it!!

[Rajinder Yadav]

Dan, identify areas of weakness and concentrate on them, don't just go by the test score (alone), ask youself what topics you need to brush up on like inner classes, threading, AWT, etc
Must must be able to feel and understand Java, and not just memorize the definitions, etc.
Hope that helps!

[Dan Lastoria]

Well I'm scoring an average of around 70% on the mock exams. I know it's pushing it, but I've scheduled the exam for this coming Monday. I happen to not care what I score, as long as it's somewhere above a 61%.
Any last minute exam tips for me to consider over this following weekend. I do have to concentrate on AWT as that seems to be my greatest weakness at this point.
Thanks again for all the tips. Been getting a lot of good information here!

[Rajinder Yadav]

my tips
1. read the questions carefully
2. watch out for words like ALL, ANY, ALWAYS
3. read all the answers before you make a selection. Just looking for your answer may end up fooling you!
4. try to sit down and relax 1hr before your exam to clear and focus your mind
5. eat a good healthy carbohydrate rich meal 2hr before the exam, the carbs will release a steady level of simple sugar to fuel your brain also the carbs will help reduce your stress, avoid bad sugars like chocolate bars they cause a peak in energy levels which drops off quickly leaving you feeling low, caffeine will make you jittery and proteins is hard to digest causing much needed blood leaving the brain to pool in the stomach
[ February 08, 2002: Message edited by: Rajinder Yadav ]