Hi R.S. Deadhat,
First of all, a warm welcome to the CodeRanch!
R.S. Deadhat wrote:Would it be possible, with extensive studying, to prepare for and take the Oracle Java associates exam within a few months?
That's possible without any doubt. Of course it would possibly require some more effort than someone who is a java programmer/developer because he has already hands-on experience every day. And you learn understanding the concepts of a language only by doing and creating little code snippets, not just by reading a text book (or study guide). So from that point of view: learning java is just like learning how to drive a car.
R.S. Deadhat wrote:Has anyone done such a thing before?
Of course! Currently there are a few ranchers present in this forum who are preparing for the OCAJP7 exam with limited java experience (because they want to switch from e.g. infrastructure to development). You are definitely in the right place. This forum is very active and this great community (where you now a member of) will definitely help you to answer your questions, clear your doubts and encourage you to become OCAJP7 certified. Good luck!
Hope it helps!
Kind reards,
Roel