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Passed OCAJP 8 with 94%

 
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Six months ago, I was planning to take OCAJP 7 and studied the prep book by Mala Gupta for a week or so. Then, for some reasons, I stopped preparing. Then again, around six weeks ago, I decided to take OCAJP (the version 8, this time). This is how I did my prep work:

Since I already studied the prep book by Mala Gupta, I read it one more time. Then I went to study the Prep book by Jeanne Boyarsky and Scott Selikoff which is meant for version 8. This book became the central prep book for the entire time. I went over this book two times. Also, I did go over, especially, the exercises and the two mock exams from the book by K&B. After going over them, I started taking Enthuware mock tests. This software is a blessing. Your best $10 ever spent! These tests take you to the whole new level of your prep work. Of course, after each mock test, from any of the above sources, I went over the incorrect ones and the ones I felt confusing (for some tests, I used to mark in a piece of paper with the question number) and tried to understand how & why my thought process was incorrect and how exactly the compiler and JRE thinks for the same. You have to mimic how the compiler and JRE thinks (well, sorta!).

After going over the six mock tests in Enthuware, I did also go over the "Most missed test" and the "very tough test". On the day before the actual test I took the Enthuware "Last Day Test" and interestingly, I scored exactly 94% on that test too. Then bam! the test day came! During the test, I did not follow the way K&B has suggested in their book (going through the easy ones and finishing them first and then come back, review and finish the rest). I adapted my own way, as I did on mock tests, meaning I paced myself in such a way that I did not run out of time, neither did I had more than 5 minutes left for the review. I guess, every body has their own way. But, maybe, for most people what K&B suggested should work.

If it will be of anybody's help, here I am listing the test scores of the mock tests I took during my prep work:

From the book by Jeanne Boyarsky and Scott Selikoff:
Before going over the book:
1) (Initial) Assessment - 55% (Frustrated by this score, but I thought I did not have any idea about the new updated features of Java 8 for the exam, at that time)

After going over the book two times (along with doing all the exercises at the end of each chapter):
2) Exam 1: 75%
3) Exam 2: 80%
4) Exam 3: 70%

Mock Exams from K&B book:
1) Exam 1: 76% (on time), but 85% when 8 more minutes added up
2) Exam 2: 80% (with 8 more minutes)

Final Mock Exam from the book by Mala Gupta: 94% (On time)

Enthuware Mock Tests:
1) Foundation Test: 84% (but went 34 minutes over time - trouble in pacing!)
2) Test 1: 79% (went 1 minute over time)
3) Test 2: 84% (went 4 minutes over time)
4) Test 3: 88% (On time)
5) Test 4: 88% (went 2 more minutes)
6) Test 5: 87% (went 5 more minutes)
7) Test 6: 94% (On time)
8) Last Day Test: 94%

I am amazed about how close Enthuware mock tests are to the real test (demonstrated by the score above). I even felt a few of the problems that I encountered in the real exam were very close to the ones that I did in the Enthuware mock test. But, then again, I encountered some very tricky problems in the real test which kept me thinking until the max time I can spend on a particular problem is up - as you can see how poor I am in time management. If only I had 10 more minutes! I hope Enthuware will add such tricky problems in their practice tests in future.

Also, I felt that the Sybex software for the three mock tests accompanied with the prep book by Jeanne and Scott needs some improvements. For example, it cannot store which problems that I missed so that I can review them later. So, what I did was, I took the screenshots of those problems that I missed on those three mock tests.

I hope that my experience will be of some help to few people out there preparing for the test. Have a good prep work!! Ciao!!

-Dinesh Kasti
 
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Congratulations, Dinesh. Excellent score!! Glad to know that you liked our s/w

Dinesh Kasti wrote:But, then again, I encountered some very tricky problems in the real test which kept me thinking until the max time I can spend on a particular problem is up - as you can see how poor I am in time management. If only I had 10 more minutes! I hope Enthuware will add such tricky problems in their practice tests in future.


Could you please give a little bit more detail about the tricks that you encountered? Was it something that was not mentioned in the objectives? or usage of arcane API? or overly convoluted code?

thank you,
Paul.
 
Dinesh Kasti
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I don't recall exactly. But, it was definitely not the problems with the long codes or arcane API and it was certainly from the objectives listed. Maybe some overly convoluted code (at least to me), especially with datetimeformatter, necessity of casting, garbage collection and break and continue statements hidden in the twisted chunk of code or something like that. But, anyway, I am almost certain that if only I had few more minutes, say 10 minutes, it would be a great help. Maybe my mind was not processing fast enough while I was reasoning myself why this option is false for sure and so forth.

Anyway, there is no doubt at all, as I said before, enthuware s/w is the blessing for any person preparing for the test and it is extremely well organized s/w already. Keep up with your good work enthuware team.

-Dinesh
 
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Thank you for the detailed experience....can you tell me the most important topics to prepare and how many questions were related to java 8 topics(like date/time api or lambda expressions)....were the questions on lambda expressions tough?
 
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Hi Dinesh,

Congratulations champion! Great achievement Now it's time to relax a bit and have a (well-deserved) (or 2 or 3). And if you want to spoil yourself have a Belgian beer, our beers are the best of the world

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Other ranchers will definitely benefit! Have a cow!

Don't forget to add your name to the OcajpWallOfFame!

Kind regards,
Roel
 
Roel De Nijs
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Anshdeep Singh wrote:how many questions were related to java 8 topics(like date/time api or lambda expressions)....


I won't rely on such information to calculate your chances of passing the exam, because each exam is a random set of questions from the question bank. So you could get less or more Java 8 related questions.

Anshdeep Singh wrote:were the questions on lambda expressions tough?


If you know the contents, you'll know the answer and every question is easy
 
Dinesh Kasti
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Anshdeep Singh wrote:can you tell me the most important topics to prepare



As Roel said, since the questions are randomly pulled, there is no such topics which are more important than others, I guess. They all are of eual importance. Further, I am sure that they covered every objective listed in their website in the actual exam.

Anshdeep Singh wrote:were the questions on lambda expressions tough?



I don't think so. In fact, lambda expressions must be the easiest topic among the ones they have added from ocajp 7 to ocajp 8 exam. The actual lambda expression topic with functional programming feature of Java language is vast. But, luckily, what we need for the ocajp 8 exam out of lambda expression is very short and easy, just as described in the study guide by Jeanne Boyarsky and Scott Selikoff. Have a good prep partner!
 
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That was a great score. Congratulations!
 
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Congratulations Dinesh!
 
With a little knowledge, a cast iron skillet is non-stick and lasts a lifetime.
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