I cleared my OCA 1z0-808
Java SE8 certification on 1st March.
I would to thank you all for the support I obtained from the forum. I went through lot of older posts for reference and clarification on the topics I felt was difficult.
Preparation:
I prepared for 3 months on all days. I am 7 years experienced predominantly working on JAVA platforms. Work hours were hectic and i couldn't prepare much everyday. I made sure that i spent at least 2 hours daily (1 hour of study and 1 hour of coding).
Books referred:
Java SE 8 Certification Guide by Mala Gupta;
OCA / OCP Java SE 8 Programmer Practice Tests by Jeanne Boyarsky, Scott Selikoff
OCA Java SE 8 Programmer I Exam Guide (Exams 1Z0-808) by Bert Bates, Kathy Sierra
External help:
I subscribed to Enthuware tests and it was very helpful in delivering all the concepts in a precise manner. Though i couldn't take all the
test sections, I did take all the practice and final day tests. Below are my scores;
1st 80%
2nd 77%
3rd 66%
4th 73%
5th 66%
6th 85%
7th 70%
Final Day Test: 86%
The Enthuware test is tricky, and questions tend to have details which is hard to see them the first time. Be careful to learn the smallest details on every chapter of the exam and make a note of all the points that's available for later usage.
The final exam though is breezy and can clear without any problem.
On a final note: this exam does test our knowledge and the score does not matter.