The two versions have the same objectives. Read Bryan Basham's comment on the subject here.
Is there a book for version 5?
Again, version 5 has the same objectives as version 1.4, so every book that covers 1.4 is good for version 5 as well.
Where can I find....?
OCEWCD Links has everything. Add it to the favorites in your browser.
What is the best book for OCEWCD?
We recommend that you review the stories of the folks that already passed. There is a great list of stories on the OCEWCD Wall Of Fame where passers of the exam share what study materials they used and what they thought of those resources. This is a great way to find out what book and other study resources will be best for your style of learning and level of experience.
I've heard about extra questions at the 1.4 exam. Is it true?
Yes, Sun has added some extra questions in the exam recently to do some analysis. The exam is made of 69 marked questions + 11 unmarked questions used by Sun. Your score will be calculated as usual, using 69 marked questions. The exam is 2h15min + 40min (for the unmarked questions). You cannot tell which questions are taken into account for your score.
How many days of preparation do I need?
It depends on your experience, discipline, and risk tolerance. You will become a better judge of this as you work your way towards the exam. Most people feel ready when they get 80% or so on mock exams. Trust us, you'll know when you're ready. Ok, ok, fine - most people study for 4-6 weeks. Maybe you can get get a better idea by reading the stories on the OCEWCD Wall Of Fame .
What is the cost of the exam?
In the US it's $212.00. For other countries, please contact your Oracle information
Where can I buy an exam voucher?
For USA, buy it from the Oacle site [url=https://education.oracle.com/pls/web_prod-plq-dad/db_pages.getpage?page_id=652&get_params=p_exam_id:1Z0-899]
Yes. You will need to buy another voucher and, according to Sun's policy, wait at least two weeks before taking the exam again.
How important are the scores?
The OCEWCD certificate does not show the score. It merely says that you "fulfilled all requirements as a OCEWCD for the Java TM 2 Enterprise Edition Platform". However, a nice percentage can look good on a resume. There are also unconfirmed rumors that a high percentage will increase your confidence around members of the opposite gender.
What is the best way to prepare for the OCEWCD exam?
Review the OCEWCD Objectives. Buy a book or two and follow a few tutorials. Skim through the Servlet and JSP specs. Participate in the OCEWCD forum. Ask questions and try to answer questions posted by other ranchers. Get a feel for your strong and weak areas. Get inspired. Pay attention to the shared experiences and valuable tips! You can also use the Search facility to find relevant messages. The Search link is available in the top right portion of the forum page. Someone may have already answered your questions! Take some mock exams. Buy your voucher and schedule your test. Post your results on the Certification Results forum and share your experience on the OCEWCD forum.
What spec versions should I reference?
The SCWCD 5 actually still covers the J2EE 1.4 Platform, which includes Servlets 2.4 and JSP 2.0. Get the specs from ScwcdLinks.
Why am I seeing Design Patterns in mock exams that aren't in the objectives?
Mock exams, as well as the real exam, contain answer options other than the 6 Design Patterns from the objectives. Some are real and some are not. "Composite Delegate" is an option in HFSJ but was something we think Bert made up because he likes to play jokes. Patterns other than the Big 6 are never the correct answer on the real exam. Ever. Use this knowledge to your advantage.
The 6 you need to know are: * Transfer Object * MVC * Front Controller * Business Delegate * Service Locator * Intercepting Filter (sometimes just called Filter)
Also note that in previous versions of the exam, the following patterns were covered (and so you may see them more frequently in older mock exams):
What version of Tomcat do I need and where can I find it?
Tomcat version 5.5 is your best bet. It supports Servlets 2.4, JSP Specification 2.0, and JSTL Specification 1.1. We recommended you use a server that supports these specs since the test covers J2EE 1.4.