What sort of certifications are there for Java?

complete · 08-03-2006, 08:07 PM

What sort of certifications are there for Java?
Who conducts the examinaitions?
What is the best why to study for them?
Does anyone have one?
Has it changed your life if you do get one?

Belisarius · 08-04-2006, 02:18 AM

There are four main certifications, all from Sun (but conducted by various testing corporations). There is the J2SE programmer and developer tests, and their equivilant in J2EE. Last time I took one it was $150 a pop. Best way to study for them is to get sample tests, as you get a feel for the kind of specificity they're looking for.

They will look good on a resume, but I don't think that they're anything career-shaping. I've never seen a job requirement "must be certified in Java".

technobard · 08-04-2006, 07:41 AM

My 2 cents. I usually buy the study guides for certification tests. For Java, it's also a good idea to actually write some code in the areas you're studying. They definitely look good on a resume. I work as a DBA, but I support java developers. It definitely helped during the interview process to be able to talk intelligently to the developers. The certification was a starting point for the conversation. I'm sure the same is true for people actually working as developers. If you don't have the knowledge / experience to backup the certification, it won't really help.

complete · 08-04-2006, 08:45 AM

So I think I will buy the study guides and just write a ton of sample code. I think my best approach is to dive in.

Belisarius · 08-04-2006, 10:08 PM

The study guides do include sample tests. You do need to know Java, but simply knowing Java won't mean you pass the test. I know it pretty well, and didn't pass the test the first time around. There are a lot of API/Language spec specific questions, and frequently will offer choices that, at a glance, both look to be correct. It's not uncommon to see "which is correct, A) foo.bar() or B) foo.bar().xyzzy()" Frequently I would simply refer to the API to answer this question, but you're expected to know it off the top of your head in the exam.

DJMaze · 08-05-2006, 08:56 AM

I don't have any certifications, not in MySQL, nor in Java, nor in C++.
What i do for a living? C++ and PHP programmer using relational databases like Oracle and Interbase.

Did they ask me for certifications? No, they asked about my knowledge and we talked about it.
Someone who has diplomas and certifications knows about the stuff but not in real-time.
Designing and developing something is different then knowing the code, you need knowledge on both sides.

Belisarius · 08-05-2006, 04:25 PM

I think that may be an over-simplification. First off, human resources will frequently filter people out based on their resume. If you have a lot of real-world experience that translates well to paper, then great. But often they will set minimum requirements for diplomas/certs. It's nice when someone can see past the stats and realize if someone is good/bad, but it just doesn't happen all that often.

Also, getting certifications (and definitely diplomas) is a learning experience that does enhance your knowledge. I know I was *very* active when in college about applying the knowledge I got there. I had active feedback with my professors on various "real-world" problems, and also got a number of internships.

Pieces of paper don't tell the whole story, but they are useful indicators when, at the beginning of the hiring process, all you have is paper. Think of it this way - it's proof of an accomplishment.

complete · 08-22-2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belisarius

There are four main certifications, all from Sun (but conducted by various testing corporations). There is the J2SE programmer and developer tests, and their equivilant in J2EE. Last time I took one it was $150 a pop. Best way to study for them is to get sample tests, as you get a feel for the kind of specificity they're looking for.

They will look good on a resume, but I don't think that they're anything career-shaping. I've never seen a job requirement "must be certified in Java".

I could look this up. But it will be good to have this information here. What is the difference between J2SE and J2EE?

Also, the certification seems to be called SCJP. Is that the same for both J2SE and J2EE.

In the world of Microsoft (sorry, I mean microsoft, my mistake, bad habit) they have certifications for MSCD that you can study and I think take a test for on brainbench as well as on dice.com. But eventhough I have seen some indication that the world is moving to Java, I do not see Java tests and certifications out there as much. Is the only place to take the certification tests is on sun's website?

toe_cutter · 08-23-2006, 12:17 PM

se == standard edition
ee == enterprise edition

In a nutshell the EE is more robust.

Belisarius · 08-23-2006, 02:08 PM

No, "being more robust" is the wrong way to think about it. J2EE is the web-application framework for Java. If you want to program servlets, JSP's, etc, then you need J2EE. J2SE is the core functionality, which is not included with J2EE.

Here's Sun's page on certifications.

SCJP is Sun Certified Java Programmer, and I think the next one is SCJD - Developer. These are for J2SE - the core Java system. This is knowledge that can apply across all Java technologies.

It used to be (I think) that Sun used the same terminology for J2EE certification, but they have since changed it. Basically you'll be tested on J2EE specifics, as opposed to anything in the J2SE exam.

toe_cutter · 08-24-2006, 12:10 PM

ok fine. EE makes SE more robust.

technobard · 08-26-2006, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toe_cutter

ok fine. EE makes SE more robust.

I think this is just a question of definition (and a minor point at that), but I think what Belisarius was suggesting is that EE is about enterprise "features". Robust implies sturdiness or that something is more resilient. An application written using J2EE isn't guaranteed to be any sturdier than one written using J2SE. Because J2EE apps tend to be more complex, you could argue that the reverse is more likely.

Belisarius · 08-27-2006, 02:27 AM

Well, that's not it exactly either. It's an add-on, really. It is just that it's so large, and is designed for a specific purpose (web applications), not to mention it comes with it's own server, that it has it's own download and certifications.

If you're not planning on doing web development, there's no reason to get it. But if you are planning on doing web development in Java, you almost need it.

People are focusing too much on the terms "robust" and "enterprise", thinking that it adds all sorts of features to J2SE. All J2EE does is gives you a framework with which to write web applications. You could, theoretically, do that with J2SE, but you'd have to write everything from scratch. J2EE provides everything you need to start writing JSPs and Servlets.