Gearing up for the Sun Certified Developer Assignment and Exam
The Sun Certified Java Developer (SCJD) certification is the specialty certification for developers seeking to justify their Java coding and design proficiency. The certification is comprised of an assignment and exam, with its only prerequisite of achieving the Sun Certified Java Programmer certification. The core APIs and technologies that you must have adequate experience with to complete the SCJD assignment and pass the exam are Swing, basic I/O, (choice of) RMI or serialized objects over a simple socket connection, threads, and general design patterns.
In lieu of necessary experience, SCJD candidates may find themselves purchasing a certification guide book. These books are valuable as the authors include important details of necessary APIs as well as the surrounding details necessary to meet the project's requirements. Two popular SCJD certification guides are as follows:
- The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam with J2SE 5, Second Edition (Apress)
Java 2 Developers' Exam Cram 2 (Pearson Education)
Striving to master the core areas is a good thing; even though the certification guides will not bring you there alone. O'Reilly comes to the rescue with specialty books on numerous Java packages, including the ones of interest for the exam. Again, the areas of focus for the exam are Swing, I/O, RMI, threads and design patterns. The corresponding books by O'Reilly are as follows:
- Java Swing, Second Edition (O'Reilly Media, Inc.)
Java I/O, Second Edition (O'Reilly Media, Inc.)
Java RMI (O'Reilly Media, Inc.)
Java Threads, Third Edition (O'Reilly Media, Inc.)
Head First Design Patterns (O'Reilly Media, Inc.)
To make the most out of your SCJD certification process, pick up a certification guide book and to extend your in-depth knowledge that will stay with you beyond your certification, get the O'Reilly specialty books as well.