2 Books to Prepare Oracle Java Certification Exams - OCA and OCP Java SE 7 OCPJP 7

There was time, when Sun Certification was very hot and programmer feel proud on being Sun Certified Java professional(SCJP). After Oracle took over Sun in early 2010, it changed names of all the examination from SCJP to OCPJP or OCJP, and now OCA and OCP for Java SE 7. I see there is lot of confusion among certification now days, but essentially they are of the same level at previous SCJP. Since Java gets new language feature with every new release, subsequently a new certification title is introduced. I am not agreed with upgrading your Java certification with every release, it doesn't make much sense to me, but many programmer prefer to get certified and keep it updated. By the way many Java programmers also ask me, whether doing Java certification benefits in Job search or in long term Java programming role, In short, Yes, they do. You can read my response on my post does Java Certification adds value on your career. This post is not about debating Java certification, but about preparing for them. I received lot of emails from my readers, when I wrote my post Top 5 Java Programming books, and they asked me for suggestion on how to excel on OCPJP, books and resource to prepare etc. In this post, we will see couple of good books to prepare for OCA (Oracle Certified Associate) and OCP (Oracle Certified Professional) for Java SE 7 exam. In short you can call it OCPJP 7. Apart from book, you should also use of the exam simulator, preferably from Whizlabs, which I have personally used and liked it. Whizlabs has two exam simulators for Java SE 7 exam,  OCAJP 7 exam simulator and OCPJP 7 simulator, they will help you to get familiar with exam patterns and types of questions asked in actual exam.

2 Good Books for OCPJP 7 Java Certification

Following are couple of books for Java SE 7 Certification exams. These books are pretty much standard and everyone follows them, they are also updated to cover exact syllabus of OCA or OCP Java SE 7 exams.

1) OCA and OCP Java SE 7 Programmer I & II Study Guide (Exams 1Z0-803 & 1Z0-804) (Certification Press)

This book is revised and updated version of Kathy Sieara and Bert Bates best seller SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 6 Exam 310-065. Since things has change, book needs to be updated as well. Books from this author for Java certification is pretty much like text book for OCPJP, as everyone advised about them and almost every one who pass Oracle Java certification follows them. One thing, which is worth noting, If you are not already SCJP or OCJP certified professional and becoming Oracle certified professional first time, then you need to pass two exams to become Oracle Certified Java Professional 7, instead of one. There are two certifications as of now :

Oracle Certified Java Associate 7 ( OCA ) or Java SE 7 Programmer I
Certification Code : 1Z0 - 803
Certification Cost : $300

Oracle Certified Java Professional 7 ( OCP ) or Java SE 7 Programmer II
Certification Code : 1Z0 - 804
Certification Cost  : $50

Thankfully this book covers both exams. As you can see in there title as OCA/OCP Java SE 7 Programmer I & II Study Guide (Exams 1Z0-803 & 1Z0-804). If you just want to prepare with one book, this is the one. As per my experience combination of one book + couple of mock tests from Whizlabs and other simulators can be really handy, and it’s much better than preparing through multiple books.

OCA Java SE 7 Programmer I Study Guide (Exam 1Z0-803) (Oracle Press)

This is another Java book, which can be handy to prepare first part of OCJP 7  or Oracle Certified Java Professional 7 exam. Since this book  is from Oracle press, you can expect them to follow syllabus and cover things which will be subject of examination. By the way book is currently available on Amazon kindle as well and you can buy it here from Amazon.

2) A Programmer's Guide to OCP Java SE 7 Certification: A Comprehensive Primer (4th Edition)

When I prepared for SCJP, long time back, I followed one book + many exams patterns. Though I followed Java Certification book from Khalid Mughal, It  seems this book will cover, what needed for Java SE 7 exam. By the way, this book is still in press and expected to release on November 2013, that's why I put it at the bottom. Khalid Mughal books were quite popular earlier, but seems Kathy Sieara books has been more popular now days. Nevertheless, I expect it to be a good book, given author’s previous record.

Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 7 Programmer Exams 1Z0-804 and 1Z0-805: A Comprehensive OCPJP 7 Certification Guide By S G Ganesh and Tushar Sharma
This is another worth noting book to prepare OCPJP 7 exam. This is the only book available for OCPJP 7 currently in the market, so if you are going to give exam in near time, you only left with this book. I haven't read this book completely but good thing is that it covers all topics and contains 2 mock exams, which gives feel of real exams. The quality of questions in pre-test is also good but better than many online materials. Ganesh and Sharma book is only option right now for giving OCA or OCP Java SE 7 exam.



Lots of things has been changed from original SCJP exams to this OCJP 7 exam, including two exams, but I believe fundamental pattern of exam will remain same. Since there are lot of material available FREE of cost on internet, preparation is not that difficult, but you need to get syllabus right. I also suggest to take relevant mock exams from Whizlabs  e.g. OCAJP 7 Exam Simulator and  OCPJP 7 simulator contains lots of questions with actual difficulty level. You can also try other simulators, those are really good, they help you to be familiar with exam patterns and types of question asked on actual exam. I have used them in pass and really impressed with quality. Not only giving there test but also learning from there explanation and finding reason, why certain choice is good and others are not.

Java Certification Books for SCJP 6

Some of my readers also ask me books for doing SCJP 6, or better known as OCJP 6 or Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 5/SE 6. Since Java 1.6 is still used a lot in Investment banks and other software companies, there is no harm in doing SCJP 6. Though if you ask me personally, I would probably recommend doing Java Certification for 1.7 version. Anyway, if you are still pursuing SCJP 6, then following books can help you to prepare well.


SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 6 Exam 310-065 By Katherine Sierra and Bert Bates

This is the most respected Java Certification books and lot of programmers has already used this book to clear SCJP 6 with brilliant score. It is highly popular from older days of Sun Certification and one of the most recommended books during SCJP 5. It covers complete topics, presents lots of subtle details and brings on several confusing, interesting Java questions.  If you can, read this book two times before setting up for SCJP, it's worth it. Though I prefer to read multiple books to get view from different authors, as some author connects to me more than others, but if you are running short of time and have a goal to become Oracle Certified Java programmer within few months, I think following only one book is enough, provided it cover everything. In short, if you already finalized examination date or purchase exam voucher with limited validity then start with SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 6 Exam.


OCP Java SE 6 Programmer Practice Exams

This SCJP book is also from same authors but it only contains mock question and practice exams. It's a good supplement to earlier book and together the form best study material for SCJP 6. Apart from these two book, you can also read Java language specification, as it's from Oracle itself and it also provides lots of useful information with good examples. If your goal is to score more than 90% marks then you can also try Java Certification simulators from Whizlabs and Enthuware. I have personally used Whizlabs exam simulators for SCJP and found it very useful. There quality of question, pattern are very close to real exam and most wonderful thing about there product is detailed explanation of each question and options. You will not only learn about why a particular option is correct but also why other options are not correct.

Read more: http://javarevisited.blogspot.com/2013/07/2-books-to-prepare-oracle-java-7-certification-OCA-OCP-OCPJP.html#ixzz30ppuWytV

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Does Java Certifications like SCJP, OCJP or OCPJP helps in Job and Career?

First of all, Wish you very Happy New Year 2014 !!, May god brings success to you all. I receive lots of questions about usefulness of Java certifications like SCJP, now known as OCJP or OCPJP. Questions like, does doing Java Certification helps landing a job, or does certified Java developer earn more or gets better offers, are quite common to Java developers, especially freshers. In this post, I will try to answer few of these question based upon my own experience as experience Java programmer and a certified Java developer. Well, I did my first Java Certification, SCJP (Sun Certification for Java Programmers) a long back and then subsequent year I completed my SCWCD (Sun Certification for Web Component Developer). I did because that time, I was hungry to learn more about Java, I enjoy doing Java exercises and above all my company was reimbursing the cost of certification, of-course if you happened to score more than 95%. That time I was in start of my career and this sort of motivation, worked for me, but my biggest gain was my learning about subtle details of Java programming as part of my preparation I learned by passing those exams certainly helps me to understand language better. There was no way,  I would have known subtle details about finally block,  checked exceptions and multi-threading in very shot span of time. I realize that preparation is the key, that's the process which will benefit you most. When you prepare, you learned a lot by following concept, doing exercises and than analysing why certain options are correct and others are not. This technical knowledge gives you an edge over other candidate during written exams, telephonic interviews and even on faced to face Java interviews.

Now here are answers to some of the questions, which often appears in mind of Java programming aspiring to do certification?

Does Java Certification help you to land a Job?

Answer is YES, it certainly does, but to a limited extend. Remember, companies prefers engineers who has professional degrees in computer science. So if you are not an engineer but done bachelors on computer science or some other computer programming course, I highly recommend you to get certified, to have something on your resume, which distinguish yourself from other Job applicants. This answers imply that, Java certification immensely helps to freshers and programmers with one or two years of experience. As you gain more experience, Java Certification e.g. OCPJP loses it's value in overall job selection process. So, if you are thinking to get certified, do it early. Another benefit, and in my opinion, this is even more important, is that Java certification helps you to perform better in Java Interviews. I have personally interviewed a lot of Java candidates; at Junior level, most of the time, candidate with Java certification performs better than others. This is quite obvious, because they had learned a lot about language and it's feature during preparation. In short, Yes, Java certification helps you to get a job both directly, by providing a distinctive advantage and indirectly by preparing yourself for Java interviews.

Does Certification like OCJP, OCPJP, or others helps to get better offers, promotion and salary hike?

Yes, they do. In fact this is the most tried and tested way of getting to higher salary in quick time. I have seen this in my career that if you get certified while working in a company, of-course with a respected percentage, , you are more likely to get a better raise and promotion than your peers. Yes, this can't be just certification, but we are considering the fact that you are also performing well in your job as your peers. Since Java certified professional tends to perform better in Java interviews, they almost always has multiple offers to choose from, and this gives them confidence to demand better salary in next interview. Remember, more than anything it's confidence that help when asking for a salary which is above market standard, of-course that must be backed by your solid resume, and great interview as well. In short, Java certifications helps at both places.

Should I go for Oracle Java Certifications like OCAJP and OCPJP for Java SE 7?

Well, my default answer is always Yes for certifications, at least they helps you to learn a lot about Java language in very shot span of time. If you are experienced or senior Java developer, already having solid experience in a particular domain e.g. FIX based electronic trading of Front office Investment banking, than its just a personal choice. Java certifications helps immensely during start of career, and it is must for those who are not from very good institution and doesn't have a top class degree. For those IT professional, Java certifications can be a great tool to get a Job and progress further. So yes, if you are graduating from college and has just started your career as Java developer, it's a wise decision to get certified and learn subtle details of Java programming language. 

Another question, which I have kept receiving in my inbox is whether you need to pass OCAJP 7 before taking OCPJP 7 ( Java Certification for SE 7) or not, I have already answered them on that blog post. Do check if you have same doubt.

Resources and Study Material to Prepare for Java Certifications

Many of my readers requested to share study materials and resources to prepare for Java Certifications. I am planning to do it on another blog post, but here are some of the most essential resources you need to score good in SCJP

1) Buy one book which is updated with latest syllabus of OCA or OCPJP 7, depending upon which exam you are going to take. I have suggest Couple of good books to help with new Oracle Java Certification, on my earlier post 2 Books to Prepare Oracle Java SE 7 exams. It also included books for SCJP 6, but I suggest to go for latest exam, there is no point upgrading to a Java version for which even Oracle has stopped supporting. I expect a drastic change in Java certification after release of Java 8 because of introduction of lambda expression, Streams, Functional interfaces and many more language and API changes. So if you want to get certified soon for whatever reason, this is the right time. 

2) Buy an Exam Simulator like Whizlabs
There are lots of free and paid exam simulator available over internet, but I am big fan of Whizlabs simulators, because of there quality. They explain every question in depth, not only right options but also incorrect options. In my experience, there mock exams are also very close to real OCPJP 7 exam, in terms of patterns, types of questions, syllabus and difficulty level. If you can spend some money than that's worth buying. You will learn every bit of money spent.


That's all on this post about whether Java certifications (SCJP, OCJP, or OCPJP) helps in Job Interviews and career. Do let me know if you have any other question, I will be happy to answer them here, alternative you can also share your experience as certified Java developer and how it benefited your career. Take away is, Java certifications never do any harm, they always add value in your resume and in your knowledge, but at same time, you need to invest money and time on them. For freshers and junior Java developers, I highly recommend to do latest Java certification available i.e. OCAJP and OCPJP for Java SE 7.

Read more: http://javarevisited.blogspot.com/2014/01/does-java-certifications-like-scjp-ocjp-ocpjp-helps-carrer-job-interviews.html#ixzz30pp61mHu

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INTELLIGENCE BUREAU RECRUITMENT FOR PERSONAL ASSISTANT AND INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS 2014

Ministry of Home Affairs under Government of India is going to recruit for the vacant positions Personal Assistant posts and Junior Intelligence officer’s posts. Ministry of home affairs inviting all Indian eligible candidates for applying this Intelligence Bureau recruitment process 2014. More related detail about this IB Recruitment for personal Assistant 2014 is given below in this post:

Total Number of Vacancies: 74 Posts.

1. Profile Name: Personal Assistant (PA)

Number of Vacancies– 42 posts

Education: All those Indian applicants are eligible who have passed in their 10+2 Examination from a well-recognized Education Board. Candidate should have proficiency in stenography as well.

Pay Band: Rs.9300-34800/- and + Rs. 4600 as Grade pay of (PB-2)

2. Profile Name: Junior Intelligence Officer

Number of Vacancies- 32 posts

Education: The applicants who have passed their Matriculation Examination with two years ITI certificate in one of the following trade: Radio Technician / Communication / Computer / Electronics / Electrical.

Pay Band: Rs. 5200-20200 and +  Rs. 2400 as their Grade Pay

Age Bond: Must fall in the age group of 18-27 years.

Process for Applying: Candidates for this IB Recruitment 2014 have to apply online. The link for applying online for this Intelligence recruitment 2014 is given below.

Important Dates

3^RD May 2014 is the Start Date for Applying online.

02^nd June 2014 is the Last Date for applying online.

Important Links

For official Detail CLICK HERE

To apply online CLICK HERE

To check out the Various Examination Centre Detail CLICK HERE

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