Java Certification
Dateline: 08/02/97
This week we're going to take a look at Sun's Java
Certification program. Everyone seems to be asking about it
and I've seen in the newsgroups some folks who have become
certified, but what is it and is it worth the time, effort, and
money to do it?
First, what is it? Java Certification is Sun's way of
branding your competence with Java. Since Java is so new, most
people can't put much more then two years of Java experience on a
resume. Where employers used to look for 3-5 or 5-10 years of
C/C++ experience, it just isn't an option with Java. Being
certified offers the proof employers are looking for.
Is it worth it? This is more of a personal decision I
think. Employers aren't looking for it. I have yet to see a job
ad that requires Java Certification. I have also yet to
see one that even recommends it. If you are goal
oriented or are looking for some outside source to give you its
blessing, than go for it. While working for a previous employer,
there was a cash incentive to become certified in something. I
picked CCP and went through
their certification process. I did it strictly for the money. If
you have a similar opportunity available, you should do it, too.
However, not getting Java certified won't stop your progress in
the Java developer area. It is not a requirement to pass go and
learn JavaBeans.
But, what does it all cost? Well, if you want to just
go in and take the test, the Sun Certified Java Programmer
test is $150. The Sun Certified Java Developer test is
also $150, but there is a second part, a programming assignment,
with a fee of $250. Not really that expensive. However, Sun
recommends their SL-230
and SL-270
classes as preparation for the programmer test. For the developer
test, there is the SL-300
class. If you follow their advice, you need to fork over another
$2,000 for the prep for each test, plus the loss of a week's time
for each. I don't mean to knock the classes, as I used to teach
them, but for certification, they are a steep cost. (Oh yeah, you
need a 70% to pass the tests.)
If you're still interested, what other options are
available to reduce the training cost? If you are into the
self-paced training thing, there are a few. Currently only one is
actually published, but there are at least two more coming.
The one book that is out, Java Certification for
Programmers and Developers, is from McGraw Hill and offers
an exam guide for both tests. The cover price is $55, but you can
pick it up at Amazon.com
for $38.47. To see what it offers, you can look at their beta-book
program which offers five chapters in full. I went through a
copy of it and really liked the style and flow. The best part
about the book is the sample questions. They prepare you well for
the style and type of questions you can expect on the exam:
multiple choice (multiple correct answers possible), single
choice, and no choice (fill in the blank). The developer test is
even rougher, short answers, as well as the programming
assignment. The book is not about just Java 1.0, there is plenty
of material on the newer APIs in Java 1.1. At $40 for 700+ pages
worth the investment, instead of the $4,000 training classes.
The two books that aren't out yet are from Sybex, Java
Certification Study Guide, and Que, Sun
Java 1.2 Certification Exam Guide Book. I suspect the Sybex
book should be out next month. However, the title of the Que book
troubles me, as Java 1.2 is only available to JavaSoft's inner
circle of partners.
Oh, and Sun's Certification is only Java 1.0.2 certification. Java
1.1 certification was supposed to become available August 1.
I'm not saying the option didn't become available. However, I
didn't see anything that said it did. For UK customers, there is
even the Sun
Certified Java Architect Program.
Best of luck if you try.
Getting Started
c|net had an interesting feature this week: 20
questions about Java. My favorite question is How
many coffee puns has Java inspired?
If you didn't have a chance to try out one of last week's
offerings, BeanMachine,
you may want to read a recent review
of the tool.
WebWeek had an article on Newspaper
Site Testing Real-Time Ads Using Java that was interesting.
I've seen a few Java ads already and really didn't like them. The
applets were buggy as they seemed to leave threads running after
leaving the page.
It seems Gamelan/Developer.com are trying something new now. A
Q&A sessions with their experts. Send in
your problems. It seems the Java
Developer Connection will be starting a weekly "Code
Clinic" too.
Zona Research released a white
paper on Java and the Enterprise that quickly was critiqued
by PC Week. Nice charts, but not sure if it is worth printing.
Tools/News Watch
Sun seems to have had a rough week. They decided to dump
the 100% Pure Pending program and got slammed
by the ISO group in their attempts to make Java an international
standard. They are looking for your feedback
regarding the 100% Pure program and are bragging about 36
applications being certified as pure. One thing that people
seem to be surprised about is that Netscape's
IFC is not certified as 100% Pure. (Neither is Microsoft's
AFC.) PC
Week even had something to say about it.
Another thing about Sun that was in the news this week: They
bought this company called Diba. Various places had something to
say [Reuters
| PC
Week | San
Francisco Chronicle] about the deal, and some folks are
saying that this is really big stuff. Time will certainly tell.
Other Tidbits
This week brings us two new things. First, to help you
navigate around Focus on Java, be sure to visit Hot Spots. From there, you can more
easily navigate around. Also, our resource library collection
grows by one to include Java User
Groups. I didn't realize how difficult creating this list
would be and how out-of-date some other lists were. Hopefully,
you find it worthwhile. Please let me know if there are any
more out there.
Did you know that the Javan tiger, Panthera
tigris sondaica, is now considered extinct?
I'll be back next week with more things to do and places to
go. If you have any questions or topic suggestions, let me know or submit feedback.
See you next time.
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