Oracle certifications for Java programmers
Certifications play a very important role in your career growth. Most importantly, it helps in gaining your knowledge and competency. Oracle certifications which were previously known as Sun certifications are the most renowned certifications for Java programmers. This article is about the Oracle certifications available for Java Programmers.
Certifications are necessary for software development. They help in giving a clear picture of your skill sets and your career growth. They also help you to get a promotion. The most valued and toughest certifications for Java technology are the Oracle certification programs. In 2010, Oracle acquired Sun and ever since Oracle engineers have been improving their hardware and software systems. After the acquisition, Oracle has also renamed the renowned Sun Java Certifications to Oracle related and improvised on the course for each certification. They have also changed their test provider to Pearson VUE. Earlier, they were using Prometric systems for tests.
The following certifications are available for Java developers:Java Standard Edition (Java SE)
Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE)
Java Micro Edition (Java ME)
Oracle Certified Java Associate Programmer
Previously known as Sun Certified Java Associate Programmer, this certification is targeted as entry level to the Java world. You can learn the basic concepts of the OOPS concept(Object Oriented Programming), Polymorphism, Inheritance, Object concepts in UML, the basics of Java technology and platform. It helps to implement object oriented concepts and use the client and server in Java. With this certification, you can easily get into application development. There are no prerequisites for this course. It will be good to have a basic understanding object oriented concepts before taking this certification.
Recommended Read: OCPJP 7 Certification Success StoryOracle Certified Professional Java SE Programmer
Previously known as Sun Certified Java Programmer SCJP, this exam helps to validate the strong knowledge in core Java. This is required for writing all the other certifications and is very important. This exam tests the basic understanding of Java concepts, GUI used in the standard library, looping, variables, exception handling and little more advanced topics like threads and collection. This certification is basically used to check if the developer has understood all the basic concepts very well rather than checking whether they can develop exceptional programs.
If you want to be a professional in Java, you are supposed to complete this certification. It tests the concepts as well as knowledge in programming in detail. If you spend a lot of time understanding the concepts, this will provide a very good base in a career in Java technologies. This will make you an efficient programmer since you do not need to create new code when you know the concepts. OCPJP 6 is given the id 1Z0-851, OCPJP 7 Programmer 1 is given 1Z0-803 and OCPJP 7 Programmer 2 has the id 1Z0-804.
Within a time span of 150 minutes, you will be provided 60 multiple choice questions. You need 61% to get the certification. however, you can clear OCPJP 7 only if you have 65% for a total of 90 questions. You can upgrade from OCPJP 6 to OCPJP 7 by clearing the upgrade test. This exam is so valid all over the world that some countries prefer those who have OCPJP for migration. Oracle Certified Master Java SE Developer (OCMJD)
Previously known as Sun Certified Java Developer SCJD, it is the most advanced certification for Java developers who have skill sets and want to showcase that they are masters of Java. They should be able to write real-time applications using distributed computed and high level Swing technologies like JComponents.
OCPJP is a must to take this certification.Oracle Certified Professional Java EE Web Component Developer
Previously known as Sun Certified Web Component Developer, this certification aims at proving a Java developer's proficiency in Webservices, JSP and servlets. It targets Java professionals who have been working in these areas.
OCPJP is again a prerequisite to take this certification.Oracle Certified Professional Java EE Business Component Developer
Previously known as Sun Certified Business Component Developer SCBCD, it is taken to prove the expertise in using JSP's, Servlets and dynamic content generation which are necessary to make webservice calls. It checks the proficiency in J2EE technology (Java 2 Enterprise Edition). There are two versions 1.4 and 1.5. Within a time duration of 3 hours and 69 questions, you need to acheive 70% to clear the exam.Oracle Certified Professional Java EE Business Component Developer
Previously known as Sun Certified Business Component Developer SCBCD, this certification shows that the developer has thorough knowledge on applying the business logic using Enterprise Java Bean. They will be having good knowledge on the server side components.
OCPJP is a must to take this certification.Oracle Certified Expert Java Platform EE Web Services Developer
Previously known as Sun Certified Developer for Java Web Services SCDJWS, this certification proves that the holder is proficient in web services and the technology involved in it. The topics covered are XML standards (Extensible Markup Language), SOAP standards (Simple Object Access Protocol), WSDL (Web Services Description Language), security and architecture.
The exam consists of 65 questions and the time set is 150 minutes. You will need 65% to clear the exam.Oracle Certified Master Java EE Enterprise Architect
Previously known as Sun Certified Enterprise Architect SCEA, this certification is to prove that they are capable of designing, flexible and high performance applications. Ideally, those who have at least 5 years of experience should try it.
This is tougher than all the other certifications but is worth the effort and knowledge. The topics covered include design concepts and patterns, architectures, business and web tiers, integrating and security. The examination number is 1Z0-864. The exam is a multiple choice one with 64 questions in 120 mins. You need 57% to clear it.
OCPJP is a must to take this certification.Oracle Certified Professional Java ME Mobile Application Developer
Previously known as Sun Certified Mobile Application Developer, this certification shows the expertise in Java mobile technologies. It also indicates that they can tackle the technology for wireless industry too.
The topics covered include Java Technology for Wireless Industry JTWI, networking, Security, Storage, Push registry and wireless messaging using the Java 2 Micro Edition.
OCPJP is a must to take this certification.
Oracle certifications for Java are recognized world wide and the skills and knowledge can be carried along to other companies.
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