Sun Certified Professional

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Sun Certified Professional (SCP) is a professional certification program by Sun Microsystems. It is meant to verify a particular skillset in Sun technologies, especially the Java programming language.

Contents

[edit] Java certification programs

[edit] Sun Certified Java Associate (SCJA)

The Sun Certified Java Associate (or SCJA), the newest of Sun's Java certifications, concentrates on basic knowledge of object oriented programming, UML, and the essentials of the Java programming language and platform. It is targeted at newcomers to Java who are not necessarily working in technical positions, such as project managers, students, or developers for whom Java is not a primary development platform.

[edit] Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP)

The Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) exam is the entry level Java exam and is a prerequisite to a number of the other Java-related certifications[1]. The latest version is SCJP 1.5 (or SCJP 5), designated CX-310-055 by Sun, and was released in April 2005.

It is designed to demonstrate that the programmer has met a fairly detailed test of basic knowledge of the essentials of the Java programming language. It tests only for the essentials of the language such as classes, looping constructs and variables, and does not cover specific technologies such as GUI creation, Web or network programming.

It is assessed through an automatically administered multiple-choice test system and consists of 72 questions which the candidate has 175 minutes to answer[1]. At least 43 questions are needed to be correct to pass (around 59%)[1]. The exam is taken at a Prometric test center, and to take the test a candidate must buy a voucher from Sun (approximately US$200 in the US, but £150 (excluding VAT) in the UK) and book the test at least a week in advance[1]. The test consists of multiple choice and drag-and-drop questions, the latter comprising 20-25% of the questions[1].

One of the main goals of the exam is to create a test that is "performance based" rather than "knowledge based" (Sun's terms). Generally what this means is that a "knowledge based" question focuses on memorization of details, and a "performance based" question focuses on more real world activities like actually writing code.

The SCJP 1.5 exam tests a candidate on knowledge of declarations, access control, object orientation, assignments, operators, flow control, assertions, string handling, I/O, parsing, formatting, generics, collections, inner classes, threads and the JDK tools[1]. The test is available in English, Japanese, Chinese, German, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish[2].

[edit] Previous versions

There have been a number of previous versions of the SCJP. The current version, SCJP 1.5, is aimed at the JDK 1.5 release of Java. SCJP 1.5 introduced variable arguments, autoboxing, and generic types, and dropped the bit shifting topics from previous exams.

The previous version of the SCJP, SCJP 1.4 (designated CX-310-035 by Sun), is based on JDK 1.4. Compared to the previous version of the exam, SCJP 1.2, it removed questions on GUI topics and shifted the emphasis towards core language features[3]. SCJP 1.4 features 61 questions to be answered within 120 minutes. 32 questions or more (52%) need to be answered correctly in order to pass.[4] As of October 2006, SCJP 1.4 is still available and quite popular as it is generally considered easier than the Java 1.5 exam[citation needed].

SCJP 1.2 (designated CX-310-035) was based on JDK 1.2, and was first live on 15 June 2000. The exam had 59 questions (both multiple choice and short answer) to be answered within two hours. The pass mark was 61 percent.[5]

[edit] Sun Certified Java Developer (SCJD)

Sun Certified Java Developer (or SCJD) is the advanced Java programmer certification level. Unlike the easier SCJP, this level is intended to verify that the participant is able to write a real-world commercial application, solving all typical problems. It is the highest qualification that Sun confirms for the Standard Edition Java programmer.

The certification consists of the practical programming task and the subsequent written theory exam. The participant must write the described application, extensively using custom file formats, distributed computing (JRMP) and advanced Swing features that are not fully accessible from the popular rapid development tools (JTable, component data models and so on). The code must be documented, and the user manual must be supplied. The task itself is written in the form of a PRD for a non-programming end user. Apart from one or two interfaces, no technical details are given.

The participant is not allowed to use CORBA, RMI-IIOP, web browsers and third party libraries of any kind, because these might make a task too easy and are also subject of other certifications. He or she is allowed to use any preferred Java IDE. There is no strict time limit for this exam. A participant in this program is expected to spend several weeks writing the program. The main disadvantage of this certification is that the participant must invest the considerable amount of work (at least several weeks) in writing that program.

It takes up two months for the certification to be approved to allow time for the source code to be thoroughly examined.

[edit] Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD)

The Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD) certification targets information regarding Java components related to web-applications, specifically Servlets and Java Server Pages (JSPs). To achieve this certification, the candidate must pass a computer-based test available world-wide at Prometric test centers.

As of 2005, the SCWCD covers the Java2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) version 1.4 code, corresponding to Servlet version 2.4 and JSP version 2.0.

[edit] Sun Certified Business Component Developer (SCBCD)

The Sun Certified Business Component Developer (SCBCD) certification targets information regarding Java components related to distributed applications, specifically Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs). To achieve this certification, the candidate must pass a computer-based test available world-wide at Prometric test centers.

As of 2006, the SCBCD covers the Java2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) version 1.3 code, corresponding to EJB version 2.0. Sun has announced a beta of SCBCD's revision to cover Java EE 5, including EJB version 3.0, which will run until 2 January 2007.

The pre-requisite for this certification is that the candidate should be a Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 Platform (any edition).

[edit] Sun Certified Developer for Java Web Services (SCDJWS)

(SCDJWS) Sun Certified Developer for Java Web Services certification exam is for developers who have been creating web services applications using Java technology components such as those supported by the Java Web Services Developer Pack and the Java 2, Enterprise Edition 1.4 platform. It is probably the toughest and most respected Java certification yet as there are no study materials made specific for it and because it covers a wide range of subjects

[edit] Sun Certified Mobile Application Developer (SCMAD)

The Sun Certified Mobile Application Developer (SCMAD) certification targets information related to developing Mobile applications, through platform Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME). It focuses in specifications like JTWI, CLDC, MIDP, WMA and MMAPI.

[edit] Sun Certified Enterprise Architect (SCEA)

Sun Certified Enterprise Architect for the Java EE Platform (SCEA) certification certifies the skills of a software architect in the Java Enterprise Edition technology (formerly J2EE). Obtaining the certification requires the candidate to pass three individual stages:

  • a multiple choice exam on the basic concepts of Java EE technology
  • a UML design project involving Java EE technology
  • an essay exam regarding the design project

The multiple-choice exam can be taken at any Prometric testing center around the world. Passage of this portion is required prior to registering with Sun Microsystems for the design project, which is downloaded from a secured website. After completion of the assignment and upload to the same secured website, the candidate then sits for an essay exam, once again through a Prometric test center. As the questions on the essay exam are based on the assignment for Part II, it is advised to take the essay exam as soon as possible after submitting the assignment. (The last two steps are essentially one step since they are graded in unison.) Scores for the Part I exam are known immediately after taking the test; however, the scores for Parts II/III are only available after six to eight weeks through Sun's certification manager website.

Unlike other higher-level Java exams, this certification does not require passing the Sun Certified Java Programmer exam as a prerequisite. This is due to the different job-role an architect fills on the software development team.

Should the candidate pass, Sun will award the person the status of a professional Java architect. Unlike some other technology exams (such as MCSE), this exam and all of the other Sun Java exams does not have an expiry date.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates, "Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5: Study Guide (Exam 310-055)", 2006, ISBN 0-07-225360-6
  2. ^ http://www.sun.com/training/catalog/courses/CX-310-055.xml
  3. ^ Khalid A. Mughal, Rolf W. Rasmussen, Programmer's Guide to Java™ Certification, A: A Comprehensive Primer, Second Edition, Addison Wesley Professional, August 04, 2003, ISBN 0-201-72828-1
  4. ^ Marcus Green (2004-04-06). Deep into the Basics: Tackling Sun's SCJP 1.4 Exam. CertCities.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
  5. ^ Christine Connolly (2001-10-03). Hot Java: An Inside Look at the SCJP Exam. CertCities.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.

[edit] External links

[edit] SCJP 5.0 & SCJD

[edit] SCWCD

[edit] SCMAD

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