Taking the Programmer s Exam


Taking the Programmer's Exam

In a perfect world, you would be assessed for your true knowledge of a subject, not simply how you respond to a series of test questions. But life isn't perfect, and it just isn't practical to evaluate everyone's knowledge on a one-to-one basis.

For the majority of its certifications, Sun evaluates candidates using a computer-based testing service operated by Sylvan Prometric. This service is quite popular in the industry, and it is used for a number of vendor certification programs, including Novell's CNE and Microsoft's MCSE. Thanks to Sylvan Prometric's large number of facilities, exams can be administered worldwide, generally in the same town as a prospective candidate.

For the most part, Sylvan Prometric exams work similarly from vendor to vendor. However, there is an important fact to know about Sun's exams: they use the traditional Sylvan Prometric test format, not the newer adaptive format. This gives the candidate an advantage, since the traditional format allows answers to be reviewed and revised during the test.

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Exam Watch

Many experienced test takers do not go back and change answers unless they have a good reason to do so. Only change an answer when you feel you may have misread or misinterpreted the question the first time. Nervousness may make you second-guess every answer and talk yourself out of a correct one.

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To discourage simple memorization, Sun exams present a potentially different set of questions to different candidates. In the development of the exam, hundreds of questions are compiled and refined using beta testers. From this large collection, questions are pulled together from each objective and assembled into several different versions of the exam.

Each Sun exam has a specific number of questions (the Programmer's exam contains 72 questions) and test duration (175 minutes for the Programmer's exam) is designed to be generous. The time remaining is always displayed in the corner of the testing screen, along with the number of remaining questions. If time expires during an exam, the test terminates, and incomplete answers are counted as incorrect.

At the end of the exam, your test is immediately graded, and the results are displayed on the screen. Scores for each subject area are also provided, but the system will not indicate which specific questions were missed. A report is automatically printed at the proctor's desk for your files. The test score is electronically transmitted back to Sun.

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Exam Watch

When you find yourself stumped answering multiple-choice questions, use your scratch paper to write down the two or three answers you consider the strongest, then underline the answer you feel is most likely correct. Here is an example of what your scratch paper might look like when you've gone through the test once:

  • 21. B or C

  • 33. A or C

This is extremely helpful when you mark the question and continue on. You can then return to the question and immediately pick up your thought process where you left off. Use this technique to avoid having to re-read and re-think questions. You will also need to use your scratch paper during complex, text-based scenario questions to create visual images to better understand the question. This technique is especially helpful if you are a visual learner.

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Question Format

Sun's Java exams pose questions in either multiple-choice or drag-and-drop formats.

Multiple Choice Questions

In earlier versions of the exam, when you encountered a multiple-choice question you were not told how many answers were correct, but with each version of the exam, the questions have become more difficult, so today each multiple-choice question tells you how many answers to choose. The Self Test questions at the end of each chapter are closely matched to the format, wording, and difficulty of the real exam questions, with two exceptions:

  • Whenever we can, our questions will NOT tell you how many correct answers exist (we will say "Choose all that apply"). We do this to help you master the material. Some savvy test-takers can eliminate wrong answers when the number of correct answers is known. It's also possible, if you know how many answers are correct, to choose the most plausible answers. Our job is to toughen you up for the real exam!

  • The real exam typically numbers lines of code in a question. We typically do not number lines of code—mostly so that we have the space to add comments at key places. On the real exam, when a code listing starts with line 1, it means that you're looking at an entire source file. If a code listing starts at a line number greater than 1, that means you're looking at a partial source file. When looking at a partial source file, assume that the code you can't see is correct. (For instance, unless explicitly stated, you can assume that a partial source file will have the correct import and package statements.)

Drag-and-Drop Questions

Although many of the other Sun Java certification exams have been using drag-and-drop questions for several years, this is the first version of the SCJP exam that includes drag-and-drop questions. As we discussed earlier, the exam questions you receive are randomized, but you should expect that about 20–25% of the questions you encounter will be drag and drop style.

Drag-and-drop questions typically consist of three components:

  • A scenario A short description of the task you are meant to complete.

  • A partially completed task A code listing, a table, or a directory tree. The partially completed task will contain empty slots, which are indicated with (typically yellow) boxes. These boxes need to be filled to complete the task.

  • A set of possible "fragment" answers You will click on fragments (typically blue boxes) and drag-and-drop them into the correct empty slots. The question's scenario will tell you whether you can reuse fragments.

Most drag-and-drop questions will have anywhere from 4 to 10 empty slots to fill, and typically a few more fragments than are needed (usually some fragments are left unused). Drag-and-drop questions are often the most complex on the exam, and the number of possible answer combinations makes them almost impossible to guess.

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Exam Watch

In regards to drag-and-drop questions, there is a huge problem with the testing software at many of the Prometric centers world-wide. In general, the testing software allows you to review questions you've already answered as often as you'd like.

In the case of drag-and-drop questions, however, many candidates have reported that if they choose to review a question, the software will erase their previous answer! BE CAREFUL! Until this problem is corrected, we recommend that you keep a list of which questions are drag and drop, so that you won't review one unintentionally. Another good idea is to write down your drag-and-drop answers so that if one gets erased it will be less painful to recreate the answer.

This brings us to another issue that some candidates have reported. The testing center is supposed to provide you with sufficient writing implements so that you can work problems out "on paper." In some cases, the centers have provided inadequate markers and dry-erase boards which are too small and cumbersome to use effectively. We recommend that you call ahead and verify that you will be supplied with actual pencils and at least several sheets of blank paper.

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Tips on Taking the Exam

There are 72 questions on the 310-055 (Java 5) exam. You will need to get at least 43 of them correct to pass—around 59 percent. You are given almost three hours to complete the exam. This information is subject to change. Always check with Sun before taking the exam, at www.suned.sun.com.

You are allowed to answer questions in any order, and you can go back and check your answers after you've gone through the test. There are no penalties for wrong answers, so it's better to at least attempt an answer than to not give one at all.

A good strategy for taking the exam is to go through once and answer all the questions that come to you quickly. You can then go back and do the others. Answering one question might jog your memory for how to answer a previous one.

Be very careful on the code examples. Check for syntax errors first: count curly braces, semicolons, and parenthesis and then make sure there are as many left ones as right ones. Look for capitalization errors and other such syntax problems before trying to figure out what the code does.

Many of the questions on the exam will hinge on subtleties of syntax. You will need to have a thorough knowledge of the Java language in order to succeed.

Tips on Studying for the Exam

First and foremost, give yourself plenty of time to study. Java is a complex programming language, and you can't expect to cram what you need to know into a single study session. It is a field best learned over time, by studying a subject and then applying your knowledge. Build yourself a study schedule and stick to it, but be reasonable about the pressure you put on yourself, especially if you're studying in addition to your regular duties at work.

One easy technique to use in studying for certification exams is the 15-minutes-per-day effort. Simply study for a minimum of 15 minutes every day. It is a small but significant commitment. If you have a day where you just can't focus, then give up at 15 minutes. If you have a day where it flows completely for you, study longer. As long as you have more of the "flow days," your chances of succeeding are excellent.

We strongly recommend you use flash cards when preparing for the Programmer's exam. A flash card is simply a 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 index card with a question on the front, and the answer on the back. You construct these cards yourself as you go through a chapter, capturing any topic you think might need more memorization or practice time. You can drill yourself with them by reading the question, thinking through the answer, and then turning the card over to see if you're correct. Or you can get another person to help you by holding up the card with the question facing you, and then verifying your answer. Most of our students have found these to be tremendously helpful, especially because they're so portable that while you're in study mode, you can take them everywhere. Best not to use them while driving, though, except at red lights. We've taken ours everywhere—the doctor's office, restaurants, theaters, you name it.

Certification study groups are another excellent resource, and you won't find a larger or more willing community than on the Javaranch.com Big Moose Saloon certification forums. If you have a question from this book, or any other mock exam question you may have stumbled upon, posting a question in a certification forum will get you an answer, in nearly all cases, within a day—usually, within a few hours. You'll find us (the authors) there several times a week, helping those just starting out on their exam preparation journey. (You won't actually think of it as anything as pleasant-sounding as a "journey" by the time you're ready to take the exam.)

Finally, we recommend that you write a lot of little Java programs! During the course of writing this book we wrote hundreds of small programs, and if you listen to what the most successful candidates say (you know, those guys who got 98%), they almost always report that they wrote a lot of code.




SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 Study Guide Exam 310-055
SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 Study Guide (Exam 310-055) (Certification Press)
ISBN: 0072253606
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 131

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