Do I, as a Java developer, need official certifications? Almost all Jawists ask themselves (and their more experienced colleagues) this question at one point or another in their careers. We will try to look at the answer to this, as well as what kind of Java certifications there are in general, in this article. Despite the fact that most Java professionals, including both programmers themselves and their employers, prioritize practical experience rather than formal education and all sorts of professional documents, sometimes certification can still be useful. When evaluating employees and their level, actual experience and the number of years a person has worked in the field will almost always be the determining factors. But having certain certifications can also be useful, especially for some companies, because they increase the employee’s value in the eyes of the employer. As experienced Java programmers note, employers in Russian-speaking countries rarely require certificates when assessing the level of a Java coder, but they will not be superfluous. According to a Pearson VUE case study , 88% of IT professionals recommended that their colleagues obtain some type of certification when it came to advancing their careers and improving their professional skills. Oracle certifications are the most popular and respected among Java developers. 74% of respondents noted that they consider specialized certificates that cover a specific technology or technology stack to be the best and most useful, and Oracle Java certificates meet these requirements best.
Key Benefits of Java Certification
Let's list the main advantages of professional certifications for Java coders. First of all, having a certificate can help you stand out in the eyes of employers and recruiters from other candidates with the same skills and the same level of experience. And this can be very useful, especially for beginning Java developers applying for positions with a lot of competition among applicants. In such cases, any methods that help to leave competitors behind will be good (within the framework of decency and ethics, of course). In this situation, having certification can give you a number of small but significant bonuses. Thus, certification serves as additional proof that you actually have the technical skills specified, and are not just added to your resume for the sake of credibility. Well, preparing for the exam that precedes obtaining any certification will help you understand and consolidate in your memory all the main features of these technologies. In addition, having certification can save you from having to take test tasks on this technology during an interview, and this is always a plus, as it saves time and nerves. And finally, Java certification can, although not greatly, increase the level of the offered salary and increase the chances of moving up the career ladder in the near future. Not to mention the fact that in this way you can strengthen confidence in your qualifications as a Java programmer, and simply increase your HR, which is always nice.
Overview of Java Certifications from Oracle
As noted above, certificates from Oracle are rated primarily when it comes to Java programmers. Therefore, next we will talk about what certifications from Oracle exist, what they include and how to get them. By the way, before Sun Microsystems, along with all its assets, came into the possession of Oracle in 2010, Oracle certifications were called Sun certifications. For example, the current Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer (OCPJP) was formerly known as Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP).
Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer (OCAJP) - Java SE 8 Programmer I
The first, most basic level of Java certification, for Java SE 8, offered by Oracle. Covers all the basic concepts of Java programming, helps strengthen your understanding of the fundamental aspects of Java, as well as expand your knowledge of programming in general. Obtaining OCAJP certification will be the first step and starting point for those who want to “level up” by adding official certifications to their resume. Having OCAJP shows that a programmer has all the necessary skills to become an expert in Java development (well, at least in theory).
How to get OCAJP certification?
To get started, learn Java SE 8 from beginner to intermediate levels, get some initial practical experience in using Java SE 8. Then you can move on to the exam, after passing which you will receive certification. Exam fee: US$150 Exam question topics:
Creating and Using Arrays
Exception Handling in Java
Java Basics
Using Loops
Using Operators and Control Constructs
Java Inheritance Rules
Type Conversion in Java
Working with Methods and Encapsulation
Basic and utility classes of the JAVA API
Exam Code Number: 1Z0-808 Duration: 150 minutes Passing Score: 65% Certification Requirements: None required. Number of questions in the exam: 70 Type of questions: multiple choice answers. Exam Page: OCAJP - Java SE 8 Programmer I
Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer (OCAJP) - Java SE 11 Programmer I
Oracle also has a certification option for Java Standard Edition 11. The sequence of steps is the same as in the case of Java SE 8 - we learn the theory to an intermediate level, then we pass the exam. Exam fee: US$150 Exam question topics:
Application of encapsulation
Creating and Using Methods
Creating simple programs in Java
Description and use of objects and classes
Exception Handling
Java Technology and Java Development Environment
Abstract classes and interfaces
Reusing implementations and inheritance
Understanding Modules
Using Operators and Control Constructs
Working with Java Arrays
Working with Java primitive types and string processing
Exam Code Number: 1Z0-815 Duration: 180 minutes Passing Score: 63% Certification Requirements: None required. Number of questions in the exam: 80 Type of questions: multiple choice answers. Exam Page: OCAJP - Java SE 11 Programmer I
Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer (OCPJP) - Java SE 8 Programmer II
OCPJP is already a professional level of certification, which means that the holder of this certificate has a sufficient level of knowledge and experience in Java SE 8 to be fully employed. To obtain the OCPJP, you must first pass the exam for the previous foundation level certification, the OCAJP. Exam fee: US$150 Exam question topics:
Advanced Class Design
Building Database Applications with JDBC
Concurrency in Java
Exceptions and approvals
Generics and collections
I/O system
Java IO Basics (NIO.2)
Java Stream API
Built-in functional interfaces
Localization
Using Java SE 8 Date/Time API
Exam code number: 1Z0-809 Duration: 150 minutes Passing score: 65% Certification requirements: OCAJP 8 Number of questions in the exam: 85 Question type: multiple choice. Exam Page: OCAJP - Java SE 8 Programmer II
Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer (OCPJP) - Java SE 11 Programmer II
Second, professional level certification for Java Standard Edition 11. Requires Level 1 OCAJP certification. Exam fee: US$150 Exam question topics:
Annotations in Java
Built-in functional interfaces
Concurrency in Java
Building Database Applications with JDBC
Exceptions and approvals
Functional Interfaces and Lambda Expressions in Java
Generics and Collections
IO (basics and NIO.2)
Java Basics
Java interfaces
Java Stream API
Lambda operations on streams
Localization
Migrating to a modular application
Secure coding in a Java SE application
Services in a modular application
Exam code number: 1Z0-816 Duration: 180 minutes Passing score: 63% Certification requirements: OCAJP 11 Number of questions in the exam: 85 Question type: multiple choice. Exam Page: OCAJP - Java SE 11 Programmer II
Oracle Certified Professional Java Application Developer (OCPJAD) - Java EE 7
The Oracle Certified Professional Java EE 7 Application Developer certification validates a programmer's ability to develop and deploy applications using Java Enterprise Edition 7. OCPJAD is well suited for front-end and back-end developers and application architects with at least intermediate to advanced skills in using Java EE 7. To pass this certification, you must first obtain OCAJP. Exam fee: US$150 Exam question topics:
Batch API
CDI Beans
Parallelism
Building Java Applications Using WebSockets
Building Java Web Applications Using JSP
Developing web applications in Java using servlets
Developing Web Applications Using JSF
Implementing Business Logic Using EJB
Executing REST services using JAX-RS API
Implementing SOAP services using JAX-WS and JAXB APIs
Java EE 7 architecture
Java EE 7 Security
Java Messenger API
Managing persistence using JPA entities and BeanValidation
Exam code number: 1Z0-900 Duration: 150 minutes Passing score: 66% Certification requirements: OCAJP Number of questions in the exam: 70 Question type: multiple choice. Exam Page: Java EE 7 Application Developer
Oracle Certified Master Java Enterprise Architect (OCMJEA) is the most prestigious Java certification from Oracle. Its presence indicates that the developer has all the necessary skills and knowledge in Java to implement full-scale application creation projects - from the initial stages to launch and support. Thus, professionals wishing to obtain the OCMJEA must demonstrate a very, very wide range of skills that go beyond the basic knowledge of Java programming.
How do I become OCMJEA certified?
You must first complete one of the following courses:
Architect Enterprise Applications with Java EE
Developing Applications for the Java EE 6 Platform
Developing Applications for the Java EE 7 Platform
Developing Applications with Java EE 6 on WebLogic Server 12c
Java Design Patterns
Java EE 6: Develop Business Components with JMS & EJBs
Java EE 6: Develop Database Applications with JPA
Java EE 6: Develop Web Services with JAX-WS & JAX-RS
Exam code number: 1Z0-807 Duration: 150 minutes Passing result: 71% Number of questions in the exam: 60 Question type: multiple choice. Exam Page: Java EE Enterprise Architect Certified Master . The next step is to complete the Java (EE) Enterprise Architect Certified Master Assignment. Cost: US$150 Topics:
Section 1: Application Design, Concepts and Principles
In conclusion, I would like to address our readers. Write in the comments your opinion about Java certifications, whether it makes sense to obtain them and, if you have had experience in obtaining them, whether they help in employment and professional development.
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