It would seem that many times already in the IT field the story has been discussed that diplomas and certificates are not needed for employment. On the one hand, a certificate can boost your resume, increase your chances of getting a salary increase, and generally improve your knowledge of the Java language. On the other hand, there is an opinion that the presence of this document does not significantly affect a programmer’s career. In this text, we will look at whether certification is really important and which exams are worth taking in 2021/22.
Why get a Java certificate?
In this article, we will look at Oracle's Java certification. Firstly, because Oracle develops Java, and secondly (and this is a consequence of the first fact) because the company’s certificates are rated as one of the best among developers. In fact, these are the only certificates that can really be useful when looking for a job. So, first, let's list the reasons why you should get certified.
Opportunity to learn Java better
This is an important, but not the most obvious reason, because many programmers are more motivated by career advancement or a salary increase as a bonus to a certificate. Java certification gives you the opportunity to learn the Java programming language very thoroughly in a short period of time. During preparation, you will improve your understanding of object-oriented programming, exception handling, algorithms, multithreading, concurrency, and other key topics. By completing the certification, you will have a real opportunity to learn about new Java features and how they impact your day-to-day work.
The certificate gives an advantage over other candidates
Many international and government organizations and consulting companies working on government projects value Java certification highly. Having a certificate embellishes your resume and will make the recruiter pay attention to you.
Your salary may increase
According to Certification Magazine's salary survey , more than 55% of respondents who earned 1 or more new certifications in 2017 reported receiving a bonus.
About Oracle Java Certification
Changes occur in the Oracle certification system every year. We already wrote about what types of certificates Oracle provides (but that was in 2020). In this text, we will focus on those that can be obtained in 2021. Oracle currently has two types of exams and, accordingly, certificates - associate and professional levels.
Oracle Certified Professional Java Application Developer (OCPJAD) - Java EE 7
This certificate validates a programmer's skills in developing and deploying applications using the Java platform, Enterprise Edition 7. The certification assesses competency in Java EE programming and assesses the ability to: understand the Java EE architecture, manage persistence using JPA entities and component validation, implement business logic with using EJB. Exam Cost: $245 Duration: 110 minutes Passing Score: 66% Exam Topics:
Java EE architecture;
Managing persistence using JPA entities and BeanValidation;
Java Messaging API;
Creating Java web applications using servlets;
Creating Java web applications using JSP;
Building Java Applications Using WebSockets;
Using the Batch API in Java EE 7 applications;
Using the Concurrency API in Java EE 7 Applications;
This exam will help you gain basic knowledge of Java. Once you are certified at the associate level, you will be able to qualify as a professional (this is the next step). Having an OCAJP certification confirms that a programmer or candidate has all the necessary skills to become an experienced Java developer. This certification will also help you get internships or entry-level jobs in various organizations. Exam fee: $245 Duration: 150 minutes Passing score: 65% Exam topics:
Java Basics;
Working with Java data types;
Using operators and solution constructs;
Creating and using arrays;
Using loop constructs;
Working with methods and encapsulation;
Working with inheritance;
Exception Handling;
Working with selected classes from the Java API.
Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer 2 (OCPJP) - Java SE 8
The second exam and the final stage for obtaining a professional certificate. This certification is preferred if the examinee has professional experience with Java. Exam Cost: $245 Duration: 150 minutes Passing Score: 65% Exam Topics:
Java Class Design;
Concurrency in Java;
Java Stream API;
I/O system;
Using Java SE 8 Date/Time API;
Creating database applications using JDBC;
Localization.
Java SE 11 Developer (Upgrade from OCP Java 6, 7 & 8)
This certificate can be obtained by those who are already certified in older versions of Java (for example, 6 or 7). They can, as they say, “fill in” questions on the updated material. By the way, certification for this exam ends on November 30, 2021. By passing this exam, a developer will demonstrate a deep understanding of object orientation, functional programming with lambda expressions and streams, and modularity. Exam Cost: $245 Duration: 180 minutes Passing Score: 61% Exam Topics:
Understanding modules;
Transition to a modular application;
Inferring the type of a local variable;
Java Interfaces;
Lambda expressions;
Lambda operations on streams;
Parallel threads;
Java File I/O (NIO.2).
Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer (OCPJP) - Java SE 11
By passing this exam, the individual demonstrates fluency in Java SE 11, which includes a deep understanding of object orientation, functional programming with lambda expressions and streams, and modularity. Exam Cost: $245 Duration: 90 minutes Passing Score: 68% Exam Topics:
Java object-oriented approach;
Working with arrays and collections;
Working with streams and lambda expressions;
Parallelism;
Working with Java data types;
Exception Handling.
How to Prepare for Java Certification
If you are a beginner and want to improve your Java programming skills, we recommend spending at least three months preparing for the exam.
Develop an exam preparation plan that takes into account your workload and work schedule. To focus on your Java certification exam, it's best to clear your calendar for the next few months so you can focus.
Read professional literature for preparation ( here is a list of books on Java SE 8 ). Most accredited Java certification books will include practice questions. It's worth taking notes while reading a book. These can then be used for quick revision just before the exam.
The question is holivar, like the question of whether a programmer needs a special higher education. On the one hand, the certificate does not provide any benefits. On the other hand, its presence can catch the eye of HR, especially in the situation with developers who come from another language or are retraining from testers. In addition, having a certificate will show that you know how to set goals and achieve them. My incentives were:
Desire to expand and consolidate your knowledge and understanding of Java, including those parts of the API that are rarely used in current tasks;
Study the innovations of the long-awaited Java 9...11 in order to be prepared for the future that will definitely come (wiped away a stingy man's tear while picking a project on EJB3.0).
It is possible, of course, to achieve these goals without certification, but for those who are familiar with SMART and the principle of the stick (losing money for attempting certification) and the carrot (a document and a badge for the collection), it is not difficult to understand that this way training is much more effective.
To be honest, for quite a long time I could not decide whether it was worth getting a certificate at all. Many people consider this a waste of time because the questions in the tests do not reflect the level of knowledge, but the level of preparation for a particular exam. There is a widespread belief that there are a bunch of trick questions, where instead of curly braces in the code, round braces are written and therefore the code will not compile. However, my pros were:
The ability to fill gaps in knowledge, structure the theoretical base, and put everything into perspective.
Become a certified specialist, thereby attracting the attention of recruiters from other companies, and also use the certificate as one of the arguments for a salary increase.
The creators of JavaRush will not let me lie: the most common question they are asked by potential students is: “Do they give you some kind of certificate after studying?” Certificates for JR are not given, and there is, in general, a simple reason - employers are not interested in them. They are quite capable of checking what you know and can do at an interview without any online course certificates. The difference between an Oracle certificate is that it is an official confirmation from the creators of Java that you are proficient in this language. Having it in your possession will be a very serious advantage for outsourcing companies, i.e. for those who “rent” their developers to other companies to work on external projects. What do you think: is it worth getting a Java certificate? Perhaps you have already received it? We are waiting for your answers in the comments.
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