Hoskinator's nemesis - The Java 5 Exam
As this site (I always want to spell that sight) is about Java and me and me and Java, I thought I would mention that I am currently revising for my Java 5 exam and let me tell you it is one great big long slog.
When work said they would pay for the exam and a book to study from, it sounded it so easy, now about 3 months later I am starting to get a bit tired of the whole thing. Don't get me wrong I like learning new things, especially about programming but some of the exam stuff is pretty academic. Its not like learning sexy new things like Design patterns or Refactoring.
I'm sure there are many people currently trying to get to grips with the Java 5 exam, I thought I would note down the methods I am using and then maybe give a summary with the links to the different sections I am currently studying.
Firstly I think I will talk about the benefits of studying for the exam. I have interview a few people for a Java Developer role we had going in our office and when you see someone is Java certified it does distinguish them slightly from the other candidacy. I would also say on the other side of the coin that it doesn't mean they are a good developer. I am doing the exam because firstly work suggested I do it and offered to pay for the exam and a book. Secondly I thought it will in the end benefit me as I will always have that qualification (once I get it).
I did also read that people who have the qualification do get paid on average 14 percent more than people without the qualification. I say read, I think sometimes that maybe I dreamt it but I'm sure I read it.
The biggest benefit from getting the qualification isn't actually the qualification itself, I believe it is in the process you have gone through to get it. A strange comment you might think but I believe it is the studying for the exam is where you get the biggest benefit. i.e. The knowledge you acquire. Learning a subject in such depth so that you can answer random questions on a number of possible topics involves studying the subject in great detail. There is a big difference in knowing a subject so you can use it and knowing a subject in such detail that you can explain it to someone who doesn't know the subject.
Although some of the topics in the exam have limited usefulness in my daily job as a Java developer some of the topics have proven very useful. What I have also found is that sometimes understanding different parts of a system then gives a new understanding to parts of the different parts of the system you already understood.
Whilst studying for the Java exam you realise that people who have passed the exam must have a very detailed knowledge about the fundamentals of Java, A far greater knowledge than you would actually need to do your job as a Java Developer but then it certainly can't hurt to know Java (which I use every day) in greater detail and I certainly can't think of any disadvantages of it (excluding the hours on weekends I have spent reading my Java textbook).
This post was more to do with they why the next post will look more into the how and I will explain how I have been going about studying for the exam
Hoskinator signing off
When work said they would pay for the exam and a book to study from, it sounded it so easy, now about 3 months later I am starting to get a bit tired of the whole thing. Don't get me wrong I like learning new things, especially about programming but some of the exam stuff is pretty academic. Its not like learning sexy new things like Design patterns or Refactoring.
I'm sure there are many people currently trying to get to grips with the Java 5 exam, I thought I would note down the methods I am using and then maybe give a summary with the links to the different sections I am currently studying.
Firstly I think I will talk about the benefits of studying for the exam. I have interview a few people for a Java Developer role we had going in our office and when you see someone is Java certified it does distinguish them slightly from the other candidacy. I would also say on the other side of the coin that it doesn't mean they are a good developer. I am doing the exam because firstly work suggested I do it and offered to pay for the exam and a book. Secondly I thought it will in the end benefit me as I will always have that qualification (once I get it).
I did also read that people who have the qualification do get paid on average 14 percent more than people without the qualification. I say read, I think sometimes that maybe I dreamt it but I'm sure I read it.
The biggest benefit from getting the qualification isn't actually the qualification itself, I believe it is in the process you have gone through to get it. A strange comment you might think but I believe it is the studying for the exam is where you get the biggest benefit. i.e. The knowledge you acquire. Learning a subject in such depth so that you can answer random questions on a number of possible topics involves studying the subject in great detail. There is a big difference in knowing a subject so you can use it and knowing a subject in such detail that you can explain it to someone who doesn't know the subject.
Although some of the topics in the exam have limited usefulness in my daily job as a Java developer some of the topics have proven very useful. What I have also found is that sometimes understanding different parts of a system then gives a new understanding to parts of the different parts of the system you already understood.
Whilst studying for the Java exam you realise that people who have passed the exam must have a very detailed knowledge about the fundamentals of Java, A far greater knowledge than you would actually need to do your job as a Java Developer but then it certainly can't hurt to know Java (which I use every day) in greater detail and I certainly can't think of any disadvantages of it (excluding the hours on weekends I have spent reading my Java textbook).
This post was more to do with they why the next post will look more into the how and I will explain how I have been going about studying for the exam
Hoskinator signing off
posted by The Hosk at
4:42 pm
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