How to Prepare for Java SE 11 or 17 Developer Certification [1Z0–819 & 1Z0–829] Exam in 2024?

How to crack Java SE 11 Certification Exam with code 1Z0–819 in 2024 with links to resources, books, courses, and practice tests to become a certified Java programmer

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11 min readAug 9, 2022

The Ultimate Guide to Prepare for Java SE 11 Developer Certification [1Z0–819] Exam

Hello guys, if you want to become a Oracle certified Java developer in 2024 then you have two choices, you can either go for Java SE 17 certification with code 1Z0–829 or you can go for Java SE 11 certification with code 1Z0–819 exam.

While its always better to go for latest certification, its not always possible and in this article, I will share my thoughts about how you can prepare for Java SE 11 certification in 2024 with books, courses, and practice tests. Also all the tips I shared is equally useful for Java SE 17 certification 1Z0–829, even you can use the books and courses to prepare for 80% of the new exam.

If you have heard that Java SE 11 Certification is the toughest of Java certification at the developer level, then you have heard it right. It’s indeed one of the difficult certifications to crack, and It’s much harder than OCAJP 8; it’s the predecessor, and some of the programmers who have attempted it call it even harder than OCPJP 8, a professional-level certification.

In order to crack Java SE 11 certification, you need to prepare hard, but, at the same time, you also need to know which areas you should focus on. What topics should you spend more time on and which books and courses can help you to learn those essential topics?

The feedback I got from most of the developers who have given Java SE 11 certification (half of them have failed) is that module is a crucial topic, and since they have never really used modules, they really struggle to answer those questions.

Btw, don’t worry. If you follow this exam guide, then you will surely pass the examination. This is my tried and tested blueprint, and I have passed many Java certifications, AWS certifications, Spring certification, and other software developers/cloud/machine learning certifications following this template.

In terms of time, you will need at least a couple of months if your goal is not just to pass the exam but to score high. Most of my readers have passed this exam in only 2 months of preparation, but they also have full-time Java work experience.

If you are starting as a fresh graduate, you will take a little longer, but that’s completely fine. It’s essential to understand each concept in-depth than just knowing the right answer. After all, you should be a Java expert once you pass the exam.

How to Prepare Java SE 11 Developer Certification in 2024?

Without wasting any more of your time, here is my 6-point formula to crack the Java SE 11 Programmer certification exam 1.

1. Understand Exam Topics

One of the main problems with passing the Java 11 certification is the syllabus. If you look at the syllabus, it will seem like Java 8 certification, but it’s an entirely different exam. It’s a lot tougher, and this vague syllabus makes it even more difficult.

It’s not really clear which topics are in and which items are out. Sometimes knowledge of one topic is required to answer the question on other topics, and that is why you need a study guide or course to prepare for Java SE 11 certification.

Btw, here are some of the topics which you really need to understand well to do well in OCAJP 11 certification:

1. Java Modules

The module is everywhere in Java 11 certification exam. It’s an excellent idea to read a couple of books on Modules or join a course like Modularity to understand this topic.

2. Java 8 Concepts like Stream
3. Java File IO concepts
4. Java Concurrency
5. Java Collection Frameworks

I can’t list all the topics, but these should be part of your strongest areas. You will find out that when you solve Whizlab’s practice problems or do similar mock tests on Udemy like this one.

best way to preapare for Java SE developer certificaiton

2. Join a Good Course

Along with study guides, online courses are an essential part of Oracle’s Java Certification. Sine a good knowledge of Java is mandatory to pass these certification exams, it’s a good idea to join a couple of comprehensive courses like The Complete Java Masterclass to brush up your knowledge and fill gaps in your understanding before you go for the exam.

I also suggest joining a course on Java Module systems like the Java 9 Modularity: First Look on Pluralsight, to learn this advanced topic in depth. You will find Module related concepts everywhere in Java 11 certification or OCAJP 11 and OCJP 11.

Apart from that, you can also join training courses that especially prepare for Java SE 11 certification. They are a bit expensive as training is provided by Oracle, but if you can afford them, try them. Alternatively, join similar courses on sites like Udemy and Pluralsight, where you can get courses very cheap.

best course for Java SE developer certification

3. Read a Good book and Study Guide

To be honest, it really difficult to prepare for the Java SE 11 Certification or any other certification without a study guide. They are the most essential resource for passing a certification. Why? Because they cover exam topics really well.

They are written by experts who analyze each exam topic in length and breadth and then put together content that is required to understand the topic. When it comes to Java 11 certification, exam guides are even more important because the syllabus is not very clear.

Thankfully, we have a couple of good study guides for the OCAJP 8 and OCPJP 8 exam, which you can buy to kick-start your preparation.

a) Java SE 11 Study guide by Hanumant Deshmukh

At the time of writing this article, this is the only study guide available for Java SE 11 certification. It is closely aligned to exam topics but also goes a step further to explain the topic in-depth even if it involved exploring some other related concepts. A big thanks to Hanumant Deshmukh for putting together this guide.

best book for Java SE developer certification

b) Java SE 11 certification Study guide

This is another Java SE 11 certification study guide by Jeanne Boyarsky and Scott Selikoff, two of the best-selling authors when it comes to Java certification guides. Unfortunately, this is not available yet, but coming on November 26, 2019.

If you don’t know, Jeanne and Scott are Java certification experts, and their OCAJP 8 guides have helped thousands of Java developers pass the Oracle’s Java SE 8 certification exam.

I strongly recommend this book based upon Jeann’s and Scott’s reputation, even though I haven’t read the book as it’s not out at the time of writing this article.

best study guide for Java SE developer certification

c) The Java Module System by Nicolai Parlog

This is not a study guide but a book to learn the Java Module System. It is for people who want to score high on Java SE 11 certification and want to learn Java Modularity in depth.

The book provides in-depth coverage of what is Java’s Module system and how you can benefit from it. It also has a lot of examples and migration strategies for the application that wants to use Modules.

Btw, if you find the book difficult because the topic itself is a bit difficult, you can also take help from Java 9 Modularity: First Look course by Sander Mak on Pluralsight. It has helped me a lot to understand this topic in depth.

Java 9 Modularity: First Look

Get a first look at the all-new Java module system. In this course, you'll learn about modularity concepts such as…

pluralsight.pxf.io

4. Practice Tests

Many people think that Practice tests are optional, not me. IMHO, the Practice test is probably the single most important factor which will decide how much you will score in your real exam. There is a logic behind that.

When you do Practice tests in real exams like scenarios like doing tests in a quiet room and allocating the actual time required for an exam say 180 minutes, then you can really check your progress.

You can find how many questions you can solve at that period; where did you got stuck? How could you have done better? This experience helps you to do better in your real exam.

While the practice test is mandatory, the choice of the practice test is also important. If you choose a practice test that just has simple questions, you are not really preparing hard, and most likely you will fail in the exam or not score high enough to make an impression, that’s why I trust tried and tested certification exam providers like Whizlabs and Enthuware.

I highly recommend my own Java SE 11 Certification Practice Test. It has many good points. For example, it contains many full-length mock tests which are very close to the real exam. Udemy also provides topic-wise feedback, which means you can find your strengths and weaknesses and focus on the right areas to improve your score.

Here is the link to join — Java SE 11 Certification Practice Test

It has more than 250+ questions and also explain each question in-depth, you will not only learn why the correct answer is correct but also why other answers are wrong, this is truly a different learning experience and can really make a difference in your final score. I strongly recommend you to try them. They also have a free test that you can gauge your preparation level.

And, if you are preparing for Java SE 17 Developer Certification with code 1Z0–829 exam then you should join my Udemy course 1Z0–829 Practice Test for Java developers. This one is more up-to-date and specially created for 1Z0–829 exam.

5. Prepare Your Own notes

If you have prepared for any certification in the past, then you would have noticed that preparing your own notes can be really beneficial. It helps you to understand the topic better.

It’s a proven truth that when you write about a topic or explain it to someone, you learn it better. Why? Because the mind actually loads the data into the main memory. It thinks about it, and all this activity makes that you better remember and understand those concepts.

Another benefit of preparing your own notes is that it helps in quick revision. You can finish the revision of all topics required for the exam in 1 or 2 hours if you have your own notes. Otherwise, it will take a long time.

6. Participate in Forums

Another important tip to do well on your Java SE 11 Certification is to participate in forums like CodeRanch or JavaRach. It has dedicated certification forums for OCAJP 11 and OCPJP 11.

By participating in forums, you always keep yourself in the vicinity of people who are also preparing for the exam. You discuss together, you solve problems together, and you also get to know what’s going on with certification in general.

Then there are people who will share their own personal experience with the exam and how they pass or failed it. Those posts are really useful for candidates preparing for OCAJP 11 and OCJP 11 as you learn from them, and you can avoid the mistakes they did.

You will also find posts about Certification success stories like someone scored 90% or 95%, all these posts motivate you to do better. You also get to know people who have walked through the path you are going to walk soon. You can connect with them and ask for bits of help. Because of all these reasons, I think regular participation in certification forums is key to passing Oracle’s Java 11 or Java SE 17 certification.

That’s all about how to Crack Java SE 11 or 17 Certification in 2024. I know it’s a tough exam, and passing it won’t be easy for many developers, especially if you haven’t prepared. If you really want to pass OCAJP 11 or OCPJP 17 certification on the first attempt or want to score high, you need to pay more attention to Modules.

You will find the concept is sprinkled around many questions, and even though you know 90% of the question, you struggle to answer that 10% part of the question because of modules. That’s why a good understanding of modules is extremely important.

Other Certification Resources for Java Programmers and IT Professionals

Thanks for reading this article so far. If these articles and my tips have helped you to pass Oracle’s Java SE 11 certification, then please share this article with your friends and colleagues.

P. S. — If you are a complete beginner in Java and preparing for certification to improve your chances for Jobs and Internships then I highly recommend you join a comprehensive Java course to learn along. If you need a free course then you can check out my favorite free Java courses on Medium to get some ideas and references.