All you need to know on how to Become an OCP Java SE 17 Developer
The explained journey to being a Java 17 (1Z0–829) certified.
The journey to becoming a certified Java 17 OCP is a challenging and exciting one. For those who are passionate about Java (like me), this certification is a must-have. The process involves a combination of self-study, tons of exercises, and mock exams. Not an easy task and you may ask, is it worth doing?
TLDR: This certificate is not only expensive but requires extensive effort to, for example, catch compiler errors consistently from plain texts in a necessary amount of time. That said, if you are not really into Java at all, it’s not worth it. Nevertheless, continue reading this article to know more.
Is it worth doing?
This certification not only enhances one’s skills and knowledge but also opens up new career opportunities and a higher earning potential. It confirms that a person knows how the language works instead of only using it as a tool for the daily job. The basics are easy, but when the real questions appear, it is hard to know how to answer correctly. Those questions are precise and picky, so whoever wants to take the test should be prepared appropriately.
Some would say that studying this deeply about syntax analysis is a waste of time, money, and brain because we already have powerful Java IDEs, but for me, it’s something more. Sometimes it’s necessary to return to the roots to understand how something works. And that’s a step towards becoming a specialist in any subject.
Nowadays, the certificate cost is €228, which is not cheap, so it would be wise to be prepared when trying for the first time. Also, convincing your manager or someone from the company to sponsor this certificate is worth trying.
The exam
The OCP Java 17 SE certification exam covers many crucial topics for a Java programmer to know. Some leading topics include Java class design, generics, exception handling, functional interfaces, concurrency, I/O operations, and new features of Java 17, such as pattern matching, switch expressions, and sealed classes. It is essential to have a solid understanding of these topics and to be able to apply them in practical scenarios.
Here you may find in detail all topics that you have to know for the exam, so you can have a clue about what you must know for the test. Also, there is a Java path course on this Oracle University website, which I did not put much faith into. Still, if you stick to Oracle’s path, it looks like, after this course, you will be able to try the certificate (which I highly doubt).
Luckily, you can follow another highly recommended, well-known, and definitive study guide.
Studying for the exam
The OCP Java 17 SE certificate requires discipline and dedication. It is essential to set a study schedule and stick to it. One can start by taking an online course or purchasing study materials from reputable sources, which I have done.
To get all the content incrementally and well-presented, I bought the Java OCP 17 Developer Complete Study Guide by Scott Selikoff and Jeanne Boyarsky from a series of books I used when studying for Java OCA/OCP 8 almost four years ago.
This book has 15 chapters, with many exercises at the end of every chapter. It’s common to make many mistakes while trying to complete them, and it’s okay as long as you learn from them along the way. It’s essential to read the book and practice regularly. There were times that I stayed long without even touching it, and needless to say, I had to review tons of content one more time.
The first thing to do is the Assessment Test provided by the book, which will drain all the possible ego you would have as an experienced Java developer and make you accept by force your ignorance even about the basics. All the exercises can also be done online on a platform that keeps track of your progress within the book. This platform also provides 516 Flash Cards, which can be helpful for some.
Along with the book, executing some complex code on an IDE is a good practice for better understanding. Additionally, it is helpful to join study groups or online forums where one can ask questions and get feedback from others studying for the exam. That said, you can report and check for mistakes found in this book at CodeRanch.
Passing the Exam
Of course, when one wants to ensure to pass a test, sometimes more than studying is needed. The exam is challenging. It has 50 questions to be answered in 90 minutes, which gives us 1.8 minutes per question, with a passing score of 68% (34/50). Thus, knowing the content is the first step; the next step is to answer them quickly.
Luckily, Enthuware’s mock exams exist. It’s also a strategy I have used before. So, after all the exercises from the previous book were done, I bought the OCP Java 17 SE mock exams. The questions were slightly different from the book but doable. And it provides a very nice platform where you can get track of every mock attempt and metrics to improve your weak spots.
I did only four mock tests from Enthuware and felt confident; one was beneath the passing score, but the others were okay. And since I had my deadline on the 3 of March, I had to rush.
I did a mock test the same day I took the actual exam because I was comfortable with it. Most people would not recommend it because it’s tiring. There’s no cookbook, and you must do whatever suits you. Just notice that Enthuware has a web page saying that statistically, people hit 5% more in the actual test than in the mock. So if you are constantly getting good results, you are ready for the next step.
Note: if you don’t get good results in the first mock tests like me, don’t bother! I already had previous experience with the Java 8 certification. I met one person in the Enthuware WhatsApp group who could not consistently get good results in the mock exams after doing only the exercises from the book. After some extra mock training, he got it! His Enthuware average was around 63%, but he got 78% in the actual exam.
Scheduling the exam
This part was more complicated than I thought it would be. First of all, the scheduling is no anymore made by PearsonVUE, as it used to be. Now it’s done directly on the Oracle University website. You must create an Oracle account and buy an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Technology Exams voucher to schedule the exam.
The process could be more user-friendly. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to buy this voucher because of technical issues on Oracle’s end. Finally, I could pay for the voucher and receive a confirmation email.
Keep in mind that you have paid, but you still need to schedule your exam. You will receive an email from Oracle saying that, if everything is correct, your voucher will be available to be managed by another tool called Exam Attempts Administration Tool with a link to this tool. Also, keep in mind that the email says it takes 24 to 48 hours to be processed. But some people waited for five days or more.
I bought the voucher on Tuesday, thinking about taking the test on Friday. Luckily on Thursday night, my voucher was already available in the said tool. The next step is to issue this voucher to your own Oracle account. You will receive an email with instructions to exchange the voucher for the exam you want to take, in this case, the Java SE 17 Developer (1Z0–829). Then you can check for the available timeslots and finally schedule.
Taking the exam
After you schedule the exam, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link showing you information about the check-in 30 minutes earlier, how your computer and desk must be during the exam, and your identification document.
Since the exam is online, you must install a third-party browser. During the check-in, you will be invited to a room where you have to keep your webcam turned on the whole time. They will ask you to show your identity, and then, if everything goes well, you can start the exam.
About the exam, Enthuware does an excellent job of preparing you for this moment. So, when the time arrives, go for it! Also, keep in mind that at least five questions will be random and invalid for your final score. If you find some questions with content you did not study, that could be the reason. Don’t be nervous; the question will probably not count.
After you complete the exam and submit your answers, the score percentage will appear immediately. And also the number of valid questions (in my case, it was 77.8% or 45 valid questions out of 50).
After the Exam
If your score exceeds 68%, you’re officially a Java 17 Certified Developer. Congratulations! You will receive another email confirming that you have passed and that your information will be available at CertView. After some time (20 minutes for me), you will receive another email saying you can request your official Oracle badge!
Also, it will be available in CertView your score report, giving you some not-so-useful feedback about your mistakes during the exam. Unfortunately, the input is very generic and abstract, so it’s impossible to know which question was wrong even with this information.
And that’s it! Now you are finally certified, you can share your badge and put your newest achievement on your LinkedIn. Be proud! :)
Conclusion
Being a Java-certified developer takes work. It’s a lot of content to study, and sometimes it can be tricky, but one should not give up easily and instead stay focused on the end goal. With hard work, dedication, and a passion for Java programming, anyone can become a certified Java 17 OCP professional.
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