This revised edition of the market-leading The Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide offers new information on the developer exam, additional practice questions in the book and on the CD, and bonus coverage of Sun's partner certifications from IBM, Oracle, and Netscape. This Study Guide is the ultimate authority for both the programmer and the developer exams -- the lead author actually helped to develop the exams for Sun. The book is organized according to the official exam objectives and contains hundreds of review and sample-test questions.
Sun recently changed the Java certification exam, adding questions on a lot of new material. As such, the original version of this book just won't cut it. Among the many updates, the authors have added a 50-question exam, 150 questions on the CD, more coverage of the developer's exam and a reference section on the certification alliance.
Basically, Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide is for those who already know Java but want the kind of proof that brings in the big bucks. You want Sun itself to vouch for your competence next time you walk into an interview.
The bulk of the text is pedantic description of every aspect of the Java language. It describes Java in complete and mind-numbing detail because, in the exam, you can be asked anything about it. The authors test your dedication to passing the exam by doing their best to put you to sleep. Those remaining awake at the end of each chapter get a test on its content. These take the same form as they will in the actual exam, mostly multi-choice questions based on Java code fragments, though more than one answer can be correct. Of course, the real exam is on-screen.
Crossword fanatics solve crosswords set by familiar authors faster, having learned how their minds work, so it is worth noting that Simon Roberts headed up the team that wrote the Java Certification exam. It seems likely, therefore, that if you can handle the questions set here you will do well in the real exam. No other Java certification guide can make the same claim. Buy it, study it and pass. --Steve Patient