Friday, April 14, 2023

OCAJP 8 FAQ - Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer I Certification (1Z0–808) Frequently asked Questions

The Oracle Certifications is one of the most repeated, industry-recognized certifications. It also provides Java certifications like Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer, also known as OCAJP and Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer, also known as OCPJP. These two are most popular Java certification and there are many benefits of passing them e.g. better chance to get a Java development job, improved performance on Java interviews, better salary rise, and promotions, and better opportunity for moving abroad.

Thousands of Java Developers every year appear in these exams but most of them don't make most of it. Some of them just pass the exam and many of them don't even pass them. Only a few of them prepare hard to get a score above 90% which should be the goal for every professional Java developer. That's when you make most of your Java certifications, both in terms of tangible benefits like better Job opportunity and intangible benefit of learning Core Java.

One reason of poor performance in Java certification is not spending the time to get familiar with the structure of exam and preparation material. Many of them also have a lot of doubt about syllabus, difficulty level, preparation material, mock exams, books etc. In this article, I have summarized questions many Java developer asked to me related to OCAJP and OCPJP and put together this FAQ.

If you are preparing for Java certifications and have any doubt, I suggest you go through these frequently asked questions to get familiar yourself with the certification, preparation material, books, and mock exams. If you have any doubt or question which is not answered on this list, you can ask me on comment and I'll find an answer for you.




OCAJP 8 (1Z0-808) Certification FAQ

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about The Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer I Certification with exam code 1Z0-808. If you have any question which is not answered in this list, feel free to ask me via comments. If I don't know, I'll try to find an answer for you.

What is OCAJP 8 Certification?
The OCAJP 8 Certification stands for "Oracle Certified Associate - Java SE 8 Programmer I". This exam has been written for the Java SE 8 release and meant for entry level programmers.


Who is eligible for OCAJP 8 Certification?
Anyone can give OCAJP 8 exam, there is no eligibility criterion for this exam, but you won't get certification until you complete the OCPJP 8 (1Z0-809) Exam.


Why become Java SE8 Certified?
Well, there are many benefits of becoming a "Java SE 8 certified programmer", here are a couple of them:
i)Being certified demonstrates a skill set that can set you apart from others
iii) Java SE 9 skills are in high-demand and it will give you a competitive advantage over other Java programmer who is not aware of Java SE 8.
ii) There are many job openings for Java developers in the United States, India and rest of the world.
iv) Java developers often get good salary usually in the range of $100,000 or more depending on your skill and experience.
v)Top employers are Amazon, Oracle, Accenture, CyberCoders and Capital One. If you are still not convinced then check this article to learn more benefits of getting Java certifications.


What is the exam code for OCAJP 8?
The exam code for OCAJP 8 exam is 1Z0–808 and full form of this exam are "Oracle Certified Associate - Java SE 8 Programmer I".



I have passed OCAJP 7, should I give OCAJP8 Exam?
If you have only passed OCAJP 7 (1Z0-803) Exam then you got two option to become Java 8 Certified Professional
i) Give OCPJP 7 exam and then upgrade to Java 8 by giving 1Z0-810 exam which is known as Upgrade Java SE 7 to Java Se 8 OCP Programmer
ii) Your other option is to give OCAJP 8 (1Z0-808) exam and then pass OCPJP8 (1Z0-809) Exam to become Java 8 Certified Programmer.

Now, which one is better? Well, in both cases you have to give two exams, unfortunately, there is no single exam to become Java 8 Certified exam if you only have OCAJP7. The second option is better because you will learn more about Java 8 on this path.


Can you give Java SE 8 OCP exam if you have Java SE 7 OCA exam?
No, you cannot go from Java SE 7 OCA to Java SE 8 OCP directly. You will first need to get Java SE 7 OCP and then upgrade to Java SE 8 OCP. The upgrade exam is known as "Upgrade Java SE 7 to Java SE 8 OCP Programmer" and exam code is 1Z0-810.


What is the benefit of passing OCAJP 8 Exam?
Well there are many tangible and non-tangible benefits of passing OCAJP 8 Exam
i) You become eligible for OCPJP 8 exam, which is required to become Java SE 8 certified programmer
ii) If you are new to Java, you get chance to learn syntax, API, and language itself

Once you finally become Java Certified Programmer by passing OCPJP8, you get a better salary, better job and better recognition for your skill in your team and company.


What is the difference between OCAJP 8 and OCPJP 8 Exam?
The key difference between OCAJP8 and OCPJP 8 Exam is that they one is associate level exam while other is a professional level exam, which means OCPJP 8 is tougher than OCAJP8. The first one is targeted for entry level professional while later is targeted for more experienced developers. You also need to pass OCAJP before you can take OCPJP exam, see here to learn more.


Should you take OCAJP7 or OCAJP8 exam?
You should go for OCAJP 8 exam because Java 8 is the latest version and there is no point going for OCAJP7 in 2017 or coming years. You not only learn Java 8 but also get a recognition for it and sine there are not many Java 8 certified developer right now in the market, you have a better chance of securing a job. Btw, I have a nice discussion on this topic here, which you can also see for more inputs and opinions.


What is the passing score of OCAJP 8 Exam?
The passing score on the OCAJP8 exam, code 1Z0-808 is 65%. There would be total 80 questions and you will be given 150 minutes to solve them.


Will you get Certification by passing OCAJP 8 Exam?
You will get the result but you won't get the certification until you pass the OCJP8 or 1Z0-809 exam.


What is the cost of OCAJP 8 Exam?
The fee of OCAJP 8 exam with code 1Z0-808 varies in different countries. Depending upon which country you will log in, the price will be shown in local currency. The usual price is around 300 USD, or 10K INR, or 330 CND, 322 SGD etc. You can get more information about price of OCAJP 8 here 




What is the difference between SCJP and OCAJP Exam?
The SCJP was the predecessor of OCAJP exam. The SCJP was known as Sun Certified Java Programmer but when Oracle took over Sun, the certification was divided in two and become OCAPJP (Oracle Certified Associate Java Programer) and OCPJP (Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer). Some people also call it OCJP, OCP or simply OCA exams


What is the difference between OCAJP 7 and OCAJP 8 Exam?
The key difference is that OCAJP7 test your Java SE 7 skills while OCAJP8 tests your Java SE 8 skills.  The OCAJP8 or 1z0-808 exam is also slightly tougher than OCAJP7 or 1Z0-803 exam, not just the new features of Java 8 but also the number of question is more and the difficulty level is higher. Here are some more difference between 1Z0-803 and 1Z0-808 certification exam in tabular format:

OCAJP 8 FAQ - Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer I Certification (1Z0–808) Frequently asked Questions


How to prepare for OCAJP 8 Exam? 

The success mantra for OCAJP 8 Exam is no different than any other Java certification, but if you are absolutely new to Java certification, I suggest you follow following tips to prepare well for your OCAJP 8 Exam

1) Code Daily
You must write programs using Java 8 syntax every day, coding is essential for preparing the exam. It not only makes you familiar with syntax but also helps you to develop code reading ability and code sense which requires answering a big part of questions from real OCAJP 8 exam, which gives you code and ask for the output of the program.

2) Buy a Study Guide
A Study Guide is one of the best companions for preparing OCAJP 8 certification exam for many reasons. First and foremost, they cover all exam topics or syllabus and also focus on exam format and concepts which are more important from exam's perspective. There are many study guides available in the market, here is a list of them, you can choose any of them but you must read them twice.

3) Buy an Exam Simulator
It is another essential tool for your preparation of OCAJP 8. It is not mandatory but if you want to score high, I strongly suggest you buy a good exam simulator e.g. from Whizlabs or Enthuware. They will provide you much-needed practice in real exam like scenario which is important from speed and accuracy point of view. Here is a list of exam simulators to choose from.

OCAJP 8 Exam Simulator



Does dumps useful for passing OCAJP exam?
Well, even though I often receive questions asking about dumps for OCAJP and OCPJP exam, I really don't like the dump at all. When I prepare for my exam, thankfully I wasn't aware what a dump means, but when I scored 100% on my exam and called one of my colleague informing about my success, he casually told me, "did you used dumps?" that time I had no clue what he was talking about but I said, no I didn't use something like that. Later on, I come to know about dumps means actual questions from previous exams.

Why I don't advise using dumps? Well, because the journey of certification is more important than the certification itself. The knowledge you acquire while preparing for certification is the true gain than the certificate itself.

If you use dump you will never be able to justify your certification and will be quickly found upon on real interviews. Hence, I don't suggest anyone use dumps for passing OCAJP or OCPJP exam.  Btw, if you want to get familiar with difficulty level and type of exam questions then you can use Java 8 dumps, that's the only use of dump I am not against. If you want, you can see some 1Z0-808 dumps from David Mayer.


What are some recommended resources for OCAJP 8 Exams?
Here is a list of recommended resources for OCAJP 8 Exams
  1. list of recommended books for OCAJP8 and OCPJP8 Exams
  2. list of free Mock exams for OCAJP8 Exams
  3. list of recommended exam simulators for OCAJP 8
  4. Syllabus of OCAJP 8 exam
  5. PersonVu link for registering the exam

What is the syllabus of OCAJP 8 Certification?
The syllabus or exam topics of OCAJP 8 Certification is available on Oracle's Education website, but here is the outline of those:
  1. Java Basics
  2. Working With Java Data Types
  3. Using Operators and Decision Constructs
  4. Creating and Using Arrays
  5. Using Loop Constructs
  6. Working with Methods and Encapsulation
  7. Working with Inheritance
  8. Handling Exceptions
  9. Working with Selected classes from the Java API
If you buy a good Java 8 Certification Guide e.g. OCA Java SE 8 Certification Guide by Mala Gupta then you can rest assured that you have covered all exam topics.

OCAJP 8 Certification Guide for Java programmer



What are some recommended Exam simulators for OCAJP 8 Exam?
There are many exam simulators are available for OCAJP 8 certification but I recommend following, which is most up-to-date and of good quality
  1. Whizlab's OCAJP 8 Exam Simulator
  2. Enthuware's OCAJP 8 Exam Simulator
  3. David Mayer's Java 8 Certification
There are many others Java 8 exam simulator available in the market but if you take one of them or at most two of them then it's more than enough for your preparation. There is also a 25% discount available from Whizlabs if you buy both OCAJP 8 and OCPJP Exam simulators together.


Is there some free Mock Exams available for OCAJP 8 Certification online?
Yes, there are a couple of free OCAJP 8 Mock exams available online for practice, mainly they are from professional exam simulator providers like Whizlabs, EPractizeLabs, and JavaMockExams to assess their product before buying them, but nevertheless, they are also good for practice, here are some of the most popular of them.

  1. 25 Free Questions from Whizlabs
  2. 25 Questions from David Mayer's Certification.com Exam (1Z0-808 dump)

You can also see my earlier post Top 10 OCAJP8 and OCPJP8 Mock Exams for more free online Java 8 Mock exams

1Z0-808 dump and mock exams



What types of questions are asked in OCAJP8 Exam?
Most of the questions are multiple choice questions and some of them are filled in the blanks, but you can categorize them based upon their content
i) Code based program, which will give you code and asked you to find the output
ii) Theoretical questions e.g. limit of int or long data type
iii) API based questions

You can see this list of free Java 8 mock exams to get an idea of the type and difficulty level of exams.


Does an experienced Java programmer need preparation for OCAJP 8 Exam?
Even though the OCAJP 8 exam (Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer certification, exam number 1Z0-808) is especially for entry-level Java developers, experienced Java developer can also take this exam, particularly if they haven't worked or know Java 8. When you pass this exam, it demonstrates that you have a strong foundation in Java 8 and you understand core skills e.g. Lambda, streams, and new Date and Time API.


How do you register for OCAJP 8 Exam?
You have multiple options to register for OCAJP 8 Exam, you can register online or offline as well
i) You can register at the Pearson VUE website online.
ii) You can buy an exam voucher from Oracle and then register yourself in Pearson VUE website. Many training institutes e.g. NIIT sell Oracle Certification vouchers.
iii) Register and pay at the Oracle Testing Center (OTC), if you have one in your region.



Can you retake if failed the OCAJP 8 Exam?
Yes, you can re-appear on OCAJP 8 exam if unfortunately you got failed, but for that, you need to buy a new voucher and re-register for the exam after 14 days of the waiting period. Sometimes, Oracle offers the discount voucher for the OCAJP8 exam for candidates who are retaking it, so worth checking for that.


I have the Java SE 6 certification and I want to get Java SE 8 certification. Which exam should I take?
If you are a Sun Certified Java programmer and you already have the Java SE 6 certification, you justs need to take the 1Z0-813 certification exam. This means you don't need to pass two exams i.e. OCAJP 8 (1Z0-808) and OCPJP 8 (1Z0-809) exam, you can become a Certified Java 8 Developer by just passing one exam i.e. 1Z0-813 exam.The exam details and exam topics are available from Oracle website here.


What are some recommended books for OCAJP 8 Exams?
There are several good books available for OCAJP8, 1Z0-808 Exam, but here are some of the best ones:

  1. OCA Java SE 8 Programmer I Certification Guide by Mala Gupta
  2. OCA: Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 8 Programmer I Study Guide By Jeanne Boyarsky and Scott Selikoff
  3. OCA Java SE 8 Programmer I Study Guide by Oracle


In general, anyone of the book is enough for preparation but If you need more books, you can also my recommend list, which contains a couple of other titles.

Best OCAJP 8 Books



Important links for OCAJP8 Candidates?

Here are some of the important links for Java Programmers preparing for OCAJP 8 Exams:
i) Official Exam Page  It contains that list the exam details, exam topics, etc

ii) You can download Java 8 from “Java 8 Central”; it also lists useful & quality articles related to Java 8 features

ii) You can register for taking the exam in Pearson VUE site.
iv) After the exam, you can check your exam score results in CertView 
v) You can see some of the recommended exam simulators here
vi) Here is a list of free Java Mock Exams
vii) list of recommended books for OCAJP8 and OCPJP 8 can be found here
ix) Oracle’s JDK API documentation for Java 8 features is here
x) When you have doubts on Java certification preparation, you can get clarifications from CodeRanch forum.




I'm fresher in Java. Can I directly go for OCA SE 8(IZ0-808)?
You can go directly for the 808 exams and the Java SE 8 OCA. You can find out what training is recommended and what topics are covered on the exam by having a look at the exam page.


I have SCJP 1.4 will I be able to get OCPJP 8 in a single exam?
Yes, you can become Java SE 8 certified professional by giving the single exam, 1Z0-8013. The exam is great for any Sun-certified Java developer e.g. SCJP 1.4, SCJP 1.5 or SCJP 1.6, as you don't need to pass two exams. The 1Z0-813 is known as "Upgrade to Java SE 8 (OCP) (Java SE 6 and All Prior Versions). You can read more about it on the exam page here.


I have the OCA Java 7 and I am thinking now to take the OCP exam. But I see that the condition for doing the OCP Java 8 is having the OCA Java 8. What is the path to follow now if in the end, I would like to have the latest version? First, take the OCP 7 and then upgrade to 8? Or is there a better way to do it? 
This is one of the frequently asked questions from many OCAJP7 certified programmers because Unfortunately there is no single exam to upgrade from Java 7 OCA to Java 8 OCP. You'll need to either:

- Pass Java 7 OCP exam, 1Z0-804 and
- Pass Java 8 OCP Upgrade exam, 1Z0-810

OR

- Pass Java 8 OCA exam, 1Z0-808 and
- Pass Java 8 OCP exam, 1Z0-809


Can I give OCPJP7 (1Z0-804) if I have OCAPJP8 (1Z0-808)?
This is the opposite of the previous question, here candidate is asking whether he can give OCPJP7 if he has OCAJP8 and the answer is Yes. If you have Java SE 8 OCA, you can earn Java SE 7 OCP by passing exam 1Z0-804.


That's all about some frequently asked questions about OCAJP8 or 1Z0-808 or Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer exam. These question should give you enough general information you need to understand the exam. If you have any question, which is not answered here, please drop a comment and we'll try to find an answer for you.


P.S. : If you are looking for a course to prepare Java SE 8 certification then Oracle Java Certification - Pass the Associate 1Z0-808 Exam! from Udemy is a good place to start it. It explains about new features of Java 8 required for OCAJP 8 exam.

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hi, I have the following certification: Java SE 7 Programmer I 1Z0-803 (Associate) and I want to become Java SE 8 certified developer, what should I do? Do I need to pass 1Z0-804 first? Or should I go for 1Z0-808 and 1Z0-809 exam?

pooja.deshmukh said...

I am new to java and preparing for ocajp8
Shall we use IDE during practice tests of OCAJP 1Z0-808
what material is provided in actual exam

javin paul said...

Hello Pooja, first of congratulations for going for Java certification. I don't suggest you to use IDE for practice test because it shows a lot of hints which will not be available on Exam. You need to learn how to read code written on paper without using IDE to do well on OCAJP 8 or may be OCAJP 11, the new version of Java certification.

pooja.deshmukh said...

Thank you

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