Does Oracle's Java Certifications is Good to Start your Career as Java Developer?

Being the author of a Java blog and a certified Java programmer, I receive lots of questions about the usefulness of Java certifications like SCJP, now known as OCJP or OCPJP. Questions like, does getting a Java Certification help to land a job, or does certified Java developers earn more or gets better offers, are quite common to Java developers, especially freshers. In this post, I will try to answer a few of these questions based on my own experience as a Java blogger and a certified Java developer. Well, I did my first Java Certification, SCJP (Sun Certification for Java Programmers) along back when SCJP 1.4 was hot and after scoring 100% on that I did two more Java certifications i.e. my SCWCD (Sun Certification for Web Component Developer) and SCMAD (Sun Certified Mobile Application Developer). 

I did Java certification because at that time I was hungry to learn more about Java, I enjoy doing Java exercises and above all my company was reimbursing the cost of certification :-), but the catch was you have to score more than 95% to qualify for reimbursement.

That time I was at the start of my career and this sort of motivation worked for me, I put in a lot of effort and scored 100% to not only become a certified Java developer but also got full reimbursement for all the expenses I made including the cost of Java certifications, books, and simulators. 

Even though my certification increased my reputation in my company, my biggest gain was my learning about subtle details of Java programming as part of my preparation I learned by passing those exams certainly helps me to understand the language better. 

There was no way,  I would have known subtle details about the method overriding, checked exceptions, and multi-threading in a very short span of time. I realize that preparation is the key, that's the process that will benefit you the most. 

When you prepare, you learned a lot by following the concept, doing exercises, and then analyzing why certain options are correct and others are not. This technical knowledge gives you an edge over other candidates during written exams, telephonic interviews, and even faced to face Java interviews.

In short, Yes, Java Certifications helps a lot in your Job and Career. The tangible benefit of recognition as a Java developer and more importantly, the intangible benefit of becoming a true Java expert is enough to go for Java certifications. 

Now here are answers to some of the questions, which often appear in the mind of Java programmers aspiring for Oracle's Java certification. 

Does Java Certification help in Getting Job?

The answer is YES, it certainly does, but to a limited extent. Remember, companies prefer engineers who have professional degrees in computer science. 

So if you are not an engineer but have completed a bachelor's in computer science or some other computer programming course, I highly recommend you to get certified to have something on your resume, which distinguishes you from other job applicants. 

This means that Java certification immensely helps freshers and programmers with one or two years of experience. 

As you gain more experience, Java Certification likes OCPJP loses its value in the overall job selection process. So, if you are thinking to get certified, do it early. 

Another benefit, and in my opinion, this is even more important, is that Java certification helps you to perform better in Java Interviews.  

I have personally interviewed a lot of Java candidates, both at the junior and senior level, most of the time, the candidate with Java certification performs better than others. 

This is quite obvious because they had learned a lot about language and its feature during preparation. In short, Yes, Java certification helps you to get a job both directly, by providing a distinctive advantage, and indirectly by preparing yourself for Java interviews.

Does Oracle's Java Certification like OCAJP Worth It?

Yes, they do. In fact, this is the most tried and tested way of getting to a higher salary in a quick time. I have seen in my career that if you get certified while working in a company, of course with a respected percentage, you are more likely to get a better raise and promotion than your peers. 

Yes, this can't be just certification, but we are considering the fact that you are also performing well in your job as your peers. 

Since Java certified professional tends to perform better in Java interviews, they almost always have multiple offers to choose from, and this gives them the confidence to demand a better salary in the next interview. 

Remember, more than anything it's the confidence that helps when asking for a salary that is above-market standard, of course, that must be backed by your solid resume, and great interview as well. In short, Java certifications help at both places.

Should I go for Oracle Java Certifications like Java SE 8?

Well, my default answer is always Yes for certifications, at least they help you to learn a lot about the Java language in a very short span of time. 

If you are an experienced or senior Java developer, already have solid experience in a particular domain e.g. FIX based electronic trading of Front office Investment banking, then it's just a personal choice. 

Java certifications help immensely during the start of the career, and it is a must for those who are not from a very good institution and doesn't have a top-class degree. For those IT professionals, Java certifications can be a great tool to get a Job and progress further.

So yes, if you are graduating from college and have just started your career as a Java developer, it's a wise decision to get certified and learn subtle details of the Java programming language. 

Another question, which I have kept receiving in my inbox is whether you need to pass OCAJP  before taking OCPJP8  ( Java Certification for SE 7 and 8) or not, I have already answered them on that blog post. Do check that if you have the same doubt.

Resources and Study Material to Prepare for Java Certifications

Many of my readers requested to share study materials and resources to prepare for Java Certifications. I am planning to do it in another blog post, but here are some of the essential resources you need to score well in SCJP

1. Join a good course

There is no better way to prepare for Oracle's Java certification than joining a good course. First of all, it's active learning and you learn 80% of important things in just 20% of your time. I was a big fan of the book and I am still is but in the last few years, online courses have my main source of learning anything. 

One reason for that is cost, in recent years, mostly due to Udemy, the cost of online courses has come down a lot and some of the courses are even cheaper than books the key is to find a good course otherwise you would waste your time on course hopping. 

When it comes to Oracle's Java certification like OCAJP and OCPJP, Whizlab's OCAJP training course is my favorite. It provides the most comprehensive coverage and given their experience in the area, you can rest assured of quality.  There is also more than 50% discount available on this course for you.

If you are looking for one more option then Oracle Java Certification - Pass the Associate 1Z0-808 Exam! from Udemy is also a good option and you can get it within $10 on flash sale which happens every month.

2. Buy a good book

You should buy one book which is updated with the latest syllabus of OCAJP or OCPJP, depending upon which version of the exam you are going to take like 1Z0-803 or 1Z0-808. I have suggested a couple of good books to help with the new Oracle Java Certification, on my earlier post 2 Books to Prepare Oracle Java SE exams. 

It has also included books for SCJP 6 and old Java certification which allows you to become a certified Java developer by passing just one exam, but I suggest going for the latest exam, there is no point upgrading to a Java version for which even Oracle has stopped supporting. 

There is some drastic change in Java certification after the release of Java 8 because of the introduction of the lambda expression, Streams, Functional interfaces, and many more language and API changes. So if you want to get certified soon for whatever reason, this is the right time. 

If you are preparing for Java SE 8 certification then I suggest you take a look at Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 8 Programmer I Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-808, one of the best books to cover the OCAJP8 syllabus, as shown below:

3) Buy an Exam Simulator like Whizlabs

There are lots of free and paid exam simulators available over the internet, but I am a big fan of Whizlabs exam simulators, because of their quality. They explain every question in depth, not only right options but also incorrect options. 

In my experience, their mock exams are also very close to the real OCPJP 8 exam, in terms of patterns, types of questions, syllabus, and difficulty level. If you can spend some money then that's worth buying. You will learn every bit of money spent.  

Currently, they are offering 25% discount for the Javarevisited reader if you buy both OCAJP and OCPJP exam simulator together which make sense because you have to pass both exams to become a certified Java developer and they provide lifetime access. 

They also update their simulator regularly so there is no question of it going out-of-date. Just use the coupon code "JAVACOMBO2" to get the 25% discount. 

These were some of the essential resources to prepare well for Java certifications particularly for OCAJP and OCPJP. For others like OCEJWCD and OCMJEA you need different resources which I have also shared on this blog, you can just search for them.

Btw, if you need more resources for associate and professional level exams, here are some more useful resources to prepare for Java SE 8 certification exam:

1. Syllabus and Complete detail of Java SE 8 Certification
2. Link to Register for Java 8 Exam
3. Best books and Mock exam for OCAJP 8
4. Recommended Instructor-led Java SE 8 training from Oracle
5. OCAJP 8 books
6. OCPJP 8 books
7. 1Z0-808 and 1Z0-809 Exam simulators
8. David Mayers 1Z0-808 dumps


That's all on this post about whether Java certifications (SCJP, OCJP, or OCPJP) helps in Job Interviews and careers. Do let me know if you have any other questions, I will be happy to answer them here, an alternative you can also share your experience as a certified Java developer and how it benefited your career. 

The takeaway is, Java certifications never do any harm, they always add value to your resume and in your knowledge, but at the same time, you need to invest money and time in them. 

For freshers and junior Java developers, I highly recommend doing the latest Java certification available i.e. OCAJP and OCPJP for Java SE 8.

All the best for your exam

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