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Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD) Certification Exam

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The Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD) Certification Exam

Introduction

This certification is for developers specializing in the application of JavaServer Pages and servlet technologies used to present Web services and dynamic Web content. This certification tests the knowledge of web components used to develop J2EE applications. This certification is not specific to any J2EE application server vendor.

The J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) 1.4 specification is the industry-standard platform architecture for developing, deploying, integrating, and managing Web services-enabled multitier enterprise applications. The J2EE 1.4 platform delivers Web services interoperability as it introduces new Web services, deployment and management APIs. The 1.4 specification also updates specifications for component technologies, JavaServer Pages, and Connectors, along with other features that establish J2EE 1.4 technology as the premier platform for Web services and enterprise application integration.

With the advancement and increasing presence of J2EE technologies, J2EE certifications have also started evolving and adding great value to the careers of programmers, developers and architects. Sun Certified Web Component Developer is a valuable certification in the domain of J2EE.

This article will help you understand the objectives, preparation requirements and resources available for this certification by Sun Microsystems.

Benefits of SCWCD Certification

Java is the most widespread technology being used in the IT field, so there is a high demand for Java professionals. Certification demonstrates a thorough understanding of issues involving the design, development, and implementation of various Java web components. Gain deep knowledge in all aspects of Servlet and JSP programming, which you do not encounter as part of daily work.

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SCWCD Certification Exam

Exam Background

Launched in August 2001 by Sun Microsystems, the Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD) Certification Exam has occupied a place of its own in the Web Components (especially JSP and Servlets) developer Community. An effective measure of server side Java skills, this exam is becoming increasingly important for developers. In March 2004, Sun Microsystems launched a new version of their existing Sun Certified Web Component Developer 1.3 (SCWCD 1.3) exam, which tests the web component development according to the latest J2EE 1.4 specification.

If you want to prove your competency in "Java Web Components", this is the exam for you. Also, if you are a programmer working in core Java, taking this exam will provide a definite advancement in your career.

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Exam Info

Exam number CX-310-081

Prerequisites SCJP (any edition)

Exam type Multiple choice and drag and drop

Number of questions 69

Passing score 62% (44 of 69 questions)

Time limit 135 minutes

Total cost US$ 200 * (or locally priced)

*

Exam Number - CX-310-081

Prerequisites - Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP). The first step towards SCWCD is SCJP (Sun Certified Java Programmer), which is the pre-requisite for this exam. You need to have a detailed and thorough understanding of issues involving the design, development and implementation of various Java web components.

Type of Questions - The type of questions asked in the exam are multiple-choice(single response and multiple response), fill in the blanks (also called short answer) and drag-n-drop. Again, like the SCJP, if a multiple-choice question has more than one correct choice, it is explicitly stated in the question.

Time - The time allowed to complete this exam is 135 minutes, which is sufficient. You are allowed to go back to earlier questions during the exam, but take care that you are able to review only the marked questions, once all questions are filled in.

Passing % - You need to obtain at least 62% to be successful. The exam asks you 69 questions and you need to correctly answer at least 44. Note: sometimes one additional question is added for testing purposes. This additional question is not used for the passing score.

Cost - US $ 200 (or locally priced)

Related exams - Sun Certified Web Component Developer for the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition 1.4 Upgrade Exam (CX-310-082) Upgrade exam for candidates who have already successfully completed the Sun Certified Web Component Developer for the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (310-080) examination.

Note: As part of our exam refresh process, Sun occasionally tests new questions on the live exam forms. These questions are tested to understand their statistical properties and will not be counted as part of your final score. There are 10 unscored questions in this exam. Forty extra minutes have been added to your exam duration to allow you ample time to answer all questions.

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Exam Objectives

Objectives - The exam tests your knowledge on various aspects of Java web components, especially JSPs, Servlets and JavaBeans. You need to have a detailed and thorough understanding of issues involving the design, development and implementation of various Java web components. These are the objectives of the exam specified by Sun Microsystems:

The Servlet Technology Model The Structure and Deployment of Web Applications The Web Container Model Session Management Web Application Security The JavaServer Pages (JSP) Technology Model Building JSP Pages Using the Expression Language (EL) Building JSP Pages Using Standard Actions Building JSP Pages Using Tag Libraries Building a Custom Tag Library J2EE Patterns

For detailed information refer to the complete exam objectives for the SCWCD exam, by Sun Microsystems.

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Differences between SCWCD 1.4 Exam and SCWCD 1.3 Exam

Source: http://suned.sun.com/US/certification/java/java_web.html

The two versions of SCWCD exam basically differ in the following aspects: The content of SCWCD 1.4 exam covers new technologies such as Expression Language (EL), JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL), and the new tag methodologies (Tag files and SimpleTag). There is also a new format for the deployment descriptors, see http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee for more details. Related to J2EE Patterns: "Value Objects and "Data Access Object" patterns have been removed; "Intercepting Filter", "Front Controller", "Service Locator", and "Transfer Object" patterns have been added to the objectives.

The exam also revamps the existing objectives according to the JSP 2.0 and Servlets 2.4 specifications. Some objectives such as SingleThreadModel have been removed from the exam; SingleThreadModel is deprecated as of Java Servlet API 2.4.

The SCWCD 1.4 exam quality has also enhanced. You will now be tested on your understanding rather than the ability to memorize the method signatures. The exam also has new drag-n-drop types of questions.

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Preparing For The Exam

Useful Resources

Books - Preparatory books are a valuable asset for any IT Certification preparation. Here are some recommended books for the exam:

Head First Servlets & JSP Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam

Bryan Basham, Kathy Sierra, Bert Bates
SCWCD Exam Study: Java Web Component Developer Certification

Hanumant Deskmukh, Jignesh Malavia
Professional SCWCD Certification

Daniel Jepp, Sam Dalton

Specifications - You will find answers to many questions hidden in the specifications.

JSR 53: Java^TM Servlet 2.3 and JavaServer Pages^TM 1.2 Specifications JSR 152: JavaServer Pages^TM 2.0 Specification JSR 154: Java^TM Servlet 2.4 Specification RFC 2068: Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1 Naming and Addressing: URIs, URLs, .... RFC 1321: The MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm RFC 1521: MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) Part One: Mechanisms for Specifying and Describing the Format of Internet Message Bodies
Contains specification of Base64 (not really needed for the exam)

Tutorials and Articles - There are numerous tutorials freely available on the web. The most reliable and recommended of these are by Sun. Following is a list of some highly useful tutorials and articles for the exam:

The J2EE^TM 1.4 tutorial by Sun including JSP and Servlet technology, with a description of the Expression Language. J2EE Pattern Catalog tutorial by Sun Tag Libraries Tutorial (v1.0) tutorial by Sun Taglibs tutorial by Jakarta Jakarta Taglibs hosts the Standard Taglib 1.1, an implementation of the JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL), version 1.1, which was developed under the Java Community Process. NOTE: Standard-1.1 (JSTL 1.1) requires a JSP container that supports the Java Servlet 2.4 and JavaServer Pages 2.0 specifications. Jakarta Tomcat 5 supports the new specifications. The Standard-1.1 taglib has been tested with Tomcat 5.0.3. JSTL 1.1 reference by Sun A JSTL 1.0 Primer made available by IBM.

Reference Cards - Handy overview documents

JSP 2.0 Syntax Card

Notes - Some people have shared their preparation strategies and exam experience in the form of notes.

Notes by Ken Zrobok Exam Review by Marty Hall Deployment Descriptor Tree by Ersin Eser

J2EE Training - Following a training course is a good way to gain expertise in the J2EE domain.

Mock Exams - Fulfill the need to practice for the exam.

JavaRanch's mock exam Eduardo Cobian's mock exam Anand Chawla's mock exam

Web Sites

J2EE JavaServer Pages Technology (Sun) J2EE Java Servlet Technology (Sun) http://resources.corejsp.com/scwcd.html http://suned.sun.com/US/certification/java/java_web.html http://www.javaranch.com/scwcdlinks.jsp Certification Results The purpose of this forum is to share the SCWCD certification exam results.

Discussion Forums and Groups

SCWCD Certification Forum
The purpose of this forum is to discuss the SCWCD exam, objectives, resources, score and everything related to this certification. Marcus Green's Discussion Forum

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Tips and Tricks

Try to get a group together to study with, it makes it easier. As you progress through your study you will begin to get a ‘feeling’ for what the question is asking. Read, practice, sit practice exams and discuss with colleagues over and over again. If you buy a certification book (recommended) be prepared to read your chosen study book 3 times. Practice each concept by writing the relevant code. It is even better if you conceptualize, develop, deploy and test an application, which uses the concepts asked in the exam. A mock application using HTML, JSP, and Servlets designed using the patterns like MVC should be of great help in understanding the most common concepts for this exam. The time available for the exam is generally sufficient. Try not to rush and give sufficient time to each question. Remember that there is no negative marking. So don't leave any question unanswered. If you really want to obtain a good score, you should spend some time remembering various Deployment Descriptor elements, including the parent-child relationships between them. You should also know which of the elements are mandatory. The exam requires you to understand the lifecycles of various components like Servlets, Tags, and JSP. Learn them well. Spent extra time on learning Expression Language (EL). The questions related to EL are rather difficult. Ask your employer to pay for the exam. They may pay or reimburse you if you pass the exam?

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