Java is one of the hottest technology, there are tons of jobs out there. So if you have Oracle Java Certification, it makes you stand out from the crowd and helps you in landing your dream job. Sometime back I wrote an article about Best Core Java Books for beginners and I get a lot of emails asking for the books to refer to prepare for Oracle Java Certification Exam.
Oracle Java Certification Path
Before Oracle acquired Sun, the learning path used to be simple. The first certification exam was Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) and then you can take other exams for Web Developer certification, Web Services certification etc.
There are some acronyms you should be aware of – OCA stands for Oracle Certified Associate, OCP stands for Oracle Certified Professional. Sometimes you see acronyms as OCAJP and OCPJP, it’s nothing but Oracle Certified Associate/Professional Java Programmer.
Below image shows the Oracle Java Certification Path as of writing this article. Associate level exams are the first level, for the Professional level it’s mandatory to have Associate-level certification. Similarly, for the Master level, you should have Associate and Professional level certifications.
As you can see that Associate level certification is available for Java SE 6, 7 and 8. However Professional level certification is available for Java SE 5,6 and 7. Java 8 is the current version but still, most of the projects are on Java 6 or Java 7. So it’s better to write exams for Java SE 7 Certification.
Oracle Java Certification Exam Books
Now that we have understood the Oracle Java Certification Path, it’s time to look into the most important books you should read to prepare and get a higher score.
- OCA/OCP Java SE 7 Programmer I & II Study Guide (Exams 1Z0-803 & 1Z0-804)I love Kath Siera and Bert Bates writing style. Head First Java was one of the early Java books that I have read. Their writing style is simple and that makes this book easy to read and understand. This book is focused on one purpose only – to help you in passing Oracle Java Certification for Associate and Professional level.One of the best parts of the book is that it’s divided into separate OCA and OCP sections. It also goes through their objectives and then explains the related topic in detail. If you are preparing for OCA or OCP Java Certifications, this is a must-have book.
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You can get this book from any of the below stores.
Amazon.com Amazon.in (India) Flipkart.com (India)
- Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 7 Programmer Exams 1Z0-804 and 1Z0-805: A Comprehensive OCPJP 7 Certification GuideIf you are planning to go for Professional level certification, then this is the book for you. It covers all the topics required for Professional level certification. This is not from Oracle and hence it comes with an outsider look of the exam and its topics.The best part of this Book is the two Mock tests (100+ pages) with an explanation to help you understand the exam question patterns.
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You can get this guidebook from any of the below stores.
Amazon.com Amazon.in (India) Flipkart.com (India)
- OCA Java SE 7 Programmer I Certification Guide: Prepare for the 1ZO-803 examThis book is for beginners in Java, who wants to get the OCA certification as soon as possible. This book covers only topics related to OCA certifications. It’s not good for advanced level exams, but good for those who are looking for a crash course.
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You can buy this book from any of the below stores.
Amazon.com Amazon.in (India) Flipkart.com (India)
- Java Practice Questions: Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE 7 Programmer (OCPJP)Once you have read through study guide books, you should try to get hands on this one. This book contains 12 section with each section having a number of questions to help you in passing OCP exam. Even if you are going for OCA, this book will help you in tricky questions.
You can buy this book from Amazon USA. Unfortunately, this is still not available in Indian stores.
Amazon.com
- OCAJP Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 7 Programmer Practice Exams [Kindle Edition]If you own Amazon Kindle, then I would suggest you buy this Kindle Edition book for practicing mock exams. We know that textbooks can’t be replaced but reading a book on Kindle is a delight. If you will have this, you can prepare for the exam anywhere such as while traveling in Bus.
You can buy this book from Amazon.com for your Kindle.
Amazon.com (Kindle)
Bonus Book
There is one more book that is still not released (as of Jan 2015). However, I am looking forward to this and that’s why I am listing it here.
OCA/OCP Java SE 7 Programmer I & II Practice Exams (Exams 1Z0-803 & 1Z0-804):
You can buy this book from any of the below stores when it’s available.
Amazon.com Amazon.in (India) Flipkart.com (India)
That’s all the recommended books for Oracle Java Certification Exams preparation. You should try to have one study guide and a couple of practice exams book to score higher. If any of these books helped you in passing the certification exam, please do comment and let us know. Even if I was able to help a single student by writing this post, I will feel happy and it will push me to write even more.