OCA: Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 8 Programmer I Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-808 (Sybex Study Guide) 1st Edition

This book helped me pass the 1Z0-808 test with a 90% grade. I am an experienced C++/C# software engineer, with a limited Java background. My goal in taking the test was to improve my understanding of core Java. I set the goal of taking the exam before the end of 2016 (two months after purchasing this book). This kept me motivated to study and I learned a lot more than I expected to. Most developers having a OO background in another language will easily pick up Java, but there are quiet a few details to the language that are easy to gloss over and separate a good Java developer from an average one in my opinion. The exam and in particular this book help very much in that regard. Thanks to the authors!After passing the exam, I immediately purchased the book for the next exam 1Z0-809. The material in this one is a lot more interesting working with lambdas, streams, threads etc.., although I hear the exam is much more difficult (I will find out soon enough).Highly recommended for studying for the exam or just learning core java.

I have attempted to learn Java for about 15 years. The two weekend classes I attended moved to fast and there was not enough time for hands on examples. Sitting through full semester classes was not practical for a professional who has worked for 35 years. A different approach was needed. Luckily I ran into Jeanne's book. The subject matter could have been dry because most of the OCA test asks questions having to do with scope, lifetime, garbage collection and syntax. In the past I found myself falling asleep when trying to read about Java. The difference with this book is that the introduction to each topic quickly turned into examples with code to try. The examples hit on topics such as animals, food and families of ducks. It was constantly fun! It was an enjoyable read when Jeanne acknowledged to the reader that a tough chapter was just covered. The brain load factor was always followed by a topic that was easier. I feel that I could write code I when I need to and I have a reference guide to use as well. I would want to have the opportunity of having a real Java Contract and then I'd give the exam a try. I hope she writes an update to the book so I can read it again. By the way if you use her website mentioned in the book with a question or a recommendation, she will reply immediately.

The last time I took the Java Programmer's Certification was for Java 1.4. Autoboxing didn't exist yet, everybody was still using StringBuffers, and the certification was administered by Sun, not Oracle. 12 years later, I have a ton of practical Java experience, but I felt like it was time for a refresher course. Libraries and APIs are easy to look up on the fly (thanks Google!) and therefore not as important to memorize. However language fundamentals absolutely must be ingrained into the professional Java developer's mind.This study guide reminded me very much of the guide I used for the 1.4 test (a guide that I was very happy with, but forget the name of.) This Java SE 8 guide focuses on the language fundamentals required by the certification, providing well-reasoned examples and very useful sample questions. The writing is very straight-forward and easy to understand.I believe all Java developers should take this certification--not because the Programmer 1 certification itself is critical, but because:1) the higher level certifications _are_ useful and this one is a prerequisite, and2) knowing the basics of the Java language is what separates the so-so developers from the great developers.

I bought this book about a month ago to pass the OCA test (1Z0-808) and yesterday achieved my goal with a score of 85%. This book is a big part of what gave me the knowledge to reach this goal, however I simply can't give it 5 stars because there are typos in it.I give this book high marks for high-level organization and for a focus on low-level code snippets that illustrate the key principles that are important to learn for the test. I'll also add the the typographical errors I ran into were few and far between, and they fit into two categories which include (a) word-jumbling where you have to read a passage twice to realize what they meant (caused by double-words or other silliness that usually an editor would clean up), or (b) errors in the review question answer key where you had to flip back and forth 6 times to confirm that the authors misfired on 4-6 questions throughout the book in their answer key. I'm sure there is (or soon will be) an errata to correct this, but while I was studying I never got motivated to seek this out.One thing that the "About this Book" section talks about is how the review questions at the end of each chapter are harder than the actual Java SE 8 OCA exam. This is an understatement. In my estimate the review questions are significantly harder, and I would actually have liked if the authors told you how many answers to choose instead of saying "Choose All that Apply" since this is how to actual exam does it. In my opinion, leaving it open-ended is less educational than specifying how many answers are actually correct for each question.Having said all that, I passed my test on the first try thanks to this book, and based on my search from last month (Oct 2015) there isn't a better book for this exam on the market, so despite its flaws I'd still give this book both thumbs up and recommend it if you want to earn a passing score on the Java SE 8 OCA exam.

can’t wait to get started on this book! arrived in good condition - definitely worth it!