Probably the best book I have read on the subject, 23 Nov 2008
For a number of years I worked in Java developing web applications with the technologies covered in this book. Believe me I wish I had a copy of this book then.

For the past few years I have worked exclusively on enterprise applications so I decided rather than lose the presentation tier I would revise the material and take the exam.

Initially I bought the head first book JSPs & Servlets. Don't get me wrong I love the head first books but I didn't feel as if I was learning a lot of detail. The head first book is a huge book and is very daunting, yet it felt lacking in detail.

This book simply provides way more detail than the head first book.

Granted I'm only 3/4 way through the book but it's been a fantastic read so far. I tend to underline/highlight anything I feel is important in my first pass of a book. I have pretty much underlined the entire book! There is very little padding in there.

I have a feeling that this book probably has a little bit too much detail for the exam. However since I haven't taken the exam yet this is a hunch. I do believe this book will make a fantastic companion if you are actually using these technologies in your daily working life.

To summarise fantastic read, probably best on this subject. Concise but detailed. A must have.

Excellent: keep this in arms reach!!!, 16 Apr 2008
I had already been learning J2EE for a couple of months but it soon became clear I didn't really know my way around the Web container ;) The book starts off with the absolute basics and walks though everything you need to know to write and deploy servlets and JSPs. The end of chapter questions are tough but they helped me find areas that my brain skipped over on the first read. I think this is possibly the best referance book on the market and several months later I'm still thumbing through it on my desk! The diagrams really are "at a glance" as it says on the books description. The only downside is that this book has mostly code snippets and only contains a couple of full working examples - which actually makes the book better for quick reference. I found other reviews and a sample chapter on the publishers site - take a look!

Probably the best book I have read on the subject, 23 Nov 2008
For a number of years I worked in Java developing web applications with the technologies covered in this book. Believe me I wish I had a copy of this book then.

For the past few years I have worked exclusively on enterprise applications so I decided rather than lose the presentation tier I would revise the material and take the exam.

Initially I bought the head first book JSPs & Servlets. Don't get me wrong I love the head first books but I didn't feel as if I was learning a lot of detail. The head first book is a huge book and is very daunting, yet it felt lacking in detail.

This book simply provides way more detail than the head first book.

Granted I'm only 3/4 way through the book but it's been a fantastic read so far. I tend to underline/highlight anything I feel is important in my first pass of a book. I have pretty much underlined the entire book! There is very little padding in there.

I have a feeling that this book probably has a little bit too much detail for the exam. However since I haven't taken the exam yet this is a hunch. I do believe this book will make a fantastic companion if you are actually using these technologies in your daily working life.

To summarise fantastic read, probably best on this subject. Concise but detailed. A must have.

Excellent: keep this in arms reach!!!, 16 Apr 2008
I had already been learning J2EE for a couple of months but it soon became clear I didn't really know my way around the Web container ;) The book starts off with the absolute basics and walks though everything you need to know to write and deploy servlets and JSPs. The end of chapter questions are tough but they helped me find areas that my brain skipped over on the first read. I think this is possibly the best referance book on the market and several months later I'm still thumbing through it on my desk! The diagrams really are "at a glance" as it says on the books description. The only downside is that this book has mostly code snippets and only contains a couple of full working examples - which actually makes the book better for quick reference. I found other reviews and a sample chapter on the publishers site - take a look!

If you want to pass SCJP5 exam get this book!, 20 Dec 2008
If you are studying for the SCJP5 exam this book is essential.

It goes in to each exam objective in detail with lots of practice questions at the end of each chapter.

Using this book along with some really good mock exams then you will be in a very good position to passing the SCJP5 exam.

really good book, 04 Sep 2008
this book is really good. I can recommend it. It is a fantastic preparation for the exam and even after the exam you can use it.

good but could be lighter and more concise, please revise, 14 Jun 2008
This a good book but not a great book. I passed the SCJP 5 exam after using this book and practicing using WhizzLabs mock exams which I would also recommend and found very necessary.

The book could be at least 100 pages lighter simply by not repeating the exercise questions in the answers section after each chapter. Cheesy attempts to lighten up the book with humour were just plain irritating, waste of paper and should be removed. The extra weight is not forgiven when you've lugged the book around in a laptop bag on a train. Less is definitely more. Having said that the end of chapter questions are very thought provoking and really do test your understanding. I would say these questions are generally harder than the exam but very good preparation.

There are two monster chapters (ch6 97 pages and ch7 114 pages) which really should be split up. These each took me over 5 hours to work through and I then had to go through them again after failing my first mock exam. The introductory sections on Generics was overdone and confusing and it would have been better to concentrate on the correct use and legal syntax rather than trying to justify and explain how they got added to the Java Language spec.

The mock exam that comes with the book is a pain to use. The screen size is too small and you end up spending too much time scrolling to read the code and possible answers. Having said that the questions are representative of the level in the exam.

With these caveats I would recommend the book and having looked at others, I suspect it is probably the best on the market at the current time.

Passed easily with this book, 19 May 2008
Achieved score of over 90% in my SCJP exam using this book alone. Didn't even use the CD - found the book's content and practice questions sufficient. The book is extremely thorough and well written, even mildly amusing in places which helps when some of the topics are such heavy going. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for the SCJP exam - it's all you'll need!

It got me through!!!, 21 Apr 2008
I seriously recommend this book. It depends on your experience how hard you will have to study it but I passed my exam today and that is really the point isn't it. I found the book easy going and the practise questions and practise exams on the CD were really helpful. I do think that you have to understand that reading won't be enough, you actually have to write programs and the more you write the better you will do.

Probably the best book I have read on the subject, 23 Nov 2008
For a number of years I worked in Java developing web applications with the technologies covered in this book. Believe me I wish I had a copy of this book then.

For the past few years I have worked exclusively on enterprise applications so I decided rather than lose the presentation tier I would revise the material and take the exam.

Initially I bought the head first book JSPs & Servlets. Don't get me wrong I love the head first books but I didn't feel as if I was learning a lot of detail. The head first book is a huge book and is very daunting, yet it felt lacking in detail.

This book simply provides way more detail than the head first book.

Granted I'm only 3/4 way through the book but it's been a fantastic read so far. I tend to underline/highlight anything I feel is important in my first pass of a book. I have pretty much underlined the entire book! There is very little padding in there.

I have a feeling that this book probably has a little bit too much detail for the exam. However since I haven't taken the exam yet this is a hunch. I do believe this book will make a fantastic companion if you are actually using these technologies in your daily working life.

To summarise fantastic read, probably best on this subject. Concise but detailed. A must have.

Excellent: keep this in arms reach!!!, 16 Apr 2008
I had already been learning J2EE for a couple of months but it soon became clear I didn't really know my way around the Web container ;) The book starts off with the absolute basics and walks though everything you need to know to write and deploy servlets and JSPs. The end of chapter questions are tough but they helped me find areas that my brain skipped over on the first read. I think this is possibly the best referance book on the market and several months later I'm still thumbing through it on my desk! The diagrams really are "at a glance" as it says on the books description. The only downside is that this book has mostly code snippets and only contains a couple of full working examples - which actually makes the book better for quick reference. I found other reviews and a sample chapter on the publishers site - take a look!

If you want to pass SCJP5 exam get this book!, 20 Dec 2008
If you are studying for the SCJP5 exam this book is essential.

It goes in to each exam objective in detail with lots of practice questions at the end of each chapter.

Using this book along with some really good mock exams then you will be in a very good position to passing the SCJP5 exam.

really good book, 04 Sep 2008
this book is really good. I can recommend it. It is a fantastic preparation for the exam and even after the exam you can use it.

good but could be lighter and more concise, please revise, 14 Jun 2008
This a good book but not a great book. I passed the SCJP 5 exam after using this book and practicing using WhizzLabs mock exams which I would also recommend and found very necessary.

The book could be at least 100 pages lighter simply by not repeating the exercise questions in the answers section after each chapter. Cheesy attempts to lighten up the book with humour were just plain irritating, waste of paper and should be removed. The extra weight is not forgiven when you've lugged the book around in a laptop bag on a train. Less is definitely more. Having said that the end of chapter questions are very thought provoking and really do test your understanding. I would say these questions are generally harder than the exam but very good preparation.

There are two monster chapters (ch6 97 pages and ch7 114 pages) which really should be split up. These each took me over 5 hours to work through and I then had to go through them again after failing my first mock exam. The introductory sections on Generics was overdone and confusing and it would have been better to concentrate on the correct use and legal syntax rather than trying to justify and explain how they got added to the Java Language spec.

The mock exam that comes with the book is a pain to use. The screen size is too small and you end up spending too much time scrolling to read the code and possible answers. Having said that the questions are representative of the level in the exam.

With these caveats I would recommend the book and having looked at others, I suspect it is probably the best on the market at the current time.

Passed easily with this book, 19 May 2008
Achieved score of over 90% in my SCJP exam using this book alone. Didn't even use the CD - found the book's content and practice questions sufficient. The book is extremely thorough and well written, even mildly amusing in places which helps when some of the topics are such heavy going. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for the SCJP exam - it's all you'll need!

It got me through!!!, 21 Apr 2008
I seriously recommend this book. It depends on your experience how hard you will have to study it but I passed my exam today and that is really the point isn't it. I found the book easy going and the practise questions and practise exams on the CD were really helpful. I do think that you have to understand that reading won't be enough, you actually have to write programs and the more you write the better you will do.

Out of date, 05 Sep 2007
Worth noting that this version does not cover some of the newer topics such as Web Services, EJB 3, JDO, JPA or JSF. The publishers site has a new version released July 2007 but it seems Amazon don't have it listed yet.

Not Good Enough - Unclear with Too Much Flannel, 20 Jul 2007
Having got nearly halfway through my preparation for the first exam I have become very frustrated with this book. There is unnecessary 'flannel' getting in the way of the information I need to learn and unnecessary repetition of material. Frankly I think the book could be half the size it is and get the information over far more concisely.

Unfortunately it needs more work than that though to turn it into a winner. The structure of some of the chapters is weak in places and not very clear, leaving me confused over what I'm reading and how it relates to what I've read previously.

I'm sure you can pass the exam using it, but it's a real struggle to prepare effectively with this book.

Rip off, 04 Jul 2007
You've got more resources online at Sun's website. This book is just a complete waste of time. Too 'overview' and no depth. You're best downloading the free pdf books from 'the server side' website.

Badly written and unclear, 16 Aug 2004
I would not advise buying this book for studying for the SCEA exam. It is very badly written and not clear at all. Much of the material is repeated and long-winded. It contains some of the most useless diagrams I've seen in a long time. I would recommend the Mark Cade book and some of the notes and files that are available from other people who sat the exam. (mainly from the Yahoo groups and JavaRanch). The good points of the book are that there are plenty of practice questions and a sample exam.

Don't bother, 19 Oct 2003
This book is, at best, not very useful. Lots of typos, code pasted randomly around, simple and pointless examples... Some imprecisions, reference to non-existing specifications etc.

After a chapter there are some review questions, often the questions test you on things never mentioned in the chapter and sometimes in the entire book!

Surely not a complete guide. The information in the book is hardly gonna make you pass the exam.

The book is gonna tell you what you must know, then you'll have to do your own digging. But for that I could just use Sun's web pages.

Probably the best book I have read on the subject, 23 Nov 2008
For a number of years I worked in Java developing web applications with the technologies covered in this book. Believe me I wish I had a copy of this book then.

For the past few years I have worked exclusively on enterprise applications so I decided rather than lose the presentation tier I would revise the material and take the exam.

Initially I bought the head first book JSPs & Servlets. Don't get me wrong I love the head first books but I didn't feel as if I was learning a lot of detail. The head first book is a huge book and is very daunting, yet it felt lacking in detail.

This book simply provides way more detail than the head first book.

Granted I'm only 3/4 way through the book but it's been a fantastic read so far. I tend to underline/highlight anything I feel is important in my first pass of a book. I have pretty much underlined the entire book! There is very little padding in there.

I have a feeling that this book probably has a little bit too much detail for the exam. However since I haven't taken the exam yet this is a hunch. I do believe this book will make a fantastic companion if you are actually using these technologies in your daily working life.

To summarise fantastic read, probably best on this subject. Concise but detailed. A must have.

Excellent: keep this in arms reach!!!, 16 Apr 2008
I had already been learning J2EE for a couple of months but it soon became clear I didn't really know my way around the Web container ;) The book starts off with the absolute basics and walks though everything you need to know to write and deploy servlets and JSPs. The end of chapter questions are tough but they helped me find areas that my brain skipped over on the first read. I think this is possibly the best referance book on the market and several months later I'm still thumbing through it on my desk! The diagrams really are "at a glance" as it says on the books description. The only downside is that this book has mostly code snippets and only contains a couple of full working examples - which actually makes the book better for quick reference. I found other reviews and a sample chapter on the publishers site - take a look!

If you want to pass SCJP5 exam get this book!, 20 Dec 2008
If you are studying for the SCJP5 exam this book is essential.

It goes in to each exam objective in detail with lots of practice questions at the end of each chapter.

Using this book along with some really good mock exams then you will be in a very good position to passing the SCJP5 exam.

really good book, 04 Sep 2008
this book is really good. I can recommend it. It is a fantastic preparation for the exam and even after the exam you can use it.

good but could be lighter and more concise, please revise, 14 Jun 2008
This a good book but not a great book. I passed the SCJP 5 exam after using this book and practicing using WhizzLabs mock exams which I would also recommend and found very necessary.

The book could be at least 100 pages lighter simply by not repeating the exercise questions in the answers section after each chapter. Cheesy attempts to lighten up the book with humour were just plain irritating, waste of paper and should be removed. The extra weight is not forgiven when you've lugged the book around in a laptop bag on a train. Less is definitely more. Having said that the end of chapter questions are very thought provoking and really do test your understanding. I would say these questions are generally harder than the exam but very good preparation.

There are two monster chapters (ch6 97 pages and ch7 114 pages) which really should be split up. These each took me over 5 hours to work through and I then had to go through them again after failing my first mock exam. The introductory sections on Generics was overdone and confusing and it would have been better to concentrate on the correct use and legal syntax rather than trying to justify and explain how they got added to the Java Language spec.

The mock exam that comes with the book is a pain to use. The screen size is too small and you end up spending too much time scrolling to read the code and possible answers. Having said that the questions are representative of the level in the exam.

With these caveats I would recommend the book and having looked at others, I suspect it is probably the best on the market at the current time.

Passed easily with this book, 19 May 2008
Achieved score of over 90% in my SCJP exam using this book alone. Didn't even use the CD - found the book's content and practice questions sufficient. The book is extremely thorough and well written, even mildly amusing in places which helps when some of the topics are such heavy going. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for the SCJP exam - it's all you'll need!

It got me through!!!, 21 Apr 2008
I seriously recommend this book. It depends on your experience how hard you will have to study it but I passed my exam today and that is really the point isn't it. I found the book easy going and the practise questions and practise exams on the CD were really helpful. I do think that you have to understand that reading won't be enough, you actually have to write programs and the more you write the better you will do.

Out of date, 05 Sep 2007
Worth noting that this version does not cover some of the newer topics such as Web Services, EJB 3, JDO, JPA or JSF. The publishers site has a new version released July 2007 but it seems Amazon don't have it listed yet.

Not Good Enough - Unclear with Too Much Flannel, 20 Jul 2007
Having got nearly halfway through my preparation for the first exam I have become very frustrated with this book. There is unnecessary 'flannel' getting in the way of the information I need to learn and unnecessary repetition of material. Frankly I think the book could be half the size it is and get the information over far more concisely.

Unfortunately it needs more work than that though to turn it into a winner. The structure of some of the chapters is weak in places and not very clear, leaving me confused over what I'm reading and how it relates to what I've read previously.

I'm sure you can pass the exam using it, but it's a real struggle to prepare effectively with this book.

Rip off, 04 Jul 2007
You've got more resources online at Sun's website. This book is just a complete waste of time. Too 'overview' and no depth. You're best downloading the free pdf books from 'the server side' website.

Badly written and unclear, 16 Aug 2004
I would not advise buying this book for studying for the SCEA exam. It is very badly written and not clear at all. Much of the material is repeated and long-winded. It contains some of the most useless diagrams I've seen in a long time. I would recommend the Mark Cade book and some of the notes and files that are available from other people who sat the exam. (mainly from the Yahoo groups and JavaRanch). The good points of the book are that there are plenty of practice questions and a sample exam.

Don't bother, 19 Oct 2003
This book is, at best, not very useful. Lots of typos, code pasted randomly around, simple and pointless examples... Some imprecisions, reference to non-existing specifications etc.

After a chapter there are some review questions, often the questions test you on things never mentioned in the chapter and sometimes in the entire book!

Surely not a complete guide. The information in the book is hardly gonna make you pass the exam.

The book is gonna tell you what you must know, then you'll have to do your own digging. But for that I could just use Sun's web pages.

Absolutely Essential for Passing the SCJA Exam, 15 Aug 2007
This was a hard exam.

There was so much to study, and so many topics to cover. I really thought I'd have to buy a bunch of books on a bunch of different subjects to cover everything on this exam. I mean, the exam covers J2EE, J2ME, JSPs, Servlets and everything inbetween. But instead of buying a bunch of books, I bought two, this book and the questions guide from the same writer. Together, they were the perfect combination.

The certification guide covers everything you need to know to pass the exam. In fact, I think this book alone would have got me a pass, but I wanted to be more confident. And that's where the Exam Questions book came in. ::SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019:: It had over 350 questions in it, was over 400 pages long, and not only had killer question, but it has awesome answers as well.

If you want to get SCJA certified, these two books are what you need, and if you've got them, other than a little Java programming practice, you really don't need anything else.

The Second Edition Is Even Better Than The First - Which Was AWESOME, 15 Aug 2007
I'm a former student of the author, and I used the first edition of the SCJA Certification Guide to get my certification last December. At the time, I had the first edition of the book, which was about 300 pages, real easy to read, and perfect for helping me, someone who has very little Java experience, get certified.

Having used the first edition, I was asked to take a look at the new, second edition of the book. Now, I will admit that I loved the first edition, and knowing the author, I may not be completely unbiased, but I am absolutely sincere when I tell you that the improvements made in this edition are remarkable.

First off all, the book is now over 400 pages in length, which is an additional 100 pages over the original. Secondly, it has about 100 more sample exam questions than the very first printing did. Thirdly, the minor little errors and typos that were in the first edition have been removed, making this a much friendlier read. I still found a couple of little typos, but then again, I've never read a tech book that didn't have a few.

While the original edition was more than enough to get me SCJA certified, the improvements made in this edition will help get prospective students even more prepared for the exam. With more content, but the same strict focus on the exam objectives, this book will help people quickly learn what they need to know to get SCJA certified.

Personally, I'm still keeping my marked up first edition on my bookshelf, but there's not doubt that the second edition is a great improvement on what was already a remarkable book on Java programming and certification.

an awesome approach to learning big picture Java, 14 Aug 2007
This book was totally what I needed to pass the SCJA exam.

The book is really unique. It approaches the topic of Java from a very unique and interesting perspective. Rather than just jumping right into basic coding, which is only a small part of the SCJA exam, the book takes you through all of the things that are possible in Java. It gets you excited, and makes you want to learn more. When you get to the programming part, you want to learn to program, because you want to see if Java can really live up to the hype and promise - WHICH IT CAN!

Five Stars.

Probably the best book I have read on the subject, 23 Nov 2008
For a number of years I worked in Java developing web applications with the technologies covered in this book. Believe me I wish I had a copy of this book then.

For the past few years I have worked exclusively on enterprise applications so I decided rather than lose the presentation tier I would revise the material and take the exam.

Initially I bought the head first book JSPs & Servlets. Don't get me wrong I love the head first books but I didn't feel as if I was learning a lot of detail. The head first book is a huge book and is very daunting, yet it felt lacking in detail.

This book simply provides way more detail than the head first book.

Granted I'm only 3/4 way through the book but it's been a fantastic read so far. I tend to underline/highlight anything I feel is important in my first pass of a book. I have pretty much underlined the entire book! There is very little padding in there.

I have a feeling that this book probably has a little bit too much detail for the exam. However since I haven't taken the exam yet this is a hunch. I do believe this book will make a fantastic companion if you are actually using these technologies in your daily working life.

To summarise fantastic read, probably best on this subject. Concise but detailed. A must have.

Excellent: keep this in arms reach!!!, 16 Apr 2008
I had already been learning J2EE for a couple of months but it soon became clear I didn't really know my way around the Web container ;) The book starts off with the absolute basics and walks though everything you need to know to write and deploy servlets and JSPs. The end of chapter questions are tough but they helped me find areas that my brain skipped over on the first read. I think this is possibly the best referance book on the market and several months later I'm still thumbing through it on my desk! The diagrams really are "at a glance" as it says on the books description. The only downside is that this book has mostly code snippets and only contains a couple of full working examples - which actually makes the book better for quick reference. I found other reviews and a sample chapter on the publishers site - take a look!

If you want to pass SCJP5 exam get this book!, 20 Dec 2008
If you are studying for the SCJP5 exam this book is essential.

It goes in to each exam objective in detail with lots of practice questions at the end of each chapter.

Using this book along with some really good mock exams then you will be in a very good position to passing the SCJP5 exam.

really good book, 04 Sep 2008
this book is really good. I can recommend it. It is a fantastic preparation for the exam and even after the exam you can use it.

good but could be lighter and more concise, please revise, 14 Jun 2008
This a good book but not a great book. I passed the SCJP 5 exam after using this book and practicing using WhizzLabs mock exams which I would also recommend and found very necessary.

The book could be at least 100 pages lighter simply by not repeating the exercise questions in the answers section after each chapter. Cheesy attempts to lighten up the book with humour were just plain irritating, waste of paper and should be removed. The extra weight is not forgiven when you've lugged the book around in a laptop bag on a train. Less is definitely more. Having said that the end of chapter questions are very thought provoking and really do test your understanding. I would say these questions are generally harder than the exam but very good preparation.

There are two monster chapters (ch6 97 pages and ch7 114 pages) which really should be split up. These each took me over 5 hours to work through and I then had to go through them again after failing my first mock exam. The introductory sections on Generics was overdone and confusing and it would have been better to concentrate on the correct use and legal syntax rather than trying to justify and explain how they got added to the Java Language spec.

The mock exam that comes with the book is a pain to use. The screen size is too small and you end up spending too much time scrolling to read the code and possible answers. Having said that the questions are representative of the level in the exam.

With these caveats I would recommend the book and having looked at others, I suspect it is probably the best on the market at the current time.

Passed easily with this book, 19 May 2008
Achieved score of over 90% in my SCJP exam using this book alone. Didn't even use the CD - found the book's content and practice questions sufficient. The book is extremely thorough and well written, even mildly amusing in places which helps when some of the topics are such heavy going. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for the SCJP exam - it's all you'll need!

It got me through!!!, 21 Apr 2008
I seriously recommend this book. It depends on your experience how hard you will have to study it but I passed my exam today and that is really the point isn't it. I found the book easy going and the practise questions and practise exams on the CD were really helpful. I do think that you have to understand that reading won't be enough, you actually have to write programs and the more you write the better you will do.

Out of date, 05 Sep 2007
Worth noting that this version does not cover some of the newer topics such as Web Services, EJB 3, JDO, JPA or JSF. The publishers site has a new version released July 2007 but it seems Amazon don't have it listed yet.

Not Good Enough - Unclear with Too Much Flannel, 20 Jul 2007
Having got nearly halfway through my preparation for the first exam I have become very frustrated with this book. There is unnecessary 'flannel' getting in the way of the information I need to learn and unnecessary repetition of material. Frankly I think the book could be half the size it is and get the information over far more concisely.

Unfortunately it needs more work than that though to turn it into a winner. The structure of some of the chapters is weak in places and not very clear, leaving me confused over what I'm reading and how it relates to what I've read previously.

I'm sure you can pass the exam using it, but it's a real struggle to prepare effectively with this book.

Rip off, 04 Jul 2007
You've got more resources online at Sun's website. This book is just a complete waste of time. Too 'overview' and no depth. You're best downloading the free pdf books from 'the server side' website.

Badly written and unclear, 16 Aug 2004
I would not advise buying this book for studying for the SCEA exam. It is very badly written and not clear at all. Much of the material is repeated and long-winded. It contains some of the most useless diagrams I've seen in a long time. I would recommend the Mark Cade book and some of the notes and files that are available from other people who sat the exam. (mainly from the Yahoo groups and JavaRanch). The good points of the book are that there are plenty of practice questions and a sample exam.

Don't bother, 19 Oct 2003
This book is, at best, not very useful. Lots of typos, code pasted randomly around, simple and pointless examples... Some imprecisions, reference to non-existing specifications etc.

After a chapter there are some review questions, often the questions test you on things never mentioned in the chapter and sometimes in the entire book!

Surely not a complete guide. The information in the book is hardly gonna make you pass the exam.

The book is gonna tell you what you must know, then you'll have to do your own digging. But for that I could just use Sun's web pages.

Absolutely Essential for Passing the SCJA Exam, 15 Aug 2007
This was a hard exam.

There was so much to study, and so many topics to cover. I really thought I'd have to buy a bunch of books on a bunch of different subjects to cover everything on this exam. I mean, the exam covers J2EE, J2ME, JSPs, Servlets and everything inbetween. But instead of buying a bunch of books, I bought two, this book and the questions guide from the same writer. Together, they were the perfect combination.

The certification guide covers everything you need to know to pass the exam. In fact, I think this book alone would have got me a pass, but I wanted to be more confident. And that's where the Exam Questions book came in. ::SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019:: It had over 350 questions in it, was over 400 pages long, and not only had killer question, but it has awesome answers as well.

If you want to get SCJA certified, these two books are what you need, and if you've got them, other than a little Java programming practice, you really don't need anything else.

The Second Edition Is Even Better Than The First - Which Was AWESOME, 15 Aug 2007
I'm a former student of the author, and I used the first edition of the SCJA Certification Guide to get my certification last December. At the time, I had the first edition of the book, which was about 300 pages, real easy to read, and perfect for helping me, someone who has very little Java experience, get certified.

Having used the first edition, I was asked to take a look at the new, second edition of the book. Now, I will admit that I loved the first edition, and knowing the author, I may not be completely unbiased, but I am absolutely sincere when I tell you that the improvements made in this edition are remarkable.

First off all, the book is now over 400 pages in length, which is an additional 100 pages over the original. Secondly, it has about 100 more sample exam questions than the very first printing did. Thirdly, the minor little errors and typos that were in the first edition have been removed, making this a much friendlier read. I still found a couple of little typos, but then again, I've never read a tech book that didn't have a few.

While the original edition was more than enough to get me SCJA certified, the improvements made in this edition will help get prospective students even more prepared for the exam. With more content, but the same strict focus on the exam objectives, this book will help people quickly learn what they need to know to get SCJA certified.

Personally, I'm still keeping my marked up first edition on my bookshelf, but there's not doubt that the second edition is a great improvement on what was already a remarkable book on Java programming and certification.

an awesome approach to learning big picture Java, 14 Aug 2007
This book was totally what I needed to pass the SCJA exam.

The book is really unique. It approaches the topic of Java from a very unique and interesting perspective. Rather than just jumping right into basic coding, which is only a small part of the SCJA exam, the book takes you through all of the things that are possible in Java. It gets you excited, and makes you want to learn more. When you get to the programming part, you want to learn to program, because you want to see if Java can really live up to the hype and promise - WHICH IT CAN!

Five Stars.

A Great Book, 01 Sep 2005
What Can I say, I bought this book recently, half expecting that I would end up buying another to support the material. but I was seriously wrong this book has everything you need to know to pass the exam. Detail and explanations are clear as crystal enabling the reader to get the full idea of whats actually happening and why in code. I read the book in 4 days and took the exam and passed first time with only this book.

Excellent study guide, excellent reference, 29 Oct 2004
If you are studying to become a Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform 1.4 this book will help you to receive not just a passing grade but an excellent understanding of the intricacies of the Java programming language. Mughal and Rasmussen aren't satisfied with simply giving you a minimal understanding of Java so that you can pass a test. They are interested in helping you to understand the language at a deeper level. After all, it is much easier to pass the certification exam when you actually understand the material rather than when you have simply memorized a lot of details.

I'll give you an example of the level of detail that the book covers. Section 5.2 of the book covers Selection statements. The section starts with a description of the if statement followed by an activity diagram which explains the flow of the statement. The authors then show a simple example followed by a clear explanation of the if statement. Then they do the same with if-else, this time using several examples. The same level of detail follows for the switch statement, again providing clear text, with a simple activity diagram, followed by several well explained examples. Finally, the section ends with several review questions. What this means is that this book can serve you well even after you have passed the certification exam. You will be hard pressed to find a better written reference.

The book covers all the information you need to pass the certification exam and covers the material needed to connect all the pieces together. The included CD has several mock exams with questions that will help you understand the type of questions that you will face on the actual exam. If you do well on the mock exams you will do well on the real thing. Overall, this is an excellent book for studying for the Java certification. But it is such a good reference that you will want to keep it nearby even after you have passed the certification.

The best out there, 20 Nov 2003
I used the previous edition of this book to easily pass the Java 2 1.4 exam, and would have done even better with this edition. The mock exam questions were of a high standard; I thought they were pitched at a slightly higher level than the exam itself. I'd recommend this book over the others if you want to pass the exam and learn the core java language in a rigorous way, rather than just to pass the exam.

Does what it says on the cover, 02 Jul 2003
I sat and passed the Java 1.4 certified programmer exam using this book. It gave me a good practical grounding in the Java fundamentals. I found the practice exam questions more difficult than the actual exam, which was a pleasant suprise!
A note to those sitting the 1.4 exam, the book has not yet been updated for 1.4, so does not cover assertions (but the books website has a chapter on it) and additions to Collections - eg LinkedHashMap.

Very good book - but not for the GUI programmer, 21 Jun 2003
For the most part this an excellent book.It covers the java basics and OO basics very well. Actually, it teaches more than the basics well. I found the review questions useful, although the programming exercises do not require much thought. The solution steps - even the constituent classes are outlined. All that remains is to translate the solution you are given into code. I know swing is a big area and deserves a book in its own right - the author even says so in the book. However, this is one area where I feel that I didn't even get a good grasp of the basics. The book covers more advancced swing - like custom models and events - before it gave me a good underdstanding of the fundamentals.

Probably the best book I have read on the subject, 23 Nov 2008
For a number of years I worked in Java developing web applications with the technologies covered in this book. Believe me I wish I had a copy of this book then.

For the past few years I have worked exclusively on enterprise applications so I decided rather than lose the presentation tier I would revise the material and take the exam.

Initially I bought the head first book JSPs & Servlets. Don't get me wrong I love the head first books but I didn't feel as if I was learning a lot of detail. The head first book is a huge book and is very daunting, yet it felt lacking in detail.

This book simply provides way more detail than the head first book.

Granted I'm only 3/4 way through the book but it's been a fantastic read so far. I tend to underline/highlight anything I feel is important in my first pass of a book. I have pretty much underlined the entire book! There is very little padding in there.

I have a feeling that this book probably has a little bit too much detail for the exam. However since I haven't taken the exam yet this is a hunch. I do believe this book will make a fantastic companion if you are actually using these technologies in your daily working life.

To summarise fantastic read, probably best on this subject. Concise but detailed. A must have.

Excellent: keep this in arms reach!!!, 16 Apr 2008
I had already been learning J2EE for a couple of months but it soon became clear I didn't really know my way around the Web container ;) The book starts off with the absolute basics and walks though everything you need to know to write and deploy servlets and JSPs. The end of chapter questions are tough but they helped me find areas that my brain skipped over on the first read. I think this is possibly the best referance book on the market and several months later I'm still thumbing through it on my desk! The diagrams really are "at a glance" as it says on the books description. The only downside is that this book has mostly code snippets and only contains a couple of full working examples - which actually makes the book better for quick reference. I found other reviews and a sample chapter on the publishers site - take a look!

If you want to pass SCJP5 exam get this book!, 20 Dec 2008
If you are studying for the SCJP5 exam this book is essential.

It goes in to each exam objective in detail with lots of practice questions at the end of each chapter.

Using this book along with some really good mock exams then you will be in a very good position to passing the SCJP5 exam.

really good book, 04 Sep 2008
this book is really good. I can recommend it. It is a fantastic preparation for the exam and even after the exam you can use it.

good but could be lighter and more concise, please revise, 14 Jun 2008
This a good book but not a great book. I passed the SCJP 5 exam after using this book and practicing using WhizzLabs mock exams which I would also recommend and found very necessary.

The book could be at least 100 pages lighter simply by not repeating the exercise questions in the answers section after each chapter. Cheesy attempts to lighten up the book with humour were just plain irritating, waste of paper and should be removed. The extra weight is not forgiven when you've lugged the book around in a laptop bag on a train. Less is definitely more. Having said that the end of chapter questions are very thought provoking and really do test your understanding. I would say these questions are generally harder than the exam but very good preparation.

There are two monster chapters (ch6 97 pages and ch7 114 pages) which really should be split up. These each took me over 5 hours to work through and I then had to go through them again after failing my first mock exam. The introductory sections on Generics was overdone and confusing and it would have been better to concentrate on the correct use and legal syntax rather than trying to justify and explain how they got added to the Java Language spec.

The mock exam that comes with the book is a pain to use. The screen size is too small and you end up spending too much time scrolling to read the code and possible answers. Having said that the questions are representative of the level in the exam.

With these caveats I would recommend the book and having looked at others, I suspect it is probably the best on the market at the current time.

Passed easily with this book, 19 May 2008
Achieved score of over 90% in my SCJP exam using this book alone. Didn't even use the CD - found the book's content and practice questions sufficient. The book is extremely thorough and well written, even mildly amusing in places which helps when some of the topics are such heavy going. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for the SCJP exam - it's all you'll need!

It got me through!!!, 21 Apr 2008
I seriously recommend this book. It depends on your experience how hard you will have to study it but I passed my exam today and that is really the point isn't it. I found the book easy going and the practise questions and practise exams on the CD were really helpful. I do think that you have to understand that reading won't be enough, you actually have to write programs and the more you write the better you will do.

Out of date, 05 Sep 2007
Worth noting that this version does not cover some of the newer topics such as Web Services, EJB 3, JDO, JPA or JSF. The publishers site has a new version released July 2007 but it seems Amazon don't have it listed yet.

Not Good Enough - Unclear with Too Much Flannel, 20 Jul 2007
Having got nearly halfway through my preparation for the first exam I have become very frustrated with this book. There is unnecessary 'flannel' getting in the way of the information I need to learn and unnecessary repetition of material. Frankly I think the book could be half the size it is and get the information over far more concisely.

Unfortunately it needs more work than that though to turn it into a winner. The structure of some of the chapters is weak in places and not very clear, leaving me confused over what I'm reading and how it relates to what I've read previously.

I'm sure you can pass the exam using it, but it's a real struggle to prepare effectively with this book.

Rip off, 04 Jul 2007
You've got more resources online at Sun's website. This book is just a complete waste of time. Too 'overview' and no depth. You're best downloading the free pdf books from 'the server side' website.

Badly written and unclear, 16 Aug 2004
I would not advise buying this book for studying for the SCEA exam. It is very badly written and not clear at all. Much of the material is repeated and long-winded. It contains some of the most useless diagrams I've seen in a long time. I would recommend the Mark Cade book and some of the notes and files that are available from other people who sat the exam. (mainly from the Yahoo groups and JavaRanch). The good points of the book are that there are plenty of practice questions and a sample exam.

Don't bother, 19 Oct 2003
This book is, at best, not very useful. Lots of typos, code pasted randomly around, simple and pointless examples... Some imprecisions, reference to non-existing specifications etc.

After a chapter there are some review questions, often the questions test you on things never mentioned in the chapter and sometimes in the entire book!

Surely not a complete guide. The information in the book is hardly gonna make you pass the exam.

The book is gonna tell you what you must know, then you'll have to do your own digging. But for that I could just use Sun's web pages.

Absolutely Essential for Passing the SCJA Exam, 15 Aug 2007
This was a hard exam.

There was so much to study, and so many topics to cover. I really thought I'd have to buy a bunch of books on a bunch of different subjects to cover everything on this exam. I mean, the exam covers J2EE, J2ME, JSPs, Servlets and everything inbetween. But instead of buying a bunch of books, I bought two, this book and the questions guide from the same writer. Together, they were the perfect combination.

The certification guide covers everything you need to know to pass the exam. In fact, I think this book alone would have got me a pass, but I wanted to be more confident. And that's where the Exam Questions book came in. ::SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019:: It had over 350 questions in it, was over 400 pages long, and not only had killer question, but it has awesome answers as well.

If you want to get SCJA certified, these two books are what you need, and if you've got them, other than a little Java programming practice, you really don't need anything else.

The Second Edition Is Even Better Than The First - Which Was AWESOME, 15 Aug 2007
I'm a former student of the author, and I used the first edition of the SCJA Certification Guide to get my certification last December. At the time, I had the first edition of the book, which was about 300 pages, real easy to read, and perfect for helping me, someone who has very little Java experience, get certified.

Having used the first edition, I was asked to take a look at the new, second edition of the book. Now, I will admit that I loved the first edition, and knowing the author, I may not be completely unbiased, but I am absolutely sincere when I tell you that the improvements made in this edition are remarkable.

First off all, the book is now over 400 pages in length, which is an additional 100 pages over the original. Secondly, it has about 100 more sample exam questions than the very first printing did. Thirdly, the minor little errors and typos that were in the first edition have been removed, making this a much friendlier read. I still found a couple of little typos, but then again, I've never read a tech book that didn't have a few.

While the original edition was more than enough to get me SCJA certified, the improvements made in this edition will help get prospective students even more prepared for the exam. With more content, but the same strict focus on the exam objectives, this book will help people quickly learn what they need to know to get SCJA certified.

Personally, I'm still keeping my marked up first edition on my bookshelf, but there's not doubt that the second edition is a great improvement on what was already a remarkable book on Java programming and certification.

an awesome approach to learning big picture Java, 14 Aug 2007
This book was totally what I needed to pass the SCJA exam.

The book is really unique. It approaches the topic of Java from a very unique and interesting perspective. Rather than just jumping right into basic coding, which is only a small part of the SCJA exam, the book takes you through all of the things that are possible in Java. It gets you excited, and makes you want to learn more. When you get to the programming part, you want to learn to program, because you want to see if Java can really live up to the hype and promise - WHICH IT CAN!

Five Stars.

A Great Book, 01 Sep 2005
What Can I say, I bought this book recently, half expecting that I would end up buying another to support the material. but I was seriously wrong this book has everything you need to know to pass the exam. Detail and explanations are clear as crystal enabling the reader to get the full idea of whats actually happening and why in code. I read the book in 4 days and took the exam and passed first time with only this book.

Excellent study guide, excellent reference, 29 Oct 2004
If you are studying to become a Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform 1.4 this book will help you to receive not just a passing grade but an excellent understanding of the intricacies of the Java programming language. Mughal and Rasmussen aren't satisfied with simply giving you a minimal understanding of Java so that you can pass a test. They are interested in helping you to understand the language at a deeper level. After all, it is much easier to pass the certification exam when you actually understand the material rather than when you have simply memorized a lot of details.

I'll give you an example of the level of detail that the book covers. Section 5.2 of the book covers Selection statements. The section starts with a description of the if statement followed by an activity diagram which explains the flow of the statement. The authors then show a simple example followed by a clear explanation of the if statement. Then they do the same with if-else, this time using several examples. The same level of detail follows for the switch statement, again providing clear text, with a simple activity diagram, followed by several well explained examples. Finally, the section ends with several review questions. What this means is that this book can serve you well even after you have passed the certification exam. You will be hard pressed to find a better written reference.

The book covers all the information you need to pass the certification exam and covers the material needed to connect all the pieces together. The included CD has several mock exams with questions that will help you understand the type of questions that you will face on the actual exam. If you do well on the mock exams you will do well on the real thing. Overall, this is an excellent book for studying for the Java certification. But it is such a good reference that you will want to keep it nearby even after you have passed the certification.

The best out there, 20 Nov 2003
I used the previous edition of this book to easily pass the Java 2 1.4 exam, and would have done even better with this edition. The mock exam questions were of a high standard; I thought they were pitched at a slightly higher level than the exam itself. I'd recommend this book over the others if you want to pass the exam and learn the core java language in a rigorous way, rather than just to pass the exam.

Does what it says on the cover, 02 Jul 2003
I sat and passed the Java 1.4 certified programmer exam using this book. It gave me a good practical grounding in the Java fundamentals. I found the practice exam questions more difficult than the actual exam, which was a pleasant suprise!
A note to those sitting the 1.4 exam, the book has not yet been updated for 1.4, so does not cover assertions (but the books website has a chapter on it) and additions to Collections - eg LinkedHashMap.

Very good book - but not for the GUI programmer, 21 Jun 2003
For the most part this an excellent book.It covers the java basics and OO basics very well. Actually, it teaches more than the basics well. I found the review questions useful, although the programming exercises do not require much thought. The solution steps - even the constituent classes are outlined. All that remains is to translate the solution you are given into code. I know swing is a big area and deserves a book in its own right - the author even says so in the book. However, this is one area where I feel that I didn't even get a good grasp of the basics. The book covers more advancced swing - like custom models and events - before it gave me a good underdstanding of the fundamentals.

perfect for giving you the confidence you need to pass big!, 15 Aug 2007
I wrote a review for the SCJA Certification Guide, SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Study Guide for Test CX-310-019, 2nd Edition - Incredible Update to the former ExamScam Book, and I mentioned the fact that I used this book as well to practice exam questions, and really solidify my knowledge.

This book is a huge confidence builder, and I don't think I would have scored nrearly as high if I didn't have it. If you want to make sure you pass the exam, you have to add this book to your collection.

Highly recommended.

prepares you for the real exam, 14 Aug 2007
This book delivers on exatly what it promises - over 400 pages of SCJA type questions and answers.

The one thing I liked about this exam question resource was the fact that every question was just like the exam. I've used other simulators that end up asking a bunch of true and false, or fill in the blank type questions that just act as filler, and don't properly prepare you for the real exam experience. Every question in this book is worded exactly like the questions you get in the real exam, with tough topics being covered, and solid, tough, multiple choice answers that really make you think hard. Plus, the questions are all answered in detail. If you don't understand an question, or you get the question wrong, once you've read the explaination, you won't have any more problems understanding the subject.

Five stars.

Probably the best book I have read on the subject, 23 Nov 2008
For a number of years I worked in Java developing web applications with the technologies covered in this book. Believe me I wish I had a copy of this book then.

For the past few years I have worked exclusively on enterprise applications so I decided rather than lose the presentation tier I would revise the material and take the exam.

Initially I bought the head first book JSPs & Servlets. Don't get me wrong I love the head first books but I didn't feel as if I was learning a lot of detail. The head first book is a huge book and is very daunting, yet it felt lacking in detail.

This book simply provides way more detail than the head first book.

Granted I'm only 3/4 way through the book but it's been a fantastic read so far. I tend to underline/highlight anything I feel is important in my first pass of a book. I have pretty much underlined the entire book! There is very little padding in there.

I have a feeling that this book probably has a little bit too much detail for the exam. However since I haven't taken the exam yet this is a hunch. I do believe this book will make a fantastic companion if you are actually using these technologies in your daily working life.

To summarise fantastic read, probably best on this subject. Concise but detailed. A must have.

Excellent: keep this in arms reach!!!, 16 Apr 2008
I had already been learning J2EE for a couple of months but it soon became clear I didn't really know my way around the Web container ;) The book starts off with the absolute basics and walks though everything you need to know to write and deploy servlets and JSPs. The end of chapter questions are tough but they helped me find areas that my brain skipped over on the first read. I think this is possibly the best referance book on the market and several months later I'm still thumbing through it on my desk! The diagrams really are "at a glance" as it says on the books description. The only downside is that this book has mostly code snippets and only contains a couple of full working examples - which actually makes the book better for quick reference. I found other reviews and a sample chapter on the publishers site - take a look!

If you want to pass SCJP5 exam get this book!, 20 Dec 2008
If you are studying for the SCJP5 exam this book is essential.

It goes in to each exam objective in detail with lots of practice questions at the end of each chapter.

Using this book along with some really good mock exams then you will be in a very good position to passing the SCJP5 exam.

really good book, 04 Sep 2008
this book is really good. I can recommend it. It is a fantastic preparation for the exam and even after the exam you can use it.

good but could be lighter and more concise, please revise, 14 Jun 2008
This a good book but not a great book. I passed the SCJP 5 exam after using this book and practicing using WhizzLabs mock exams which I would also recommend and found very necessary.

The book could be at least 100 pages lighter simply by not repeating the exercise questions in the answers section after each chapter. Cheesy attempts to lighten up the book with humour were just plain irritating, waste of paper and should be removed. The extra weight is not forgiven when you've lugged the book around in a laptop bag on a train. Less is definitely more. Having said that the end of chapter questions are very thought provoking and really do test your understanding. I would say these questions are generally harder than the exam but very good preparation.

There are two monster chapters (ch6 97 pages and ch7 114 pages) which really should be split up. These each took me over 5 hours to work through and I then had to go through them again after failing my first mock exam. The introductory sections on Generics was overdone and confusing and it would have been better to concentrate on the correct use and legal syntax rather than trying to justify and explain how they got added to the Java Language spec.

The mock exam that comes with the book is a pain to use. The screen size is too small and you end up spending too much time scrolling to read the code and possible answers. Having said that the questions are representative of the level in the exam.

With these caveats I would recommend the book and having looked at others, I suspect it is probably the best on the market at the current time.

Passed easily with this book, 19 May 2008
Achieved score of over 90% in my SCJP exam using this book alone. Didn't even use the CD - found the book's content and practice questions sufficient. The book is extremely thorough and well written, even mildly amusing in places which helps when some of the topics are such heavy going. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for the SCJP exam - it's all you'll need!

It got me through!!!, 21 Apr 2008
I seriously recommend this book. It depends on your experience how hard you will have to study it but I passed my exam today and that is really the point isn't it. I found the book easy going and the practise questions and practise exams on the CD were really helpful. I do think that you have to understand that reading won't be enough, you actually have to write programs and the more you write the better you will do.

Out of date, 05 Sep 2007
Worth noting that this version does not cover some of the newer topics such as Web Services, EJB 3, JDO, JPA or JSF. The publishers site has a new version released July 2007 but it seems Amazon don't have it listed yet.

Not Good Enough - Unclear with Too Much Flannel, 20 Jul 2007
Having got nearly halfway through my preparation for the first exam I have become very frustrated with this book. There is unnecessary 'flannel' getting in the way of the information I need to learn and unnecessary repetition of material. Frankly I think the book could be half the size it is and get the information over far more concisely.

Unfortunately it needs more work than that though to turn it into a winner. The structure of some of the chapters is weak in places and not very clear, leaving me confused over what I'm reading and how it relates to what I've read previously.

I'm sure you can pass the exam using it, but it's a real struggle to prepare effectively with this book.

Rip off, 04 Jul 2007
You've got more resources online at Sun's website. This book is just a complete waste of time. Too 'overview' and no depth. You're best downloading the free pdf books from 'the server side' website.

Badly written and unclear, 16 Aug 2004
I would not advise buying this book for studying for the SCEA exam. It is very badly written and not clear at all. Much of the material is repeated and long-winded. It contains some of the most useless diagrams I've seen in a long time. I would recommend the Mark Cade book and some of the notes and files that are available from other people who sat the exam. (mainly from the Yahoo groups and JavaRanch). The good points of the book are that there are plenty of practice questions and a sample exam.

Don't bother, 19 Oct 2003
This book is, at best, not very useful. Lots of typos, code pasted randomly around, simple and pointless examples... Some imprecisions, reference to non-existing specifications etc.

After a chapter there are some review questions, often the questions test you on things never mentioned in the chapter and sometimes in the entire book!

Surely not a complete guide. The information in the book is hardly gonna make you pass the exam.

The book is gonna tell you what you must know, then you'll have to do your own digging. But for that I could just use Sun's web pages.

Absolutely Essential for Passing the SCJA Exam, 15 Aug 2007
This was a hard exam.

There was so much to study, and so many topics to cover. I really thought I'd have to buy a bunch of books on a bunch of different subjects to cover everything on this exam. I mean, the exam covers J2EE, J2ME, JSPs, Servlets and everything inbetween. But instead of buying a bunch of books, I bought two, this book and the questions guide from the same writer. Together, they were the perfect combination.

The certification guide covers everything you need to know to pass the exam. In fact, I think this book alone would have got me a pass, but I wanted to be more confident. And that's where the Exam Questions book came in. ::SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019:: It had over 350 questions in it, was over 400 pages long, and not only had killer question, but it has awesome answers as well.

If you want to get SCJA certified, these two books are what you need, and if you've got them, other than a little Java programming practice, you really don't need anything else.

The Second Edition Is Even Better Than The First - Which Was AWESOME, 15 Aug 2007
I'm a former student of the author, and I used the first edition of the SCJA Certification Guide to get my certification last December. At the time, I had the first edition of the book, which was about 300 pages, real easy to read, and perfect for helping me, someone who has very little Java experience, get certified.

Having used the first edition, I was asked to take a look at the new, second edition of the book. Now, I will admit that I loved the first edition, and knowing the author, I may not be completely unbiased, but I am absolutely sincere when I tell you that the improvements made in this edition are remarkable.

First off all, the book is now over 400 pages in length, which is an additional 100 pages over the original. Secondly, it has about 100 more sample exam questions than the very first printing did. Thirdly, the minor little errors and typos that were in the first edition have been removed, making this a much friendlier read. I still found a couple of little typos, but then again, I've never read a tech book that didn't have a few.

While the original edition was more than enough to get me SCJA certified, the improvements made in this edition will help get prospective students even more prepared for the exam. With more content, but the same strict focus on the exam objectives, this book will help people quickly learn what they need to know to get SCJA certified.

Personally, I'm still keeping my marked up first edition on my bookshelf, but there's not doubt that the second edition is a great improvement on what was already a remarkable book on Java programming and certification.

an awesome approach to learning big picture Java, 14 Aug 2007
This book was totally what I needed to pass the SCJA exam.

The book is really unique. It approaches the topic of Java from a very unique and interesting perspective. Rather than just jumping right into basic coding, which is only a small part of the SCJA exam, the book takes you through all of the things that are possible in Java. It gets you excited, and makes you want to learn more. When you get to the programming part, you want to learn to program, because you want to see if Java can really live up to the hype and promise - WHICH IT CAN!

Five Stars.

A Great Book, 01 Sep 2005
What Can I say, I bought this book recently, half expecting that I would end up buying another to support the material. but I was seriously wrong this book has everything you need to know to pass the exam. Detail and explanations are clear as crystal enabling the reader to get the full idea of whats actually happening and why in code. I read the book in 4 days and took the exam and passed first time with only this book.

Excellent study guide, excellent reference, 29 Oct 2004
If you are studying to become a Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform 1.4 this book will help you to receive not just a passing grade but an excellent understanding of the intricacies of the Java programming language. Mughal and Rasmussen aren't satisfied with simply giving you a minimal understanding of Java so that you can pass a test. They are interested in helping you to understand the language at a deeper level. After all, it is much easier to pass the certification exam when you actually understand the material rather than when you have simply memorized a lot of details.

I'll give you an example of the level of detail that the book covers. Section 5.2 of the book covers Selection statements. The section starts with a description of the if statement followed by an activity diagram which explains the flow of the statement. The authors then show a simple example followed by a clear explanation of the if statement. Then they do the same with if-else, this time using several examples. The same level of detail follows for the switch statement, again providing clear text, with a simple activity diagram, followed by several well explained examples. Finally, the section ends with several review questions. What this means is that this book can serve you well even after you have passed the certification exam. You will be hard pressed to find a better written reference.

The book covers all the information you need to pass the certification exam and covers the material needed to connect all the pieces together. The included CD has several mock exams with questions that will help you understand the type of questions that you will face on the actual exam. If you do well on the mock exams you will do well on the real thing. Overall, this is an excellent book for studying for the Java certification. But it is such a good reference that you will want to keep it nearby even after you have passed the certification.

The best out there, 20 Nov 2003
I used the previous edition of this book to easily pass the Java 2 1.4 exam, and would have done even better with this edition. The mock exam questions were of a high standard; I thought they were pitched at a slightly higher level than the exam itself. I'd recommend this book over the others if you want to pass the exam and learn the core java language in a rigorous way, rather than just to pass the exam.

Does what it says on the cover, 02 Jul 2003
I sat and passed the Java 1.4 certified programmer exam using this book. It gave me a good practical grounding in the Java fundamentals. I found the practice exam questions more difficult than the actual exam, which was a pleasant suprise!
A note to those sitting the 1.4 exam, the book has not yet been updated for 1.4, so does not cover assertions (but the books website has a chapter on it) and additions to Collections - eg LinkedHashMap.

Very good book - but not for the GUI programmer, 21 Jun 2003
For the most part this an excellent book.It covers the java basics and OO basics very well. Actually, it teaches more than the basics well. I found the review questions useful, although the programming exercises do not require much thought. The solution steps - even the constituent classes are outlined. All that remains is to translate the solution you are given into code. I know swing is a big area and deserves a book in its own right - the author even says so in the book. However, this is one area where I feel that I didn't even get a good grasp of the basics. The book covers more advancced swing - like custom models and events - before it gave me a good underdstanding of the fundamentals.

perfect for giving you the confidence you need to pass big!, 15 Aug 2007
I wrote a review for the SCJA Certification Guide, SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Study Guide for Test CX-310-019, 2nd Edition - Incredible Update to the former ExamScam Book, and I mentioned the fact that I used this book as well to practice exam questions, and really solidify my knowledge.

This book is a huge confidence builder, and I don't think I would have scored nrearly as high if I didn't have it. If you want to make sure you pass the exam, you have to add this book to your collection.

Highly recommended.

prepares you for the real exam, 14 Aug 2007
This book delivers on exatly what it promises - over 400 pages of SCJA type questions and answers.

The one thing I liked about this exam question resource was the fact that every question was just like the exam. I've used other simulators that end up asking a bunch of true and false, or fill in the blank type questions that just act as filler, and don't properly prepare you for the real exam experience. Every question in this book is worded exactly like the questions you get in the real exam, with tough topics being covered, and solid, tough, multiple choice answers that really make you think hard. Plus, the questions are all answered in detail. If you don't understand an question, or you get the question wrong, once you've read the explaination, you won't have any more problems understanding the subject.

Five stars.

If you want to pass SCJP5 exam get this book!, 20 Dec 2008
If you are studying for the SCJP5 exam this book is essential.

It goes in to each exam objective in detail with lots of practice questions at the end of each chapter.

Using this book along with some really good mock exams then you will be in a very good position to passing the SCJP5 exam.

really good book, 04 Sep 2008
this book is really good. I can recommend it. It is a fantastic preparation for the exam and even after the exam you can use it.

good but could be lighter and more concise, please revise, 14 Jun 2008
This a good book but not a great book. I passed the SCJP 5 exam after using this book and practicing using WhizzLabs mock exams which I would also recommend and found very necessary.

The book could be at least 100 pages lighter simply by not repeating the exercise questions in the answers section after each chapter. Cheesy attempts to lighten up the book with humour were just plain irritating, waste of paper and should be removed. The extra weight is not forgiven when you've lugged the book around in a laptop bag on a train. Less is definitely more. Having said that the end of chapter questions are very thought provoking and really do test your understanding. I would say these questions are generally harder than the exam but very good preparation.

There are two monster chapters (ch6 97 pages and ch7 114 pages) which really should be split up. These each took me over 5 hours to work through and I then had to go through them again after failing my first mock exam. The introductory sections on Generics was overdone and confusing and it would have been better to concentrate on the correct use and legal syntax rather than trying to justify and explain how they got added to the Java Language spec.

The mock exam that comes with the book is a pain to use. The screen size is too small and you end up spending too much time scrolling to read the code and possible answers. Having said that the questions are representative of the level in the exam.

With these caveats I would recommend the book and having looked at others, I suspect it is probably the best on the market at the current time.

Passed easily with this book, 19 May 2008
Achieved score of over 90% in my SCJP exam using this book alone. Didn't even use the CD - found the book's content and practice questions sufficient. The book is extremely thorough and well written, even mildly amusing in places which helps when some of the topics are such heavy going. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for the SCJP exam - it's all you'll need!

It got me through!!!, 21 Apr 2008
I seriously recommend this book. It depends on your experience how hard you will have to study it but I passed my exam today and that is really the point isn't it. I found the book easy going and the practise questions and practise exams on the CD were really helpful. I do think that you have to understand that reading won't be enough, you actually have to write programs and the more you write the better you will do.

Probably the best book I have read on the subject, 23 Nov 2008
For a number of years I worked in Java developing web applications with the technologies covered in this book. Believe me I wish I had a copy of this book then.

For the past few years I have worked exclusively on enterprise applications so I decided rather than lose the presentation tier I would revise the material and take the exam.

Initially I bought the head first book JSPs & Servlets. Don't get me wrong I love the head first books but I didn't feel as if I was learning a lot of detail. The head first book is a huge book and is very daunting, yet it felt lacking in detail.

This book simply provides way more detail than the head first book.

Granted I'm only 3/4 way through the book but it's been a fantastic read so far. I tend to underline/highlight anything I feel is important in my first pass of a book. I have pretty much underlined the entire book! There is very little padding in there.

I have a feeling that this book probably has a little bit too much detail for the exam. However since I haven't taken the exam yet this is a hunch. I do believe this book will make a fantastic companion if you are actually using these technologies in your daily working life.

To summarise fantastic read, probably best on this subject. Concise but detailed. A must have.

Excellent: keep this in arms reach!!!, 16 Apr 2008
I had already been learning J2EE for a couple of months but it soon became clear I didn't really know my way around the Web container ;) The book starts off with the absolute basics and walks though everything you need to know to write and deploy servlets and JSPs. The end of chapter questions are tough but they helped me find areas that my brain skipped over on the first read. I think this is possibly the best referance book on the market and several months later I'm still thumbing through it on my desk! The diagrams really are "at a glance" as it says on the books description. The only downside is that this book has mostly code snippets and only contains a couple of full working examples - which actually makes the book better for quick reference. I found other reviews and a sample chapter on the publishers site - take a look!

If you want to pass SCJP5 exam get this book!, 20 Dec 2008
If you are studying for the SCJP5 exam this book is essential.

It goes in to each exam objective in detail with lots of practice questions at the end of each chapter.

Using this book along with some really good mock exams then you will be in a very good position to passing the SCJP5 exam.

really good book, 04 Sep 2008
this book is really good. I can recommend it. It is a fantastic preparation for the exam and even after the exam you can use it.

good but could be lighter and more concise, please revise, 14 Jun 2008
This a good book but not a great book. I passed the SCJP 5 exam after using this book and practicing using WhizzLabs mock exams which I would also recommend and found very necessary.

The book could be at least 100 pages lighter simply by not repeating the exercise questions in the answers section after each chapter. Cheesy attempts to lighten up the book with humour were just plain irritating, waste of paper and should be removed. The extra weight is not forgiven when you've lugged the book around in a laptop bag on a train. Less is definitely more. Having said that the end of chapter questions are very thought provoking and really do test your understanding. I would say these questions are generally harder than the exam but very good preparation.

There are two monster chapters (ch6 97 pages and ch7 114 pages) which really should be split up. These each took me over 5 hours to work through and I then had to go through them again after failing my first mock exam. The introductory sections on Generics was overdone and confusing and it would have been better to concentrate on the correct use and legal syntax rather than trying to justify and explain how they got added to the Java Language spec.

The mock exam that comes with the book is a pain to use. The screen size is too small and you end up spending too much time scrolling to read the code and possible answers. Having said that the questions are representative of the level in the exam.

With these caveats I would recommend the book and having looked at others, I suspect it is probably the best on the market at the current time.

Passed easily with this book, 19 May 2008
Achieved score of over 90% in my SCJP exam using this book alone. Didn't even use the CD - found the book's content and practice questions sufficient. The book is extremely thorough and well written, even mildly amusing in places which helps when some of the topics are such heavy going. Highly recommend to anyone preparing for the SCJP exam - it's all you'll need!

It got me through!!!, 21 Apr 2008
I seriously recommend this book. It depends on your experience how hard you will have to study it but I passed my exam today and that is really the point isn't it. I found the book easy going and the practise questions and practise exams on the CD were really helpful. I do think that you have to understand that reading won't be enough, you actually have to write programs and the more you write the better y