How Close Are You to Ready?

The 14-question assessment tests in this chapter and Chapter 2 are designed to help you answer the question: “How close am I to ready?” The best way to start answering the readiness question is to set aside 42 minutes (yes, 42!) and take the first assessment exam.

As we discussed in the introduction, many Java programmers with years of experience are surprised by the depth and breadth of topics covered in the OCP Java SE 6 Programmer exam. The assessment exams in this chapter and Chapter 2 are designed to help you determine how much more studying you’ll need to do before you take the real exam. Each of the first two chapters includes a table to help you match your assessment test results to a rough study plan. In a nutshell, for each of the assessment exams, 8 (out of 14) correct questions is on the boundary of achieving a passing score.

The exams in this book are intended primarily for candidates who feel they’ve mostly completed their studies and want additional exam practice. If your scores on the assessment exams are not near the passing mark, we recommend you do more studying before trying any of the four full practice exams included in later chapters. In other words, this book’s job is to help you put the final touches on your OCP Java SE 6 Programmer preparation. It’s NOT intended to be your primary study guide.

With all that said, set your timer to 42 minutes and dive in. We’ll see you on the other side…