Is the SCWCD still worthwhile, and if so, how to prepare?

Question

If you have taken the Sun Certified Web Component Developer certification, or otherwise know a lot about it, how would you rate its usefulness? How does it compare with SCJP or SCJD, for example? (Note: SCJP specific discussion can be found e.g. here and here.)

As someone considering taking the SCWCD, I'd hope it would improve my understanding of Java EE foundations and the web container model in general; sessions, filters, all that stuff you configure in web.xml, and so on. But I also have some doubts about the usefulness: is learning about "low-level" Servlet and JSP stuff, JSP tag libraries etc., so relevant these days, with an abundance of higher-level libraries and frameworks like Apache Wicket or JSF available? What do you think - do the actually useful and continually relevant things outweight any obsolete stuff?

As for preparation for the exam; as far as I know, there are 2 main book options:

• SCWCD Study Guide by David Bridgewater
• Head First Servlets and JSP by Bryan Basham et al.

What do you think of these? Any other resources or practise exams you can recommend?

Some background: for me the main point would be to gain more technical understanding, not so much to improve chances of getting a job (as I'm happily employed currently). However, I do think that aiming to pass the exam would be a great motivating factor for studying these things, and that the certification certainly wouldn't do harm if and when looking for a job in the future. I took the SCJP exam in 2006, and for me, as a junior Java developer, that was a good learning experience.

[Note: this question isn't about whether certifications in general are useful or improve your skills; I think that has already been thoroughly covered on SO.]

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Edit: Thanks for the helpful answers; if it was possible I'd have marked both as accepted. :) Personally I'm more determined now that I am going take the exam. (Sometime during 2009, I hope. I'll post my own experiences here afterwards.)

By the way, I stumbled upon a blog post which also works as a nice answer to this question:
Eric Wendelin: Lessons learned from the SCWCD

Edit2: Here are some resources on JavaRanch that seem like something you shouldn't miss:

• SCWCD Links
• SCWCD FAQ
• SCWCD discussion forum
• Bryan Basham on differences between SCWCD 1.4 and SCWCD 5

Answer 1

In my opinion taking the SCWCD is a very good idea if you are working as a JavaEE developer. I enjoyed taking the SCWCD and it gave a lot to me.

Of course there are many good frameworks like SpringMVC, Struts, and many other but unfortunately there is a lot of old code out there. It is also useful to know how Servlets work even if they are hidden by a framework. There is always something that can go wrong.

A big disadvantage of the SCWCD is the absence of JSF.

Comparing the SCWCD with the SCJD is not possible. The SCWCD is complete theory and for getting the SCJD you have to write a real program.

Head First Servlets and JSP is definitely the best book for your preparation. For deeper insight into some of the topics I also recommend the SCWCD Study Companion (J2EE 1.4). Don't be afraid because of the title J2EE 1.4. There is no big difference between the SCWCD and SCWCD 5.

If you would like to get more information and read other discussions visit JavaRanch.com

Answer 2

I have taken the SCWCD exam and I would definitely recommend the experience. Although most projects use a web framework (rather than programming directly to the Servlet API), that only makes a relatively small part of the SCWCD syllabus "obsolete". Even if you're using a framework you still need to understand JSP, HTTP, JSTL, sessions, filters, EL, writing custom tags, all of which are covered by the SCWCD syllabus.

The SCWCD certification is similar to the SCJP, insofar as the only requirement is that you pass a multiple-choice exam.

To prepare for the exam, the only book I used was Head First Sevlets & JSP. The book has a small number of errors, which are corrected online, so print that out and keep it on hand while reading the book. If there's anything you're unclear about, I highly recommend posting a question about it to the relevant forum on javaranch.com. I don't know whether this book is better/worse than SCWCD study guide, but using only this book I achieved a passing score of 89%, so it was good enough for me. I'd also recommend taking one or two practice exams when you think you're ready, just to make sure that you really are. You can find links to practice exams on javaranch.com.

I just remembered.....in the edition of the Head First book that I used there is one very minor topic that is not covered. However, one of the book's authors has posted a few paragraphs about it, either on JavaRanch or on the book's website. I can't remember exactly what this topic is, but perhaps somebody else knows, or you can ask on JavaRanch.

To summarise, I highly recommend taking the exam. You will learn a lot, and it won't do your resume any harm. Good luck!

Answer 3

The SCWCD was the most worthless certification I've ever seen. Admittedly, I took it a few years ago, but if it hasn't changed drastically, I would advise against it. It basically required you to learn the APIs by rote, and little else. There were hardly any questions that tested understanding.

Answer 4

To Michael Borgwardt : what is the best certification you have ever seen? It is up to the candidate how he fits his education/certification/degree to what he does in his real like. You will get plenty of chances to think about it in a negative point of view, but very little chances to take it positively and to figure out how the entire thing fits together.