27th Aug 2020
Oracle made a big surprizing annoucment that they are going to retire the two OCP Java 11 certification exams at the end of Sep 2020 and replace them with just one exam - OCP Java 11 Developer Exam 1Z0-819. The above flow chart shows which exam you can take to become Oracle Certified Professional Java 11 Developer. Note that you can still take OCA Java 8 1Z0-808 and OCP Java 8 1Z0-809 exams to become Oracle Certified Professional Java 8 Programmer.
Here is a detailed article about the new 1Z0-819 Exam that explains your options now.
The following information is now outdated as of 1st Oct 2020.
In March 2019, Oracle released the Java programmer certification exams for Java 11 without any beta or notice. This has caused a lot of anxiety in candidates who have been preparing for the old OCA OCP Java 8 certification exams. So, the first thing to understand here is that the old Java 8 certifications have not been stopped.
In the past, Oracle has continued offering old certification exams for a few years along with the new ones. So, don't worry, it will be at least an year before OCA OCP Java 8 certification exams will be discontinued. Your efforts towards OCA/OCP 8 haven't gone to waste. You can still take the OCA and OCP 8 exams.
Further, your Java 8 certificate will not expire. You will always remain certified for the Java 8 plaform even if new versions of the exams are released.
Having said that, technologies change fast and so, normally, we recommend people to go for the latest version of the certification exams. However, Oracle has made three big changes in the Java 11 programmer certification track -
Change in Java Certification Path
The old Java 8 programmer certification path included two certifications - The first level Java certification called the OCA level (1Z0-808) and the second level called as the OCP level (1Z0-809). You have to first clear the Oracle Certified Associate (OCA) Java 8 exam and get the OCA Java Programmer certification and then take the Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) Java 8 exam and get the OCP Java 8 Programmer certification.
With Java 11, Oracle has scrapped the OCA level certification altogether. There is only the Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 11 Developer certification. And to get this certification you have to take two exams the OCP Java 11 Programmer Part 1 Exam 1Z0-815 and OCP Java 11 Programmer Part 2 exam 1Z0-816. So, you will get only one certificate after passing two exams.Change in Exam Scope
The topics covered by the new Java 11 certification exam are a little different from the old OCA Java 8 1Z0-808 exam. So, if you are a java beginner, it will not be easy for you to prepare for the new exam using old certification books. The new exam is about the same in toughness level as the old exam but due to changes in Java language, many topics are affected. Thus, you should get new books to prepare for the new certification. As of now (Dec 2019), two study guides are available for OCP Java 11 Certification Part 1 1Z0-815 Exam and one study guide for OCP Java 11 Certification Part 2 1Z0-816 exam is expected in April 2020.OCP Java 11 1Z0-816 exam eligibility
One good thing that Oracle has done is that they have made OCA Java 5/6, 7, or 8 certified candidates eligible to take the OCP Java 11 part 2 exam. In other words, if you have already passed the OCA 6, 7, or 8 exam (1Z0-850, 1Z0-803, or 1Z0-808) then you can directly appear for the OCP Java 11 part 2 (1Z0-816) exam. So, if you want the latest Java 11 certification, you can still do that in just two exams. It will be relatively easier to pass the 1Z0-808 exam using existing resources. By the time you pass the 1Z0-808 exam, resources for the 1Z0-816 exam will be available in the market. This approach gives you two certificates in two exams - The OCA Java 8 programmer certificate and the OCP Java 11 Developer certification.
Considering the above three points, it may be better to go for the old 1Z0-808 exam now and then go for the 1Z0-816 exam later. But if you are an experienced Java developer, you may go for the new OCP Java 11 Part 1 1Z0-815 exam. The benefit here is that you won't have to spend time on topics such as the Date/Time API. The style of questions has also been changed a little. The new exam doesn't ask too many questions on syntax and stuff that an IDE can highlight. After reading about the new topics online, you can use Enthuware 1Z0-815 Mock Exams to see if you are ready. If you pass these mock exams, you can certainly pass the real Java Certification part 1 exam.
What if you are already an OCP for Java 6, 7, or 8 (i.e. you have passed 1Z0-851, 1Z0-804, or 1Z0-809 exam)?
If you are already an Oracle Certified Professional for Java 6, 7, or 8, you can directly take the OCP Java 11 Upgrade 1Z0-817 exam. Although, you are also eligible to take the 1Z0-816 exam, we recommend to take 1Z0-817 exam because it is a lot easier than 1Z0-816.Note: Oracle has announced that OCP Java 11 Upgrade Exam 1Z0-817 will be retired on 30th Nov 2021. This means that you can't take this exam after 30th Nov 2021. So, if you are preparing for this exam, better take it as soon as possible.
The 1Z0-817 exam lets you upgrade even your old OCJP Java 6 certification to OCP Java 11. Hopefully, the new upgrade certification (if Oracle releases it for OCP Java 17) will also allow the same.