We are excited to announce that the OCP Java SE 21 Developer exam and Java SE 21 Programming Complete course are now available. Here is the link to the learning path.

The Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) Java SE 21 exam is designed for Java developers to validate their skills and expertise in Java Standard Edition (SE) 21. This certification demonstrates a developer’s proficiency in Java programming and is recognized by employers as a mark of excellence and technical capability. Java Developer OCP has always been considered one of the most sought-after certifications, providing a competitive edge in the industry. 

The Power of Modern Java 

Java has continuously evolved to enhance its functionality, performance, and developer productivity. The previous release of the Java Professional certification exam and the supporting course covered Java SE 17 Long-Term Support (LTS) release of the language. 
Java SE 21 is the next Long-Term Support (LTS) release, meaning it will receive extended support and updates from Oracle. This stability makes it an ideal choice for building and maintaining long-term projects. Learning an LTS version ensures you are using a version that will be supported for years to come. The journey from Java 17 to Java 21 reflects significant advancements in the language, the runtime, and the development ecosystem. 
The new Java SE 21 Developer learning path offers on opportunity to learn the modern long-term support version of Java and covers numerous features and enhancements that improve developer productivity, code readability, and application performance. By learning Java SE 21, you can take advantage of these advancements:

  • Pattern Matching for Switch: Use switch statements and expressions to better express the logic of complex control flows.
  • Record Patterns: Unravel record structures to make data processing more intuitive and concise.
  • Virtual Threads: Enhance concurrency handling, when implementing I/O bound tasks, such as web servers. Improve application scalability and performance.
  • Sequenced Collections: Utilize a unified approach in handling collections with a well-established sequence of elements.

Each new version of Java includes critical security patches and performance improvements. By using Java SE 21, you benefit from the latest security enhancements and optimizations, ensuring that your applications are secure and efficient. 

Technology evolves rapidly, and keeping your skills current is essential to staying relevant in the industry. Learning Java SE 21 will help you future-proof your skills, ensuring that you are prepared for upcoming trends and innovations in the Java ecosystem. The improvements and features in Java SE 21 contribute to writing cleaner, more efficient, and more maintainable code. Features like enhanced pattern matching and record patterns reduce boilerplate code and make your applications easier to understand and maintain. Thus, staying current with the latest Java version can significantly enhance your career prospects. Employers often seek developers familiar with the most recent technologies and trends. Proficiency in Java SE 21 demonstrates that you are up-to-date with the latest industry standards and practices, and of course the Java Certified Professional credential is considered to be the best way to prove that.

It should be noted that the Java SE 21 Programming Complete course is not exclusively focused on new features. It provides an in-depth coverage for all core Java topics and most frequently used APIs. It teaches developers the theory behind important concepts of the Java language, as well as offers a set of practical exercises teaching how to build a fully functioning Java application from scratch. 

About the Exam

The Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 21 Developer (1Z0-830) exam is designed for individuals who possess a strong knowledge and practical experience in Java development. This certification validates a deep understanding of Java language and covers a broad range of topics essential for proficient Java programming. This certification exam verifies your ability to:

  • Demonstrate proficiency with core Java concepts such as object-oriented and functional programming with classes, interfaces, records, and lambda expressions
  • Use inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism, and generics
  • Handle date, time, text, numeric and Boolean values
  • Control program flow and handle exceptions
  • Work with core Java APIs such as Streams, Arrays, and Collections, Concurrency and Parallelism, I/O and Localization
  • Utilize Java Modules, package, and deploy Java Code

Exam Format: The exam consists of multiple-choice questions that test both theoretical knowledge and practical application of Java programming concepts. Questions often include code snippets that candidates must analyze to spot problems, or predict the output of given Java programs.

Preparation: To prepare for the OCP Java SE 21 Developer exam, candidates are encouraged to:

  • Take the Java SE 21 Programming Complete course provided by Oracle
  • Gain hands-on experience by writing and testing Java code

Please refer to the OCP Java SE 21 Developer exam page for the specific list of objectives and requirements.

Summary

Learning Java SE 21 equips you with the latest tools and knowledge to build secure, efficient, and maintainable applications. It positions you well for career advancement, ensures your skills remain relevant, and allows you to take full advantage of the ongoing improvements in the Java platform. 

I hope you are going to enjoy the training course and wish you all the best with the certification exam!