Coding Certifications

As I read and learn various techniques to aid me in completing my assignment for the Sun Certified Java Developer exam, I am left wondering why Sun is the only company that I know of that has this type of exam for certification in their development language. Especially after the dot-bomb years where even my postman had an MCSE or MCSD you would think Microsoft would have implemented a test that actually requires one to create and submit a working program.

I’m not saying that written tests serve no purpose, but I think in addition to the written tests the requirement to complete a program using good development and design techniques is a very good way to rate an individual’s ability. As I read somewhere on the JavaRanch forums, the written test certification tells an employer that they won’t have to teach you the language, a certification involving writing a program tells the employer that you are fully capable of developing actual applications using the language. Now which candidate do you want in your shop for intermediate to high level positions?

If anyone knows of any other tests like Sun’s Certified Developer exam, please post a comment and let me know.

On an unrelated note, I’ve been toying with the idea of setting up a Linux box at home and have been looking at various distros. The one I’ve been playing with today is the LiveCD version of Ubuntu. Really neat so far, I have a feeling this one might be the one to use. I’ll let you know how it goes.