Sun has a wide range of certifications to offer. Ever since java EE6 was released, changes have been made to the certification hierarchy and content to reflect the new specifications. Sun is also offering a discount of 10% to those that register for training / certification updates by Jan 31st 2010. Here is a comparison of the certification hierarchies

Old hierarchy:

New hierarchy:

The new hierarchy provides paths that are more specialized than the ones before. For example you can be a JSF expert. Web service + security is another specialization. Combining these certifications together can also earn you the title of a “Master“.

Apart from these changes, the core java certification – SCJP – is supposed to undergo an overhaul after the release of JDK7. Candidates are expected to code their way into passing an exam instead of selecting multiple choice questions. The exam is supposed to be renamed as SCJP plus. It was delayed after an earlier attempt to launch it was unsuccessful due to the JDK7 project taking higher priority. Whether we will see “plus” versions of developing web pages / invoking web services etc etc is yet to be seen.

Sun is about to provide an update to all its existing certifications. If you are interested in registering for training/notifications, you can do so here. At the time of this writing, there are 3 days left to register / get notifications.