1.A program that takes a name and prints out "Hello " (tests UI API) 2.A simple game or a drawing, like traditional Paddleball game or various geometric shapes moving in screen (tests Game API) 3.A program to read an image off a website and display it on phone (tests networking) 4.A ‘signed' Hello World! Application (tests security) 5.A program that plays a simple tune (tests MMAPI) 6.A program that displays a text message (tests WMA) 7.A program that calculates tip for various pre-defined scenarios (tests RMS)

To understand concepts of J2ME programming, you can read official J2ME tutorial, which is very comprehensive. Some useful books are also listed in resources section.

Most of questions will be code-based and hence, it is very important that you understand how code is structured for various specifications.

You might want to consider purchasing SCMAD exam simulator by Whizlabs, which contains numerous questions of varying difficulty levels spread across five mock exams and a quiz and also lots of useful tips for exam.

Assuming that you have Whizlabs SCMAD Exam Simulator, {available at http://www.whizlabs.com/articles/scmad-article.html}you can use table below as a starting point for developing your preparation timeline.

WeekObjectiveNotes 0Diagnostic ExamGives you a feel of what to expect 1CLDC 1.0/1.1Basics of VM and its requirements 2Application Lifecycle/ProvisioningBasics of MIPD and its requirements 3-4MIDP UI APIDevelop and deploy Program 1 after this 5NetworkingDevelop and deploy Program 3 after this 6MIDP Persistent StorageDevelop and deploy Program 7 after this 7-8MIDP Game APIDevelop and deploy Program 2 after this 9MMAPIDevelop and deploy Program 5 after this 10WMADevelop and deploy Program 6 after this 11Push RegistrySmall, but complicated, and is related to WMA 11SecurityHelps in packaging applications securely 12JTWIGives an understanding of how technologies are tied together 12Mock ExamsTest your preparation. Revise weaker sections.

Finally, you can take some mock exams to prepare yourself from a certification standpoint.

Tips and pitfalls

·Understand conceptual difference between a J2ME configuration (like CLDC) and a J2ME profile (like MIDP). ·Memorize software and hardware requirements of various specifications. ·Memorize class hierarchies of important APIs like Generic Connection Framework, High level and low level UI API, Media classes of MIDP 2.0 and MMAPI 1.1. ·The exam tests understanding of features and differences between low level and high-level API for UI programming. So, learn them well. ·Understand that differences between media support of MIDP 2.0 and MMAPI 1.1. ·Apart from knowledge of writing proper J2ME code, exam also tests ability to write valid Java Application Descriptor (JAD) and manifest files that are used to markup deployment details of an application. So, practice writing descriptors well and deploy application in toolkit to understand behavior of various deployment tags. ·Remember that exam is a vendor neutral exam. So, you can safely ignore learning vendor APIs (like APIs provided by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and so on). ·The best reading material for this exam is specification document. So, allot enough time to go through these documents and learn concepts and API well. ·Make sure what you read is relevant to exam objectives. A common pitfall is reading and spending time on things that you may not require for exam. ·As mentioned earlier, try to develop a practical example for each concept as this will help in a better understanding of concepts.

Conclusion

With a huge customer base and vast popularity, wireless devices are here to stay. As wireless technology improves and as next generation devices come into market with increased bandwidth, demand for interactive and feature-rich wireless applications will greatly increase. Having a know-how of wireless programming will give you a competitive edge and will prepare you for future.

Resources

·J2ME tutorial by Sun Microsystems, Inc. ·SCMAD.com provides a comprehensive list of preparatory resources for certification exam. ·Exam notes by Sathya Srinivasan, to get you started on certification

Forums

·Whizlabs SCMAD Certification Forum ·SCMAD trail at JavaRanch (You might also want to visit J2MEtrail)

Books

·Wireless Java: Developing with J2ME by Jonathan Knudsen ·Wireless J2ME Platform Programming by Vartan Piroumian ·J2ME: The Complete Reference by James Keogh ·Enterprise J2ME: Developing Mobile Java Applications by Michael Juntao Yuan

Exam Simulators There are many ways to prepare for certification exams, one of them being through use of exam simulators. With these you cannot just identify your weak areas, but also get a feel of test environment.

Whizlabs has launched worlds' first-ever SCMAD (J2ME Certification) exam simulator {available at http://www.whizlabs.com/articles/scmad-article.html}that ensures your success in exam with its high-quality mock tests and quick revision tips for exam.

*First Published at Whizlabs' site.

Whizlabs (www.whizlabs.com), an ISO Certified company, is a leading provider of IT skill assessment and certification exam preparation tools. Whizlabs' suite of offerings include "IT Certification Exam simulators and Instructor-led, Online Trainings" for various exams by Sun, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and "IT skill Assessment Management Solution" for Corporations, Training Institutes.