What is OCPJP or OCJP?

OCJP and OCPJP (Oracle Certified Professional, Java Programmer) are older names of the Oracle Java programmer certification, used for Java 6 to 8. Before that it was called SCJP. Today the same certification is called OCP Java SE Developer, with one exam per Java version.

Is the 1Z0-808 OCA Java 8 exam still available?

Oracle lists 1Z0-808 (Java SE 8 Programmer I) as retiring on 30 November 2026. The Java 8 Programmer II (1Z0-809) and Java 11 (1Z0-819) exams are reported to retire on the same date, so new candidates should prepare for 1Z0-830 or 1Z0-831.

Do I need the OCA certificate before the OCP exam?

Not for current exams. Since Java 11 there is a single OCP Java SE Developer exam per version. The OCA step only applied to Java 8, where 1Z0-808 had to be passed before 1Z0-809.

How many questions are on the OCP Java 21 and Java 25 exams?

Both 1Z0-830 (Java 21) and 1Z0-831 (Java 25) have 50 multiple-choice questions, a 120-minute time limit and a 68% passing score, which means about 34 correct answers.

Can I prepare for the Java certification for free?

You can learn the basics for free: the ExamClouds Java Core lessons, practical tasks and tests cover flow control, OOP, exceptions, lambdas and the Stream API. For collections, concurrency, I/O and localization, and for realistic mock exams, most candidates use a paid study guide and practice tests.

Oracle Java Certification in 2026: Which OCP Exam to Take

Q: Which Oracle Java certification should I take in 2026?

Take 1Z0-831 (Java SE 25 Developer Professional) or 1Z0-830 (Java SE 21 Developer Professional). Both have 50 questions, 120 minutes and a 68% passing score, and no earlier certificate is required. Choose the one that matches your study materials.

Updated October 2026.

Short answer: if you are starting today, take 1Z0-831 (Java SE 25 Developer Professional) or 1Z0-830 (Java SE 21 Developer Professional). Both have 50 questions, 120 minutes and a 68% passing score, and neither requires an earlier certificate. Pick the one that matches your study materials: 1Z0-830 has more books and mock exams, 1Z0-831 is the newest. The Java 8 exams that older guides (and the old version of this page) describe are being retired.

Current Oracle Java SE certification exams

Exam	Name	Java version	Questions	Passing score	Status
1Z0-831	Java SE 25 Developer Professional	25	50 (120 min)	68%	Newest exam
1Z0-830	Java SE 21 Developer Professional	21	50 (120 min)	68%	Active
1Z0-829	Java SE 17 Developer	17	50	68%	Active, retirement reported for 28 February 2027
1Z0-819	Java SE 11 Developer	11	50	68%	Retirement reported for 30 November 2026
1Z0-808	Java SE 8 Programmer I (OCA)	8	56	65%	Retires 30 November 2026
1Z0-809	Java SE 8 Programmer II (OCP)	8	68	65%	Retirement reported for 30 November 2026
1Z0-811	Java Foundations (Junior Associate)	8	60	65%	Active, entry level

The 1Z0-831 exam costs $245 in the US; the price differs by country. Oracle usually announces retirements a few months ahead, so check the exam page on Oracle MyLearn before you book.

OCJP, OCPJP, SCJP and OCP: what the names mean

They are names of the same Java programmer certification from different years:

SCJP (Sun Certified Java Programmer) — the original name, used until Oracle bought Sun.
OCJP / OCPJP (Oracle Certified Professional, Java Programmer) — the Oracle name for Java 6–8. From Java 7 the exam was split into two levels: OCA (Associate, 1Z0-808 for Java 8) and OCP (Professional, 1Z0-809), and you needed the OCA certificate first.
OCP Java SE Developer — the current name. Since Java 11 there is one exam per Java version and no separate Associate step.

So when a job posting asks for “OCPJP” or “OCJP” today, any current OCP Java SE Developer certificate fits that requirement.

Which exam should you choose?

You are new to Java. Learn Java Core first, then decide. The 1Z0-811 Java Foundations exam is the easiest certificate, but it is rarely asked for by employers. Most people go straight to 1Z0-830 or 1Z0-831 after six months to a year of practice.
You already write Java at work. Take 1Z0-831 if you work with recent Java, or 1Z0-830 if you want more study guides and practice tests to choose from.
You started preparing for Java 8 or 11. Book the exam well before 30 November 2026, or move to 1Z0-830: most of the topics carry over.
You already hold an old OCJP / OCPJP. It stays on your record, but the upgrade exams (1Z0-810, 1Z0-813) no longer exist. To show current knowledge, take 1Z0-830 or 1Z0-831.

What the Java 25 exam (1Z0-831) covers

The exam objectives are published on the exam page under “Review exam topics”. The top-level areas for 1Z0-831 are:

Handling date, time, text, numeric and boolean values
Program flow control with decision and looping constructs
Object-oriented principles
Exception handling
Arrays and collections
Streams and lambda expressions
Packaging and deploying Java code (modules)
Multithreading and concurrency
Input and output with the Java I/O API
Localization

The 1Z0-830 (Java 21) exam covers almost the same areas, so preparing for one gets you most of the way to the other.

How to prepare

Learn the basics in order. The free Java Core lessons on ExamClouds cover the start of the exam syllabus: flow control, loops, arrays, OOP, exceptions, lambdas and the Stream API. Collections, concurrency, I/O, date/time and localization need a full study guide.
Write code every day. The exam is full of trick questions about what a snippet prints or whether it compiles. Running code yourself is the fastest way to learn those rules — try the practical Java tasks.
Use a study guide for your exam number. The OCP Java SE 21 and 25 Developer Study Guides by Jeanne Boyarsky and Scott Selikoff (Sybex) follow the official objectives. Oracle University also has a video course for subscribers.
Take mock exams. Enthuware mock exams are the usual choice; aim for 80% or more before booking. Check single topics with the free Java tests on ExamClouds.
Ask when stuck. The OCP forum on CodeRanch is where the study guide authors answer questions.

How to register for the exam

Buy the exam on Oracle MyLearn, assign the attempt to your Oracle account and schedule it — online with a proctor or at a test center. You get the result in CertView, and the digital badge arrives by email.