4/15/2004 -- Sun Microsystems' certification program is currently working on several projects, including a new Java certification and evaluating hands-on testing methods for its upcoming Solaris 10 exams.

Sun told CertCities.com that the new Java title, Sun Certified Developer for Java Web Services, will be released in late June or early July of this year.

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Although the title has yet to be officially announced, the company has made several posts about it on the Web site JavaRanch.com, include one last last week about an upcoming beta exam.

General Manager of Sun Certification Services Bee Ng, Ph.D, told CertCities.com in an interview earlier this week that program decided to launch this title based on a growing need. "Web services is a hot new area," she explained. "If you see some of the research that has been done... 57 percent of developers expect to use Java when building Web services.

"[This title] is something that people are waiting for."

The new title will require candidates to hold Sun's Certified Java Programmer title as a prerequisite. At launch, Ng said Web Services will require passing one exam, but in the future the credential could be expanded to include a hands-on assignment, as is currently required by the program's Certified Java Developer title.

As for what else Sun Certification Services is working on, Ng wouldn't rule out more new titles but said the program is focused on maintaining and upgrading its current certification roster.

For example, Ng said that the program is currently looking into adding hands-on simulation questions when it upgrades its Solaris exams to 10g, although she declined to offer specifics at this time. Ng also said the Sun is still considering a move to adaptive testing. "We are constantly looking at alternative things that we can do to make our program better quality," she commented.

Ng also said that her department is also looking into ways of testing candidates' skills with Sun's development tools, including the new Sun Java Studio Creator, recently made available in "early access" format. "We’re still defining what that might look like, but certainly getting developers to start looking at some of those tools would be a good thing," she explained.

The program is also slated to review its storage certificates and the Sun Certified Java Architect title within the coming months, she said.

More information about Sun's certification program can be found here. -Becky Nagel