What Is a Java Certification? How to Get One

The information technology (IT) company Oracle offers six different Java certification paths for tech professionals. By earning a Java certification, you can develop and demonstrate your skills to potential employers, boost your Java programming abilities, qualify for a higher-paying job, and make your resume stand out. Compare six Java certifications and learn how you can earn one in the article below.

Want to earn your first Java certificate to launch your career as a software developer? Consider learning from industry leaders in technology by enrolling to earn IBM's Java Developer Professional Certificate. You'll develop and deploy Java applications using industry-standard tools like NoSQL databases and Docker in as little as three months.

How to get a certification in Java

To get a Java certification, you must first decide which certification path to follow and meet the necessary requirements to take your chosen exam. You can compare certification paths in the following section. Once you’re confident in the material, it’s time to register by purchasing an exam. Oracle offers Java certifications at various experience levels, as well as preparatory courses corresponding to each exam. You can study on your own or take the opportunity to earn a certificate after studying by enrolling in an online program covering core Java programming concepts.

Is Java certification worth it?

If you're transitioning from a related role, a certification can help demonstrate experience that your previous role may not. You can use certifications to fill the gaps in your resume or increase your competitiveness as a job market candidate. If the cost of a Java certification is an obstacle, you may opt for a more cost-effective credential that includes training, like a Java certificate program.

Java certification paths

Oracle Java certification paths include two at the beginner or associate level and six at the advanced or professional level. To obtain a professional-level certification, you must first complete the corresponding associate-level certification, if applicable.

Associate Java certification paths

• Oracle Certified Associate (OCA), Java SE 8 Programmer: This certification path includes two steps and is designed to reflect a foundational understanding of Java. If you are new to Java and interested in becoming a professional Java developer, you might start here.

• Java Certified Foundations Associate: This certification path is geared toward students in two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and secondary schools who are either studying computer science or have participated in the Oracle Academy program as well as faculty members teaching foundational Java. Although this is a beginner certification path, you'll need a basic understanding of Java.

Professional Java certification paths

• Oracle Certified Professional, Java EE 7 Application Developer: This certification path validates the exam taker's ability to program and deploy applications using Java Enterprise Edition 7. It is best suited for intermediate to advanced Java front-end developers and back-end developers.

• Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE 8 Programmer: The first step in this certification path is the Oracle Certified Associate (OCA) credential mentioned above.

• Oracle Certified Professional: Java SE 11 Developer: This certification path, upon completion, demonstrates a thorough knowledge of Java SE 11's new features and the Java programming language as a whole.

• Oracle Certified Professional: Java SE 17 Developer: This certification path is designed to demonstrate the exam taker's ability to utilize the new features of Java SE 17 as well as proficiency in Java (Standard Edition) and coding practices.

• Oracle Certified Professional: Java SE 21 Developer: Focused on Java Standard Edition 21, this certification path is recognized by employers as verification of technical proficiency in Java SE 21's modern features.

• Oracle Certified Professional Helidon Microservices Developer: This certification path verifies the exam taker's skills in working with the cloud-native, open-source Helidon application programming interface (API), including the Helidon programming language, MicroProfile features in Helidon 2.5.4, and coding practices. This is an ideal route for someone who wants to become a Helidon microservices software developer.

Let’s explore each certification in more detail in the sections below.

6 popular Oracle Java certification options to consider

1. Oracle Certified Professional, Java EE 7 Application Developer (1Z0-900)

Requirements: Recommended prior experience with programming and Java SE

Cost (US): $245 [1]

Exam format: 70 multiple-choice questions, 120 minutes

Exam topics: Java EE architecture, business logic using Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs), Java Message Service API, SOAP services, REST services, WebSockets, CDI Beans, concurrency API, and Batch API

Being an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) in Java Enterprise Edition 7 demonstrates your ability to develop and deploy programs using Java EE 7 to future employers. You’ll need prior experience using Java Standard Edition to qualify for this certification. 

2. Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 8 Programmer (1Z0-808)

Requirements: Intermediate experience with Java SE 8

Cost (US): $245 [1]

Exam format: 56 multiple-choice questions, 120 minutes

Exam topics: Java basics, working with Java data types, operators, decision constructs, arrays, loops, handling exceptions, Java API

The Oracle Certified Associate Java Standard Edition 8 Programmer credential demonstrates your foundational Java skills. To succeed at this certification level, you should have an intermediate knowledge of Java SE 8 along with programming experience. Earning this credential is a prerequisite to attaining Java SE 8 credentials at a professional level. 

3. Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE 8 Programmer (1Z0-809)

Requirements: Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 8 Programmer

Cost (US): $245 [1]

Exam format: 68 multiple-choice questions, 120 minutes

Exam topics: Java classes, advanced Java classes, generics and collections, Lambda built-in Functional Interfaces, Java I/O fundamentals, concurrency, localization

After completing the associate level certification, you can move on to earn an Oracle Certified Professional in Java SE 8 Programmer certification. The professional level demonstrates a more advanced background in Java SE 8 and a proven ability to use Java SE 8 in real-world applications. You can take a more advanced course in Java or gain hands-on experience to prepare yourself for a higher level of certification. 

4. Java Certified Foundations Associate (1Z0-811)

Requirements: Basic knowledge of Java 

Cost (US): $95 [2]

Exam format: 60 multiple-choice questions, 120 minutes

Exam topics: Real-world applications of Java, elements of Java, data types, operators, strings, classes, decision statements, looping statements, arrays, debugging

The Java Certified Foundations Associate requires you to understand Java concepts and have practical, hands-on skills with Java. Oracle designed this course for students studying Java or ready to begin careers using Java. 

5. Oracle Certified Professional: Java SE 11 Developer (1Z0-819)

Requirements: Advanced knowledge of Java 

Cost (US): $245 [1]

Exam format: 50 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes

Exam topics: Object-oriented approach, data types, exception handling, arrays, collections, streams, Lambda expressions, modular applications, secure coding, localizations

Earning an Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 11 Developer certification demonstrates your professional-level knowledge and skills working with Java SE 11, specifically the changes from version 8. If you currently hold an OCP in Java SE 8, you can take this Java certification to upgrade your skill set to a new version of Java. 

6. Oracle Certified Professional: Java SE 17 Developer (1Z0-829)

Requirements: Advanced knowledge of Java SE 17

Cost (US): $245 [1]

Exam format: 50 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes

Exam topics: Controlling program flow such as if/else and switch statements; Java object-oriented approach; handling exceptions; working with arrays, collections, streams, and collections; Java Platform Module system

As an Oracle Certified Professional in Java SE 17, you demonstrate your advanced skills with Java Standard Edition 17. Java SE 17 is a recent edition of Java that Oracle offers as a certified credential, although it released Java SE 20 in March 2023 and Java SE 21 in September 2023. If you currently hold a certification in Java SE 11 or Java SE 8, upgrading to the Java SE 17 certification can help show potential employers that you’re staying current on the newest Java technology. 

Ready to start prepping for a Java certification exam? Get hands-on practice while building your technical communication skills for job interviews with the Object Oriented Java Programming: Data Structures and Beyond Specialization from UC San Diego.

Java certification salary and job outlook 

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the projected job growth for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers is 17 percent from 2023 to 2033 [3]. Although it doesn’t offer insight into Java software developers, Statista reports that Java was the seventh most popular programming language in 2024 [4]. While Java certification may boost your earning power, it also helps you qualify for more advanced or senior programming roles. 

Java certification careers

Java is relevant for several careers in computer technology and software development. Three examples of positions you can pursue with a Java certification include Java software developer, Android developer, and full-stack developer. 

*All salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of June 2025.

Java software developer

Average base US salary (Glassdoor): $110,353 [5]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 17 percent [3]

Typical education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in an IT-related field to work as a Java software developer

As a Java software developer, you’ll work with a team to design, create, test, and repair software using the programming language. Depending on the size of your team, you may have a specialized role or a broad one. Some typical tasks for Java software developers include testing and debugging code, developing technical designs, and monitoring security. 

Android developer

Average base US salary (Glassdoor): $91,824 [6]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 17 percent [3]

Typical education requirements: A bachelor’s in an IT-related field to work as an Android developer

As an Android developer, you’ll do a lot of similar tasks to a software developer. The major difference is that you’ll design and create software to run on Android devices that will be available in the Google Play Store. While the official Android app programming language has been Kotlin since 2019, Java was the official language prior to that and remains relevant for developing Android apps today. 

You can earn a Professional Certificate and specialized training from the experts at Meta within eight months with no previous experience:

Full-stack developer

Average base US salary (Glassdoor): $96,289 [7]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 17 percent [3]

Typical education requirements: An IT-related four-year degree to work as a full-stack developer

As a full-stack developer, you’ll help develop software as a versatile professional who can work on both back-end and front-end tasks. Java is a beneficial language for full-stack developers, as well as languages such as Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and SQL. In this role, you will likely complete a variety of tasks, such as front-end design, database management, and testing. 

Become a full-stack developer Professional Certificate holder in just five months with IBM's Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate program:

Prepare for certification with a Java programming course on Coursera

Looking to land a role as a Java developer? Earn credentials with IBM through the Java Developer Professional Certificate program on Coursera. You'll develop your first apps in Java and learn in-demand cloud deployment skills in as little as three months.

Or, prepare for your Java certification by solidifying your object-oriented programming (OOP) skills with the Object Oriented Java Programming: Data Structures and Beyond Specialization, offered by UC San Diego, focusing on using Java to solve complex problems.