The first batch of new Java 7 certification exams have finally gone live.

Oracle recently announced that the Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 7 Programmer (OCAJP) exam was ready to be tackled by eager test takers (although beta test takers still haven't received their exam scores yet). Having completed the beta testing phase and post beta exam review, the final product presents test-taker with 90 questions that must be answered within 150 minutes. The required passing score? A whopping 75%, so test takers will want to use the full hour and a half to check and double-check their answers. At $300 a shot, these aren't exams people will want to take twice or a third time.

Of course, the Associate exam is now the precursor to the Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE 7 Programmer (OCPJP) designation. The new Professional certification is the equivalent of the old Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) exam, but as of Java 7, the Associate certification is a pre-requisite. Yes, candidates must now pass two exams to obtain their Java Professional designation.

Currently, only the OCAJP exam is in full production. The OCPJP Upgrade Exam is currently in the post-beta review phase, and the full OCPJP exam hasn't even started with beta testing. The OCPJP exam is scheduled to go into the beta phase within the next month or two, and likely won't go live until mid-summer.

More information is availabe on Oracle's Certification Program page.

Java Certification Books and Learning Resources

OCP Java SE 6 Programmer Practice Exams (Exam 310-065) (Certification Press)
OCP Java SE 7 Programmer Study Guide (Certification Press)
SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 6 Exam 310-065
A Programmer's Guide to Java SCJP Certification: A Comprehensive Primer (3rd Edition)
SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Study Guide for Test CX-310-019, 2nd Edition

Check out these other tutorials from TheServerSide's Sal Pece and Cameron McKenzie covering the new Java 7 features:

New Java 7 Features: Binary Notation and Literal Variable Initialization
New Java 7 Features: Numeric Underscores with Literals Tutorial
New Java 7 Features: Using String in the Switch Statement Tutorial
New Java 7 Features: The Try-with-resources Language Enhancement Tutorial 
New Java 7 Features: Automatic Resource Management (ARM) and the AutoCloseable Interfact Tutorial
New Java 7 Features: Suppressed Exceptions and Try-with-resources Tutorial
Java 7 Mock Certification Exam: A Tricky OCPJP Question about ARM and Try-with-Resources
OCAJP Exam to Debuts in March 2010. OCPJP Released in June?
OCPJP & OCAJP Java 7 Exams: Oracle Drops the Training Requirement
OCAJP and OCPJP Changes for Java 7:  New Objectives, a Format Change and a Price Hike

Do you know about any serious alternative where you can prove you are worthy without being ripped off your money?

Work on an open source project; costs nothing, your code is visible to all, and you generate a reputation by doing so.

Do people really think all employers look at such things as "certificates" from some company with its own commercial interests?

I was waiting for this certification to become live because, as a programmer for fetele norocoase , If I get this exam, I'll have a consisten sallary increase. I have been peparing for it and I am confident I'll take it.