As for buckling down… Eh… What good does that do for me on a job? How will that improve me as a programmer? And if it doesn’t improve me as a programmer or prove I’m a programmer, what’s the point of the test?

If I couldn’t buckle down and get things done, I’d not have a job. At least I’d hope not.

*shrugs*

Their exams, like all the other exams from Novell, Citrix, Cisco, Oracle, etc etc etc, don’t prove that you are a better (programmer/sysadmin/engineer). What they prove is that you are serious enough about your craft to buckle down, spend some personal time and committment, and pass it.