Belt system
Our grading system is composed of belt levels and exams.
Example:
- Levels (from the Belt track): Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Brown, Black
- Exam: OO Basic, Java SE Intermed, Ant Basic,...
The belt track is a path that you follow. You start from the white belt, then when you succeed some exams, you get a yellow belt, then you pass more and get your orange, green, blue, brown and black belt.
The belt track
, with one grade per belt color 
.
Grades & Exams
You typically take exams. For example, you pass a test about OO Basic.
An exam might be required to succeed a grade. For example, the yellow belt grade requires to succeed with the OO Basic and the Java SE Basic exams.
When you succeed these two exams, you get your yellow belt.
An exam is a multiple-choice test to pass on-line. We start proposing programming assignment tasks also.
From the blue belt, you can join our JavaBlackBelt LinkedIn group. Please send you join request to JavaBlackBelt dot Admin ATT gmail dot com.
Knowledge Points
Every Exam awards you knowledge points when successfully passed.For most grades, we do not list the exact exams that you must perform.
For example, the orange belt requires you to take the Java SE Inermed exam, but it is not enough. You must also collect 18 knowledge points (18
).
Each succeeded exam grant you a few knowledge points.
Example:
- 3 OO Basic
- 6 Java SE Basic
- 6 Java SE Intermed
- 3 JDBC Basic
.You will take the two first exams of this list for your yellow (previous) belt.
Java SE Intermed is required for orange. Then, if you succeed with the last (JDBC Basic), you have collected enough points for your orange belt.
For a grade, the (eventual) list of exams is mandatory to pass the grade, but not enough. You must pass other exams until you attain the given total of knowledge points in your profile.
When you need knowledge points, you can choose the exams you want to pass from the global list , according to your experience and strengths.
Unlike contribution points, you cannot "spend" your knowledge points. Your knowledge point balance never decreases (because you would have failed an exam, for example).
Sequence
You may take exams in any order, but you will not have a grade (a belt) until you have all the previous belts.
For example, if you fit the conditions to have a green belt, you also need to fit the orange and yellow belt conditions to get your green belt.
Fail - wait - retry
When you fail an Exam, you can retry it after a waiting period, which is typically 15 days (depending on the Exam). You can retry as often as you like as long as you respect the waiting period.The fact that you have failed an Exam before you eventually passing it is not recorded in your profile (at least, it is not visible by others ;-).
Contribution Points
Most exams require you to give few contribution points 
.
The exams for the yellow belt require no contribution points, so you can have a quick start.
How and why to get contribution points is discussed in the contribution points page.