How much do Java Certifications such as OCAJP, OCPJP, JPA cost?
The cost of appearing for the Java Certification exam is typically USD 245 in the US. However, cost varies from country to country and exam to exam. The Java SE 8 Professional Certification has two exams, OCAJP 8 or 1Z0-808 and OCPJP 8 or 1Z0-809, cost of both certification exams are different in different countries. For example, the 1Z0-808 costs around 10,000 INR in India but 245 USD in the USA, 330 CND in Canada, 322 SGD in Singapore, and CHF 238 in Switzerland. You should check the cost on Oracle's official website.Oracle also runs promotions on anniversaries and reduces this price of temporarily. There is no fixed schedule for such promotions, so you have to watch out for them on sites such as JavaRanch.com. You should also go through Oracle's Exam Policy
Before releasing new versions of an exam, Oracle offers Beta version of the new exam for a low cost. Typically, beta exams cost USD 50 only.
Since appearing for the exam is a costly affair, you would not want to fail the exam. To ensure you pass on your first try, you should also buy a good book and a set of high quality mock exams. Books typically cost $10 to $50 and good mock exams such as Enthuware's are only $10.
Of course, money is not the only cost. Oracle's Java certifications are tough to pass and so, you will need to spend considerable time preparing for the exams. Even candidate is unique and it is not possible to determine how much time one may need for preparation. However, if you attempt one full sized Enthuware mock exam, you will get a fair idea about where you stand and how much preparation do you need.