My ex-company sponsored my certifications for the SCJP and the SCWCD (Sun Certified Java Programmer and Sun Certified Web Component Developer) as there was a government scheme called CITREP that allowed for them to claim the costs of the course. However, to get the maximum rebate, I had to pass the exams!
The exams were not exactly a piece of cake as many of the questions required thinking like a compiler! I had to spend lotsa lotsa time studying just to pass these exams…