Exam retirements - September 2016

VMware have now set a final retirement date for these 3 exams:

Exam VDCA550 for VMware Certified Advanced Professional 5 — Data Center Administration (VCAP5-DCA)

Exam VDCD550 for VMware Certified Advanced Professional 5 — Data Center Design (VCAP5-DCD)

Exam VCXN610 for VMware Certified Implementation Expert — Network Virtualization (VCIX-NV)

If you still want to attempt these exams before they retire, the last date for making a booking is October 31st 2016, and the end date for scheduling/taking the exams is November 30th 2016.

Each retiring exam now has an equivalent newer exam/certification available:

VCAP5-DCA > VCAP6-DCV Deployment

VCAP5-DCD > VCAP6-DCV Design

VCIX-NV > VCAP6-NV Deployment

VCAP5 exam retirements suspended

VMware have suspended the retirement of the VCAP5-DCA, VCAP5-DCD, and VCIX-NV exams as I mentioned in this previous post.

The new retirement dates will be set when the new VCAP6 exams are released, and from that point you'll have about 30 days til the VCAP5 exams will be killed off.

Note that there's no mention of the VCPC550 exam for VCP-Cloud in this new announcement, so I assume that's still retiring on June 24th as previously announced.

Read the announcement on this VMware education/certification blog post.

UPDATE: The retirement of the exams has now been confirmed - the deadline for booking a retiring exam is October 31st 2016, and the last day for scheduling/taking a retiring exam is November 30th 2016.

Exam Retirements in June 2016

UPDATE: The exam retirements for VCAP5-DCA, VCAP5-DCD, and VCIX-NV have been suspended - read more here.

VMware have announced the retirement of 4 exams related to the older version 5 certifications:

June 2, 2016
VDCA550 for VCAP5-DCA (retirement suspended)
VCXN610 for VCIX-NV (retirement suspended)

June 24, 2016
VDCD550 for VCAP5-DCD (retirement suspended)
VCPC550 for VCP-Cloud

You won't be able to schedule any of these exams beyond those dates, so if you want to achieve those certifications you should act now!

If you already hold the certifications, or achieve them by the dates above, they won't be taken away from you. (VCP-Cloud falls under the VCP recertification guidelines/timing)

Each of the certifications above now has a newer version equivalent:

VCAP5-DCA > VCAP6-DCV Deploy
VCIX-NV > VCIX6-NV
VCAP5-DCD > VCAP6-DCV Design
VCP-Cloud > VCP6-CMA

The exams for the newer versions are either already available, or they will be before the retirement dates for the older version exams as above.

Version 5 Certifications

Here's my archive of version 5 VMware certification pages:

Data Center Virtualisation
VCP5-DCV
VCAP5-DCA
VCAP5-DCD
VCDX-DCV

Cloud
VCP-Cloud
VCAP-Cloud - now fully retired
VCDX-Cloud

Desktop
VCP5-DT - now fully retired
VCAP5-DT - now fully retired
VCDX5-DT

Network Virtualisation
NSX Training and Certifications

vSphere 5.0/5.1 exams for VCAP certifications are retiring

VMware have announced that the vSphere 5.0/5.1 exams for VCAP5-DCA and VCAP5-DCD certifications will retire on January 31st 2015.

So, from February 2015 only the vSphere 5.5 versions of these exams will be available.

Read more here: VMware Education and Certification blog page

New VCAP5-DCD exam for vSphere 5.5

First it was VCP5-DCV, then VCAP5-DCA, and now it's the turn of the VCAP5-DCD certification to have an exam specific to vSphere 5.5...

Learn more here: https://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=47317&ui=www_cert

VCAP5-DCD - registration is now open!

VMware have now launched the final VCAP5-DCD exam/certification. This is the first higher-level exam for vSphere 5, and will be followed by the VCAP5-DCA exam/certification to complete the vSphere 5 certification pyramid.

I've blogged previously about the beta exam, the exam format, and the paths for those currently at VCP4/VCAP4-DCD level as to how they can upgrade both certifications for their vSphere 5 equivalents.

There's already a large number of official resources available to help you prepare for the new exam - the registration link, the usual exam blueprint, a demo of the user interface that the exam uses in it's design elements, and more - that's all available here:

http://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=30484&ui=www_cert

I doubt that I'll take the exam myself as it doesn't really fit my current role, but as usual I'll watch out for those that have shared their experiences of the final exam and append those to this blog post!

VCAP5-DCD - exam format

The format for the VCAP5-DCD exam will be similar to the existing VCAP4-DCD exam. This exam will contain some items that are based around vSphere 5 features such as Storage DRS.

The final release date of the exam is yet to be confirmed but I would anticipate that it would be towards the end of April.

The time allocated to the exam is 4 hours, and managing your time effectively is one of the key strategies.

There are three different types of items in the exam:

1. Multiple-choice questions (approximately 50% of the items)

This is the same format as the VCP5 exam, where some items require only a single answer and some require multiple answers.

2. Scenario questions

Drag-and-drop questions based on a given scenario.

3. Design questions

A Visio-style design interface where you have to match customer and design requirements.

The items are scored according to the level of difficulty of the individual item, the multiple-choice questions count the least and the design questions the most. The scenario and design questions can also be answered partially correctly, but the multiple-choice questions have to be answered completely correctly to count towards your score.

Updating your VCAP4-DCD to VCAP5-DCD AND VCP5

VMware have decided that only a single step will be necessary for those who already hold VCAP4-DCD to update to VCAP5-DCD and also be awarded the VCP5 certification - pass the VCAP5-DCD exam when it is released!

VCAP4-DCD + pass the VCAP5-DCD exam = VCP5 AND VCAP5-DCD

We don't yet know exactly when the final VCAP5-DCD exam will be released, although I anticipate that it will happen towards the end of April - the beta period for the exam ended in early-March - there's more about that here:

http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/vcap5-dcd-now-in-beta.html

VCAP5-DCD information and Preparation

This page contains a collection of links to the key posts on this blog for the VCAP5-DCD certification.

General information
New VCAP5-DCD exam available for vSphere 5.5
VCAP5-DCD - registration is now open!

VCAP5-DCD - now in beta!

VCAP5-DCD - exam format

vSphere 5.0/5.1 exams for VCAP certifications are retiring

Updating to VCAP5-DCD

Updating your VCP4/VCAP4-DCD to VCAP5-DCD AND VCP5

Useful Links

Official VCAP5-DCD page

Gregg Robertson's VCAP5-DCA and VCAP5-DCD page

VCAP5-DCD - now in beta!

A week or so ago VMware emailed all the current VCAP4-DCD holders inviting them to book their beta version of the VCAP5-DCD exam - this is the first sign of any of the advanced-level certifications for vSphere 5.

The invitation email also included the beta version of the exam blueprint, unless VMware change things drastically between the beta and final versions of the exam it looks as though the format, scoring and objectives remain the same as they were for VCAP4-DCD - although the exam content will have been updated for vSphere 5 of course!

The beta period runs for the next couple of weeks, it's normally then a 4-6 week period til the final version of the exam becomes available. There's no news as yet to report about VCAP5-DCA before anyone asks!

As and when I find them, I'll add links below with the experiences of those who take the exam:

Mike Brown
Jason Boche
Dave Convery
Tom Fojta