Landing page for vSphere 4 certifications

vSphere 4 Certifications

VCP4
VCAP4-DCA
VCAP4-DCD
VCDX4

Full range of NSX Training and Certifications now available

Software-defined networking (SDN) is a red-hot topic in our industry for 2014 and beyond, with VMware being the leading visionary in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Data Centre Networking.

There are 3 levels of certification on "Network Virtualisation", all based around the NSX product:

VMware Certified Professional - VCP-NV
VMware Certified Implementation Expert - VCIX-NV (think of this as being at VCAP level)
VMware Certified Design Expert - VCDX-NV

Have a look here for the range of NSX training: VMware Education page

VMware Learning Zone - official video-based training

VMware have launched a new Learning Zone - a subscription-based service offering official training on many different products and topics.

Read more here: VMware Education page

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

Quickest option to recertify your VCP5-DCV

VMware created a special exam for those wanting to recertify their VCP5-DCV - a delta exam for those who have passed the vSphere 5.0/5.1 exam - the code is VCP550D.

It's only available for a limited time, you can take it from any location, it's a lower cost than a regular VCP exam too.

Find out more here: VMware Education and Certification blog

You can download the exam blueprint and request exam authorisation here: VCP5-DCV Delta Recertification Exam page

Some quick tips:

1. Only request authorisation when you're ready to take the exam as you only get 48 hours from authorisation time to take the exam itself.
2. Focus on the 5.5-specific elements of the blueprint.

Update: The VCP550D exam was originally only available til November 30th 2014, but it has now been made available til March 10th 2015 which gives all VCP5-DCV holders the chance to recertify.

New VCP exam discounts - for current VCPs and NSX class delegates

The title of this post says it all really - VMware have 2 new promotion for discounts on VCP exams:

25% discount for current VCPs (to help reduce the cost of recertification):

https://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=51574&ui=www_cert

50% discount exam voucher if you attend a class on NSX:

https://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=51447&ui=www_edu

See the relevant pages above for all the terms, eligibility dates, etc.

Both promotions have been added to a page I keep in my bookmarks - the Training and Certification Special Offers page.

Common VMware Certification Questions

Have a question about VMware certification?

Well, you could email certification@vmware.com with your question and wait for a response, but in fact you're likely to find the answer via the list of KB articles on this page:

VMware Education & Certification Blog : Common Questions Answered

I created my own Top 5 of the questions I'm asked most often too:

VCP Common Questions

Isn't it great to be able to help yourself instantly?