My original plan was to give you an introduction to a series of topics about Aria Operations in this blog post. However, due to a change of plans, today’s post is about a different topic, and that’s certifications!
As of this year (2024), there is a new VCP exam specifically for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF).
Since I work a lot with VMware Cloud Foundation myself and appreciate the value of an official certificate – not only as proof for customers, but also as confirmation of my own knowledge – I am sharing my tips and experiences here on how you can effectively prepare for the latest VMware exams.
First of all: if you have taken 246 exams so far, you probably won’t learn much new. 😀
For all VMware certifications there are official study guides that list in detail the most important topics that can be tested in the exam. The study guide for exam 2V0-11.24 is no exception. The main topics in this exam are the core technologies vSAN, NSX, vSphere as well as the Aria Suite. In my opinion, vSAN and NSX in particular are in the foreground, which is not surprising as they are the cornerstones of VCF. There are also questions about Tanzu, DSM and a little HCX.
The study guide is intended to be a kind of guide to what you should learn and how. However, it should also be said that simply reading about the topics is often not enough. VMware exams often contain questions that focus on practical experience with the products. For example, it can be helpful if you know where to find certain options in the GUI or what limitations certain configurations have. These details can usually only be learned by actually working with the products, i.e. through practice. You can find the link to the study guide either on the Broadcom website or here!
As a Pinnacle partner of VMware, our team enjoys several advantages (if you want to join, feel free to contact me!). We have access to extensive learning materials and can set up complete VCF environments in our own labs. This practical access allows us to go through the study guide directly in practice, discuss questions and theses with each other in the team and deepen our knowledge. According to the motto: “If you can explain it simply, you’ve understood it.”
If you don’t have your own lab at work, don’t worry! VMware offers hands-on labs, which are often more limited, but still offer a good opportunity to gain initial practical experience. Hands-on labs are great for getting started and learning the basics, even if they don’t offer the depth that a dedicated lab does.
If you feel prepared, there are two ways to take the exam: either book a slot at a certified training center or take the exam from the comfort of your own home via PearsonVUE. If you choose the second option, you should make sure that your internet connection is stable and that you are in a quiet environment. You must remain in camera range throughout the exam – otherwise your exam may be automatically marked as failed.
The exam itself comprises 70 questions and is scheduled to last 135 minutes, which in my experience is sufficient. You need to achieve at least 300 out of 500 points to pass. Since questions are asked from different areas, it makes sense to have a solid understanding of the topics as well as practical experience. Especially for NSX, vSAN, vSphere and as mentioned above Aria.
To summarize, the new VCP VCF is a typical VMware certification that should be doable for those with several months of VCF experience. Those who have already worked with NSX, vSAN and/or vSphere should also have no major difficulties. If you have more specific questions about the preparation, please feel free to contact me via the contact form. I wish you good luck with your preparation and all the best in the exam!
