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3,266 Views 14 Replies Last post: Sep 10, 2009 6:51 AM by scott28tt

jonhall

494 posts since
Jul 21, 2005

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Jul 14, 2009 12:39 PM

Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Hello all,

We often get questions about the way the VCP Exam is scored, they number of items, is the score a percentage, etc. Read on!

The current number of items on the VCP exam is 75, with a 70 required to pass. The passing score is not a raw 70 (example: 70 out of 75), and it is not really a percentage of the items (example: 53 out of 75), it is what is called a scaled score. A scaled score is calculated using a mathematical formula that considers a variety of factors, including the number and type of exam questions included in a specific version of the exam. Because this combination may vary in different versions of the same examination, scaled scores provide a fair score for each individual based on the version of the exam they took.

Now I am sure everyone knows that we periodically release new versions of the exam as items become obsolete or as needed to address new features in the same revision. This is how the exam remains consistent with the latest updates. These varying versions of the exam have different combinations of questions and is why we take the approach of using a scaled score.

Hope this helps!

Jon C. Hall

Technical Certification Developer

VMware, Inc.

Jon C. Hall Technical Certification Developer VMware, Inc.

Tags: vcp, vcp-310, vcp4

scott28tt

2,985 posts since
May 11, 2006

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1. Jul 14, 2009 12:44 PM

in response to: jonhall

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Hi Jon, thanks for posting that - it is one of the questions that comes up most often. I compiled a list of the things I'm most often asked about the VCP as an instructor here:

http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com/2009/04/vcp-on-vi3.html

Scott.

See http://www.globalknowledge.co.uk/ for official VI3 and vSphere 4 training

See http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com/ for my blog on VMware training and certification

See http://twitter.com/vmtraining for some twittering

VCP, VCAP-DCA, VCI, vExpert 2010-2012 http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com http://twitter.com/vmtraining

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tom howarth

8,066 posts since
Jul 25, 2005

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2. Jul 19, 2009 12:15 AM

in response to: jonhall

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Very usefull, thank you

If you found this or any other answer useful please consider the use of the Helpful or correct buttons to award points

Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Contributing author for the upcoming book "[VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment|http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780136083214]”. Currently available on roughcuts

Please consider the use of the Helpful or correct buttons to award points to those Answers you found useful or correct. Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert VMware Communities User Moderator Blog: http://www.planetvm.net Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410

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mike.fry

10 posts since
Aug 12, 2008

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3. Jul 22, 2009 5:51 AM

in response to: jonhall

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

I guess I don't fully understand what you mean by this, "including the number and type of exam questions included in a

specific version of the exam." I though every exam had 75 questions but not all the same questions. Can you clarify that every exam indeed does have 75 questions? Also, can you comment if some answers are awarded points even if they are not the most correct but still considered a correct response?

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jonhall

494 posts since
Jul 21, 2005

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4. Jul 22, 2009 9:10 AM

in response to: mike.fry

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Currently, all VCP exams contain 75 items. However, I could easily see some of our future exams (probably not VCP, but maybe Enterprise, etc.) having a different number of items. Whatever the number is, we will tell you the total number and the scaled score needed to pass the exam.

As for your second question, items on the exam are either correct or incorrect. There are no items on the exam that are partially correct. However, if you are asking if you get partial credit for a multi-answer item where you selected one answer right and one wrong (for example), it depends on the exam. For the VCP exam, you must get all items in a multi-option item correct to get the item correct. With the Enterprise Exam, which has live lab activities, we do give partial credit if a portion of the activity was completed successfully.

Jon C. Hall

Technical Certification Developer

Office: 727-446-8430

Mobile: 727-460-8448

Jon C. Hall Technical Certification Developer VMware, Inc.

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spraggab

38 posts since
Aug 27, 2009

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5. Sep 3, 2009 3:23 PM

in response to: jonhall

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

giving this thread a bump since a lot of people are wondering about the topic

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Chris.Pray

1 posts since
Feb 27, 2008

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6. Sep 4, 2009 8:56 AM

in response to: jonhall

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

I just took the VCP410 exam on 8-31-09.

There were 85 questions and I was given 90 minutes to complete the test. In my experience with other vendor exams, i.e. Cisco, Microsoft, there are "extra" questions that are inserted into the exam which don't count towards the final score. They are there to help develop new exams. I did NOT see a disclaimer stating that this was the case with VMware exams. Perhaps someone else can clarify the use of "extra" questions on VMware exams.

Hope that helps anybody wondering.

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jonhall

494 posts since
Jul 21, 2005

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7. Sep 6, 2009 11:36 AM

in response to: Chris.Pray

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Hi all,

To answer Chris's question, it is common practice to include exam items that are newly created in an exam. However, you don't want to score those items initially. What you want to do first, is collect some metrics to ensure the item is not overly easy or hard, or otherwise does not perform as expected. Only after you have good data on the item do you begin to score it. VMware may add as many as 10 unscored items to an exam (75 items scored, the additional 10 unscored). The VCP exam will always have 75 scored items.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Regards,

Jon C. Hall

Technical Certification Developer

Office: 727-446-8430

Mobile: 727-460-8448

Jon C. Hall Technical Certification Developer VMware, Inc.

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Jae Ellers

1,097 posts since
Feb 6, 2004

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8. Sep 6, 2009 3:50 PM

in response to: jonhall

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

I also took and passed the VCP-410 test at VMworld.

I noticed the scoring sheet I received stated that the passing score required was 300. What is the instructor cutoff on this scale?

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scott28tt

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May 11, 2006

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9. Sep 7, 2009 5:25 AM

in response to: Jae Ellers

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

The instructor score is 400. Well done on the VCP4!

Scott.

See http://www.globalknowledge.co.uk for official VI3 and vSphere 4 training

See http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com for my blog on VMware training and certification

See http://twitter.com/vmtraining for some twittering

VCP, VCAP-DCA, VCI, vExpert 2010-2012 http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com http://twitter.com/vmtraining

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jack_2007

3 posts since
Apr 2, 2007

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10. Sep 8, 2009 6:25 PM

in response to: scott28tt

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Hi, scott

The instructor score is 400. Is the score requirement is only for VCP-410 at VMworld or the whole VCP-410 exam?

Jack

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scott28tt

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May 11, 2006

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11. Sep 9, 2009 1:42 AM

in response to: jack_2007

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Hi Jack,

I'm not 100% clear what you mean, but I can say that the required VCI score for instructors is 400 regardless of whether one takes the exam at VMWorld or later - the only exception to that was those VCIs who took the beta version of the new exam.

Scott.

See http://www.globalknowledge.co.uk for official VI3 and vSphere 4 training

See http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com for my blog on VMware training and certification

See http://twitter.com/vmtraining for some twittering

VCP, VCAP-DCA, VCI, vExpert 2010-2012 http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com http://twitter.com/vmtraining

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jack_2007

3 posts since
Apr 2, 2007

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12. Sep 9, 2009 6:17 PM

in response to: scott28tt

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Hi, Scott

Thanks for your information. Let's wait for Vmware's official announcement.

rgds

Jack

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vallabha

2 posts since
Sep 10, 2009

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13. Sep 10, 2009 6:08 AM

in response to: jack_2007

Re: Definitive information regarding the scoring for the VCP Exam

Hi Scott/Chris,

Could you both guide me as I am preparing for the Exam, I am preparing from the Book provided by the HP training where I underwent Training for 4 days on ESX 4. Is reading the book will be sufficient or anything else is required ?

Could you please post if any link to documents andany dumps if anyone have. As I am very new to this Virtuliazation