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JPM300
Commander
Commander

DCD5.1 or DCD 5.5?

Hello all,

Currently I passed my DCA 5.1 a month or so ago and am signed up to write my DCD 5.1 at VMworld.  However most of the information I've been reading is it sounds like the 5.5 exam is more streamlined or better for a lack of explanation.  Would it be better to cancel my DCD5.1 and re-signup for the DCD5.5 exam?  Also if I where to have my DCA 5.1 and my DCD 5.5 I should still be avilable to apply for the DCX correct?

Let me know,


Thanks,

14 Replies
burdweiser
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I was thinking about this as well. I'd hate to lose my place and not be able to take the exam at all. I am signed up for the 5.1 exam. Where did you read that the 5.5 exam is better? I would think there is just updated material.

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JPM300
Commander
Commander

Hey burdweiser,


Yeah that was my worry as well that if I canceled my 5.1 exam I wouldn't be able to re-schedule for the same time.  So I think I may have to tuff it out and write the 5.1 DCD as planned.  There has been a few posts in these forums that the 5.5 is just written better and more streamlined.  There was some blogs I read about it as well but I forgot where I found them.  I'll link the one other post I had about it here in a sec, just need to dig it up.

VACP-DCD Conceptual, Logical, and Physical Examples

When are you writting your 5.1DCD?  I had to sit mine on Tuesday due to scheduling conflicts with courses and flights

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burdweiser
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I rescheduled mine for the 5.5 exam. I was signed up for 5.1, but after reviewing the blueprint for 5.5 I decided to switch to the VDCD550 exam. I wrote about the difference here: http://vexpert.me/pm

I also have some info on starting the study group on 8/23 here: http://vexpert.me/ph

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vfk
Expert
Expert

Good luck to all, I would love to hear your feedback.  This master design question is definitely a mystery and I suspects this will be include compute, storage and networking and the relevant vsphere features in storage (soic, profiles, sdrs) and networking (nioc, pvlan) and so on...Of course you will be under NDA, no specifics.


Those of you taking DCD 5.5 please update the following post VCAP-DCD 5.5 Exam

--- If you found this or any other answer helpful, please consider the use of the Helpful or Correct buttons to award points. vfk Systems Manager / Technical Architect VCP5-DCV, VCAP5-DCA, vExpert, ITILv3, CCNA, MCP
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JPM300
Commander
Commander

Hmmm I'm kinda torn on this one now.  I've been studying for the 5.1 blueprint and read many blogs on that particular exam, i'm not sure :smileysilly:  Curious to the master design question and how much it ways as well point wise.  I do like the fact that the new 5.5 has lest multiple choice questions.

hmmmm desicions :smileysilly:  Can you acutally request for your test ID even though you are currently signed up for the 5.1 DCD?

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vfk
Expert
Expert

Good luck with exam this week.  I am watching all the blog streams for all the goodness that is being reported from the event.  Let us know how your exam goes...

--- If you found this or any other answer helpful, please consider the use of the Helpful or Correct buttons to award points. vfk Systems Manager / Technical Architect VCP5-DCV, VCAP5-DCA, vExpert, ITILv3, CCNA, MCP
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ikiris
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

JJust failed the dcd510. Tough test. less multiple choice is actually better since it makes the test shooter. I signed off with 20 minutes to spare because I has enough...and I had to pee sinice I hit 3 hrs to go!

-Chris- http://www.twitter.com/ikiris http://blog.chrischua.net
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vfk
Expert
Expert

Thanks for the feedback ikiris, better luck next time, it is a tough exam and far too many multiple choice questions with tones of background information, many people have developed different techniques of sifting through the information and extracting the right information / answer, but given the pressures of exam it is easy to divert from the plan.

--- If you found this or any other answer helpful, please consider the use of the Helpful or Correct buttons to award points. vfk Systems Manager / Technical Architect VCP5-DCV, VCAP5-DCA, vExpert, ITILv3, CCNA, MCP
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burdweiser
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I updated my post with my experience on the 5.5 exam...

http://vexpert.me/pm

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vfk
Expert
Expert

Burdweiser, good luck hopefully you will pass, that is comprehensive post, I like it.  I would still still encourage you to do the study guide regardless of the outcome, your 2 cents, for the community.  

--- If you found this or any other answer helpful, please consider the use of the Helpful or Correct buttons to award points. vfk Systems Manager / Technical Architect VCP5-DCV, VCAP5-DCA, vExpert, ITILv3, CCNA, MCP
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JPM300
Commander
Commander

Hey

Well I ended up writing the 5.1 as I felt there was more information on it and all the study material I preped for was for 5.1, sadly I just missed the passing score with a final score of 267.  However I ran out of time and missed 1 design questions and 10 others due to my time management plan failing horribly

With that here my feedback

1.). I found the test very open ended on many of the questions.  For instance when adding a nic into a design on a design question, it doesn't state weather its a single nic or dual nic or quad nic, so your left to guessing.  Also when connecting items in the design questions do they assume the switches are stacked or do you need to connect the switches?  This was never laided out in the instructions

2.). Building off my first point I found some of the design questions could of used more instructions as to where you want to leave items on the page when your stacking stencils.  This wasn't always bad on all questions but some where lacking

3.). There was some questions in the multiple choice section that doesn't test you on your design knowledge but on how much you can cram.  Ie stuff you would just look up or find in 1 min on a quick google search.  I strongly belive these sort of questions should reserved for different types of exams or just make poor exam questions over all as let's be honest, people just look this stuff up and don't permently memeorize this stuff.

4.). I would of liked to see the exam structured in chunks so you could better time manage it but i suspect it was built this way on purpose, so just my opinion I guess :smileysilly:

5.). I think VMware should do a new flash demo of how the design tool works so you have a much better idea of how to use it prior to writing.  I think this would go a long way but agian just a humble opinion

If anyone has the awnswrrs to my questions that would be great if not I'll start a new thread so I know them prior to my rewrite

Cheers from VMware world and good luck to everyone

ikiris
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I Feel your pain! I barely missed the cut. I'm probably going to resched to take advantage of the 25% off using 2014vmwadv25 I believe

-Chris- http://www.twitter.com/ikiris http://blog.chrischua.net
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burdweiser
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I 100% agree. The demo tool needs to be updated to clearly explain how things should be laid out. There should be an example of a physical and logical design. One that can be graded as a practice exam to explain how connections should be made. The original demo tool does a good job of explaining how to select items that should be placed in the design, but it would be nice to have a practice exam to explain why a design may be incorrect.

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vfk
Expert
Expert

Thanks for the detailed feedback, that is just unlucky, next time you will nail it.  The design tool needs major overhaul, there is a new demo design tool floating around, and it looks a bit better I am not sure if the exam has been updated to use this.  I don't think  your questions will get answered, some of your concern might have been answered in 5.5 exam, reduced questions suggests a lot of the cluster has been removed.

--- If you found this or any other answer helpful, please consider the use of the Helpful or Correct buttons to award points. vfk Systems Manager / Technical Architect VCP5-DCV, VCAP5-DCA, vExpert, ITILv3, CCNA, MCP
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