Anybody currently doing DCD?

[tomtom901]

Hi,

I'm looking for some study peers for the VCAP DCD exam. Anybody currently studying en want to walk through some things together?

[jroyale]

Does anyone have any idea how the marking is weighted in this exam?... I am absolutely convinced I did better in this attempt than previously and there are less sections for me to look as shown in the score report, and yet I got exactly the same mark.

I'm not even convinced its actually marking the design questions at all... The interface is flaky and sometimes when you move things that should be grouped together they do not move together..

[John_Tecchio]

Hi Tom.

Sounds good. I look forward to hearing from you.

[tomtom901]

Very relevant:

http://blogs.vmware.com/education/2014/05/new-vcap5-dcd-exam-available-vsphere-5-5.html?utm_source=r...

[martinriley]

I think Jon Hall (VMware Tech Cert developer) said in the brownbags that the design questions make up around half the marks, and that they're not 'all or nothing' Qs but rather you will gain partial marks for aspects of the designs that are correct, and also that there is not just the one answer to the design questions.

Looking back through the thread there appears to be a lot of people failing with around 270-280, which would suggest to me that perhaps as jroyale intimates that the design questions aren't being taken into account at all.  There used to be a problem with the designs getting wiped if you tried to go back and review which lead them to remove the review option completely- so I don't think the interface has ever been great.

It might be worth contacting VMware to see if they can investigate, all seems to be a bit of a coincidence to me.

It'll be interesting to see if VDCD550 will behave any better in these sections.  Speaking of which has anyone been able to download the blueprint for the new exam??  Link on the website just leads back to itself!

[martinriley]

Also has anybody tried the Interactive Exam Simulation from the MyLearn website??  I can't get it to run anywhere!

[jroyale]

Martin

I have contacted VMware certification about this and await a response...

Interestingly you get a review page at the end of the exam that allows you to review all your answers and change them if required... I made some adjustments to my designs that I wasn't happy with, so I hope this bug around it clearing the designs isn't still evident. They still appeared to be there when I moved onto the next question for review..

[martinriley]

That's very interesting indeed considering this current post in VMware's certification FAQs....

https://mylearn.vmware.com/portals/certification/?menu=faq#8305  let us know if you hear back from them!

[jroyale]

I hadn't seen that Martin, but perhaps the test centre I am visiting is using an old version of the exam engine and this is causing the problem...

I look forward to hearing back from the cert team.

[tomtom901]

John,

Do let me know. I was also able to review. Sorry I didn't mail you yet, will try to fix this tonight.

[JoshuaAndrewsVM]

Welcome Back Button (VCAP5-DCD) | SOSTech

[jroyale]

Thanks for the info Josh...

So it looks like the review option returned just in time for my first attempt on the 28th April...  I'm waiting to hear back from Vmware technical about the other queries...  I have to say I have been impressed so far with the assistance from Vmware themselves and this discussion forum...

[martinriley]

Glad to hear VMware is on the case and it's good news that the Review option has made a comeback, however has there been any clarity from VMware that the bug has actually been fixed??  I think I'd still have to think twice before using it...

Do keep us up to date jroyale!!

[martinriley]

Also just thought I'd share this nice little resource I found yesterday for those that haven't already discovered it, Justin Langer pulled together all the docs and papers referenced for additional study material in the exam blueprint and bundled them up for download at the below link....

VCAP-DCD 5 Document Package

Best get the coffee on!!

[jroyale]

Martin

I'll keep you updated..

I have found an even better doc package than that,  but I can't remember which website it was on.  I have zipped it and put it here...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B34Y6ly2x1EKZU1sYlB4YWZydFU/edit?usp=sharing

Its a 172Mb zip - There is no preview on it, so you have to download it...

[martinriley]

That's great stuff, thanks for sharing!!

[crawfordm]

jroyale - That doc package is probable from this website - vcap-dcd-study-pack

[jroyale]

That looks like it... Its a great package... Contains everything in one

place..

[encrypturlyf]

I cleared my DCD exam on v5.1 in the first attempt and this is the one resource which I used for my prep, http://www.elasticsky.co.uk/dcdguide. All thanks to Paul Mcsharry.

[jroyale]

Finally passed today, just...

I seriously believe there is an issue with these exams...  Objects that are grouped together often don't move together until you move them around and keep checking they move properly..  My experience after driving 50miles to the nearest VCAP test centre was awful with the exam crashing on me at question 81 after I had just finished a design question...  I had to redo this design and rush all my last questions which had several drag and drop types... This has to be the most stressful exam I have ever taken and I only just passed..

Good luck anyone doing this exam and make sure your groupings on your design questions move together... I had honestly think the only reason I passed is because I checked this.

[crawfordm]

jroyale - Congrats on passing.  I am sitting the exam for the second time at VMworld 2014 USA.

Can you please elaborate more on what you mean by making sure your groupings move together. 

Does that mean once I connect objects together with a connector, I should be able to move one object and the other connected objects will move with it?

Thanks

Marc