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scotland81
Contributor
Contributor

I'm going to schedule VDCA550 exam just need some advise

Dear ALL,

First explain and them two questions, I want to schedule my exam this week for the last week of April.

Because of hard work (VMware one), I've been 4 or 5 months preparing 25% of blueprint.

I want to schedule it to force myself to prepare it.

I've been working in VMware environments almost 8 years, doing different tasks (deploy, migrate, troubleshoot) , VCP510 passed a year ago.

I am more confortable with GUI, I think Webclient should not be a problem, local esxcli is also not a problem.

Well to summaryze I think I'm confortable with 60% of blueprint the part I think that can be done with GUI I'm afraid of the other 40%.

So two questions (not asking anyone to break NDA):

- Do you think that one more month and few days should be enough to prepare the weakest part? (Obviously taking more hours on it)

- Does it matter if you do things with GUI + some local esxcli commands that are supposed to be done with PowerCLI, I mean if task is done it counts as done or the way you do it counts? Please don't respond the same I read many times to this question, 100 VMs to be deplotyed thing... I'm not confortable with PowerCLI  but somethings can be done with GUI+some esxcli batch.

Thanks in advance and please guive feedback always not crossing the line obviously.

SDDC Technologies | Virtualization | VMware Solutions | Disaster Recovery | Scripting | Storage ------------------------------------------ VMware vExpert 2017 VCP510: VMware Certified Professional 5 - DCV VCAP5-DCA: (VDCA550) VMware Certified Advanced Professional Data Center Administration VCP6-DCV: VMware Certified Professional 6 - DCV IBM Certified Specialist - Storwize Family Technical Solutions V3 Nutanix NPP 4.5 VCP6-NV: VMware Certified Professional 6 – Network Virtualization
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scott28tt
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Some items ask you to do the task using certain tools, but for the most part you can perform the task using any of the recognised tools that are available (Client, Web Client, PowerCLI, esxcli, vMA)

I did the VCAP-DCA on vSphere 4, and found that getting comfortable with as many topics as possible from a hands-on perspective was key - you need to make quick decisions about which tool to use, and know how to do it quickly and efficiently...

You don't have to complete every task, although some tasks are dependent on others (eg. you can't change HA admission control settings if you don't already have a cluster enabled for HA)


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NealeC
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi Scotland,

I would say that you need to be drilled on all the topics.  By drilled I mean that

  • If it says create a cluster with x,y,z configured.  You can do that in 5 minutes or less.
  • If it asks you to migrate a vss to a distributed switch you can do that and any associated host tasks in under 5 minutes.

The best thing you can do now (if you think you are ready to book) is grab Chris Wahl's Study Sheet.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1648983/StudySheets/VCAP5_5_DCA_Study%20Sheet_Fillable.pdf

Run through each of the tasks by objective and get your stopwatch out and time yourself doing it on your own lab/test environment.

Remember that you know all your IPs and names and VMs off by heart so you'll need 30 seconds a question to note the VM/Host name that you need to set up.

1 minute, 30 seconds?? I hear you shout.  Well I sat the VCAP510 and failed in January just before it expired.

The two simple reasons were time management and not knowing some of the material any where near well enough.

If the VCAP were 7 hours long 90% of VCP's could pass it.  As you could easily look something up in the docs.

But it's not.  It's 3hrs

So you can't have a "weak" section.

As Scott says if 5 questions are dependent on your weak section you just cost yourself a big part of the exam!!!

-------------- If you found this or any other answer useful please consider the use of the Helpful or Correct buttons to award points. Chris Neale VCIX6-NV;vExpert2014-17;VCP6-NV;VCP5-DCV;VCP4;VCA-NV;VCA-DCV;VTSP2015;VTSP5;VTSP4 http://www.chrisneale.org http://www.twitter.com/mrcneale
scotland81
Contributor
Contributor

Nice answers mates,

Just my last question, at the VDCA550 exam beside the pdf docs, as I read in the blueprint you have web documentation: VMware KB - Knowledge Base Articles for all VMware Products and vSphere 5.5 Documentation Center

Is that correct?

If it is that are good news as if I need to check something I think it's faster than PDF.

In the 18 days since my first message, I've done a great work with my weakest parts, but I think I'm not in time to learn so much PowerCLI (25 days left to the exam) because I cannot focus only in that, maybe I'm crazy but I will try to pass the exam with a more than basic knowledge in PowerCLI...

Another thing that I have doubts is the exam workflow, I saw the sample question at VMware site but it seems so old, as I understand:

- First you get credentials, IPs, names... all environment staff? Note it should be a great idea or you can always go back? Or credentials are reminded in all questions?

- Then questions are presented, you can jump between questions and after the las one you are presented the FINISH button? If answer is yes, you can go throw all questions, note the more confortable ones and start with that ones, is recommended?

- You always can jump from bridge machine to the question without closing session? And between questions all opened staff stays opened?

Please any new advice will be apreciated.

Many thanks to all.

SDDC Technologies | Virtualization | VMware Solutions | Disaster Recovery | Scripting | Storage ------------------------------------------ VMware vExpert 2017 VCP510: VMware Certified Professional 5 - DCV VCAP5-DCA: (VDCA550) VMware Certified Advanced Professional Data Center Administration VCP6-DCV: VMware Certified Professional 6 - DCV IBM Certified Specialist - Storwize Family Technical Solutions V3 Nutanix NPP 4.5 VCP6-NV: VMware Certified Professional 6 – Network Virtualization
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