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lilesj
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Hot Shot

Calling All VCP5-DCVs: Save Time and Money on Recertification

After introducing the Recertification Policy, many who hold VCP5-DCV certification asked about options for recertifying at your current level, specifically if you were not looking to expand to other solution tracks or advance to the VCAP level. We heard you and are pleased to announce a streamlined exam that offers a quicker route to recertification for current VCP5-DCV holders.

The exam is offered to current VCP5-DCVs who took the VCP510 exam and need to renew their VCP5-DCV credential prior to March 10, 2015. The exam will be available through November 30, 2014 and offers some key advantages:

  • Based only on new material between the vSphere 5.0/5.1 and vSphere 5.5 exams – you save hours of prep time
  • Available online – you can take it from any location
  • Far less expensive – you save money

If you hold a VCP5-DCV certification, this is the quickest route to recertification. This limited time opportunity – the exam will only be offered until November 30, 2014. 

Download the exam blueprint and learn more!

~~~ Follow me at www.twitter.com/JillLiles1
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ricmarques
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi lilesj Smiley Happy

I'm a VCP5-DCV (I wrote the VCP510 Exam on vSphere 5.0/5.1 on 2012). Today (1-oct-2014), I received an email from VMware Education Services talking about the new VCP5-DCV Delta Recertification Exam (Exam Code VCP550D) that you mentioned just now and pointing to the Delta Exam - New VCP-DCV  Exam web page

I have read that web page and the PDF Blueprint that's available from that page - https://mylearn.vmware.com/lcms/web/portals/certification/VCP_Blueprints/VCP550D-Exam-Blueprint-v1_0... - but I still have some questions:

1st - Considering this is an Exam that's "Based only on new material between the vSphere 5.0/5.1 and vSphere 5.5 exams" (emphasis mine), I would expect that the Blueprint would be relatively short. On the contrary, it looks very extense. Why is that?

2nd - Regarding the "Available online - you can take it from any location" mention: does it use the same system of the VCA (VMware Certified Associate) exams (web-based, non-proctored)?

3rd - Given that there was no mention of prices on the web page or in the Blueprint, I did the following: I clicked on the "Request authorization" link on the page, authenticated with my "myLearn" username and password, and was granted an authorization:

VCP5-DCV Delta Exam (VCP550D)

Authorization Status: Approved on 01-Oct-2014

Candidate Name: Ricardo Marques

Candidate ID: [my Candidate ID]

Go to http://www.pearsonvue.com/vmware to schedule your exam.

Login using the name and Candidate ID provided above.

I waited 30 minutes or so and then logged in to https://www6.pearsonvue.com/testtaker/signin/SignInPage/VMWAREINC with my Pearson VUE username and password. The "VCP550D: VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization" Exam link appeared in my "Pre-approved Exams" section. I clicked on that link and a page with the following information appeared:

Exam: VCP550D: VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization

View Testing Policies

Price*: EUR 90.00

Language: English

Exam Availability: October 1, 2014 - October 3, 2014

*Prices listed are based on today's date and do not include local taxes which may be applicable.

Eek! The "Exam Availability" ends in just 2 days (3-oct-2014)?! Why did that happen? Smiley Sad What can I do now to postpone the exam? :smileyconfused:

Thanks in advance.

Ricardo Dias Marques - http://twitter.com/ricmarques
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lilesj
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi,

To answer your questions:

1) I will get one of the technical team to weigh in on this.

2) Yes, it uses a similar delivery method to the VCA exams. It is online so you can take it from anywhere without having to travel to a PearsonVue testing center.

3) The exam has a 2-day window from the time you complete your registration. If you didn't finish registering and didn't pay for it yet you should be okay. Just come back when you're ready.

Best of luck to you,

Jill

~~~ Follow me at www.twitter.com/JillLiles1
ricmarques
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Jill,

Many thanks for your lightning-quick answer! Smiley Happy Concerning my 3rd question and your answer: I did "move forward one step" in the order of the Exam in Pearson VUE web site - to see the price with VAT applied - but I did cancel the order in that following step. So, given your answer, I think that I'm OK. May I "bug you" if I have any issues later on, when trying to register for the exam again?

Ricardo Dias Marques - http://twitter.com/ricmarques
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lilesj
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Hot Shot

Happy to help any time.

~~~ Follow me at www.twitter.com/JillLiles1
JoshuaAndrewsVM

It's intended to be a shorter (fewer questions) version of the VCP550 with the addition of VSAN.  Since participants already have the VCP5-DCV they should bevery familiar with the bulk of the blueprint and can concentrate on "what's new for 5.5" in each of the areas.

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Osm3um
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hey, nice gesture from from VMWare for those of us who paid for the ESX 4 to 5 class and  jumped on the VCP5 cert as soon as it was available!  I am a VCP4, VCP5 and have been raving about VMWare since ESX 3 (or ESX 2, I forget).  Now I have 2 months to pass an exam I have already passed or lose my cert in 6 months?  Seriously, who is setting these dates?  Why not allow the streamlined exam until Feb/March when my hard earned, and expensive, certs expire?

I know, I sound like I am whining, but this entire thing is bizarre.  Heck I am still an MCSE (2003), notice the 2003) and have a BS in Chemistry (1990!)...not worth much on my resume but at least I can still put it on there.

Guess I will give this exam as many shots as I can jam in before the end of November.  I would do some studying with their "Official practice exams" from Measureup, but there aren't any for 550, only for 510.

If only I was slower at keeping my certification up, I would have another year and a half to purchase the not yet released study materials from their official partner.  If only...

Bob, used to be proud VCP4, VCP5, Palo Alto CNSE and MCSE (2003)

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Osm3um
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I am curious if anyone knows the cost for the Delta exam.

Thanks

Bob

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crawfordm
Expert
Expert

The exam costs $120 USD

------------------------------------------------------------------ If you found this answer useful please consider the use of the Helpful or Correct buttons to award points. Thanks, Marc Crawford CCNA, MCSE, MCTS, A+, Net+, Sec +, VCA-WM, VCA-DCV, VCA-Cloud, VCA-NV, VCP-NV, VCP-DCV, VCP, VCAP5-DCA http://gplus.to/marccrawford http://blog.marccrawford.com @uber_tech_geek
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jonhall
Expert
Expert

As mentioned here, we created a streamlined recertification exam for all of you VCP5s. The vSphere 5.5 release has differences that are fairly pervasive throughout the blueprint. The exam is solidly focused on vSphere 5.5 nuances, feature additions and process changes.

This is an opportunity to recertify without traveling to a testing center and taking a much longer, more expensive exam. We value our Certified Professionals and want to make the transition to this new policy as painless as possible.

That being said, do not forget that it is also completely valid to recertify by broadening your certification portfolio across our other technology tracks, or to advance in the Data Center track.

Jon C. Hall Technical Certification Developer VMware, Inc.
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Karl12347
Contributor
Contributor

Personally I think that only having this available until the end of November is a little restrictive. I am already studying towards a different certification exam and to stop half way through and do this is not good.

An extra month extension on this deadline would be good idea in my opinion, sure everyone else would agree.

Karl

chennaisakthi
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Ricmarques,

I'm a System administrator I have 6+ years Experiences in Windows and Vmware.

I know vmware exi 5.0,5.1 

I apply to pearson VUE and Authorization Approved for VCP550: VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization.

I am ask to you

what is pearson VUE?

I complete this exam that certification valid all countries?  for getting JOB

what is the different in vmware authorized training center certification vs Pearson VUE Certification?.

Can you See this

Exam

VCP550: VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization

Language: English

Exam Length: 135 minutes

Appointment

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Start Time: 09:00 AM IST

Location

Netmaster
NETMASTERS
No.9, AB-Block
2nd Avenue,
Anna Nagar,
Chennai
Tamil Nadu 600040
India

175.00

Total Due

Subtotal:175.00
Tax:0.00
ESTIMATED TOTAL DUE:USD 175.00

You can enter voucher/promotion codes on the payment screen.

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monderick
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

will the new expiration date be two years from the date of passing the 'delta' exam or add two years to then our current VCP5 cert will expire in march 2015?

thanks

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JoshuaAndrewsVM

2 years from the day you pass the Delta exam.

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ricmarques
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi chennaisakthi Smiley Happy

I see that you asked the same question in other thread - Re: VCP5-DCV updated for 5.5 - and that Scott Vessey (scott28tt), from VMware, has already replied to you.

Ricardo Dias Marques - http://twitter.com/ricmarques
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ricmarques
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi JoshuaAndrewsVM and jonhall Smiley Happy

Many thanks for the explanations you've given. I do appreciate the opportunity you've created, by making this Delta exam (VCP550D) available. Having said that, I must say I agree with some of the things others have said regarding the issues of recertification, namely:

  • Expiring a certification that is "versioned" - meaning, that is tied to a specific version of the product (e.g.: VCP5-DCV) - seems awkward to me.

  • Two years is a period too short for recertification.

  • When one writes an exam that counts for recertification, that should move forward the previous expiration date by the recertification period. Example: if my expiration date is 10-mar-2015 and I write today (5-oct-2014) an exam that counts for recertification, that should move my expiration date to 10-mar-2017 and NOT only to 5-oct-2016. The current system is penalizing people that (try to) recertify early and, on the contrary, gives people an incentive to postpone their recertification to the "last moment" (and that also seems awkward to me and contrary to the interests of both VMware and the examinees).

Those are "my 2 cents". I hope they are useful Smiley Happy

Ricardo Dias Marques - http://twitter.com/ricmarques
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JoshuaAndrewsVM

Hi Ric,

Note that the"recertification" period is two years from the date of your lasted passed VCP-level exam.  March 10 is an arbitrary date picked because it was one year from the day we announced recertification, we wanted some kind of a grace period and we had to start expiring certifications at some point.  It serves as the recertification date for people who have not passed an exam since March 10 2013.

Going forward March 10 will not have any particular meaning.

I'll pass your other points on to the team.

Thanks,

Josh

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ricmarques
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Josh Smiley Happy

Many thanks for the very quick reply and for passing my points to the certification team. I appreciate and understand your explanation that 10-mar-2015 is an arbitrary date that serves as the recertification date for people who have not passed an exam since 10 March 2013. But I believe the 3rd "bullet point" that I presented is still a valid one, in the sense that VMware could change the current policy, even for people that are still not yet certified. By that, I mean, for example:

A person (that has fulfilled the course requirement) writes his first VCP Exam (let's say the VCP510 Exam on vSphere 5.0/5.1) on 5-oct-2014. The expiration date is 2 years later (which I still believe is too short, but let's assume that, for now), so the expiration date is 5-oct-2016. That same person writes another VCP Exam (let's say, the VCP550 Exam on vSphere 5.5) on 1-feb-2015. Then, in my opinion, the expiration date should move to 5-oct-2018 (and NOT only to 1-feb-2017, as it happens with the current policy, if I understand it correctly).

Thanks again Smiley Happy

Ricardo Dias Marques - http://twitter.com/ricmarques
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Osm3um
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

i am curious how this two year renewal plays out with regard to the coming products.  So I pass the delta in November which "buys" me two years.  At that point let's say the vSphere 7 is out.  Can I skip vsphere 6? what if I pass the VCP6 but VCP 7 is not ready for 2 years and 5 days? 

The potential issues from fixing a cert to a version AND a random date are crazy as there is no guarantee of release for a product.

Anyway, it is nice they gave us the short window for a delta, but it is my guess they will have to modify the requirements as things move forward.

Thanks,

bob

RajuVCP
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

With VCP550D exam arrived, i have question i am a VCP5-DCV whether can i go directly for VCAP5-DCV then will there be no VCP550D exam required for me.

Thanks

Raju Gunnal VCP 4, VCP 5, VTSP 4, VTSP 5, ITIL V3 http://www.techtosolution.com
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