VCP5 certification requirements

[aguerriero]

I have been reading up on getting the VCP but cannot get over the class requirements. This would be fine for a single class, but what happens when ESXi 6 comes out? Do I have to take another 3K course, plus pay travel and expenses, along with paying for a new written exam to get an upgraded VCP6 certification? This can be 6K a pop every time VMWare decides to make a major revision change.

Can someone clarify what the cost requirements will be when major revisions of ESXi are released like 6, 7, 8, ...?

My CCIE was very demanding but at least after I obtained it, I only have to take another written exam for a recert.

[weinstein5]

Welcome to the Community - Historically VMware has provided a grace period where existing VCPs just have to pay for the new exam and if they pass they become a VCP on the new version - it has worked this way since the days of VCP2 -  miss the grace period than you will have to sit through a 3 day What's New Class -

[JoshuaAndrewsVM]

Traditionally there is a set time when no class is required to upgrade to the new cert.  After that time you need the 2-day "what's new" class - as long as you are only 1 version behind.

If you are VCP4, you needed just the exam for the first x months (I forget how many, 3? 4? 6?)

Now, you need to take the "What's new in v5" plus the exam

If you are VCP3 you need to take one of the 5-day classes, or switch to VCP-Cloud which has a 3-day class.

[aguerriero]

That doesn't seem so bad if that is the model. I just don't want to fork over the initial costs for the VCP5 and then find out that I have to shell out 6K or more every couple of years just to maintain an updated credential.

[scott28tt]

The grace period has historically been 6 months from the release of the new exam for the new version.

[aguerriero]

Is there a requirement that the written must be completed by a certain date after the course has been completed? Also is it only the classroom course that counts or can one utilize the onsite training offered to meet the course requirement?

[weinstein5 · Accepted solution]

As long as the exam is being offered you can still sit for it - for example the VCP4 is still being offered so even if you took the class when it was first released 3 years if you pass the exam you are a VCP4 -

As long as the course is offered by VMware or a Vmware Authorized Training Center -whether it is delivered in a classroom at a training center or delivered online  or onsite by VMware Certified Instructor it meets the requirement for becoming a VCP.

[dobbsmt]

How does the upgrade path work for VCAP holders? Do we have to upgrade our VCP before taking the next VCAP exam or can we just take the new VCAP exam that corresponds to our "old" certificate? If it's the latter, is VCP inherited once you pass the new VCAP exam?

[JoshuaAndrewsVM]

You can upgrade from the previous version to the current version with no class requirement and you inherit the underlying VCP

So VCAP4-DCA > VCAP5-DCA (incl VCP5-DCV)

Note that you can only "cross" silos or design/admin at the same version level you are at. 

No VCAP4-DCA -> VCAP-CIA.  You need to go VCAP4-DCA > VCAP5-DCA (incl VCP5-DCV) > VCAP-CIA (incl VCP-Cloud)

No VCAP-4-DCA -> VCAP5-DCD you need to go VCAP4-DCA > VCAP5-DCA (incl VCP5-DCV) > VCAP5-DCD