VMware decided: Your VCP certification will expire. Are you happy with this?

[Raul_Tutunaru]

So, every 2 year we had  to pay for a prerequisite course which for me is very expensive and take another exam. I got lucky and my employer paid this course for me and thas how I got VCP-DCV certification. But I would not bet this will happen again after 2 years.

Since retesting your knowledge is not such a bad idea, the fact that I am forced to pay a large amount of money for prerequisite course make me very unhappy.

How about you?

[scott28tt]

One key thing to realise is there's no training requirement to recertify, and exam fees are less than training fees.

In the past there was a few months grace period for a VCP to update to a new version with no training but once that period had passed (as it did for many) there would be at least a 2-day class needed.

I will continue to list VCP2/3/4/5 on my CV regardless of having to recertify.

[Aruizo]

Just meant you paid last week for something that now is free

[Mrhaana]

I am happy. I am VCP4 Certified and this change allowed me to sit for VCP5 exam without course requirement.

[Raul_Tutunaru]

At the time I saw the announcement, the FAQ recertification category was not available.

So I was worried I had to pay courses every 2 years. Even the exam tax not cheap for people who leave in countries with weak economy but for me is bearable.

[gtnshape]

Does anyone know, or read somewhere, if they plan on major releases more frequently?  5.0 is over 2 years old.  If we have to re-certify every two years this seams a lot of people would be losing their certifications.  Or I wonder if they want people to certify in other diciplines, say cloud or desktop in between?

[weinstein5]

Remember 5.5 cam out a short time ago - also sitting for the VCAP exams satisfy the requirement -

[Rumple]

writing an exam for another product just for the sake of keeping certs is a waste of effort, brain power and money.

Writing higher level exams just to keep certification...see above.

Lets put it as simple as possible...

I have a VCP 2,3,4,5....now...am I going to tell customers I am a VCP 2,3,4,5 or am I going to tell them I am a VCP 5 (or even just a VCP I suppose)

If ESX 10 is out....and I haven't bothered to get any other exam....is my VCP still relevant at that point?  not really.

Sure I can still call myself a VCP...but I can also say I have an MCSE (in NT 4)....valid but not relevant at all.

Just change the rules that if you are advertising yourself as a VCP, you have to show the level....all the scammers are not going to bother, and are not going to stop showing their VCP even when its irrelevant...so its just going to impact the professionals.

The rest of us, will either keep up or look like idiots..since I don't want to show I have a VCP 2 and expect someone to think thats job worthy.

Message was edited by: Mark Hodges typing on mobile makes for lots of mistakes apparently.

[asurania]

I don't mind the policy - but is there a way we can request VMware to change the re-certification policy from 2 to 3 years.

2 years is to quick for the certification to expire.  3 years would be more resonable .

[gtnshape]

Agreed!

[Noor2122]

Yes I agree.....2 years is to quick for the certification to expire.....  3 years would be more reasonable.

[ponsaelius]

Just passed my VCP5 today.

I would expect those with a stake in VMWARE would be pretty happy. Barriers to VCP are good business. Making a cert a bit more difficult increases the value, keeps salaries higher, keeps the training industry in business.. all good stuff.

I even understand the stated motivation. Keeping up with new technology.

However just digging a bit deeper I have to say this isn't standard across the industry. If you are an MCP with Microsoft Windows 2000 you keep that forever. It just becomes 'legacy'. By legacy we mean less relevant. They don't revoke the certification per se. Actually there is a natural timeout in VCP5. If you have a cert it goes 'out of date' a bit more with every update. There is a natural pressure to update.

The big market for VMWARE is the enterprise. Yet they are actually not the ones who upgrade first. Right now there are still businesses migrating to Windows 7 ( a 2009 OS) so Microsoft professionals with a Windows 7 cert are very relevant.

What would make sense is this;

     1. When a new product comes out your cert becomes legacy after 12 months of release. On the website it shows that you passed the qualification but has the word 'legacy' beside it.

     2. If you have any legacy cert you can certify with the 'new' version without taking a course. Just do the exam.

This would make it clear to employers and business the level of certification someone has, it would reward people for doing the certification and allow them to 're-certify' at  the speed their business requirements allowed for,. VMWARE should not 'punish' people for staying with an older certification if their employers want to keep it for a while.

it would also help people who pay for their own cost of certification.

My personal experience was a 2 year journey to certification. I took the course but could not take the exam for 18 months for personal reasons. Life intervened with my profession. I even changed job roles twice.

So I think re-certification was a good idea but my personal viewpoint is that VMWARE should lighten up. If you pass a VCP5 then you have learned the material. You should be a VCP but when it becomes an old product just indicate that. Don't try to take away what someone has earned. It's like taking away a university degree because they don't re-take the exam every so often.

Just my thoughts.

Steve

[Osm3um]

After rereading the "new" rules, I have to say I am quite irritated.  Because I worked hard and received my VCP5 prior to March 10, 2013, I have only one year to recertify!?  If I had waited until March 11, 2014 I would have until March 2016 to "upgrade"?!

Not only that, but currently there is not upgrade to the VCP-DCV as there is no new version of the product!?  So I am expected to study a different branch of the vSphere tree in order to stay current OR retake my VCP5x-DCV exam OR wait until I can take the VCP6-DCV before March 2015 that doesn't even exist yet?  Illogical is a perfect word for it.  Seriously?  How about two years after the VCP6 product/exams exist?

I don't get it.....but I guarantee I will keep the letters on my resume, probably with a (retired) after it.  It pains me to say it, but the time has come to become familiar with Hyper-V, which btw, I have yet to touch and I have been virtualizing since ESX 3.

Bob