Where to take VCP 510 ?

[dartron]

hi everyone,

I have a quite unusual question...

I work as a vSphere administrator in Dublin (Ireland) and I was planning to take VCP 510 exam.

I bought couple of books and decided to study on my own since I am exposed to the software on daily basis

Unfortunately, as I found out very recently I would have to book an official VMware course to be certified 😕

Can anyone confirm if this is true ?

Do I really need to spend over 2.5k euro to get VMware certification ?

Or is somebody trying to earn some extra cash ?

Thanks in advance,

dartron

[Troy_Clavell]

part of becoming a VCP is taking the required and authorized training class(es).  You can check the certification website for greater detail.

VMware Certification

[a_p_]

Yes, in order to become VCP you have to meet all the requirements, which include the course (see VCP5-DCV).

However, you don't need to attend a course for each new version. VMware usually gives existing VCP's the chance - for a limited time - to upgrade their existing certification by just passing the exam, without the need of another training once a new version is released.

If you are going to pay for the training by yourself, you may wnat to check whether you qualify for a training at a college/university (see http://www.vmware.com/partners/programs/vap/academy-program-participants.html for a participating academies)

André

[scott28tt]

That's not an unusual question at all.

You can study on your own, but you must also meet the training requirement to gain the certification - have a look here:

(VCP5-DCV) VCP-Datacenter Virtualization

There are 4 training courses that meet the requirement for the certification:

Install Configure Manage - covers a lot of the exam objectives, but could be too basic for you

Fast Track - covers most of the exam objectives, a better choice for an existing administrator or those using an Enterprise Plus license

Optimize & Scale - doesn't match the exam objectives, a good option for an experienced administrator

Troubleshooting Workshop - doesn't match the exam objectives, a good option for someone experienced in vSphere management (administration and performance)

Each of the courses can be take with a VMware Authorised Training Centre (training company) in 4-5 days. The only real alternative locally would be to take Install Configure Manage at a VMware IT Academy (college).

In terms of exam preparation, there can be some value in other books, but I'd suggest using 3 things heavily:

1. The exam blueprint - to plan

2. The doucmentation - to study

3. The software - to play