If you are funding the training for yourself, then you can always do the course via a VMware IT Academy (VITA) such as Stanly or Cleveland College. It's worth noting though that if you take the course via a VITA, you should take the PSE version of the exam, if you don't then VMware's systems don't realise that you have completed all the objectives and you don't automatically get awarded the cert however, I have instances before where VMware have had to apply a manual fix in order for the candidate to gain their certification. 

If you look at going down this route, I'd just get confirmation from VMware Learning that they would still accept this as a valid route. 

Having recently taken the Optimize & Scale v7 course for the 2023 VCP-DCV, as well as having taken the ICMv7 for the '22 version of the same cert, you must complete all 4 activities of the on-demand course. The training videos themselves, the lab, the assessment, and the evaluation (which is basically just a survey). If you only completed the assessment, then the training was never complete, and the training is required to become certified.

Is a well-oiled scam. Thanks to VMUG I only have to pay 3100 instead of 4200. Cheers

That was my first course of action. I bit the bullet and paid for the training again. At least they saved my class progress. Thank you for all the information.