VCAs are very much starter certifications, they aren't that technical and aren't widely recognised by partners or employers.
Have a look at this page for the VCA6-DCV exam and you can see what knowledge is tested, take the recommended training, and also take a practice exam that should give an indication of the level.
VCP level certifications such as VCP6-DCV are quite different, much more like what you've experienced with Cisco - you can't really pass exams at VCP level without hands-on, study, and there's a mandatory training requirement too.
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