The VMware Certified Advanced Professional – Data Center Virtualization (VCAP-DCV) Deploy exam is one of the most prestigious certifications for IT professionals in the field of data center virtualization. Achieving this certification demonstrates your advanced skills in designing, deploying and managing VMware virtualization environments.
On October 27th 2023, I took Advanced Deploy VMware vSphere 7.x (3v0-22.21N) exam. Couple days later I had my result – passed. That was my first ever lab-based VCAP exam. In this blog article, I will share my personal journey and insights on how I successfully gained the VCAP-DCV Deploy 2023 certification.
Exam Overview
Advanced Deploy VMware vSphere 7.x is a 17 question lab-based exam. You have 205 minutes to finish and passing score is 300. The exam costs $450 USD. Make sure to review the exam guide.
Because the questions are lab-based, not every task will require same amount of time. There are short tasks and there are few in which you have to wait for something to be deployed. Do not waste your time – if you are waiting for any task/deployment to finish, go for the next task and then go back. Therefore, I highly recommend to track your progress. I used simple text file, created on the desktop of lab environment.
By this way you know what you did, for what you have to wait and where to get back later. Some tasks have couple parts. Time flies very fast. I can tell you this 3 hours may look like a lot, but it’s not. There is not much time for troubleshooting. Some tasks requires just couple clicks, and some requires more time to deploy or reconfigure something. And yes, there are tasks where you have to do/fix something unexpected. Some tasks have certain requirements that don’t work at first. Sometimes you need to troubleshoot and do necessary reconfiguration to achieve what is required in the task. For a few tasks you will have KB on the lab desktop. Be familiar with KB’s.
Hands-On Experience
One of the most critical aspects of passing the VCAP-DCV Deploy exam is practical experience. Hands-on experience with VMware products and virtualization environments is essential. If you don’t have access to a lab environment, consider using VMware’s Hands-on Labs (HOL) or setting up your own lab using virtualization software like VMware Workstation or Fusion. Real-world experience will help you apply your knowledge effectively during the exam.
Since this is a hands-on lab exam, I believe that years of hands-on experience with VMware products and virtualization are absolutely required to pass this exam. If you work as a VMware administrator and manage the vCenter environment on a daily basis, I think this is the best experience to prepare for this exam.
The exam itself looks exactly the same as VMware Hands-On Labs. Be very familiar with this environment, take some labs to know what to expect on the exam.
I highly recommend to take some VMware Odyssey labs. These are not guided labs. You are tasked to configure something, the sooner you finish the better.
Tip: remember that Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V are not working in VMware HOL environment. Better use simple Copy and Paste with Right-click.
Conclusion
Passing the VCAP-DCV Deploy 2023 exam is a significant achievement that can open doors to exciting career opportunities. With a practical experience, and a commitment to mastering the exam objectives, you can increase your chances of success. Remember, the journey to passing the VCAP-DCV Deploy exam is a learning experience in itself, and the knowledge you gain will benefit you in your career as a virtualization professional. Good luck with your certification journey!
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