Its VCP upgrade time again. For current VCP 4 holders the deadline to upgrade without the course requirement is Feb 29th 2012. So not too much time left!
I recently sat and thankfully passed the Instructor version of this test. It was the normal VCP 5 test with a higher pass mark requirement (350/500).
Overall I was impressed. VMware have obviously gone to great lengths to keep the VCP standard high. The 85 questions in 90 minutes tested my understanding of the concepts as well as just recalling facts about vSphere 5. You won't pass this exam by memorising a few pdfs, hands on experience is needed.
The VCP exam blueprint was spot on. No content surprises really. All aspects of standing up and maintaining a vSphere platform are covered. I really like the fact that basic troubleshooting and the upgrade process are included in the blueprint. This is useful real life knowledge as well as a good test of understanding the technology.
I have had a couple of emails from current VCP 4 holders recently. Please note that this is the full vSphere 5 exam. This is not an upgrade exam, you will be expected to know all parts of the blueprint – not just the differences.
Tips
- Study the exam blueprint – you won't be surprised if you tick off each objective
- Know the differences between the vSphere 4 and 5 technologies
- Know the upgrade process – what order to upgrade things. How to upgrade each component.
- Troubleshooting techniques. What to look for when using tools such as resxtop, storage and performance graphs.
- Lots of Lab Time
What I Used
- Trainsiginal vSphere 5 training videos – excellent value & great for watching on my iPad while commuting to work.
- Mastering vSPhere 5 by Scott Lowe – A great resource for the VCP and for the real life work.
- VMware vSphere Clustering Technical Deepdive – An excellent read, technically brilliant – just read it!
- Home Lab – 3 physical HP microservers