Understanding and Clarification about VMware Certifications

I started seeing Tweets about the new Certification Roadmap released recently and tried understanding the requirements for each track.

Clearly by looking at it you can get an idea that it will be possible to attain all the VCAP level certifications and also the VCDX level Elite certifications but that will require your expertise in specific/all areas for related  products of VMware. Mainly we can categorize these in 3 different components.

1) VMware vSphere


2) VMware vCloud



3) VMware View/Desktop

Currently the requirements for any track of VCAP available the minimum certification level you need is VCP.

As by introducing VCP-DV (Datacenter Virtualization) people are getting confused when they decide to go for VCAP-Cloud or VCAP-Desktop certifications.

Technically as per @randybecraft this is ONE AND THE SAME CERTIFICATION as VCP.

So clear up the fog, VCP5 and VCP-DV is the same certification, which is the minimum requirement.

VCP-DT is the VCP level certification for the Desktop level examination based on VMware View and ThinApp. Once passing VCP-DT one can appear for the advanced level certifications VCAP-Desktop Administration and VCAP-Desktop Design.

For vSphere related certification VCP-DV is now considered which was VCP (X) before. Then one can go for VCAP-Data Center Administrator and  VCAP-Data Center Design.

For vCloud related certifications VCP-Cloud is the minimum to attain. Then once done they can go for VCAP-Cloud Infrastructure Administration and VCAP-Cloud Infrastructure Design

Now if you click this link, it will take you to the page where you can see the above diagram but then you can click on each certification and each icon/description will take you to the mylearn page of that certification.

Currently as the Legends says you can only click the Gray colored certifications and Yellow colored certifications. The Yellow ones which are noted as New Releases.going through verifications and will be published once everything finalized.

So I will put up the links for all the certifications with required courses and recommended courses (which ever are available to take) and keep updating as the courses are going public.

Keep revisiting this post if some of the information is not up to date.

Now coming to the Elite Certification track aka VCDX there are now 3 tracks available.

vSphere ( Requires VCP-DV, VCAP-DCA, VCAP-DCD)

View     ( Requires VCP-DT, VCAP-DTA, VCAP-DTD)

vCloud  ( Requires VCP-Cloud, VCAP-CIA, VCAP-CID)

And as per my understanding and assumption to have a competency one needs to clear all 9-10 certifications and then present 3 different designs for each product separately to become a VCDX but as there are no blue prints available for View and vCloud VCDX tracks you can keep checking the VCDX certification page and check any updates there. 

Hope this clears up the confusion and help you planning your Role Based Certification/s. You can also join the Linkedin Groups I have created where you can discuss about these certifications. These are version independent groups so you can discuss anything about any version of vSphere, vCloud and View. As the new version is released, you can start discussing about it without looking for any group for that version.

For vSphere VCAP-DCD

For vCloud VCP-VCAP-VCDX

For View VCP-DT-VCAP-VCDX

Good Luck and start preparing for VCDX.

Leave the feedback if you see any discrepancy and  I will update it.

@mandivs