VMware Certification: Exam-Only Path for VCP and VCAP

1. VMware Moves to Exam-Only Paths for Many VCP/VCAP Tracks

VMware has adjusted its certification program, removing the requirement for mandatory official training in many VCP (VMware Certified Professional) and VCAP (VMware Certified Advanced Professional) tracks. Candidates can now achieve certifications via an exam-only path, provided they have the necessary skills and experience.

This change lowers the formal entry barrier but also puts more responsibility on candidates to ensure they have real, hands-on experience with VMware technologies before attempting the exams.

2. What Does “Exam-Only” Really Mean?

Under the new approach, the emphasis shifts from completing an official course to demonstrating practical competence:

• You are no longer required to show proof of authorized training to schedule the exam.
• You can prepare using your own mix of lab practice, internal training and third-party resources.
• However, exam questions still assume strong real-world vSphere and VMware Cloud Foundation skills.

For many experienced administrators, this is an opportunity to certify more flexibly and at lower cost.

3. Impact on Popular Tracks Such as VCP-DCV

One of the most common paths affected is VCP-DCV (Data Center Virtualization). While VCP-DCV remains focused on vSphere administration and vCenter management, candidates may:

• Skip formal courses if they already work with vSphere daily.
• Rely on internal homelabs and project experience to build exam readiness.
• Use a VCP-DCV question bank to simulate exam-style scenarios and topics.

The same principle applies to other VCP and VCAP tracks in networking, security and cloud.

4. How to Prepare Without Mandatory Official Training

Without a forced training path, VMware professionals should design their own certification study plan:

• Set up or use an existing vSphere or VMware Cloud Foundation lab environment.
• Work through real tasks: deploying clusters, configuring storage and networking, enabling HA/DRS.
• Map lab tasks to exam blueprints from VMware’s official certification pages.
• Use question banks and practice tests to cover blind spots and less-used features.

The goal is not just to pass an exam but to be confident operating production VMware environments.

Article Details

• Certifications: VCP, VCAP in multiple tracks
• Change: Mandatory official training removed for many paths
• Impact: More flexibility, but experience still essential

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