Hi Network Engineers, VCF admins, and everyone who’s willing to break down the silos!
The VCF 9 series certification portfolio is rapidly expanding with the introduction of the new VCAP exam: VMware Cloud Foundation Networking (3V0-25.25). This launch is one of five new VCAP exams recently added.
Consult the Exam Guide for details on this significant test. The exam features the standard 60 questions and includes a broad range of question formats, such as Multiple Choice, Multiple Choice Multiple Selection, Drag and Drop, Matching, Proctored, Build-List, and Sequencing.
For which candidate is this exam suitable? What to expect?
Based on the Minimally Acceptable Candidate (MQC) criteria, the Advanced VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Networking certification is designed for a Highly skilled VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Networking specialist with 1-2 years of NSX and at least 2 years of enterprise networking experience. Proficient in the entire lifecycle of VCF Networking solutions, including design, installation, configuration, management, and troubleshooting across multi-region/multi-organization environments. Expertise covers key VCF Networking functional areas such as gateways, segments, VPCs, routing, services, and load balancing, utilizing UI, CLI, and API-based workflows. Requires limited supervision for complex tasks, possesses deep knowledge of VCF Networking and vSphere, and may hold relevant industry certifications.
Which knowledge and skills are covered during this exam?
Based on the MQC and the official exam sections, I’ve noted that the exam mainly focuses on the following critical operational domains:
The MAC description is very clear and states that the candidate must be able to process a design. Zooming in on Exam Section 1, it indicates that the candidate must be able to distinguish between business requirements, AMPRS, etc. This sets clear expectations and has a different approach than, for example, the VCAP Storage exam, which focuses on identification.
Section 2 is outside the scope (VMware Products and Solutions) and this can be explained as this exam is fully focused on Networking.
Exam Section 3 (Plan and Design the VMware Solution). This section seems to make up 80% of this Networking exam. I’m struck by the focus on design again. This section is very comprehensive and primarily focuses on design decisions. I’ve taken several versions of the VCAP-DCV Design exam in the past and even contributed to one, and in those exams, it was crucial for an architect to be able to make the right translation based on a given scenario. I expect the same type of questions/approach for this VCAP exam will apply. So, focus on Logical Design, Physical Design, Availability, Performance, and Recoverability.
Recommanded training courses
We often observe that with the introduction of a new VCP or VCAP exam, corresponding training courses become available that are designed to seamlessly align with the related certification. According to the exam guide, the following three training courses are recommended for this VCAP VCF Networking exam:
- VMware Cloud Foundation Networking: Advanced Design
- VMware Cloud Foundation Networking: Advanced Configuration
- VMware Cloud Foundation Networking: Advanced Troubleshooting
This VCF VCAP exam also includes a Design, Configuration, and Troubleshooting course, which likely aligns perfectly with the Role-Based Framework.
Conclusion
Personally, I think it’s a great development that there’s a specific VCAP exam available that focuses primarily on VCF networking. Based on the Exam Guide and the focus on section 3, I expect this exam will be very suitable for Network Architects with experience designing Network Virtualization. Therefore, I will primarily focus on the Design course during my preparation.
It is important to note that all the information I share is based on publicly available documentation and my own assumptions. I plan to prepare for and take this exam on the short term and will share my exam experience with you afterward.
For those of you who are inspired to pursue this VCF 9 VCAP Networking badge, I wish you the best of luck with your preparation. Obtaining this certification brings you also one step closer to the next phase of the VCDX journey!
update alert:
“Please note: The official exam guide was updated on January 13th, and the exam’s composition now differs from the initial version. The information in this blog post may, therefore, be inaccurate. I will post a corrected update shortly.”
End of this post.
Disclaimer: Please note that the views expressed in this blog are solely my own and should be treated as personal opinions. This content does not hold any legal or authoritative standing.