Hi VCF admins,
Broadcom recently launched three brand-new VCP exams. With the Architect exam guide now available online for just a few days, I saw it as an ideal opportunity to plan and schedule this exam. I am thrilled to recount my examination experience with you today and provide valuable tips.
In this blog post we only focus on the exam (2V0-13.24) VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2 Architect exam.
Certification details:
The VMware Certified Professional – VMware Cloud Foundation Architect (VCP-VCF Architect) 2024 certification validates a candidate’s skills in designing VCF solutions including manageability, availability, performance, recovery and security, as well as monitoring, capacity planning, and migration. Job-roles associated with this certification include infrastructure architects and consultants.
Minimally Qualified Candidate
The candidate can design a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) solution that meets stakeholder requirements. They have a fundamental understanding of VCF architecture, including compute, storage, networking, and cloud management. The candidate is capable of translating business objectives into a technical solution while considering design characteristics such as availability, manageability, performance, recoverability and security (AMPRS).
The candidate can differentiate between a conceptual model and both logical and physical designs and understands the distinctions between business and technical requirements. They are able to identify, assess and document risks, assumptions, dependencies, and constraints that may impact the design of a VCF solution. Additionally, they understand the implications of their design decisions on both broader VMware-based solutions and the customer technology landscape.
The candidate should have an understanding of capacity planning, disaster recovery, scalability, security, solution interoperability, and compatibility and can apply this knowledge to when designing VCF-based solutions. They are familiar with core data center services (including DNS and NTP) and can apply this knowledge when making design decisions. While the candidate can operate independently when creating designs, they may occasionally seek additional resources or support for complex or edge use cases.
The candidate should have at least one to two years of experience in designing VMware-based solutions, including six months or more working specifically with VCF. They are knowledgeable about some or all of the components of the VCF platform, including vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and Aria Suite. The candidate possesses most of the knowledge shown in the exam sections (blueprint).
Certification Paths:
The exam policy has recently been updated, introducing changes that now allow for to take this VCP test (formerly classified as VCAP) without the pre-requirement of following a VCF course in advance or already being VC(A)P certified.
Keep in mind that It is strongly advised to possess a thorough understanding of VMware Cloud Foundation but also designing Enterprise infrastructures, you can supplement this with several training programs including the official training “VMware Cloud Foundation: Deploy, Manage, or “Configure VMware vSphere: Design“.
TIP: For those who are VCF customers or Broadcom Advantage Partners, kindly access Learning@Broadcom through the Broadcom Support Portal. If you are not a VCF Customer or Partner, please reach out to a VCF Authorized Learning Partners for VCF training inquiries.
To get certified you (only) need to pass the exam VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2 Architect exam (2V0-13.24)
For tips how to schedule, see my previous post ” Certification Manager 2.0 the new learning portal from VMware by Broadcom“.
Preparation essentials worth considering
My Tips for this great design based exam are:
If you’ve previously attempted a VCAP Design exam, you likely have a good sense of the expectations placed upon you.
The similarities between the VCF Architect exam and the previous VMware VCAP Design exams are quite evident. One key similarity lies in their level of complexity. The successful completion of this exam necessitates a profound understanding of technical VCF concepts, as well as the ability to bridge the gap between technology and design within an architectural framework.
In the past I prepared for several VMware Design (DCV 6, 6.5, 7, 8 and NSX) exams, and the book below remains one of my favorite!
My main focus during the preparation phase for the design part was predominantly centered on:
- Differentiate between business and technical requirements
- Differentiate between a Conceptual Model, logical design and physical design
- Differentiate between requirements, assumptions, constraints and risks
- Differentiate between availability, manageability, performance, recoverability and security (AMPRS)
Pro tip: familiarize yourself with Gather and analyze business and technical (the Functional and Non-functional) requirements.
The above points are literally from the exam guide. So this document is an ideal source for preparation!
My main focus during the preparation phase for the scenario based questions was predominantly centered on the recommended training.
For the rest, the exam candidate is expected to have in-depth knowledge of VCF implementation and best practices. If you follow the recommended training and combine this with hands-on experience, you will probably be able to answer many questions correctly.
During assessments, you may encounter various question formats, such as multiple-choice or scenario-based questions. Drag-and-drop questions have not been observed in the assessments thus far. To tackle scenario-based queries effectively, consider reading them through twice. Prioritize eliminating multiple-choice options before providing your answers. An insightful observation from my review is that some questions specify what is not applicable. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully analyze each question before responding.
The resources below have helped me well with the development and preparation for this test:
1: Exam blueprint.
2: vBrownBag – VCAP-DCV Design YouTube Channel
3: vSphere 6.7 Design Cookbook
4: VMware vSphere Design 7 course.
Final thoughts
I took this exam with great pleasure. The questions were well aligned with the exam guide and also clearly described. There was sufficient time to complete the exam and hands on experience is also tested. My experience with design exams is that they are often very tough and that is why I have no problem with the result, unfortunately I failed. 290 points out of a minimum of 300, see my score report below. Perhaps I should have answered just one question better to collect 10 extra points and pass. A retake policy of at least 7 days applies to this exam so I will probably re-take the exam again next month!
I trust that this blog post has ignited a spark within you to kick off your journey towards achieving the newest VCP Architect certification from VMware by Broadcom.
Enjoy the preparation process and may you achieve great success in earning your badge!
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