VMware VCAP-DCV Deploy Tips & Tricks

VMware VCAP-DCV Deploy Tips & Tricks

21 February 2020Kabir

As promised I would write about my journey towards VCAP DCV Deploy. Instead of writing what I did and why and how (your starting point can be different than mine), I thought why not keep it simple and give 17 tips, why 17 you might wonder? Well the VCAP DCV Deploy exam is made up of 17 questions (with sub questions).

Tip 1)

The exam is in a lab environment, similar to the HOL labs (hol.vmware.com). My tip is get a lab fired up and learn the lab tips and tricks, like dragging and dropping text from the PDF to an input field. Make sure you are comfortable with the HOL labs.

Tip 2)

Have a healthy look at the exam blueprint (blueprint). I was overwhelmed by all the items on the blueprint. But if you keep in mind that the exam is in a lab, you can start crossing off items as some items require special hardware. You should end up with a healthy view of what you can expect.

Tip 3)

Take a moment to think about how a large enterprise setup might look like. The exam is aimed at testing your knowledge as if you are the senior VMware administrator. Expect a multi-site environment.

Tip 4)

Read carefully. This is a large enterprise setup, you could be on the wrong site…

Tip 5)

Did you know that large enterprises tend to struggle with lifecycle management?

Tip 6)

Don’t overdo it! Don’t do more then what you have been asked to do! If you are asked to power on a VM, just power on the VM. Nobody asked you to optimize the VM, so why optimize it?

Tip 7)

I had some issues with getting the exam started which cost me about 30min of time. Still I managed to complete the exam with 7min remaining. The tip here is don’t get stuck on a question. If you don’t know the answer, continue to the next (sub)question. You can always come back.

Tip 8)

Another tip on time management. It could be that some tasks take time to complete. Use that time to read up on the next (sub)question(s).

Tip 9)

Patience, my exam was a bit slow from time to time. Don’t worry about loosing a couple of minutes.

Tip 10)

I think the lab is running in the US. For the best performance, take the exam while the US is sleeping

Tip 11)

It seems stupid, but when selecting your exam center ask about their seats. My exam center had squeaky seats! Trust me, that’s super annoying!

Tip 12)

A large (physical) screen is recommended, say 24” and above. Select your exam center wisely

Tip 13)

Here are a couple of sites that help you get prepared for the exam: