Is the VCP-DCV 2024 Worth It?

VMware’s software and products are popular with enterprise organizations, so pursuing a career centered on this technology can be a smart decision. However, since all of VMware's products are highly proprietary, generic experience only serves as a foundation to get you started. 

When companies hire IT professionals to work with VMware technologies, they want to see experience, yes, but they also want documented expertise. The easiest way to show that you have the necessary VMware knowledge is with a VMware certification.

Perhaps one of the most well-known products in the VMware technology stack is vSphere, the company's server virtualization platform. Of the four certification paths that the company offers, the Data Center Virtualization (DCV) track is most closely related to vSphere, which is what we'll explore today. 

What is the VCP-DCV?

The VCP-DCV is VMware's Professional certification in the Data Center Virtualization track, and it's a crucial step towards getting VMware certified. VMware has four levels of certification for every track:

• VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA)

• VMware Certified Professional (VCP)

• VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP)

• VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)

For the full details about VMware’s certification levels, please check out their guide here. It has additional information that you might find useful.

The VCP is essentially the gateway certification for anyone working with VMware technology in a technical capacity. Non-technical candidates can consider the VMware Certified Associate (VCA), which focuses more on product capabilities and awareness. 

The VCA is meant to assess a candidate's knowledge of VMware's products and solutions, making it more suitable for sales or marketing roles. In the next section, we compare VCA and VCP certifications and find out what makes them different.

VCA vs VCP: What are the Differences?

As we touched on earlier, the VCA is aimed at a different target audience than the VCP. The VCA teaches candidates about VMware's products and solutions and what they offer to potential customers, making it more suitable for sales or marketing roles. It still has value, but you need to be aware of what it does and doesn’t teach.

The VCP is a technical certification made for people who work hands-on with VMware technologies. If you are an IT professional who works with VMware and wants to learn new skills or validate existing ones, consider the VCP as your starting point.

Certification Paths for VCP-DCV 2024

Editor's Note: Since VMware's acquisition by Broadcom, it's no longer required to attend a course to take the VCP-DCV exam.

VMware offers multiple paths to earning the VCP-DCV 2024, depending on a candidate's existing certifications:

• No VCP certifications or VCP-DCV 2023: Pass the vSphere 8.x Professional exam (2V0-21.23) or attend a recommended training course in 2024

• VCP-DCV 2021 or newer: Attend a recommended training course and pass the vSphere 8.x Professional exam

• VCP-DCV 2020 or older: Attend a recommeded training course and pass the vSphere 8.x Professional exam

• Other VCP certifications (e.g., VCP-NV, VCP-CMA): Attend a recommended training course and pass the vSphere 8.x Professional exam

• Completed a vSphere 6.7 course but never certified: Attend a "What's New" course and pass the vSphere 8.x Professional exam

VMware provides more details on its website in this VCP-DCV PDF.

What Does the VCP-DCV 2024 Test?

The VCP-DCV 2024 exam (2V0-21.23) evaluates a candidate's knowledge and skills across seven domains:

• Architecture and Technologies

• Products and Solutions

• Planning and Designing

• Installing, Configuring, and Setup

• Performance-tuning, Optimization, and Upgrades

• Troubleshooting and Repairing

• Administrative and Operational Tasks

The exam has 70 multiple-choice questions, and you are given 135 minutes to complete it. VMware has detailed Exam Guides that outline the objectives covered in each of the exam domains, making them a really valuable resource for anyone preparing for the exam.  

How Much Does the VCP-DCV 2024 Cost?

The VCP-DCV 2024 exam (2V0-21.23) costs $250. However, you’re also required to complete a VMware training course, which can be quite expensive, ranging from $4,250 to $4,500. The total cost of earning the VCP-DCV 2024, including the exam fee and training, is roughly $4,500 to $4,750.

While the cost may seem a little steep, some employers are willing to sponsor their employees' upskilling and often see the value it brings to their organization if they are dependent on VMware's virtualization tech. Earning the VCP-DCV 2024 may also lead to a higher salary and better job opportunities, making it a worthy investment overall.

What Experience Do You Need for the VCP-DCV 2024?

It depends on your level of understanding and exposure to VMware tech, but they recommend that candidates have at least 6-12 months of hands-on experience with vSphere 7.x or 8.x before attempting the VCP-DCV 2024 exam. You should also be familiar with storage, networking, hardware, security, business continuity, and disaster recovery concepts to give you the best shot at understanding the systems and underlying principles that you will be learning about.

Something important to take note of is that the VCP-DCV cert is considered a baseline certification for professionals working with VMware technologies. This means that it is merely the first step towards more advanced certifications like the VCAP, VCIX, and VCDX, and not necessarily the end goal of your professional journey.

Who Should Take the VCP-DCV 2024?

The best candidates are anyone planning to work with VMware's data center virtualization technologies or someone already exposed to these systems in their current job. Some of the jobs that will really benefit from this cert are:

• Systems Administrators: The VCP-DCV demonstrates a sysadmin's ability to install, configure, and manage vSphere environments, which is very important for organizations using VMware technologies.

• Network Administrators: As more networks become virtualized, the VCP-DCV showcases a network admin's knowledge of designing, implementing, and troubleshooting virtual networks.

• Storage Administrators: Storage is a big deal in virtual environments. The VCP-DCV covers concepts and configuration in vSphere, helping any storage admin gain a far better understanding of how VMware handles the intricate storage settings in virtual environments.

• Virtualization Engineers: Earning the VCP-DCV a foundational certification is a must for virtualization engineers as it validates their skills in deploying, managing, and optimizing vSphere environments.

• Cloud Engineers: Many organizations are currently adopting hybrid and private cloud models, and the VCP-DCV demonstrates a cloud engineer's skills and capabilities in managing virtualized infrastructure.

Benefits of the VCP-DCV 2024

Getting certified has many advantages in the VMware ecosystem. It shows you have the necessary baseline skills that will make you valuable to an employer. VMware is very complex and has domain-specific esoteric knowledge, and getting certified helps you demonstrate that understanding. Here are a few other benefits: 

• Increased Marketability: The VCP-DCV is widely acknowledged and valued in the IT industry. It demonstrates a candidate's expertise in VMware technologies. Certified candidates are more likely to land an interview for a VMware role than uncertified ones.

• Skill Validation: One of the best ways to beat imposter syndrome is to get certified! The VCP-DCV validates a candidate's skills and knowledge in deploying, managing, and troubleshooting vSphere environments, giving both employers and candidates confidence. 

• Networking Opportunities: A lesser-known fact about achieving the VCP-DCV is that you get access to the VMware-certified community, which provides opportunities to connect with other professionals and share knowledge.

• Continuous Learning: If you have ever been stuck in a role maintaining ancient legacy systems, then you know the value of staying current with the latest tech. VMware often updates its certs to keep up with new product releases and industry trends, encouraging you to continuously update your skills.

Is the VCP-DCV 2024 Worth It?

When you consider all the factors, the only real reason the answer would be "no" here is the price tag of the required class. VMware certifications are in perpetually high demand; they're widely recognized, and they are frequently used to validate specific skill sets. If you work in any IT role, from sysadmin to architect, in a company that uses vSphere, you will profit from earning this certification in terms of both experience and salary.

This is an excellent certification to have when searching for a job, but ideally, you will have earned it while you have a job—and your employer pays for the class. If you can secure that benefit, the answer to the above question is an unqualified yes. 

If you have to pay for it out of pocket, the answer is still yes, but timing will likely play into when you get it instead of whether you do. 

Start studying for the VCP-DCV with our VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization 2024 Online Training course today.