Failed the VCAP6-DCV Deploy
I sat the VCAP6-DCV Deploy exam the other day and unfortunately I failed. Here are my thoughts on the exam.
I was initially pretty annoyed I failed especially as it was by 12 points. After a couple of hours I realised I am not that upset about it (apart from having to pay the exam cost again!). Reflecting on my study strategy I was only doing what I thought I needed to pass the exam. However looking back I realise I really enjoyed learning the nuts and bolts of vSphere, especially things we are not licensed for at work. Now I will be focusing more on really learning the technology and not learning the exam. Now I know what to expect in the exam such as the style of questions I will pass it next time.
So here are my tips if you are facing the exam in no particular order are:
- The Exam Topics - know EVERYTHING forward and backwards. It really is your bible
- Time management was the hardest thing for me in the exam. If I had five more minutes this would be a different blog post! If you can do the question in less than 5 minutes do it. If not note it down on the plastic sheet with a couple of words on the question and and move onto the next one
- Know your esxli commands. I think it would be pretty hard to memorise all of them but know the main ones like the back of your hand
- Don’t rely on the documentation! It’s useful to have in case you blank on a command but it takes time to search and digest. If you do need it use the Advanced Search function in Adobe Reader:
- Lab the hell out of everything. This made me miss a couple of questions on vDP and vSphere Replication. I couldn’t get the appliances to deploy on Workstation due to it’s lack of support of OVF properties. I instead just read about them - big mistake
- Don’t take the Optimize and Scale course the week before the exam like I did. It was too much information while studying at the same time
- Read the questions - there is extra information provided that is not necessary for a few questions
- 205 minutes goes very fast! I didn’t pay attention to the clock as much as I should have
- If you have a VMUG Advantage subscription use it to get 20% off the exam
Finally some guides:
- Shout out to Kyle Jenner for his VCAP6-DCV Deployment Study Guide
- Thanks to Ramy Mahmoud for his Study Guide
- Know the Interface. It’s based on the Hand On Labs. Read this guide and know how to setup the environment to maximize your real estate
It’s a fair exam and didn’t test me things I didn’t know. If only I had managed my time better… Good luck to anyone taking it!