Career Development Certification

VMware Certification: Recertification Is Changing and What It Means to You

Part of our goal as a certification program is to create policies that enable you to validate your expertise and show your relevancy in the industry.

 

The recertification policy of a two-year upgrade was in place to help you maintain that relevancy through upgraded certifications and up-to-date skills. Recertification is important enough to create policies around, but we’ve heard your feedback and we are making a change. We want the VMware certification program to match the needs of each candidate and allow the flexibility to do what best supports individual and organizational needs.

 

So, effective immediately, the mandatory recertification requirement will be removed from all current certifications. We want you to upgrade and recertify when it’s important or viable for you.

 

To learn more about these changes and what they mean to you, please view this video and read the FAQ to answer the most common questions.

 

 

Karl Childs

Karl Childs is a Senior Manager with VMware Education Services. He has 20+ years experience in IT Education and Certification, working with global companies such as HP, Novell, and MCI.…

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Comments

86 comments have been added so far

    1. Money grab? Really? you think that education is a ‘money grabber’! It takes an enormous amount of resources to create, offer, host and run technical education programmes. There’s really not a lot of ‘grab’ involved.

      Reply

  2. Hi Karl,

    I think this is the right move. Thanks for listening. I just checked my VCP-NV and VCP-DCV 6 and I still got an expiration date at 24.03.2019 (earned in March 2017). Is this ok?

    I thought that it will be effective immediately.

    Reply

    1. Hi Wojciech, the back end systems are being updated still, so it’ll be a little while before it’s reflected in CertManager. But your expiration date will go away once the changes are made (that’s true of anyone, even if CertManager shows they expire between now and when the changes are fully implemented).

      Reply

  4. Hi Karl, this is great news but it would have been better if this was announced with some notice. My VMware certs expired at the end of Dec 2018. Do you know if VMware will make any exceptions or bring forward the cut-off point?

    Reply

    1. Hi Dave,

      Yes, we will be re-activating older certifications up to VCP5, so even if you expired, that expiration will be removed (once the backend system gets updated so it reflects in CertManager).

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  5. So if your certification lapses will you still be required to take a VMware class (as well as an exam) in order to regain the certification? Or will you only have to take a qualifying exam for the certification to become active again?

    Reply

    1. Hi Bill, with the removal of the mandatory recertification requirement, you won’t have a lapsed or expired certification status any longer. So you will be able to upgrade to a more recent version of certification through the upgrade path, which is typically a single exam.

      Note that very old certifications will still retire (or stay retired). For example, the VCP2/3/4-DCV are old enough that they won’t become active again and would require the New Candidate path to renew. But if you hold a VCP5-DCV or newer, you can upgrade through one exam.

      We won’t retire certifications that are newer than three years old, so you have longer now than before to take advantage of the one-exam upgrade path.

      Reply

  6. What a confusing mess, I was very disappointed with the 2 year recertification. I know that when I received my VCP 5 I was looking at the next step which I believe was called VCAP back then. Once the change happened It literally stopped me in my tracks for that cert and last couple of years I took 2 other vendor certs that I probably would not have taken. Hopefully it will be streamlined and more path friendly for the rest of us. Make it right VMware, admins are your best advocates in the business space. Thanks for letting me drop my 2 cents.

    Reply

    1. Thanks JJ,

      Along with this change, you’ll continue to see even more of the streamlined upgrade options. We’ll soon start adding more upgrade options for our certifications that are more in-line with activities you and other admins are doing already, to help make it easier to stay as current as you’d like to.

      And the VCAPs are still available, whenever you’re ready!

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  7. Hi,

    That’s a good thing, but would be really good to drop the requirement to attend an expensive class in order to get the certification. Not every company is feeling to pay for that class and to pay myself such amount of money is ridiculous.

    Regards,
    Ionut

    Reply

    1. How would you suggest certifications are issued? Currently you can either take an exam or attend a class. What else could be used?

      Reply

      1. Certification requires validation of expertise, which is shown through exams and training. We have different types of exams, from standard multiple choice to lab performance-based exams to defense panels, but all are types of exams, and is what our certifications are based on.

        Thanks,
        Karl

        Reply

    1. Hi Josh, for everyone who has met the requirements, they’ll receive an email with instructions in how to redeem.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  9. Like Sketch and Bill T mentioned, if you let your certification lapse will we be required to take a VMware class in order to get re-certified? I didn’t see anything about it under the new policy.

    Thanks,
    Brian

    Reply

    1. Hi Brian, no, as long as the last certification you hold is a VCP5-DCV or newer, you don’t need to follow the Expired path to upgrade – you can upgrade directly through a single exam.

      Thanks,
      karl

      Reply

    1. Hi Kamruddin, yes, to meet partner competency requirements, there is no change. The 2-year certification requirement will be handled through the partner program and you (and/or your organization) will receive information directly from the partner team.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

        1. No, but to be safe, I would confirm with your organization. It may be possible your VCP may be one they are using to qualify for competency benefits and authorization.

          Reply

          1. So, you mean after detaching my certification profile from the partner I will be relieved from mandatory re-certification and they can also use my VCP for their competency benefits. Does my understanding is right?
            Actually I am looking for a way that can relief me from mandatory re-certification as well as my VCP can be used for the partner’s competency fulfillment.

          2. Hi Kamruddin, no, if your certification is used to qualify your organization’s competency requirements, it will need to be updated within the last two years.

            Thanks,
            Karl

  12. My VCP5 certification 2 year is due to expire on 16th Feb. I have booked the exam for VCP6.5 for 12th Feb . Will I be still be able take VCP6.5 exam on schedule o or do I have to take VCP2019 only ? Or Do I have to postpone it for post April ? Will I get access to VMware learning zone ?

    Reply

    1. Hi Dheeraj,

      You may take your scheduled 6.5 exam and still earn the VCP-DCV 2019. The certification is based on when you pass the required exams and so currently, either the 6.5 or 6.7 exam will earn you the certification.

      The Learning Zone access is for those who followed the Expiration path to upgrade again within the last six months (I’m not sure if you fall into that situation or not?)

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  14. Hi Karl, what about us who just took an exam solely to re-certify?. I have taken an exam to recertify my VCPs just before 2 months. I know that taking the exam as an upgrade is also good, but I would not be in hurry and invest in time and money for just small version upgrade. If I knew, I would wait to do major upgrade, or try another track. Is there any compensation in training or may be exam vouchers for us in case like this?

    Reply

    1. Hi BF, there is not. As you state, recertification is still valuable and good to do. It is situations like yours that helped us decide to make the change so that you can decide when it best makes sense to you to upgrade rather than within our timelines.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  15. Thanks for all the great information Karl! But didnt VMware at one time allow you to take another VMware exam and it would update your previous one? For example lets say I am VCP 5 (which will be newly reactivated) But I take the either the VCP6-CMA or NSX exam instead and pass. Will that automatically put me back in compliance and possibly give me extra time to recertify myself to pass the current VCP 5 even after the expiration date without taking a class? Hope this makes sense, I thought there was an option not to have to take the class if you had updated your cert in another track.
    Thanks again!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jamel, yes, that was the case in the past with any active certifications. If you held a VCP5-DCV, and it was still active, you could earn a VCP in another track by passing that track’s VCP exam, and it would reset the expiration date on all your VCPs.

      With the recent change of removing the 2-year recertification requirement, you’ll see those dates will go away. We will no longer expire certifications at an individual level, but certifications as a whole. So anyone with VCP5-DCV will now remain active until we retire the certification as a whole. Certifications that we retire will still be on your transcript but will be noted as Emeritus (such as VCP2/3/4 is now).

      While you have an active certification, you may follow the upgrade path and earn a new VCP in a different track, without having to retake training or the Foundations exam. To earn a new VCP in a different track, you must be within two versions, but that upgrade path will still exist.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

      1. My vcp 6-dcv expired at end of January 2019, with this change can I take vcp-dcv-2019 exam at February? Or I need to wait until April 2019 when certification manager show my vcp active again?

        Thanks

        Reply

        1. Hi Tedi, you may take the upgrade exam at any time. When the back-end system is updated, it will reflect the exam taken and your new certification, regardless of when you passed the exam.

          Thanks,
          Karl

          Reply

      2. Karl,

        You say that only certifications “as a whole will expire.” I am looking at the list or “retiring soon” certifications listed here:
        https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/certification/vmw-certification-retired-exams.pdf

        It looks like VCP6 and 6.5 will retire as a whole on 8/30/19. Does this mean that on 8/30/19 those who hold VCP6 or 6.5 will no longer be able to take the VCP 2019 without going through the course requirement again?

        Based on what I am understanding, the new policy removed the two-year recertification requirement, but certifications as a whole will retire. Those holding certifications that VMware retired are not eligible to recertify without taking the course.
        And VCP6 and 6.5 are getting retired on 8/30/19. This means Those holding VCP6 or 6.5 will need to take VCP 2019 to maintain an active status.

        Did I get that correct or am I misunderstanding? Please clarify this issue.

        Reply

        1. Hi Diaa,

          When these certifications retire, if you have earned them, they are still valid and you will still be what was considered “active” (in truth, that term is going away since mandatory recertification is also gone.) an active candidate. As an “active” candidate with a valid certification (such as VCP6-DCV or VCP6.5-DCV), the certifications will show in your transcript and you can follow the upgrade paths to future versions (including the VCP-DCV 2019).

          The upgrade paths include both training and exam options, depending on which version you are upgrading from, but you are not required to complete both. If you hold a VCP6.5-DCV, you have the choice of either passing an exam or taking training to upgrade – only one is required. As long as you are within three versions of the most current certification, your certification is valid and you can follow the available upgrade paths. You’ll see what is available on the web site when you select which certification you currently hold.

          The retirement of a certification simply means that it is unavailable for anyone new to earn it. If you have earned it, you’re good. If you haven’t earned a retired certification, it is no longer available, and you need to work on the requirements for the most current version.

          I hope that helps.

          Thanks,
          Karl

          Reply

  16. Great news as my VCP was set to expire tomorrow.
    Does this alter the path for VCAP though? I hold VCP6 and was rather annoyed I had to upgrade to VCP6.5 before I can do VCAP. Will this still be the case or could I go directly for VCAP exam now?

    Reply

    1. With the current version of the VCAPs at v6.5, the underlying VCP also needs to be 6.5. However, for the time being, the VCAP6-DCV Deploy is still available, and you can earn that one with the VCP6-DCV. THen upgrade later on.

      Reply

  18. Hi Karl,

    So I understand that the 2-year certification requirement will be removed and instead of expiring certifications at an individual level, VMware will just be retiring older VMware certifications as a whole when they eventually “age out”. Is there a set time frame for that, though? I believe I saw that you will not be re-activating VCP2/3/4-DCV as part of this change and that those individuals would still need to go through the New Candidate path to renew (VMware Training class requirement). Hypothetically speaking, if I currently hold a VCP6-DCV and I don’t take any new exams in the future to renew, would I eventually get to a place where I would have to go through the New Candidate path again (VMware Training class requirement) in order to obtain a newer VCP-DCV?

    Reply

    1. Hi Brandon, great question. On average, it’ll about double the time to take advantage of upgrade paths. Certifications will retire after 3-4 years, depending on the track and content.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  19. Hi Karl,
    My last re-certification exam was VCP6-DCV Delta (6.5). Can I attend the same exam again to re-certify? Or to chose another/older one?

    Reply

  20. Hi Karl,

    I am looking to do a vSAN specialist exam. This exam has a requirement of an active / current VCP.

    My VCP – DCV 6.0 certification has expired.

    My question is, do I have to wait until April when my VCP – DCV 6.0 is active again before I proceed with taking the vSAN exam?

    Thanks,
    Conor

    Reply

    1. Hi Conor, you can take the exam now. There is a chance it will not process until April, but it will process for sure, even if you take the exam prior to April.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  21. This was a great effort. Next time give additional pre-announcement, and stop sending automated emails telling people to “not wait” and “recertify now!”, well before you plan on making this change, vs the 120/90/60/30 day countdowns to a change that will no longer matter.

    Instead of “Effective immediately”, would have been nice to rather say, “with the release of the next exam”, or “90/60/30 days from now” that way you give people the time to FIND this announcement, and then cancel scheduled exams prior to the date, or continue with their plans, and not feel they just wasted a bunch of time studying for a exam, they no longer need to take. It will also give you more time to announce through additional channels as well.

    There are plenty of other IT certification tracks, pay attention to how they handle Certification and Exam change announcements. Take note. Thank-you, next.

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Garrett for your note. The timing of communication for things like this is always a bit tricky since it will be at an inopportune time for someone, regardless of when it goes out. But I agree, while we didn’t want to stop those automatic emails until the confirmation of recertification being retired, we could have started to adjust the wording in those emails. I appreciate the feedback and how it affected you, as it does help drive how we respond and create notices ongoing.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  23. Hi Karl, a guy has passed VCP5-DCV 5 on March, 2015. Later he passed VCP6-NV on March, 2017. If he want to attend any VCP-CMA exam after 2-years period (after March,2019) is it mandatory for him to attend the training course?

    Reply

    1. Hi Kamruddin,

      Nope! Training is only required one time while the most recently earned certification is still active. But it’s always recommended to prepare.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  27. Hi Karl,
    is my understanding correct – as a TAP company we still need to follow the two year re-certification rule?
    Nothing changed here?
    Does this mean for us that every certification independant of the version (i.e. VCP-5 aquired before January 2017) will not be re-activated and there is no delta-exam possible to get to the actual 6.5/6.7 level?
    Peter

    Reply

    1. Hi Peter, the partner program you’re part of may still require you to have a certification that is current within the two years. However, the changes to recertification and upgrade paths will still apply to you. If you had a VCP5-DCV, it will be re-activated. And you can take the delta exam to upgrade. Just be aware that you still need to have one of the new certifications within two years to meet your partner program requirements.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  28. Good Morning,
    One doubt, I have the “VCP6” certification that was to expire in March of this year, it will be renewed, right?
    In the portal that I see my VMware certifications, there is no certification.
    This week I took the 2V0-622 exam, so this is to update my certification, right?

    Reply

    1. Hi Luis, yes, that is correct. With a VCP6-DCV, regardless of when you first earned it, since the two-year recertification policy has been removed, you can upgrade to VCP-DCV 2019 by passing the 2V0-622 exam.

      If your certification transcript does not look correct, send in an email to certification@vmware.com, and they can help research why.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  29. Hi,
    I have VCP6-DCV actived, since the two-year recertification policy has been removed and using the ability to upgrade to the latest version in the same track within three versions, so do I need upgrade my certification only 2021, right? Or 2020?

    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Diego, you can use a one-exam upgrade to VCP-DCV 2020, since that’ll be within the three versions: (1) VCP6.5-DCV – (2) VCP-DCV 2019 – (3) VCP-DCV 2020.

      Thanks!
      Karl

      Reply

  30. Hi ,

    i completed I have the “VCP6” certification that was to expire in 24 March 2018 , can i go head 2V0-622 exam or before exam training is mandatory ?

    Reply

    1. Hi Mohammad, yes, with a VCP6-DCV, you may upgrade directly to VCP-DCV 2019 by passing just one exam (2V0-622).

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

    1. Hi Urooj, for any certifications that are more than three versions old, a new training will be required. As of this month, that does include VCP5-DCV.

      The most recent versions include
      – VCP-DCV 2020
      – VCP-DCV 2019
      – VCP6.5-DCV
      – VCP6-DCV
      – VCP5-DCV

      You can see that the v5 is old enough to require the training and retake of exams. Hope that helps show the logic.

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

      1. Hi . According to that. If i have a VCP-DCV 6.5. Limit time to update my credential without require take new training is 31 December 2020?.

        on January 1 2021 . VCP-DCV 6.5 requiere additional training to update at VCP-DCV 2021?

        Reply

    1. Hi Tim, yes, with the changes to the recertification policy, your VCP6-DCV is still active, and falls within the range of being able to upgrade it by passing one of the new exams, which is either the Professional vSphere 6.7 Exam or the Professional vSphere 6.7 Delta exam.

      For your reference, you can see the upgrade policies explained here: https://blogs.vmware.com/education/2019/10/11/have-questions-about-certification-upgrade-paths/

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

  34. Frankly I am still disappointed that VMware Certification is still all about Money Grab. Otherwise, not much has changed starting from version 5 to 6.7 other than vsphere client interface and a few changes on requirements and enhancements. Certainly not enough to humiliate version 5 holders into handing over $4500.00 for 5 day training and getting on the floor to take foundation test, before the real test. Where do you think these people have been all this time? Certainly you would expect that most are still the ones upgrading and managing the systems out there up to the current version

    Reply

  35. Hi, I took the VCP 5.5 Delta in 2015, do I qualify for taking the one off exam without additional training?

    Thanks,

    Nick

    Reply

  38. Hi Karl,
    The 2V0-61.19 (Workspace One exam) exam expired on the 30th September 2020. Can I still “write” the same and get certified?
    It still is available to be booked.

    Thanks
    Vishal

    Reply

    1. Hi Vishal, yes, if you are able to take the exam, then it will still count. I also just tried to register for it, and it does look available, so jump in quick before Pearson turns it off!!

      Thanks,
      Karl

      Reply

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