First Look: VCP 4 (vSphere) Exam

As anyone that has taken any type of IT certification test knows, I cannot quote actual questions, but I wanted to write a post about what I used to prepare for the exam and offer some post exam guidance.

This exam differs from the VI3 test in a few ways. First off, it is now 85 questions versus the 60 of the VI3 test.  It also seemed to ask for a more in-depth understanding of the software including some terminal commands (firewall related).  I have updated my VCP page with the information below as well. Document titles are links (need to fix the CSS, apologies).

I would study the following documents from VMware:

Configuration Maximums for VMware vSphere – This is probably the most important document that you can commit to memory. Many of the questions will be indirectly asking questions about a maximum.

Basic System Administration- This is the VMWare document that talks about administration of a virtual infrastructure on a broad scale. It will help re-affirm what was taught in class about the administration of a virtual infrastructure.

ESX and vCenter Server Installation Guide- This guide covers the installation of ESX and vCenter.  The partitioning section for ESX is of particular importance.

ESX Configuration Guide – This document covers the configuration of ESX.  The sections of most importance are the networking and security sections.

Resource Management Guide - This guide offers in-depth discussion of resource management in vSphere.

I used the following additional resources:

Simon Long’s vSphere Study Notes – The most complete VCP study guide I have ever seen. It has direct links to each part of the exam blueprint.

Simon Long’s Practice Tests – These are great exams. The questions are in a format similar to the actual exam and he is adding questions all the time.

VMware Mock Exam – This is the sample test from VMware. In my opinion it is not as thorough as Simon’s, but it is another practice test none the less.

I hope that information helps.  Simon’s blog is really an invaluable resource for preparing for this exam.  Thanks Simon!  As with any exam, go in with a strategy and take it slow.  Good luck!