The VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV) is VMware’s flagship certification. If you’re interested in getting it, or already studying to take the exam, this article is for you.

This article overviews what the VCP-DCV is, what to expect (from my personal experience), and the recent and upcoming changes to the certification requirements.

Table of contents

1. What are the benefits of getting VCP-DCV certified?
2. Who should get VCP-DCV certified?
3. Are there any requirements for the VCP-DCV 2023?
4. How is the VCP-DCV scored?
5. How long is the VCP-DCV valid for?
6. How much does the VCP-DCV cost?
7. What should I expect when taking the VCP-DCV exam?
8. How many questions are on the VCP-DCV exam?
9. How long does the VCP-DCV exam take?
10. How should I prepare for the VCP-DCV?
11.  

Before we start: A terminology primer

The terminology around the VCP-DCV can be a bit confusing. Namely, the terms certification and exam are sometimes used interchangeably.

The current certification is called the VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization 2023 (VCP-DCV 2023). Much like any certification, you’ve got to pass an exam, and also meet a few other requirements. There are currently two qualifying exams, and you need to pass one of these:

• Professional VMware vSphere 7.x Exam (code named 2V0-21.20), or VMware vSphere 8.x Professional Exam (code named 2V0-21.23)

It’s also worth noting that VMware uses a year designator in the certification. This makes it easy to know at a glance when your VCP-DCV cert was achieved. For example, if you got it in 2022, you would have the VCP-DCV 2022.

Latest updates: The vSphere 7.x exam is on the way out