Recertification Process | FAQs | More Information
Certifications are valuable assets for any IT professional and VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certifications are widely believed to reflect exceptional competence. Your VCP certification validates your ability to successfully employ current VMware products using best practices in operational environments.
Earning a VCP certification is a great achievement. But staying up to date in the expertise gained and proven by your certification is equally vital. If your skills are not current, your certification loses value. To ensure that all VCP holders maintain their proficiency, VMware is instituting a recertification policy.
Recertification is widely recognized in the IT industry and beyond as an important element of continuing professional growth. It enhances your credibility and demonstrates a commitment to your career, your employer, and your customers.
The new policy gives you three options to recertify:
Take the current exam for your existing VCP certification solution track. For example, if you are a VCP3, you could take the current VCP5-Data Center Virtualization (VCP5-DCV) exam.
Earn a new VCP certification in a different solution track. For example, if you are a VCP-Cloud, you could recertify by earning VCP5-Desktop (VCP5-DT) certification.
Advance to the next level by earning a VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) certification. For example, if you are a VCP5-DCV you could earn VCAP5-DCA certification.
Regardless of the option you choose, recertifying will enhance your ability to provide the highest quality results, and improve your chances for earning increased compensation and career advancement.
Recertification Process
You will be notified that your certification is due to expire via the email associated with your MyLearn account. Your transcript will also show the dates your certification is valid.
To recertify, you must pass any VCP or higher-level exam within two years of earning your most recent VCP certification.
Failure to recertify by the required date will result in revocation of your certification.
If your certification is revoked, you will lose access to the VCP portal and your right to market yourself as certified for that certification, which includes the use of VMware certification logos. Also, your transcript will reflect that your certification is no longer valid.
If you would like to re-earn a certification for which you have been decertified, you must satisfy the same prerequisites as any candidate attempting to earn that certification for the first time.
FAQs
1. What is VMware announcing?
VMware is implementing a recertification policy for VCP certification. To recertify, VMware Certified Professional (VCP) holders must pass any VCP or higher-level exam within two years of earning their most recent VCP certification.
2. Why is VMware announcing this policy change?
Currently, VCP certification holders are not required to recertify their skills, which is uncommon in the IT industry, Maintaining currency in the expertise gained and proven by VMware certifications is just as important as earning the certification initially. If your skills are not current, your certification loses value. The technical and business communities expect that VMware certified professionals are current on the latest technologies and capable of implementing VMware products with the highest level of skill. To ensure that all certification holders meet these expectations, VMware is instituting a recertification policy.
3. When does the policy go into effect?
The policy is effective as of March 10, 2014.
4. Why did VMware choose two years for VCP recertification?
To make sure our certificate holders are the most up to date in their field and to keep up with the rapidly changing pace of virtualization technology, two years is an appropriate amount of time for a certified individual to refresh and re-validate their skills.
5. What are the benefits of recertifying?
In addition to proving that you are maintaining your skills with the latest technology, you also receive the same benefits as if you were a newly certified candidate, including:
Recognition of your technical knowledge and skills
Official transcripts
Access to the exclusive VCP portal & logo merchandise store
Invitation to beta exams and classes
Use of the certification logo on personal websites and business cards
Discounted admission to VMware events
Discounts from VMware Press
6. What certifications do I need to recertify by March 10, 2015?
All VCP level certifications — VCP-DCV, VCP-Cloud, VCP-Desktop — that were earned prior to March 10, 2013 must be recertified. Any VCP2, VCP3, VCP4, or VCP5 certification can be recertified during this period by simply taking a current VCP or VCAP exam. Anyone holding a VCP certification awarded prior to March 10, 2013 has until March 10, 2015 to recertify.
7. How can passing another VCP or higher-level certification recertify my existing certification?
It recognizes and rewards your continued growth into new knowledge areas.
8. My VCAP certification is more recent than my VCP certification – when will the valid through date reflect this?
We will be adding functionality to the system to reflect these situations in the coming months.
9. What happens if I allow my certification to expire?
Your certification will be revoked, and you will no longer be entitled to use the certification logo or represent yourself as VMware certified. Your certification will be shown as no longer valid on your MyLearn account. Any employer who contacts us to validate your certification will be informed it is no longer valid.
10. Can I still access the VCP portal if my certification is revoked?
No.
11. Is there a grace period after my certification is revoked where I can take the exam and be reinstated, or do I need to start over?
No. There is no grace period after your certification is revoked. To regain certified status, you will need to meet all the prerequisites for the specific certification.
12. Will you notify me when my certification is near its expiration date?
Yes. You will receive an email notice at the email address associated with your MyLearn account.
13. Is there a course requirement to recertify?
Previously, a candidate was given a limited amount of time to upgrade their existing certification, after which a course was required. Effective with the announcement of this recertification policy, a candidate can recertify anytime within their two-year recertification period, without a course requirement. However, we recommend that you do enroll in training, as hands-on experience through on demand or live (classroom or virtual) classes will provide you with the latest education to better prepare you for the exam.
14. Is the recertification exam different from the normal exam?
No.
15. Does the recertification exam cost the same?
Yes. There may be discounts and promotions available here.
16. Are there any course discounts available to help me get ready for the exam?
You can find the currently available discounts and promotions here.
17. How does this policy affect me if I received my VCP5-DCV two or more years ago?
A candidate holding any VCP level certification(s) — VCP-DCV, VCP-Cloud, VCP-Desktop — that were earned on or before March 10, 2013 must recertify by March 10, 2015.
If your certification was earned after March 10, 2013, you must recertify within two years of that date.
18. I have multiple VCP certifications. Which date do you look at to determine if I need to recertify?
The most recent certification date will be used to determine your recertification deadline. For example, if you earned VCP5-DCV on January 1, 2012 and VCP5-DT on February 10, 2014, then your recertification deadline will be based on the VCP5-DT date. In this case, the recertification deadline is February 10, 2016.
19. My VCP level certification is over two years old, but my VCAP level certification is not — do I need to recertify by March 10, 2015?
No. Your recertification date is based on the date of your most recent and highest level of certification — in this case, two years from your VCAP date.
20. My VCP is more than two years old, but I just received a VCA last month. Do I still need to recertify by March 10, 2015?
The only way to recertify your VCP is to take an exam at the same level or higher.
21. I took the course and passed the exam in 2013, but it shows I am not certified until 2014 when I completed my certification tasks. Which date is used when determining recertification?
The date you completed the tasks is the official date that will be used to determine your recertification date.
22. I noticed that the VCP4-DCV certification is no longer offered after May – why is that?
This certification is based on technology that has since been greatly expanded. Our new recertification policy ensures that all certification holders are current on the latest technologies; therefore, we have decided to end this program’s availability.
23. How long will VCP4-DT, VCP4-DCV, VCAP4-DCA, VCAP4-DCD be available?
Candidates will have until April 30, 2014 to register for any VCP or VCAP Version 4.x exam, and until May 31, 2014 to take the exam.
VCDX4-DCV candidates have until May 9, 2014 to submit an application and must defend by July 9, 2014.
24. I have multiple accounts. How do I ensure my recertification is applied to the correct account?
We encourage you to merge your accounts by contacting certification@vmware.com. If all of your certifications are under a single account, your recertification will apply to all impacted certifications. If you maintain separate accounts, you may run the risk of having multiple recertification dates.
More Information
For more information on the recertification policy, please contact certification@vmware.com.