My VCP-VCF Architect Exam Experience

2 December, 2024 Certification, VMware 2

Recently, I passed the VCP-VCF Architect (2V0-13.24) exam. Since this is a relatively new certification compared to the established VCP-DCV or VCP-NV, I wanted to share my experience, provide some tips, and offer recommendations to help you prepare.

To do this, I’ve put together a small FAQ with answers based on my personal experience. Feel free to comment below and I’ll update the FAQ as needed.

Last update on 10 December 2024

VCP-VCF Architect Exam FAQ

Q1. What is the format of the exam (number of questions, types of questions, duration)?

  • All details about the questions and the duration of the exam can be found in the exam guide.
  • In my case, I’ve got 60 multiple choice questions varying from choose one (1), choose two (2), and choose three (3).
  • I didn’t get any drag-and-drop question or simulation-based questions.
  • Some questions are quite lengthy so make sure you read and understand the question. Reverse the reading if needed (read the questions and answers first, then the text).

Q2. What topics are covered in the exam?

  • Topics are covered in the exam guide under “Exam Section”. Make sure you scroll down to the “Sections Included in this Exam” part as this section provides more details on the topics.
  • Note that Section 4 (Install, Configure, Administrate) and Section 5 (Troubleshoot and Optimize) are NOT being tested in this exam, so you can skip them during preparation.
  • Be prepared for design-focused questions on Aria Suite products.
  • Make sure you understand difference between Business and Technical Requirements.
  • Make sure you understand design qualities such as Availability, Manageability, Performance, Recoverability (incl. RPO & RTO), and Security.
  • Understand how you can migrate from an old vSphere environment to VCF.

Q3. Is there an official training course available, and is it mandatory?

  • Yes, there is the “VMware Cloud Foundation: Deploy, Manage, Configure” training course.
    However, it is NOT mandatory to take this course to sit for the exam.
  • Remember that VCF builds on vSphere, vSAN, and NSX with optional Aria Suite components. You will need good understanding of these products as well for this exam.

Q4. What resources or documentation did you use to prepare?

  • Personally, I didn’t prepare. I have been working with VCF since version 2.3 and with decent amount of design and deploy experience, I decided to dive straight into the exam.
  • However, here are some helpful resources that should help you prepare:
  • If you struggle with design decisions, business and technical requirements, have a look at the VMware vSphere Design course. It helped me.
  • Have a look at this LinkedIn post from Franky Barragan, it contains a lot of helpful info with links to specific Hands-on-Labs to give you some hands-on experience.

Q5. Where can I ask questions about VCF in general?

The VMware community is large, active, and incredibly helpful. Here are some great platforms to connect with experts. Feel free to ask your questions there!

Q6. How does the VCP-VCF Architect exam differ from the VCP-VCF Administrator exam?

  • Well, as the name suggests, the Architect exam is more about the design of VCF where you will have do identify design decisions based on a given scenario. Understand difference between conceptual, logical, and physical design.
  • From my experience, the Administrator exam is far more “hands-on” oriented where you have to demonstrate that you understand the concepts of the components like vSphere, vSAN, NSX etc.

Final Thoughts

I hope this FAQ helps you prepare for the VCP-VCF Architect exam and gives you a clearer idea what to expect.

  • Is it a fair exam? In my opinion, it’s partially fair but that’s just me. With my experience designing and deploying VCF solution, I think some of the questions could be more VCF-specific. Also, a few of the questions felt unnecessarily lengthy for a VCP-level exam.
  • Terminology used in the question isn’t always correct as in the VCF documentation so it may be a bit confusing to some people.
  • Does it cover the sections described in the exam guide? Absolutely. The exam aligns fully with the outlined sections.
  • Am I satisfied with my result? I scored 340/500, which isn’t the highest, but given that I didn’t prepare, I’m okay with it. A pass is a pass, and at the end of the day, it’s the certification that counts!

Feel free to drop additional questions in the comments. I’ll keep this FAQ updated. Best of luck!

Cheers!
Marek.Z

2 Comments

  1. Congrats! I am looking to take that test as well as I just passed the admin one and it’s could outside so I figure I dive into vcf a little more. Any good material on vsan that is my weakest subject

    Reply

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