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Just a reminder that the VMware VCP4 (vSphere) exam is now available to be booked. The first date on which you will be able to sit the new exam at a Pearson VUE testing centre will be Monday 31st August. More information can be found on the VMware site here. If you are attending VMworld (San Francisco) at the end of the month and fancy sitting the exam you will be able to do so at the event for up to US $90 off the usual price! Click here for more details on this offer.
I participated in the VMware VCP4 Beta exam programme and sat the beta exam 
– it was a marathon 4 hours long but don’t worry the final VCP4 exam is apparently the same as the VCP310 exam, 75 questions in 90 minutes . I’m not sure how much of the beta exam made it through to the final release but if it is similar then you will need to have a good appreciation of the other products in the vSphere suite not just solely ESX. Though of course the majority and more in depth questions will be on ESX.
The following is an outline taken from the VMware site of what is required to sit the VCP4 exam:
- Attend the VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage course OR attend the VMware vSphere 4: Fast Track (available in Q4)
- Take and pass the VCP4 exam
- Take and pass the VCP4 exam. This option will only be available until December 31, 2009. The What’s New class is strongly recommended. Beginning in 2010, VCP3s must attend the VMware vSphere 4: What’s New class in order to upgrade.
- Take and pass the VCP on VMware Infrastructure 3 exam
- Take and pass the VCP4 Exam. This option will only be available until December 31, 2009. Beginning in 2010, VCP3s must attend the VMware vSphere: What’s New class in order to upgrade.
- Beginning in 2010, VCP2s who have not upgraded will be required to attend the VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage or VMware vSphere: Fast Track course
- Take and pass the VCP3 exam OR attend the VMware vSphere4: What’s New course.
- Take and pass the VCP4 Exam
- Already hold a valid VMware VCP accreditation (eg: VCP3 – VMware ESX 3.5 and Virtual Center 2.5 ) – in which case you need to sit the exam to upgrade your current certification to VCP4 before the end of the year (2009.
- Attended an authorised training class – a list of which can be found here.
If you are looking for additional vSphere study material then check out this comprehensive list (albeit 
originally for the beta exam – but much of it will still apply to the final exam) of vSphere study resources including test exams by Simon Long.
There is also a healthy selection of newly released vSphere books from well known virtualization aficionados that are available to purchase from Amazon or similar. I haven’t had time to read them yet though will be picking up copies in the not so distant future with the first being Scott Lowe’s book which I hope to buy at VMworld next week.
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 | *Note: this book isn’t released until November 2009. |
And finally, I thoroughly recommend the following book for those of you new to VMware ESX. Although no longer 100% relevant to the ESX 4/vSphere product (with it being based around ESX 3.5) it contains large chunks of great content that still apply as it takes you through the nuts and bolts of how ESX hangs together and gives useful real-world tips on how to administer an ESX environment. If purely using this as a study aide for sitting your VCP4 exam I’d supplement it with a vSphere specific book to fill in the vSphere specific parts and differences.
 | VMware Certified Professional Test Prep by Merle Ilgenfritz and John Ilgenfritz |
Let me know of any good study material you may come across and I will add it to the article for others to read and benefit from. Good luck with your studies! 🙂
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