Taking the VCP exam without having the course completed(yet))

I am halfway through studying for the exam, and hoped to get a place on the Stanly course for August, but having not heard anything I probably won't, I would like to take the exam while I'm studying now instead of having to wait till Janaury, I'm just wondering would I be able to take the exam, then take the course in January. I've seen this question answered from about a year ago and just want to make sure that you still can ?

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jibbajabba

You used to be able to, not any more though. Before you can sign up for the exam, Prometric will validate your eligibility with VMware. As you don't have the course under your belt yet, the validation will fail and you will not be able to sit the exam until you did sit the course first.

SteveFer

Damn , thanks

Surge

Looking at the vmware certification FAQ it appears you can still take the test before the class.
You do need to request authorization on your vmware account before you will show up to be able to test via pearson vue but that is same regardless.

VMware Certification

Do I need to take the class before I take the exam?

While you can take the class and the exam in any order, VMware recommends that you complete the course requirement prior to scheduling and taking the exam.

GSXRules

jibbajabba wrote: »

You used to be able to, not any more though. Before you can sign up for the exam, Prometric will validate your eligibility with VMware. As you don't have the course under your belt yet, the validation will fail and you will not be able to sit the exam until you did sit the course first.

PearsonVue will not validate your class status before booking you into an exam.

VMware will verify your class and exam status before awarding you your certification.

If you take the exam first you will very likely have to email certification@vmware.com after the class to make sure you receive the certification.

jibbajabba

You are right that Pearson doesn't actually validate the status "initially", however, VMware does.

You need to request "permission" to sit the exam

Once authorized you use your VMware ID in order to schedule an exam

VUE THEN uses the VMware ID to validate the status at VMware.

Please Note: Exam registration process will begin at vmware.com/certification, as all VMware certification exams require authorization. Return to this page when you are ready to schedule your test.

Once confirmed it allows you to schedule the exam.

You can book nuff all unless you have all pre-requisites validated

The point is, VMware would not authorize the exam UNLESS you sat the course ..

GSXRules wrote: »

If you take the exam first .......

And that, as explained, won't be possible to book unless you got authorized by VMware - which won't be happening now without the course

ande0255

I thought it was odd when I booked mine as well, that people were saying they could sit the exam, though you needed to be 'authorized' to even schedule the exam. I think there is certain situations where they may authorize you to sit the exam without the course, I'd email someone at vmware to inquire as to whether you can be authorized to sit it.

jibbajabba

That's because it used to be possible. Even in the early stages of VCP5 (before it was renamed).

A colleague sat the VCP410 exam without taking a course. Never took the course even ..

Surge

I was authorized to take the exam before I even had budgeted the class. Simply requested authorization from vmware website, waited 1-2 days and received email stating I was authorized for 510 on pearson vue. This was near middle of march this year.

Note: with that being said I am not trying to argue with you Jibbajabba, just want to put out my experience so far going through it recently.

GSXRules

ande0255 wrote: »

I thought it was odd when I booked mine as well, that people were saying they could sit the exam, though you needed to be 'authorized' to even schedule the exam. I think there is certain situations where they may authorize you to sit the exam without the course, I'd email someone at vmware to inquire as to whether you can be authorized to sit it.

I work for VMware. On the certification team. There was a ~1 week period last summer when authorization would not go through if you had not sat the class.

If they have turned that back on it would be news to me, but I shall ask.

[Edit] Per VMware official source: "Correct. You can take the exam before you take the class. But you are not certified until you've done both."

SteveFer

GSXRules wrote: »

I work for VMware. On the certification team. There was a ~1 week period last summer when authorization would not go through if you had not sat the class.

If they have turned that back on it would be news to me, but I shall ask.

[Edit] Per VMware official source: "Correct. You can take the exam before you take the class. But you are not certified until you've done both."

Thank You !

jibbajabba

GSXRules wrote: »

I work for VMware. On the certification team. There was a ~1 week period last summer when authorization would not go through if you had not sat the class.

If they have turned that back on it would be news to me, but I shall ask.

[Edit] Per VMware official source: "Correct. You can take the exam before you take the class. But you are not certified until you've done both."

I'll be damned .... I stand corrected .. Thanks ...

scott28tt

The "authorisation" guarantees you have a myLearn account, with a VMW ID # associated with it on the VMware system - that ID pushes through to PearsonVUE system ensuring a match across both systems.