How the *bleep* am I going to pass the test?!

mguernsey

So I took the Stanly class about a year ago, and about 8 months ago attempted the exam and failed with a score of 286. I tried to continue to study and prep, but I changed jobs during that time and had to figure out how to do my job rather than spend that time studying. And after I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was crack open a book and do more studying or labbing.

Anyways, for the last couple weeks I've been getting back into the habit of studying and doing some labs, but no matter how much I try I keep messing up on the networking portions - I just can't seem to keep the concepts, use cases, configurations, versions, connections, policies, etc. straight in my head.

It's driving me nuts! And it was networking and storage that doomed me the last time I took the test.

dave0212

Try another resource, it can make a difference I remember many (many, many) years ago when I was studying for my CCNA i just couldn't grasp subnetting and wondered if I ever would, I decided to try another study resource recommended by a few peers and the explanations just clicked, I got to the point that I could subnet in my sleep, I would test my self daily on it to ensure it stuck.

So keep at it!

You will get it just try alternate material or even get someone else to explain it in their words as well, I have explained concepts to people that can't grasp them using various analogies and suddenly they just get it based on how you explain it.

mguernsey

Still continuing the slog, but I'm seriously questioning both my sanity and my intelligence. I'm barely half way through the Sybex VCP5-DCV Study Guide, and already I have 21 pages of hand-written notes (I could type, but for some reason I feel like I retain the information better when I write it rather than type it, although considering how much I'm still struggling that might be debatable).

I'm hoping that once I'm finished with the note-taking and move to working on labs that things will stick better. I've still got 23 days until my test, and if necessary I can always reschedule, but I really need to get this cert knocked out and on to my MCSA 2012 ASAP.

What are some of the ways that others who've passed have used to prep for the VCP5 exam?

GAB1900

I am watching this thread very closely. I feel the same; I took the the Stanly class that ended a month ago, but I studied it in the past on my own. It is just so many details to try to remember. I can understand it, but I am not sure if I will be able to pass the test
I have Sybex VCP book, Vmware press book and Sybex's Mastering 5.5. I am reading all three at once by sections in order to get three different point of views and to see what's really important.
Someone mentioned studying from the VMware documentation. I will look into that, but I fell I am already overloaded of information.

scott28tt

The blueprint, the software, the documentation - I've never used anything else to help me pass a VCP exam.

GAB1900

scott28tt wrote: »

The blueprint, the software, the documentation - I've never used anything else to help me pass a VCP exam.

Scott,

I followed your comments in the past, and I know you said a few times; I salute you for being able to do that and appreciate your wisdom. Would you mind sharing some tips on how to do that? I have a lab at home, so no problems with hands on. Thank you in advance.

GreaterNinja

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 286 just 14 points shy of passing? Isn't the passing score 300/500 for VCP-DCV? Whenever I study, i write notes and draw picture diagrams or I type all the important stuff I think will be on the exam. Another helpful thing would be to watch youtube videos going over vcp dcv and take notes. It sounds to me that you are very close to passing. Don't give up and keep trying!

ninjaturtle

You're to focused on the pass, rather than the content you're studying. Remember, you are trying to pass the exam to prove you know the material for the field. Many times we get caught up in just obtaining that P A S S.

I would step out of the testing mentality. Try to completely forget about the exam for right now. Focus on the topics you need to learn, and the book(s) and videos you're using. Read it, study it, watch it as though you are trying to learn it for you, for the lab you want to complete, for that so called client. Take the exam pressure away and just learn it because you enjoy this stuff. Exams will take away the pleasure of learning Cisco, VMware, Microsoft ...you name it. After all we are all learning this stuff because we enjoy it. We just want to get better and learn more about it, not just pass the exam for a piece of paper. Once you finish the material for YOU, and you feel comfortable take a practice test or schedule the exam. You'll be amazed what you'll end up with, the original goal just this time with less pressure.

Keep at it mate! Don't give up!

Essendon

Yeah the VCP's passing score is 300, with 14 points away from passing you shouldnt have too much of an issue in your next attempt. I've gotta ask this, how much experience do you have with vSphere? If you are quite green, it's not an easy exam to get past and there's a lot of information you need to somehow retain. Pound away at the lab, take a look at the "your daily VMware quiz" thread there are a fair few VCP-level questions in there to assist you. Mike Preston has very decent practice tests on his blog and they are very exam-like, Simon Long has a few too but they are easier than the exam, good practice nevertheless.

Are there specific topics you have issues with? If so, post up on here and plenty of people will jump in to answer and help ya along. That's what we are here for!

GSXRules

So, how many questions is 14 points?
“300 out of 500″ : What is a passing score? | SOSTech

I see the average candidates scoring multiple exam takes close together unless the study/learning pattern is changed.

If you get "stuck" studying networking for VCP550, I'd start studying for the DCA550. (mostly) The same material, but from a new angle and entirely hands-on.

Also, dredge Reddit, VMware communities etc for networking problems/questions/scenarios and recreate them in your lab.

Oakparktech

I am feeling the same way as mguernsey..I also went thru the stanley community college..the blue print is great but so many things we never learned...

like me with no prior experience with vmware, VCP5 home labing can be tough..you really need to know networking,DNS, DHCP to grasp on everything....
one step at a time.....i guess

mguernsey

Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement - it really does mean a lot.

In answer to some of the questions about my experience, I am a relatively new Exchange Admin (just a few months shy of a year) under contract to the USAF, and one of about 50-60 contractors who oversee the AFNET Exchange infrastructure, which is using vSphere to host our servers. Prior to that I was one of the associate system admins who maintained the physical infrastructure of AFNET and got to do some small work in vSphere and vCenter, but nothing like a full-on virtualization specialist. Most of it was patching software, fixing hardware, and monitoring performance and alerting our Virtualization team when thinks were out of whack. However, I've built a home lab, and helped a couple others with theirs as well, so I have some experience with setting up and configuring vSphere. And the funny thing is that I'm actually considered one of the more knowledgeable individuals in our group when it comes to virtualization, so if the virtualization team is unavailable then someone usually comes looking for me. Ha! Joke's on them.

My weakness has always been that I suck at visualizing problems - you put a computer in front of me and I can see the problem then I can resolve it in short order, but trying to take a description of an issue and converting it in such a way that I understand it and can resolve it is a whole 'nother can of worms. Since that is essentially what the exam does, I struggle.

I suspect that once I go back and re-do the material in my lab it will make more sense. Thanks again.

dave330i

Oakparktech wrote: »

I am feeling the same way as mguernsey..I also went thru the stanley community college..the blue print is great but so many things we never learned...

like me with no prior experience with vmware, VCP5 home labing can be tough..you really need to know networking,DNS, DHCP to grasp on everything....
one step at a time.....i guess

Use autolab to help build your home lab.

Oakparktech

Thanks. I can try it. What would it be better to build lab with autolab?

Playing with lab at the moment on HP Proliant DL380G6.
two ESXi hosts (nested)
host 1 with Win7/8
host 2 with Winserver2012R2 inside Vcenter with MS SQL express. Trying to setup datacenter now.....

dave330i

Oakparktech wrote: »

Thanks. I can try it. What would it be better to build lab with autolab?

Playing with lab at the moment on HP Proliant DL380G6.
two ESXi hosts (nested)
host 1 with Win7/8
host 2 with Winserver2012R2 inside Vcenter with MS SQL express. Trying to setup datacenter now.....

With autolab, you can have it build:

1. network/AD infrastructure
2. above + ESXi hosts
3. above + vCenter

and so on.

Essendon

@mguernsey - it's good you have some experience and arent flying blind into preparing for this test. Now since you know some of the product, lets try a different (maybe radical) approach to this. Try for maybe a week or two - go through and lab along as you go through the VCAP-DCA study guide over here > https://paulgrevink.wordpress.com/the-vcap5-dca-diaries/ . You may think - overkill - well, maybe it is, but it will prepare you for the test much better. You dont need to depth the DCA went into, but it'll help drill the concepts in. I followed this guide when I did the DCA a while ago and it sure helped. Give this idea a whirl and see how you go..

Deathmage

There is never anything like too much studying. As a person that recently passed the VCP5-DCV after two attempts I can contest it's a hard exam. you really do need to lab your heart away, and maybe try a different book.

I failed the 1st time and ordered a new 600 page book read it cover-to-back in 10 days and then retook the exam and passed.

The books and the exam have been huge for me. Since as soon as I got it I got a job as a System Administrator and now I use VMware 5.5 on a daily basis and I owe it all to the fine gentlemen in this thread. Listen to their advise and lab your heart away until your eyes bleed. I did, I spent over 60 hours a week for 5 months studying.

I've been now applying that same insanity toward my CCNA study which I started one week after my Jan 5th pass, I plan on taking that exam in 3 weeks.

Like many have said the exam is a test of your knowledge, going into the exam with a hope to pass is not the reason for the exam. You fail it until you know it....

Listen, there isn't a single person on this forum that hasn't failed a certification exam. Sometimes you need failure to succeed!

Essendon

Great post Trev! Actually, docrice hasnt failed a single exam, that dude's a security demi-god!

zcarenow

Try to actually understand the material and not thinking just to do it in order to pass. I am trying to think in that way. When you think of trying to only pass it, you never really are able to concentrate on understanding it. I have been building VM hosts at work for the past 6-8 weeks and it certainly has given me more exposure, but still ALOT to know. Hopefully, i will pass the exam by July. I am studying from the Scott Lowe book. If i dont understand something he explains, then i will look at other resources. I dont want to study from many sources as it can be confusing. Stick with one and if you dont understand a particular discussion on topic, find other resources on that same topic.

Deathmage

Essendon wrote: »

Great post Trev! Actually, docrice hasnt failed a single exam, that dude's a security demi-god!

Well I'm not worthy to Docrice.

dave330i

Deathmage wrote: »

There is never anything like too much studying. As a person that recently passed the VCP5-DCV after two attempts I can contest it's a hard exam. you really do need to lab your heart away, and maybe try a different book.

I don't believe in over studying for an exam. Explains why I barely pass most of the time.

Deathmage

dave330i wrote: »

I don't believe in over studying for an exam. Explains why I barely pass most of the time.

Leads me to believe I study way too much now.

scott28tt

Deathmage wrote: »

There is never anything like too much studying.

Listen, there isn't a single person on this forum that hasn't failed a certification exam

I disagree with both of those sentences.

I mentioned a few times on your older threads that I think you used too many different resources when preparing for your VCP

And I have never failed a certification exam - annoying, but true

scott28tt

GAB1900 wrote: »

Scott,

I followed your comments in the past, and I know you said a few times; I salute you for being able to do that and appreciate your wisdom. Would you mind sharing some tips on how to do that? I have a lab at home, so no problems with hands on. Thank you in advance.

Don't over-complicate things - disect the blueprint objectives and make sure you focus on those, and those alone. Anything else you read or do that is not part of the objectives is purely nice to know, and in fact could distract you from what you do need to know.

Remember to go with the vendor's recommendations on how to do something, and why you would do it in the first place - turn off that "real world" part of you that knows workarounds and shortcuts.

Go into the exam with a positive attitude - you are there to prove you know your stuff.

I hope that helps! Best of luck

ninjaturtle

scott28tt wrote: »

I disagree with both of those sentences. <

---

absurd statement! Regarding to much studying.

I mentioned a few times on your older threads that I think you used too many different resources when preparing for your VCP

And I have never failed a certification exam - annoying, but true <

---

how does this help the OP?

Stick with the response after this one, it's much more helpful. Leave the bragging junk for another forum.

Chuzpah

I just realized that my VCP certification is due to expire on 5/8, I work with vSphere 5.x every day but I probably should do some studying!

Deathmage

scott28tt wrote: »

I disagree with both of those sentences.

I mentioned a few times on your older threads that I think you used too many different resources when preparing for your VCP

And I have never failed a certification exam - annoying, but true

I tend to over-study I admit.

scott28tt

ninjaturtle wrote: »

Stick with the response after this one, it's much more helpful. Leave the bragging junk for another forum.

Read through my other posts in this thread, or many other threads that I've contributed to, and you might (or might not) understand the nature of my intentions.

I stand by my comment that you can over-study - people try and cram too much in their heads which they won't get tested on, they use multiple study resources which say things differently and sometimes contradict one another - keeping it simple can be very helpful indeed when it comes to passing an exam.

And I wasn't bragging, there's something in my approach to exams that works.

resumeoncom

My problem is that I have strong catching power but not keeping power. I learn the things easily but I also forget them.

Deathmage

@Scott

While I see you side of the discussion. Everyone has their own opinions on studying. Some read one book and get it while others must read multiple until it 'clicks'. Me personally I require multiple resources since I'm learning disabled and classified with a IEP since I was 5 (I'm dsylexic, ADD/ADHD, non-verbal, and RDD) - learning is a constant struggle for me. I do take longer to learn than others.

The end game goal is as long as what or how you study allows you to retain the information after the exam that's all that matters. There is hopefully one thing we can agree upon; there is more than one way to skin a rabbit.

scott28tt

With over 15 years as an instructor I know very well about different learning styles.

I've coached hundreds of VCPs, and seen people fail time and time again cos of the same mistakes - I'd never claim to be an authority of the topic of passing a VCP exam, but I can help...

You've done a great job in the face of challenges that others don't have to face