VCP Course Materials

I know you get the course with everything you're doing, but what do you physically take away from it?

Do you get any training materials, books, or binders to help get you on the path to certification, or are you expected to take all your notes and such from scratch? *Not that I won't be taking notes*

I'll be taking the course coming this February and want to prepare for it, but am wondering if I should start reading any recommended books prior to going.

Thanks,

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astorrs

The course manuals you get to take home, they are fantastic resources.

dynamik

You get the course book, a lab book, and a notepad for notes. They gave us tote bags at the end.

You can start reading the white papers here: VMware Infrastructure 3 Documentation

Check out the flash cards: http://techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=210387#210387

The exam cram book that recently came out is very well done as well: Amazon.com: VMware Certified Professional (VCP Exam Cram): Elias Khnaser: Books

And the **** sheet: ESX **** sheet - vmreference.com | VM /ETC

kerbydogg

lol the bag was awesome.

blargoe

I got the textbook and lab manual (binders), took a few pages of notes to fill in the "in between the lines" stuff that I needed to take away from the class, details on what other documents to study, the aforementioned bag, and about 200MB worth of other documents, utilities, links, etc. that the instructors had compiled over the past few months (dumped it on my thumb drive).

dynamik, that exam cram book had better be good, I picked one up based on your (repeated) recommendation

stupidboy

blargoe wrote: »

dynamik, that exam cram book had better be good, I picked one up based on your (repeated) recommendation

I'll add my backing to it too. I started reading it via Safari books whilst it was still being added to (a rough cuts release). I downloaded a complete copy (using all my remaining tokens) once it was released. It has been a very good and easy read getting right to the point with some extra stuff throwing in for good coverage.

Hey if I am wrong too, I can share the blame with dynamik

vCole

To obtain your VCP, you have to go to a training, right? No self study..

stupidboy

FadeToBright wrote: »

To obtain your VCP, you have to go to a training, right? No self study..

Yes this is correct. You must attend one of the approved courses to taken the exam and become a VCP.

However, the course alone is not enough to see you through on its own. There are about 2000 pages of PDFs and the obvious "getting you hands dirty" self study that are required to stand a fighting chance of passing.

Hope this helps.

vCole

stupidboy wrote: »

Yes this is correct. You must attend one of the approved courses to taken the exam and become a VCP.

However, the course alone is not enough to see you through on its own. There are about 2000 pages of PDFs and the obvious "getting you hands dirty" self study that are required to stand a fighting chance of passing.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

I hear these trainings are costly though.

dynamik

$3k, unless you go for the more expensive fast-track course that combines both courses.

stupidboy

I was lucky, my company picked up the tab.

However, if I leave I will have to pay a percentage back. It looks as though they have a good deal with the training company, it look like they only paid ~£1800. There is no way I would have been able to justify doing this off my own back.

dynamik

stupidboy wrote: »

I was lucky, my company picked up the tab.

Same here. However, if you have decent experience and are looking to make a job switch, it would probably help you pull down a higher salary, which could justify paying out of pocket.

vCole

$3k! Hopefully I get hired by a company that will pick up the tab!

The company I'm at now offers no tuition reimbursement or certification reimbursement.

Luckily, I'm still under my parents health insurance, because their health insurance is horrible too....

bwcarty

dynamik wrote: »

You get the course book, a lab book, and a notepad for notes. They gave us tote bags at the end.

You can start reading the white papers here: VMware Infrastructure 3 Documentation

Check out the flash cards: http://techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=210387#210387

And the **** sheet: ESX **** sheet - vmreference.com | VM /ETC

+1 to all that. I haven't read the exam cram book, but I guess I should pick it up just to have it as a reference. I

my VMware laptop bag, too

kerbydogg

When I went to class (Install and Configure), the instructor gave people the opportunity to take the more advanced class (Deploy, analyze and secure) for those that had lots of ESX experience instead of I&C. Save $3000.

So if you do have tons of ESX and VI3 experience and/or you have read all the pdfs and you feel comfortable with the basics, I would recommend taking DSA. Just something to keep in mind. They seem to be flexible.

People thought that the I&C was a mandatory requirement. But you can take any one of the three courses for the VCP requirement. (Install and Configure; Deploy, Secure, Analyze; or Fast Track.)

VMware Education Services - Install and Configure - $3000

VMware Education Services - DSA - $3000

VMware Education Services - Fast Track - $4500

astorrs

kerbydogg wrote: »

VMware Education Services - Fast Track - $4500

Fast Track is $5500 (for most people)

kerbydogg

lol you're right astorrs, I just checked. It was $4500 in december...hmmmmm

stupidboy

dynamik wrote: »

You get the course book, a lab book, and a notepad for notes. They gave us tote bags at the end.

You can start reading the white papers here: VMware Infrastructure 3 Documentation

Check out the flash cards: http://techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=210387#210387

The exam cram book that recently came out is very well done as well: Amazon.com: VMware Certified Professional (VCP Exam Cram): Elias Khnaser: Books

And the **** sheet: ESX **** sheet - vmreference.com | VM /ETC

Just so you all know, vmreference.com has updated the VI3 card this weekend. The new version is 1.3 and looks to cover update 3.

astorrs

kerbydogg wrote: »

lol you're right astorrs, I just checked. It was $4500 in december...hmmmmm

Interesting, maybe they were having a sale (I know I had to pay the full amount back in April).

mzgavc

Thanks for the info guys.

My company decided it would be a good idea and signed off on my training. So I'll be attending the course on the 17th of Feb - 20th... which is a nice bonus considering I was going to front this myself.

I'm really looking forward to it.

Now to find some material prior to the course so I can bone up quick.

I'll try to keep you guys informed of how the course goes day by day.

I just finished up a seminar yesterday for 2k8 Virtualization which turned out to be decent, but a bit too informal for my liking... over too fast, and too many slides skipped.

Right now CCNA study is on hold, and may be that way till VMware is completed. I'm finding myself drawn to virtualization the more I learn about it.