VCP-DCV 6.5 Study Group Participant Guide

If you are considering joining or starting a VCP-DCV 6.5 study group, visit the overview post Tech Exam Study Groups. It covers why study groups help with exam preparation, who can benefit from them, what happens in a study group and some tips for making the most of your valuable time.

Details of the VCP-DCV 6.5 Exam can be found here. If you are looking for materials to study for the VCP-DCV 6.7 (VCP-DCV 2019), note that while the exam structure has been overhauled, much of the technical content in the 6.5 guide is still relevant. The recommended 19xx Hands on Labs are on vSphere 6.7 as of February 2019.

Where study groups fit in:

The study group structure outlined in the post Tech Exam Study Groups is designed to complement (not replace) the official Instructor Led Course and your own study. Figure 1. summarises the time commitment to prepare for the exam based on my own experience and working with others in study groups.

If you are putting in the hours, make sure to get the most out of the study groups by participating fully and doing the pre-study.

Discussion Leader – Expectations

Your study group facilitator will ask you to be the discussion lead for at least one session. For the week that you are the lead:

Commit to completing the entire set of content for the week you are leading so that you can guide the discussion
Prepare to give a short (5 minute) overview of the topic – keep it short and casual. Whiteboarding works better than slides
Share 1 thing you learned first then go around the group and ask each person to share 1 thing

If the discussion gets off track it is your job for this topic to bring the conversation back.

VCP-DCV 6.5 Study Group Resources:

1.The below study plan is not endorsed by VMware, but is collected from free resources found online. In particular, Simon Long, Shane Williford, Chris Porter and Vladan Seget have comprehensive study guides on their blogs – the materials are linked to throughout.

2.The Exam Blueprint and the reading materials listed within are the ultimate source of truth. It is recommended that you read the official documentation linked in the blueprint and refer to the study materials in this document to assist with your learning.

3.The official VMware exam prep materials are available here.

4. Nothing beats hands on experience! If you don’t have your own environment, use the Hands on Labs to practice the steps outlined in the study guides (by Vladan Seget and Shane Williford) and in the videos in each module.

Day Zero – Before your Study Group Kick-Off

Section 1 – Configure and Administer vSphere 6.x Security

Section 2 – Configure and Administer vSphere 6.x Networking

Section 3 – Configure and Administer vSphere 6.x Storage Part 1

Section 3 – Configure and Administer vSphere 6.x Storage Part 2

Section 4 – Upgrade a vSphere Deployment to 6.x

Section 5 – Administer and Manage vSphere 6.x Resources

Section 6 – Back up and Recover a vSphere Deployment

Section 7 – Troubleshoot a vSphere Deployment

Section 8 – Deploy and Customize ESXi Hosts

Section 9 – Configure and Administer vSphere and vCenter Availability Solutions

Section 10 – Administer and Manage vSphere Virtual Machines