Again I want to stress that I don’t agree with the way VMware is enforcing the recertification in this case as I’ve described in more detail here. Nevertheless I had to take the exam to keep my certification status, contribute to my company’s partner status and to prevent having to take another expensive course in the future to get certified. I have to admit I did learn about a couple of new things though.

But enough about that. Until March 10th it is possible to take the VCP5-DCV Delta Recertification Exam (VCP550D) that is based on new material between the vSphere 5.0/5.1 and vSphere 5.5 exams. Another benefit is that it is cheaper (90 euros) and that it can be taken online from any location.

I took the exam and passed, so I’m good for the near future. I am thinking about postponing vSphere 6.0 certification due to this re-certification policy though.

Here are the resources I used to prepare for the exam:

• Exam information including terms and conditions and requesting authorization
• Exam blueprint (Note: This is for the VCP5 exam and is not aimed specifically at the delta recertification exam)
• Free 1-hr online course : VMware vSphere: What’s New Fundamentals of V5.5
• What’s new in vSphere 5.1
• What’s New in vSphere 5.0 – 5.5 whitepapers
• vSphere 5.5 documentation center
• Editions, licensing and feature comparison
• Which vSphere client should I use and when
• Frequently asked questions about Virtual SAN
• vSphere Data Protection (VDP) vs vSphere Data Protection Advanced (VDPA) comparison 
• vSphere 5 reference card

I know Veeam also provides VCAP5-DCA and VCP5-DCV study guides, but I haven’t used these yet.

I hope it’s useful to you. If you have any other useful resources or feedback, please leave a comment