You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
VMWAREVMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV)
The VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV) certification validates your ability to deploy, configure, and manage VMware vSphere 8.x environments. It is designed for system administrators and engineers who build and operate software-defined data centers. Earning the VCP-DCV demonstrates that you can deliver resilient, high-performing virtualization infrastructure that underpins modern cloud and enterprise workloads.
Exam formatMultiple choice, multiple response, and drag-and-drop
Duration135 minutes
DeliveryPearson VUE
Free questions626
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV) proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
6domains
26objectives
189concepts
US $250exam fee
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV) certification validates the skills required to install, configure, and manage VMware vSphere 8.x environments. It covers core virtualization concepts, including vSphere networking and storage, VM lifecycle management, and the operational practices that keep a software-defined data center running reliably.
Earning the VCP-DCV demonstrates that you can translate business requirements into a working vSphere deployment, apply best practices for performance and availability, and troubleshoot common issues. This certification is a key step for professionals who build and operate the virtualization layer that supports modern enterprise applications and cloud services.
Who it’s for
This certification is for system administrators, infrastructure engineers, and virtualization professionals who deploy and manage VMware vSphere 8.x environments. It is also relevant for cloud engineers and data center operators who need a deep understanding of virtualization to support their organization's infrastructure. You should be comfortable with vSphere concepts such as ESXi hosts, vCenter Server, virtual machines, and resource management. You likely have hands-on experience in a production environment and are ready to formalize your expertise with a recognized credential.
Recommended experience
Six months to one year of hands-on experience with VMware vSphere, including installation, configuration, and management of ESXi hosts and vCenter Server. Experience with vSphere networking and storage concepts; Familiarity with VM lifecycle management and resource allocation; Understanding of vSphere security and access control; Basic troubleshooting of vSphere environments
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective VMware measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official VMware exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Architecture and Technologies
- VMware vSphere Infrastructure Components
- Storage and Virtual Machine Management
- Networking and Security
- Advanced Features and Lifecycle Management
Products and Solutions
- Describe the role of VMware vSphere in the Software-Defined Data Center
- Identify use cases for VMware vCenter Converter
- Identify disaster recovery (DR) use cases
Installing, Configuring, and Setup
- Deploy and Configure vCenter Server
- Configure Networking
- Configure Identity and Security
- Configure Storage and Content
- Configure Clusters and Hosts
- Configure Advanced Features
Performance-tuning, Optimization, and Upgrades
- Performance Monitoring and Resource Management
- I/O Control and Offloading
- Performance Impact and Proactive Management
- Upgrades and Updates
- Lifecycle Activities for vSphere with Tanzu
Troubleshooting and Repairing
- Identify use cases for enabling vSphere Cluster Services (vCLS) retreat mode
- Differentiate between the main management services in VMware ESXi and vCenter and their corresponding log files
- Generate a log bundle
Administrative and Operational Tasks
- Virtual Machine Lifecycle Management
- Storage and Resource Management
- Access Control and Security
- Host and Cluster Management
- Monitoring and Alarms
On the day
The exam itself
Everything VMware publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Complete one of the approved VMware training courses for VCP-DCV, such as VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V8.x].
CertificationVMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV)
Exam formatMultiple choice, multiple response, and drag-and-drop
Duration135 minutes
DeliveryPearson VUE
LanguagesEnglish, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
PricingUS $250
Certification levelProfessional
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path VMware lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV)
PrerequisiteComplete one of the approved VMware training courses for VCP-DCV, such as VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V8.x].
Credential earnedVMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV) Professional level certification Renewal and maintenance
VCP-DCV certifications are valid for two years. To renew, you must pass the current version of the VCP-DCV exam or a higher-level VMware certification exam. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. VMware maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by VMware
Exam registration
Register for the exam through Pearson VUE, VMware’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official VMware certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does the VCP-DCV 2023 exam relate to the previous VCP-DCV 2021 exam?
The 2V0-21.23 exam replaces the 2V0-21.20 exam and covers the new features and capabilities of vSphere 8.x. If you hold a VCP-DCV 2021 certification, you can renew it by passing the 2V0-21.23 exam.
Is there a hands-on lab component in the VCP-DCV exam?
No, the VCP-DCV exam is a knowledge-based exam with multiple-choice and drag-and-drop questions. It does not include a hands-on lab section.
What is the retake policy if I fail the 2V0-21.23 exam?
You must wait 24 hours after your first failed attempt before retaking the exam. For subsequent attempts, you must wait 14 days between each attempt.
Can I take the VCP-DCV exam without completing the required training?
No, VMware requires candidates to complete an approved training course before taking the VCP-DCV exam. This is a mandatory prerequisite.
What job roles does the VCP-DCV certification map to?
The VCP-DCV certification is designed for system administrators, infrastructure engineers, and virtualization professionals who manage vSphere environments.
Can I recertify by passing a different VMware exam?
Yes, passing a higher-level VMware certification exam, such as the VCAP-DCV or VCIX-DCV, will renew your VCP-DCV certification.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 626 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept VMware measures — each one written out.
6domains
26objectives
189concepts
135free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official VMware exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Architecture and Technologies95 questions
2Products and Solutions55 questions
3Installing, Configuring, and Setup161 questions
Deploy and Configure vCenter Server11 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Configure Networking8 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Configure Identity and Security6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Configure Storage and Content8 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Configure Clusters and Hosts10 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Configure Advanced Features9 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
4Performance-tuning, Optimization, and Upgrades129 questions
Performance Monitoring and Resource Management5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →I/O Control and Offloading11 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Performance Impact and Proactive Management5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Upgrades and Updates6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Lifecycle Activities for vSphere with Tanzu10 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
5Troubleshooting and Repairing63 questions
6Administrative and Operational Tasks123 questions
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
VMware vSphere Infrastructure Components4 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
20 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
626 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
626questions
135pages
26objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Architecture and Technologies95 questions
2Products and Solutions55 questions
3Installing, Configuring, and Setup161 questions
4Performance-tuning, Optimization, and Upgrades129 questions
5Troubleshooting and Repairing63 questions
6Administrative and Operational Tasks123 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
189concepts
626free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from VMware
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
1official link
189concepts mapped
The source
VMware’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official VMware outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 26 objectives, 189 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When VMware changes the outline, this page changes with it.
26objectives on the outline→189concepts written→626free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.