Some reactions on the VCP while it’s still fresh;

• Preparation; I had taken the course as required. Then I studied for a couple more months. I had a lab. I studied the BLUEPRINT, and also ports and file names. I did not memorize them all, but had a good feel for what ones were real. I took the online VMware example test from their site, and could get 100% on it.
• Scheduling the test is different from Microsoft. You have to go to your VMware training, and “submit” to take the test. They verify that you have the training, and then in about 15 min you get a certification code, which you use to schedule the exam.
• The actual exam; it was 85 questions in 90 minutes. WOW.  You have to really keep moving. I never felt this short of time on a MS test.
• You hear a lot about memorizing ports and filenames. I had zero questions about filenames and only 1 about ports.
• You also hear and read a lot about once you submit a question, you can’t go back and review. This was NOT TRUE in my case. I could go back through the entire test, and update any answers I chose.
• There were about 25% of the questions that had more than one answer; like “choose two of the following”
• About 30% of the questions had “exhibits” where you had to open a graphic that showed you something.
• Even though I had trained, worked hands on, labbed, studied, there were still some questions that I had NEVER heard a peep about. Like one about “persistant scratch” locations. What?  Here you go.
• You have to have SOME knowledge of prior versions.
• You have to have SOME knowledge of other VMware products (Workstation, for example)
• When I started this test, within the first 10 minutes I was sure I was going to fail. I actually started to relax and kind go faster, but still trying to give good answers.
• I used ALL of the time.
• I PASSED in the end, so I guess all the study worked out.