What else you need to study for the VCP-DCV after taking the vSphere Install Configure Manage Class

Toward the last day of an ICM (Install, Configure, Manage) class, I am often asked about what is going to be on the exam, and why everything on the exam is not in the class.  There isn't enough time to teach everything needed for the exam unless that was all that we focused on, passing the exam.  If you want classwork to cover all of the exam topics, you have two choices, take the Fast Track class (5, 10 hour days) or take the ICM and the What's New class (2 day course).  The What's New class covers upgrading from a previous version, advanced storage and networking, and autodeploy.

Once you have taken the ICM (or perhaps even before) I recommend that you download the Exam Blueprint and take the Practice Exam on the certification page.  If you are interested in more advanced practice exams, check out VMwares new official practice exam partner, MeasureUp.

Here are the subjects that are not covered at all in the ICM class:

• virtual Distributed Switch (vDS)
• VMware vNetwork Distributed Switch: Migration and Con guration
• StorageDRS
• Understanding VMware vSphere 5.1 Storage DRS
• Image Builder and Autodeploy
• vSphere 5 Autodeploy in 20 Steps
• Host Profiles
•  VMware Host Profiles Technical Overview

 Studying those four additional topics should cover the majority of the exam questions.  However I still recommend that you use the Mock Exam, Measure Up, the certification book or study websites to make sure that your knowledge is complete before taking the exam.  You can create a lab in a box using Lab Guides AutoLab. 

The best web resource that I know of for study is Damian Karlson's VCP5 Resources page.

 If you come across a subject that you want to study in more detail (detail beyond what you might need for the exam) I would start with Sean Crookstons VCAP-DCA page.