Last week I successfully passed the VCAP Operations and VCAP VKS exams. With that, my full set of VCF 9 discipline-aligned VCAP certifications is - for now - complete. All five core disciplines are covered: Operations, Automation, Networking, Storage, and VKS. This feels like the right moment to reflect on what this journey means, and to look ahead at where it leads.
The five disciplines
The 2025 VCAP expansion was the largest in VMware's history: eleven new exams across both role-based and domain-specific tracks. For VCF 9, the five discipline certifications each validate deep, hands-on expertise in a specific technical domain within the platform.
- Storage
- Networking
- Automation
- Operations
- VKS
The VKS certification deserves a special mention. Within the new VCF certification framework, the Kubernetes-focused VCAP is a mandatory component on the path to VCDX. This reflects the growing role of modern application platforms - The Kubernetes Supervisor - as an integral part of VMware Cloud Foundation, not an optional add-on.
A fundamentally changed certification landscape
Broadcom has completely overhauled the VMware certification program. Where it once revolved around product-specific knowledge, the new framework is explicitly role- and platform-oriented. Instead of validating isolated component expertise, it now asks professionals to demonstrate understanding of VMware Cloud Foundation as an integrated platform - compute, storage, networking, automation, and observability working as one cohesive system.
This shift is most visible at the VCAP level. The discipline-based VCAPs validate deep technical expertise per domain. The role-based VCAPs - Administrator, Architect, and Support - validate how that knowledge is applied in practice, depending on your day-to-day responsibilities. Together, they form the foundation for the highest level in the program: the VMware Certified Distinguished Expert, or VCDX.
The path from VCAP to VCDX
The formal path to VCDX starts with a role-based VCP as the foundation. From there, candidates complete a set of advanced VCAP certifications - including at least one role-based VCAP and the VKS track. The final step is a live defense, a practical session where architectural insight, problem-solving capability, and real operational experience take center stage. This is not about ticking boxes. It is about proving that you can operate at the highest technical level in real-world VCF environments.
Next milestone: the role-based VCAPs
With all five discipline tracks completed, the focus now shifts to the three role-based VCAPs: Administrator (3V0-11.26), Architect (3V0-12.26), and Support (3V0-13.26). Broadcom has recently announced these as coming very soon - each following the same format of 60 questions over 135 minutes, with a passing score of 300 on a scaled system.
What makes these exams interesting is that they evaluate the same technical foundations from entirely different angles. The Administrator exam focuses on operational execution - lifecycle management, automation workflows, day-2 operations. The Architect exam focuses on design decisions - workload domain strategies, resilience patterns, capacity planning. The Support exam focuses on diagnostic methodology - root cause analysis, log interpretation, structured troubleshooting across the full VCF stack.
For anyone working hands-on with VCF environments, these three tracks represent a logical and valuable next step. They validate not just what you know, but how you apply it.
Why this matters
VCF adoption is accelerating - in sovereign cloud initiatives, in regulated industries, and in large enterprise environments looking for the combination of public cloud automation with full infrastructure control. Organizations need verifiable, role-specific expertise. The new VCAP structure delivers exactly that assurance.
For me personally, this is about more than credentials. Each exam builds the technical foundation needed to contribute meaningfully to the community, to deliver sharp troubleshooting sessions at events like VMUG Connect Amsterdam and Minneapolis, and ultimately to approach the VCDX defense with genuine depth across every relevant domain of the platform.
Next step: VCAP Administrator · Architect · Support → VCDX. Can't wait.
