The name “VMWare Certified Associate – Digital Business Transformation Certification” is quite a mouthful. Thankfully it can more easily be referred to simply as the VCA-DBT. If you are just starting on your path of VMWare certifications, then this is a great one to begin with. Earning this certification validates and proves to other that you understand the concepts of virtualization and how they can really drive a company forward.

This exam covers, at a basic and low level, all of VMWare’s products – like vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and vRealize. While it exposes you to all of their product offerings, it is not diving deep into any of them. You aren’t going to learn any complicated concepts of virtualization or even how to deploy a VM. It is merely certifying that you are aware of the VMware product line. It lets employers know that you have a sound grasp of what virtualization is, and how it can be leveraged to help the business reach its’ goals. It is also a great way to show that you are committed to learning, increasing your knowledge and applying yourself.

The exam itself is not too difficult. It is non-proctored exam, which means you can do it anywhere, from home or even from a coffee shop. The exam itself is 135 long, has 30 questions, and costs $125. VMware provides an “Exam Guide” to help you study, which is very helpful. Also, being that it is non-proctored, if you needed to you could potentially even use Google to help you answers questions if it came to that. It took me just a couple days to prep myself for the exam, and I was able to pass with no problem.

One important thing to note is that the VCA-DBT is not required for the VCP. It won’t hurt you to get the VCA-DBT, but it is in no way a prerequisite to progress towards your VCP. It is, however, a great way to get familiar with VMware’s style for exams and test taking though. It also is a great way to gain some knowledge of everything VMware can offer, which is a huge portfolio of products.