Just received an e-mail from the VCDX Certification team that the Design Exam (beta) is available for me until April 10th. As part of the beta I would be entitled to a 50% discount ($200) and I would need to send my comments and suggestions to the team after taking the exam.  I’m going to schedule it now, maybe for the week of March 23rd.  I’ll need a couple weeks to study, especially when I’m trying to edit a book, do a day job and all the other fun things life brings me.

Included below is the e-mail I received from the VCDX team, some sensitive information has been removed.

Hello Rick Scherer,</p>

We would like to thank you for your interest in the VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) program.  We are pleased to announce the availability of the Design Exam (beta).  You can take the exam at Pearson VUE Professional Centers worldwide.  Only individuals who have successfully passed the Enterprise Administration Exam and have been authorized by VMware will be able to register to take this exam.

As this is a beta exam, please make note of the following important information:
–    You must take the exam prior to April 10, 2009.  If you are not able to take the exam by this date, we will notify you when more testing opportunities are available
–    The exam is four (4) hours in length to allow time for candidates to comment on each item. Your comments are invaluable in improving the overall exam.
–    When the beta exam is complete a statistical exercise is conducted to establish the cut score.  Exam results are then rescored and a score determination finaHello Rick Scherer,

We would like to thank you for your interest in the VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) program.  We are pleased to announce the availability of the Design Exam (beta).  You can take the exam at Pearson VUE Professional Centers worldwide.  Only individuals who have successfully passed the Enterprise Administration Exam and have been authorized by VMware will be able to register to take this exam.

As this is a beta exam, please make note of the following important information:
–    You must take the exam prior to April 10, 2009.  If you are not able to take the exam by this date, we will notify you when more testing opportunities are available
–    The exam is four (4) hours in length to allow time for candidates to comment on each item. Your comments are invaluable in improving the overall exam.
–    When the beta exam is complete a statistical exercise is conducted to establish the cut score.  Exam results are then rescored and a score determination finalized.   This will take between 4 and 6 weeks from the conclusion of the exam. You will receive a score report documenting your participation at the end of the exam.
–    As a beta exam candidate you are eligible for a 50% off discount on the exam price.  You must register and sit the exam by April 10, 2009.  This discount is only valid on the Design VI3 beta exam and expires on April 10, 2009.
–    You may only sit the VI3 Design beta exam one time.  Any violations of this will result in your not being eligible for certification.

Important Announcement-   In order to enhance security for the VCP, Enterprise Administration and Design Exams, VMware recently implemented the addition of several Pearson VUE security measures.  This included adding a digital photo to a candidate’s score report and to the Pearson VUE authentication website. All VCDX candidates will have their photo taken at the time of the exam. If you have questions about these new security measures, please contact the Certification Team at [email protected] or 1-866-377-4710, option 4.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Kind Regards,
The VMware Certification Team</em>