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Exam Review

Key Facts: Nutanix NCA Exam

50

Exam Questions

NCA 7.5 blueprint

90 min

Exam Time

NCA 7.5 blueprint

3000

Passing Scaled Score

1000-6000 reporting scale

4

Objective Sections

NCA 7.5 blueprint; percentages not published

$100 USD

Exam Fee Per Attempt

Nutanix

3 years

NCA 7 Validity

NCA 7.5 blueprint

NCA 7.5 uses 50 questions in 90 minutes and costs $100 per attempt. The passing scaled score is 3000 on a 1000-6000 range, not 50% correct. The NCA 7 credential lasts three years. Use the four-section blueprint; unsupported pass-rate estimates and invented section weights are not exam requirements.

Sample Nutanix NCA Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Nutanix NCA exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 146+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What is the primary role of the Controller VM (CVM) in Nutanix architecture?
A.Managing hypervisor updates only
B.Handling all storage I/O operations for the node
C.Providing desktop virtualization services
D.Acting as a network switch for VM traffic
Explanation: The Controller VM (CVM) runs on every node in a Nutanix cluster and handles all storage I/O operations. It abstracts the local storage resources (SSDs and HDDs) and presents them as a distributed storage pool. The CVM communicates with CVMs on other nodes to replicate data and maintain cluster-wide storage services.
2Which hypervisor is Nutanix's built-in, native hypervisor?
A.VMware ESXi
B.Microsoft Hyper-V
C.AHV (Acropolis Hypervisor)
D.KVM Community Edition
Explanation: AHV (Acropolis Hypervisor) is Nutanix's native, built-in hypervisor based on KVM. It is included at no additional cost with every Nutanix deployment. While Nutanix supports ESXi and Hyper-V as well, AHV is the only hypervisor developed and maintained by Nutanix.
3What is the default replication factor (RF) in a Nutanix cluster?
A.RF1
B.RF2
C.RF3
D.RF4
Explanation: The default replication factor in Nutanix is RF2, which means two copies of every piece of data are stored across different nodes. This provides tolerance for one simultaneous node or disk failure. RF3 is available for environments requiring higher availability, storing three copies of data.
4Which Nutanix management interface provides a simplified, single-pane-of-glass view for managing a single cluster?
A.Prism Central
B.Prism Element
C.Nutanix Move
D.Nutanix Calm
Explanation: Prism Element is the local management interface that runs on each Nutanix cluster. It provides a simplified HTML5 UI for managing the individual cluster's VMs, storage, networking, and health. Prism Central, by contrast, is a multi-cluster management tool that aggregates multiple Prism Element instances.
5In Nutanix, what does the term 'data locality' refer to?
A.Storing data exclusively on external SAN devices
B.Ensuring data is read from the local node's storage whenever possible
C.Distributing data evenly across all nodes regardless of which VM uses it
D.Keeping all VMs on a single node for best performance
Explanation: Data locality in Nutanix means that the CVM tries to keep a VM's data on the same physical node where the VM is running. This minimizes network traffic for read operations. When a VM migrates to another node, the data is gradually moved to the new node to re-establish locality over time.
6What is the minimum number of nodes required to create a Nutanix cluster?
A.1 node
B.2 nodes
C.3 nodes
D.4 nodes
Explanation: A Nutanix cluster requires a minimum of 3 nodes to operate. This allows for proper data replication with RF2 and ensures that the cluster can tolerate the failure of one node while still maintaining a quorum for metadata operations. Single-node clusters exist for ROBO/edge but are special-purpose configurations.
7Which Nutanix component is responsible for distributed metadata management across the cluster?
A.Cassandra (metadata store)
B.Stargate (I/O manager)
C.Curator (background tasks)
D.Cerebro (replication)
Explanation: Cassandra is the distributed metadata store in Nutanix that maintains metadata about all files, blocks, and vDisks across the cluster. It runs on every CVM and uses a ring-based architecture for consistency and resilience. Stargate handles I/O, Curator manages background storage tasks, and Cerebro handles replication and disaster recovery.
8What is the purpose of the Nutanix Distributed Storage Fabric (DSF)?
A.To provide Layer 2 network switching for VMs
B.To aggregate local storage from all nodes into a single, shared storage pool
C.To replace the hypervisor's memory management
D.To manage user authentication and access control
Explanation: The Nutanix Distributed Storage Fabric (DSF), also known as Nutanix Unified Storage, aggregates all local storage devices (SSDs and HDDs) from every node into a shared, distributed storage pool. This eliminates the need for traditional SAN or NAS while providing enterprise-grade data services such as deduplication, compression, and snapshots.
9Which Nutanix feature allows you to manage multiple clusters from a single management console?
A.Prism Element
B.Prism Central
C.Nutanix Beam
D.Foundation
Explanation: Prism Central is Nutanix's multi-cluster management platform. It provides a single pane of glass to manage multiple Nutanix clusters, offering features like centralized monitoring, capacity planning, one-click operations, category-based management, and role-based access control across the entire Nutanix environment.
10What type of storage tiering does Nutanix use to optimize performance?
A.Manual tier assignment by administrators
B.Automatic hot/cold data tiering between SSD and HDD
C.RAID-based tiering across disk groups
D.No tiering; all data stays on a single tier
Explanation: Nutanix uses automatic storage tiering to move frequently accessed (hot) data to SSD and infrequently accessed (cold) data to HDD. This is handled transparently by the Intelligent Lifecycle Manager (ILM). No administrator intervention is needed. The system continuously monitors I/O patterns and promotes or demotes data between tiers accordingly.

About the Nutanix NCA Exam

The NCA 7.5 exam validates familiarity with Nutanix products, Prism navigation and basic platform operations. Passing earns the NCA 7 credential. The current scope groups topics into solutions and tools, administration, cluster maintenance, and health and monitoring.

Exam sponsor: Nutanix. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

50 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

3000 on a 1000-6000 scaled-score range; not a raw percentage

Exam / Certification Fees

$100 USD per attempt

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published. No official NCA pass-rate statistic was found in the reviewed sources; community estimates have been removed. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Not published

Nutanix Solutions and Tools

Recognize NCI and other Nutanix products, their use cases, and the tools used to operate the platform.

Not published

Platform Administration

Understand VM lifecycle, virtual networking, storage operations and license management.

Not published

Cluster Configuration and Maintenance

Review cluster settings, hardware maintenance, software compatibility and lifecycle management.

Not published

Platform Health and Monitoring

Interpret health checks, alerts, events and performance; use support resources. The reviewed blueprint publishes no section percentages.

Preparing for the Nutanix NCA Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 3000 on a 1000-6000 scaled-score range; not a raw percentage
  • Assessment: 50 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions
  • Time limit: 90 minutes
  • Exam / certification fees: $100 USD per attempt Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 146 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Nutanix NCA: Suggested Study Strategy

1Use the NCA 7.5 blueprint as your checklist; avoid assuming older exam outlines or product versions remain unchanged.
2Practice finding VM, network, storage and licensing information in Prism.
3Compare Prism Element and Prism Central tasks in a lab or official demonstration.
4Review cluster configuration, maintenance and LCM workflows instead of studying architecture terminology alone.
5Practice interpreting health checks, alerts and performance information, then identify the appropriate support action.
6Use current product documentation for unfamiliar tools; the blueprint identifies AOS 7.5, AHV 11.0 and Prism Central pc.7.5.
7Review each missed practice question and revisit the underlying objective; a practice score is not a guarantee of passing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCA 7.5 exam format?

It has 50 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions, with 90 minutes to test. Remote and selected test-center appointments are available; register through Nutanix University.

What does the passing score mean?

The cut score is 3000 on a reporting scale of 1000-6000. Nutanix uses scaled scoring; dividing 3000 by 6000 does not produce the raw percentage needed to pass.

What topics does NCA 7.5 cover?

Its four sections cover Nutanix solutions and tools, platform administration, cluster configuration and maintenance, and platform health and monitoring. No section percentages are given in the reviewed blueprint.

How should I prepare?

Start with the recommended NHCF training and the current blueprint, then practice in a suitable lab. The 40-80 hour study range on this page is an editorial planning estimate, not a Nutanix requirement or a guarantee of readiness.

What is the difference between NCA and NCP-MCI?

NCA focuses on foundational platform awareness and basic operations. NCP-MCI targets deeper administration, deployment and troubleshooting skills. Select the exam that matches your experience and objectives.

Does NCA guarantee a job or salary?

No. It can demonstrate foundational platform knowledge, but employers assess broader experience and skills. No salary range or employment guarantee is asserted here.

How long is NCA 7 valid, and how do retakes work?

The credential is valid for three years. Allow seven days between attempts; after three unsuccessful attempts, wait 60 days and contact Nutanix University for a reset. Each exam attempt is paid separately.