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Key Facts: vSphere 8.x Professional (2V0-21.23) Exam

70

Questions

Broadcom Exam Guide

135 min

Exam Duration

Broadcom

300

Passing Score (100-500)

Scaled

$250

Exam Fee

Broadcom / Pearson VUE

7 days

Retake Wait

VMware policy

vSphere 8.x

Product Version

Broadcom

The 2V0-21.23 exam (VCP-DCV 2024 v2) has 70 single- and multiple-choice questions, 135 minutes, a scaled passing score of 300 (range 100-500), and a US$250 fee at Pearson VUE. It targets vSphere 8.x administrators and covers seven sections: Architecture and Technologies, Products and Solutions, Planning and Designing, Installing/Configuring/Setup, Performance/Tuning/Optimization/Upgrades, Troubleshooting and Repairing, and Administrative and Operational Tasks. Mandatory training was removed for VCP exams effective May 6, 2024.

Sample vSphere 8.x Professional (2V0-21.23) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the vSphere 8.x Professional (2V0-21.23) exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What is the primary purpose of the vSphere Distributed Services Engine (DSE) introduced in vSphere 8?
A.A distributed replacement for the vCenter management plane
B.DPU offload of host networking and security services
C.Subscription pooling across several independent vCenter instances
D.Enhanced Linked Mode for consolidating vCenter inventories
Explanation: vSphere Distributed Services Engine (DSE) is vSphere's DPU-based offload architecture. A supported DPU runs an ESXio environment that handles infrastructure services such as networking and security, freeing host CPU cycles for VM workloads. Hardware support must be checked against the applicable compatibility guide.
2Which pair of compute environments exists on a host enabled for vSphere Distributed Services Engine?
A.Host ESXi on x86 plus ESXio on the DPU
B.Host ESXi plus a vCenter appliance on the DPU
C.ESXio plus NSX Manager running on the DPU
D.Two full vCenter-managed ESXi instances on x86
Explanation: A DSE-enabled host runs the standard ESXi environment on the x86 server and the ESXio environment on the DPU. The DPU-side environment handles supported offloaded infrastructure services.
3An administrator wants to enable image-based lifecycle management for an existing vSphere 7 cluster managed by baselines (Update Manager). What is the correct migration path in vSphere 8?
A.Automatic baseline conversion during the vCenter upgrade
B.Explicit cluster conversion to a desired vLCM image
C.Cluster deletion followed by image-based recreation
D.Deployment through SDDC Manager as a prerequisite
Explanation: vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) lets administrators convert a baseline-managed cluster to an image-managed cluster. You define a desired-state image (ESXi base, vendor add-on, components, firmware) in vCenter and remediate hosts. The conversion is one-way and is offered through the cluster's Updates tab.
4What does a vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) cluster image consist of? (Identify the correct combination.)
A.The ESXi base image without optional extensions
B.Base image plus optional add-ons, components, and firmware
C.The ESXi image together with all vCenter Server appliance patches
D.A snapshot containing every VM in the cluster
Explanation: A vLCM image has up to four parts: a required ESXi base image; an optional OEM vendor add-on (e.g., Dell, HPE, Lenovo); optional independent components (e.g., NSX bits, drivers); and an optional firmware and drivers add-on supplied by a Hardware Support Manager. vCenter manages this desired state and remediates hosts to match.
5Starting with vSphere 8.0 Update 3, what changes with Embedded vSphere Cluster Services?
A.vCLS is packaged with ESXi and runs as CRX-based system-managed VMs without datastore backing
B.vCLS is removed and every DRS function moves permanently into the vCenter appliance
C.vCLS becomes a separately licensed cluster add-on deployed only through Cloud Foundation
D.vCLS runs exclusively on a host DPU and requires Distributed Services Engine hardware
Explanation: vSphere 8.0 Update 3 introduced Embedded vCLS. Its CRX-based system VMs are packaged with ESXi and need no datastore backing, replacing the external OVF-deployed vCLS form when the supported vCenter and hosts are upgraded.
6Which statement about the vSphere with Tanzu Supervisor Cluster is correct?
A.One Photon VM shared by every vCenter cluster
B.Three Supervisor control-plane VMs on the enabled cluster
C.A TKG workload cluster used as the Supervisor
D.A capability available only within a Cloud Foundation workload domain
Explanation: When Workload Management is enabled on a vSphere cluster, vCenter deploys three Supervisor Control Plane VMs that form a Kubernetes control plane. Administrators then create vSphere Namespaces, deploy vSphere Pods (small VM-isolated pods) and provision Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) workload clusters as guest clusters running on the Supervisor.
7What is the maximum number of vCPUs supported per virtual machine on the latest virtual hardware version available in vSphere 8?
A.128 virtual CPUs per virtual machine
B.256 virtual CPUs per virtual machine
C.640 virtual CPUs per virtual machine
D.768 virtual CPUs per virtual machine
Explanation: vSphere 8 supports up to 768 vCPUs per virtual machine when the host, guest operating system, and virtual hardware are supported. The 768-vCPU scale existed before vSphere 8, so this is a supported vSphere 8 ceiling rather than an 8.0-only increase.
8Which virtual hardware version was introduced with ESXi 8.0?
A.Virtual hardware version 15
B.Virtual hardware version 19
C.Virtual hardware version 20
D.Virtual hardware version 21
Explanation: ESXi 8.0 introduced virtual hardware version 20. Later vSphere 8 update releases introduced newer virtual hardware versions, but version 20 is the version aligned with the initial 8.0 release.
9A workload requires GPU acceleration with live migration support so the VM can be moved during host maintenance. Which vSphere 8 feature satisfies the requirement?
A.Whole-device DirectPath I/O GPU passthrough
B.A supported NVIDIA vGPU profile with vMotion
C.Storage vMotion without changing the compute host
D.Fault Tolerance applied to a passthrough GPU
Explanation: vSphere 8 supports vMotion of VMs that use NVIDIA vGPU profiles, with configurable maximum stun times to keep guest disruption acceptable. By contrast, full DirectPath I/O passthrough binds the VM to a host and prevents vMotion. vSphere 7 introduced vGPU vMotion; vSphere 8 expanded compatibility and tuning.
10What problem does Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) solve in a vSphere cluster?
A.It converts Intel instructions into AMD instructions during vMotion
B.It presents a common CPU feature baseline to compatible hosts
C.It removes every guest operating system compatibility requirement
D.It enables live migration between unrelated CPU architectures
Explanation: EVC masks selected CPU features so compatible hosts present a common baseline to virtual machines. This helps preserve vMotion compatibility across supported processor generations from the same CPU vendor; EVC does not translate one instruction-set architecture into another.

About the vSphere 8.x Professional (2V0-21.23) Exam

The VMware vSphere 8.x Professional exam (2V0-21.23) leads to the VCP-DCV 2024 v2 credential. It validates skills to install, configure, and manage a vSphere 8.x environment, including DPU-accelerated hosts, image-based vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM), vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA), Identity Federation, Native Key Provider, vTPM/VBS, and modern vMotion/DRS capabilities introduced in vSphere 8.0 and later updates.

Exam sponsor: VMware by Broadcom / Pearson VUE. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

70 questions

Time Limit

135 minutes

Passing Score

300 (scaled 100-500)

Exam / Certification Fees

$250 USD

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published. Broadcom does not publish official pass-rate percentages Exam sponsor website

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

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.

Section 1

Architecture and Technologies

ESXi 8 and vCenter architecture, vSphere Distributed Services Engine (DPU/SmartNIC offload), vSphere with Tanzu Supervisor Cluster, vCLS (including embedded vCLS in 8.0 U2+), and core platform technologies.

Section 2

VMware Products and Solutions

Positioning of vSphere with vSAN, NSX, Aria Operations, VMware Cloud Foundation, Site Recovery Manager, and VMware Tanzu within the data center portfolio.

Section 3

Planning and Designing

Listed as a section without testable objectives in the current 2V0-21.23 exam guide; design knowledge is still useful context for other sections.

Section 4

Installing, Configuring, and Setup

Deploy ESXi 8, vCenter Server Appliance, Identity Federation with ADFS/Okta/PingFed, vSphere Distributed Switch (NIOC v3, LACP), Content Libraries, vSphere Configuration Profiles (8.0 U1+), and vLCM image-based clusters.

Section 5

Performance-tuning, Optimization, and Upgrades

DRS Score, predictive DRS, Storage DRS, NIOC, HA admission control (cluster resource percent vs. slot policy), Fault Tolerance (SMP-FT), vMotion of vGPU VMs, EVC with new CPU classes, and vLCM remediation.

Section 6

Troubleshooting and Repairing

Diagnose vCenter, ESXi, vCLS, vSAN ESA, NVMe-oF, distributed switch, vMotion, HA, DRS, and Identity Federation issues using logs, vCenter alarms, esxtop, and the Broadcom KB.

Section 7

Administrative and Operational Tasks

VM lifecycle, snapshots, vMotion/Storage vMotion, Storage Policy-Based Management (SPBM), Native Key Provider, vTPM, VBS, VM encryption, RBAC, alarms, and Content Libraries.

Preparing for the vSphere 8.x Professional (2V0-21.23) Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 300 (scaled 100-500)
  • Exam length: 70 questions
  • Time limit: 135 minutes
  • Exam / certification fees: $250 USD Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

vSphere 8.x Professional (2V0-21.23): Suggested Study Strategy

1Lab the new vSphere 8 features hands-on: DPU-backed hosts, vLCM image clusters, vSAN ESA, Native Key Provider, and Identity Federation with Okta or ADFS
2Memorize HA admission control policies (cluster resource percent vs. slot policy vs. dedicated failover hosts) and when each is recommended
3Practice configuring VDS features: NIOC v3 shares, LACP LAGs, traffic filtering, and port mirroring
4Understand DRS Score, predictive DRS, and how Storage DRS makes affinity and placement decisions
5Drill encryption: Native Key Provider vs. Standard Key Provider, vTPM, VBS, VM encryption, and vMotion encryption
6Know vSphere with Tanzu Supervisor Cluster components (Supervisor Control Plane VMs, Tanzu Kubernetes Grid clusters, vSphere Pods)
7Practice timed 70-question simulations - 135 minutes works out to roughly 1 minute 55 seconds per item
8Read the Broadcom 2V0-21.23 Exam Preparation Guide PDF cover to cover and map every objective to a hands-on lab

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the passing score for the 2V0-21.23 exam?

The 2V0-21.23 (VCP-DCV 2024 v2) exam uses a scaled score from 100 to 500, and 300 is the minimum passing score. The exam has 70 single- and multiple-choice items and a 135-minute time limit. Scaled scoring accounts for variations in difficulty across exam forms, so the raw percentage required to pass is not publicly disclosed by Broadcom.

What is the difference between 2V0-21.23 and the older VCP-DCV exams?

2V0-21.23 leads to VCP-DCV 2024 v2 and is built around vSphere 8.x. Compared to vSphere 7-era exams, it adds heavy coverage of vSphere Distributed Services Engine (DPU offload), vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA), Identity Federation, Native Key Provider, image-based vLCM, vTPM/VBS, vSphere with Tanzu Supervisor Cluster, and embedded vCLS introduced in 8.0 U2.

Is training still mandatory for VCP-DCV?

No. As of May 6, 2024, Broadcom removed the mandatory training prerequisite for VCP-level exams, including 2V0-21.23. Recommended courses such as 'VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V8]' are still strongly suggested, especially for candidates without 6-12 months of hands-on vSphere 8 administration experience.

How long should I study for 2V0-21.23?

Most candidates spend 4-10 weeks (roughly 100-180 hours) preparing. Strong candidates with 1+ year of vSphere experience can finish in 4-5 weeks; candidates new to vSphere 8 typically need 8-10 weeks. Effective plans combine the official Exam Guide PDF, hands-on labs covering vLCM/vSAN ESA/Identity Federation, and at least 200 timed practice questions with 80%+ accuracy before scheduling.

What new vSphere 8 features show up most on the exam?

Expect heavy coverage of: 1) vSphere Distributed Services Engine (DPU/SmartNIC offload of networking and security), 2) image-based vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) for clusters, 3) vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA) with single-tier NVMe storage, 4) Identity Federation with ADFS/Okta/PingFed, 5) Native Key Provider for encryption without external KMS, 6) vTPM/VBS for Windows guest security, 7) DRS Score and predictive DRS, and 8) vMotion of VMs with vGPU.

Can I retake 2V0-21.23 if I fail?

Yes, with a mandatory 7-day waiting period after each failed attempt. The retake fee is the same as the original $250 USD. Once you pass a proctored VCP exam, you cannot retake the same exam version - you must wait for a new major exam revision or pursue a higher-level credential (VCAP, VCDX).

How does 2V0-21.23 compare to VCP-VCF (Cloud Foundation)?

2V0-21.23 (VCP-DCV) focuses on vSphere 8.x as a standalone product - ESXi, vCenter, vSAN, vMotion, HA, DRS, networking, and lifecycle management. VCP-VCF exams (2V0-11.25 / 2V0-13.25) instead validate VMware Cloud Foundation administration and architecture, where vSphere is one component alongside NSX, vSAN, and SDDC Manager. Many candidates earn VCP-DCV first because it grounds the underlying vSphere skills.