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Exam Review

Key Facts: VCTA-DCV Exam

51

Total Items

Broadcom 1V0-21.20 Exam Guide

135 min

Time Limit

Broadcom

300/500

Passing Scaled Score

Broadcom

$250

Exam Fee (USD)

Broadcom 2026 flat-fee policy

Pearson VUE

Test Provider

Broadcom

0

Required Prerequisites

Broadcom (effective May 6, 2024)

The VCTA-DCV (1V0-21.20) exam contains 51 items administered over 135 minutes with a passing scaled score of 300/500. The exam fee is $250 USD via Pearson VUE. Topics span vSphere architecture, virtual networking and storage, HA, DRS, vMotion, vSAN, basic security, and day-to-day vCenter administration. The credential is the on-ramp toward professional VCP-level vSphere Foundation certifications.

Sample VCTA-DCV Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the VCTA-DCV exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What type of hypervisor is VMware ESXi?
A.Type 1 (bare-metal) hypervisor
B.Type 2 (hosted) hypervisor
C.Container runtime
D.Operating system kernel module
Explanation: VMware ESXi is a Type 1 (bare-metal) hypervisor. It installs directly on server hardware without requiring an underlying general-purpose operating system, which gives it lower overhead, smaller attack surface, and better performance than Type 2 hypervisors that run on top of an OS.
2Which vSphere component provides centralized management of multiple ESXi hosts and their virtual machines?
A.vSphere Client
B.vCenter Server
C.ESXi Shell
D.Lifecycle Manager
Explanation: vCenter Server is the centralized management platform for vSphere. It manages multiple ESXi hosts, provides clustering features such as HA, DRS, and vMotion, and exposes a single inventory of datacenters, clusters, hosts, and virtual machines.
3Which file in a virtual machine's directory contains the VM's primary configuration, such as virtual hardware version, CPU, memory, and device assignments?
A..vmdk
B.-flat.vmdk
C..vmx
D..nvram
Explanation: The .vmx file is the plain-text configuration file for a virtual machine. It stores settings such as virtual hardware version, CPU and memory allocation, attached devices, and network adapter type.
4Which virtual network adapter type is the recommended high-performance paravirtualized NIC for modern guest operating systems on vSphere?
A.E1000
B.E1000E
C.VMXNET3
D.Flexible
Explanation: VMXNET3 is the third-generation paravirtualized NIC from VMware. It supports higher throughput, multiqueue (RSS), TSO, jumbo frames, and lower CPU usage than emulated adapters, and is the recommended choice when VMware Tools is installed.
5In the vCenter Server inventory, which object is the top-level container that groups hosts, clusters, networks, and datastores under a common administrative boundary?
A.Folder
B.Cluster
C.Datacenter
D.vApp
Explanation: A Datacenter is the top-level inventory container for compute, networking, and storage objects in vCenter Server. Hosts, clusters, VM folders, networks, and datastores all live within a Datacenter object.
6Which VMkernel service must be enabled on an ESXi host port to allow vMotion traffic?
A.Management
B.Provisioning
C.vMotion
D.Fault Tolerance logging
Explanation: vMotion traffic uses a VMkernel adapter that has the vMotion service enabled. Without that service tag, the host cannot send or receive live migration traffic on that interface.
7Which datastore type is a VMware-proprietary clustered file system optimized for storing virtual machine files on block storage?
A.NFS
B.VMFS
C.vSAN
D.vVols
Explanation: VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) is the VMware-proprietary clustered file system used on block storage (FC, FCoE, iSCSI, local SCSI). It allows multiple ESXi hosts to access the same datastore concurrently.
8How does thin provisioning allocate space for a virtual disk on a datastore?
A.Allocates and zeroes the full disk size at creation
B.Allocates the full disk size at creation but zeros blocks on first write
C.Allocates only the space currently written by the guest, growing on demand
D.Allocates space equal to the snapshot delta only
Explanation: A thin-provisioned VMDK consumes only the space the guest has actually written, and grows on demand up to its provisioned size. This is in contrast to thick provisioning, which reserves the full size at creation.
9What does vSphere High Availability (HA) primarily protect against?
A.Storage array failure
B.ESXi host failure
C.Guest operating system corruption
D.Application logic bugs
Explanation: vSphere HA monitors ESXi hosts and the VMs running on them. When a host fails, HA automatically restarts the affected VMs on remaining healthy hosts in the cluster, minimizing downtime.
10Which DRS automation level both generates and automatically applies VM placement and migration recommendations?
A.Manual
B.Partially Automated
C.Fully Automated
D.Disabled
Explanation: In Fully Automated mode, DRS both places VMs at power-on and uses vMotion to balance load across hosts in the cluster automatically, without administrator approval.

About the VCTA-DCV Exam

The VCTA-DCV is VMware's entry-level data center virtualization certification. It validates baseline understanding of vSphere components, virtual machine lifecycle, basic networking and storage, vSphere HA and DRS, vMotion, vSAN concepts, and routine administrative tasks performed in the vSphere Client.

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

Questions

51 questions

Time Limit

135 minutes

Passing Score

300 of 500 (scaled)

Exam / Certification Fees

$250 USD

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published. Broadcom does not publish VCTA-DCV pass rates 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.

Heavy

Architecture and Technologies

Hypervisor types, ESXi and vCenter roles, vSphere components, virtual networking, virtual storage, HA, DRS, vMotion, FT, vSAN, vVols, and basic memory/CPU virtualization concepts.

Heavy

Installing, Configuring, and Setup

Virtual Switch and port group configuration, datastore types (VMFS, NFS, vSAN, vVols), vSphere HA admission control, DRS automation levels, EVC, Lifecycle Manager, lockdown mode, and basic security.

Moderate

Administrative and Operational Tasks

VM provisioning, power operations, snapshots and consolidation, templates and clones, OVF/OVA, content libraries, vMotion and Storage vMotion, VMware Tools, and basic monitoring with alarms and the vSphere Client.

Preparing for the VCTA-DCV Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 300 of 500 (scaled)
  • Exam length: 51 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

VCTA-DCV: Suggested Study Strategy

1Build a home lab with nested ESXi or VMware Workstation to practice the vSphere Client workflows hands-on
2Memorize ESXi and vCenter roles and how the inventory hierarchy (Datacenter > Cluster > Host > VM) is organized
3Drill the differences between HA, DRS, FT, DPM, vMotion, and Storage vMotion until you can explain each in one sentence
4Know virtual NIC types (VMXNET3 vs E1000) and disk provisioning formats (thin vs thick lazy/eager zeroed)
5Practice basic security tasks: lockdown mode, root account hardening, and alarms; these are common VCTA-DCV topics

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VCTA-DCV exam format?

The VCTA-DCV (1V0-21.20) consists of 51 single- and multiple-choice items delivered over 135 minutes via Pearson VUE testing centers and online proctoring. The passing scaled score is 300 out of 500.

What does the VCTA-DCV exam cost?

The exam fee is $250 USD per attempt. Effective May 6, 2024, Broadcom standardized a flat fee across VCTA, VCP, and VCAP exams. There is no discounted retake price.

Are there prerequisites for VCTA-DCV?

No. VCTA is the entry-level credential and has no required certifications. Broadcom also removed prerequisites for higher-level VCP and VCAP exams in 2024, so anyone may register directly.

Is VCTA-DCV still active in 2026?

Candidates should verify current status on the Broadcom Retired Exams page before scheduling. Broadcom has been rationalizing the legacy VMware certification portfolio after the acquisition; the current strategic path emphasizes VCP-VVF and VCP-VCF (vSphere Foundation Administrator) credentials.

How should I study for the VCTA-DCV exam?

Start with VMware's free vSphere Fundamentals on demand course, build a small home lab (VMware Workstation or nested ESXi), and drill the blueprint domains with practice questions. Focus on ESXi/vCenter roles, virtual networking and storage, HA/DRS, and vMotion.

What is the difference between VCTA-DCV and VCP-DCV?

VCTA-DCV is the entry-level credential validating basic understanding of vSphere. VCP (now VCP-VVF / VCP-VCF) is the professional-level certification validating hands-on configuration and administration. Many candidates use VCTA as a stepping stone before tackling VCP.