New D-PWF-DS-01 Exam Will Replace D-PWF-DS-23 (Retiring on October 16, 2025)

The current D-PWF-DS-23 PowerFlex Design exam will officially be retired on October 16, 2025. New PowerFlex Design v2 exam D-PWF-DS-01 is available on October 17, 2025, which is designed to align more closely with the latest best practices and customer-driven design methodologies. For IT professionals, solution architects, and consultants working with software-defined infrastructure, this change highlights Dell's commitment to keeping certifications relevant in a fast-changing digital landscape.

Why the Change Matters

Technology never stands still, and neither should certifications. PowerFlex is at the core of Dell’s modern infrastructure portfolio, combining compute, storage, and networking into a flexible, software-defined platform. With organizations increasingly adopting cloud-based consumption models and undergoing digital transformation initiatives, Dell has updated the exam to ensure certified professionals are equipped with the skills customers need today.

The D-PWF-DS-23 exam has served its purpose well, focusing on foundations, configuration, and integration. However, the new D-PWF-DS-01 exam brings a more customer-centric approach, putting emphasis on gathering requirements, solution design, and pre-deployment preparation. This shift ensures that PowerFlex Design certified professionals aren't just technically skilled, but also capable of translating business requirements into successful technical solutions.

Value of PowerFlex Design Certification

Obtaining the PowerFlex Design certification demonstrates that you can:

●Assess customer needs and translate them into technical requirements.

●Design scalable, resilient, and efficient PowerFlex solutions based on standardized architecture.

●Document requirements effectively in preparation for deployment.

●Support IT environments undergoing digital and IT transformation initiatives.

●Work with PowerFlex in multiple models: rack-scale systems, appliances, or cloud-based consumption.

This makes the certification valuable not only for technical validation but also as a career accelerator in roles like Solution Architect, Systems Engineer, Technical Consultant, or Pre-Sales Engineer.

Exam Topics: D-PWF-DS-23 vs. D-PWF-DS-01

To better understand how the certification is evolving, let’s compare the D-PWF-DS-23 exam with the new D-PWF-DS-01 exam.

Key Differences

From Technical Foundations to Customer Requirements

D-PWF-DS-23 starts with PowerFlex foundations, while D-PWF-DS-01 starts by assessing and defining customer requirements. This reflects a shift from pure product knowledge to solution-oriented thinking.

From Configuration to Solution Design

The old exam dedicates nearly 60% of its weight to configuration tasks (objects, nodes, volumes). The new exam, however, dedicates 48% to solution design, underscoring the importance of architecture and planning over step-by-step technical configuration.

Pre-deployment Planning Replaces Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting and integration, which accounted for 15% in the old exam, are replaced with pre-deployment and configuration outlines (16%), reinforcing proactive preparation rather than reactive problem-solving.

What This Means for Candidates

If you are preparing for PowerFlex Design certification, you now have a choice to make:

Take the D-PWF-DS-23 exam before October 16, 2025

If you’ve already been studying the current exam content, you can still earn the certification before it retires. This may be ideal if you are more comfortable with technical and configuration-heavy topics.

Prepare for the D-PWF-DS-01 exam after October 17, 2025

If you are just starting your preparation or your role involves customer engagement, requirement gathering, and architecture design, then it makes sense to focus on the new version.

Either path validates your ability to design PowerFlex solutions, but the new exam better reflects the skills required in customer-facing and solution design roles.

Who Should Take This Exam?

The PowerFlex Design certification is designed for:

●Solution Architects looking to expand expertise in Dell's software-defined infrastructure portfolio.

●Systems Engineers and Technical Consultants who need to design and size PowerFlex solutions.

●Pre-Sales Professionals who work directly with customers to define requirements and propose tailored solutions.

●IT Professionals aiming to support organizations undergoing digital and IT transformation initiatives.

The transition from D-PWF-DS-23 to D-PWF-DS-01 marks more than just an exam update - it reflects a paradigm shift in how PowerFlex solutions are designed and delivered. The focus is moving away from deep technical configuration knowledge to a holistic, customer-driven design process that ensures PowerFlex solutions are aligned with business needs and scalable for the future.

If you're planning to validate your PowerFlex expertise, now is the time to decide: complete the current exam before retirement, or align with the new exam and its future-focused approach. Either way, the PowerFlex Design certification remains a valuable credential for anyone aiming to grow their career in modern, software-defined infrastructure.