VMware VCAP-VCF 9.0: What's New in Advanced Cloud Certifications

The demand for skilled professionals who can manage, automate, and optimize private cloud environments continues to rise as organizations modernize their digital infrastructure. VMware has responded to this growing need by introducing an updated and expanded suite of VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) certifications tailored specifically for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0. These new credentials reflect the latest capabilities and roles required to support hybrid cloud, automation, Kubernetes, and scalable storage in enterprise environments.

A Fully Modernized VCAP Track for VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0

One of the most significant updates is the complete modernization of the VCAP certification portfolio to align with VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0. Unlike older VCAP paths that were tied to standalone VMware products, the new VCAP-VCF exams directly validate skills in managing a full-stack private cloud platform.

This means professionals are now assessed on real-world, integrated VCF competencies involving vSphere, vSAN, NSX, Aria Automation, Aria Operations, and Kubernetes services - all in a unified system.

Four Specialized VCAP Exams for VCF 9.0

The new certification suite introduces four specialized VCAP exams, each aligned to a critical role within modern cloud operations.

3V0-21.25 - VCAP-VCF Automation

Focus: automation, orchestration, and lifecycle efficiency This exam validates the ability to support and troubleshoot automated VCF deployments. Candidates demonstrate skills in using VCF automation tools, ensuring the environment meets organizational goals for availability, security, and performance.

What's new:

Expanded automation workflows for VCF 9.0 

Greater emphasis on infrastructure-as-code 

Troubleshooting automation pipelines for private cloud delivery

3V0-22.25 - VCAP-VCF Operations

Focus: monitoring, optimization, cost efficiency This certification verifies expertise in optimizing VCF environments using dashboards, performance policies, capacity analytics, and operational insights.

What's new:

VCF 9.0 operational analytics scenarios 

Cost-optimized cloud resource management 

Advanced Aria Operations dashboards and policies

3V0-24.25 - VCAP-VCF vSphere Kubernetes Service

Focus: cloud-native and containerized workloads This certification reflects VMware's growing investments in Kubernetes through Tanzu and VCF’s built-in vSphere Kubernetes Service (vK8s).

What's new:

Kubernetes lifecycle management for VCF 9.0 

Production-grade cluster operations and scaling 

Security and policy-driven workload orchestration

This exam is ideal for professionals bridging traditional virtualization and cloud-native operations.

3V0-23.25 - VCAP-VCF Storage

Focus: advanced storage design, configuration, and troubleshooting Scheduled for new registrations after December 15, 2025, this exam validates expertise in architecting resilient and high-performance storage systems within VCF environments.

What's new:

VCF 9.0 storage architecture updates 

Enhanced vSAN capabilities and HCI storage integrations 

Advanced storage availability, scalability, and troubleshooting topics

The Certifications Now Align to Real Cloud Job Roles

Another major change in the VCAP-VCF 9.0 track is the alignment to real enterprise roles:

●Automation Engineer → VCAP-VCF 

●Automation Cloud Operations Specialist → VCAP-VCF Operations 

●Kubernetes & DevOps Engineer → VCAP-VCF vSphere Kubernetes Service 

●Storage Architect → VCAP-VCF Storage

This makes certification decisions easier and gives employers clearer expectations when hiring advanced VMware talent.

Reflecting Modern Cloud Foundation Architecture

VCF 9.0 brings major enhancements - streamlined lifecycle management, improved security features, and stronger Kubernetes integration. The updated VCAP exams reflect these advancements by testing:

●Automated deployment and lifecycle workflows 

●vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and Aria integration 

●Kubernetes-native operations through vSphere with Tanzu 

●Zero-trust security and policy-driven administration 

●Multi-site and multi-cluster scaling

These updates ensure the certifications reflect real-world enterprise workloads in 2025 and beyond.

Why VCAP-VCF 9.0 Matters for Cloud Professionals

The new VCAP certifications help professionals:

Validate advanced, job-ready skills 

Employers increasingly need specialists who can manage full-stack private cloud environments—not just isolated VMware components.

Stay competitive in a rapidly evolving cloud landscape 

VCF continues to grow as VMware's flagship private cloud solution, making this expertise highly valuable.

Advance toward VMware's expert-level credentials 

These certifications open the path toward higher-level VMware design and architect certifications.

Demonstrate proficiency in hybrid and cloud-native technologies 

The Kubernetes exam, in particular, highlights VMware's shift toward modern cloud-native operations.

The VMware VCAP-VCF 9.0 certification suite marks a significant evolution in VMware's advanced credentialing strategy. With a strong focus on automation, operations, Kubernetes, and storage, these certifications are aligned with the skills modern cloud professionals need to support enterprise-scale private clouds. For those who want to deepen their VMware expertise and advance their careers, the new VCAP-VCF exams offer a powerful and future-proof certification pathway.