3V0-11.26, 3V0-12.26, and 3V0-13.26 Exams: VMware VCAP-VCF 9.0 Certification Update

Broadcom introduces three new VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 certifications to support the next generation of private cloud professionals

As enterprises continue to modernize their infrastructure and accelerate private cloud adoption, VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) has become a strategic platform for delivering integrated compute, networking, storage, automation, and cloud management capabilities.

To help IT professionals validate the skills required to design, operate, and support modern private cloud environments, Broadcom has expanded the VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) certification portfolio with three new VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 exams:

● 3V0-11.26: VMware Certified Advanced Professional - VMware Cloud Foundation Administrator

● 3V0-12.26: VMware Certified Advanced Professional - VMware Cloud Foundation Architect

● 3V0-13.26: VMware Certified Advanced Professional - VMware Cloud Foundation Support

These three certifications create a complete professional framework covering the full VMware Cloud Foundation lifecycle — from platform administration, to solution architecture, and finally production support and troubleshooting.

The introduction of these certifications reflects a broader industry trend: organizations increasingly need professionals who can manage complete private cloud platforms rather than only individual virtualization components.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Certification Path: Administration, Architecture, and Support

The new VCAP-VCF 9.0 certifications are designed around different responsibilities within enterprise cloud environments.

Instead of focusing on a single VMware technology, these certifications evaluate practical capabilities across the VMware Cloud Foundation platform, including:

● Compute infrastructure

● Storage architecture

● Network virtualization

● Cloud management

● Automation

● Operations management

● Security considerations

● Kubernetes services integration

● Troubleshooting methodologies

Together, the three exams provide a role-based certification pathway:

3V0-11.26: VMware Certified Advanced Professional - VMware Cloud Foundation Administrator

The 3V0-11.26 VCAP-VCF Administrator exam validates the skills required to deploy, configure, manage, and maintain VMware Cloud Foundation environments.

This certification is designed for professionals responsible for operating VCF-based private cloud platforms. Candidates are expected to understand how to manage VCF infrastructure components and maintain reliable day-to-day operations.

Key knowledge areas include:

● VMware Cloud Foundation architecture and components

● VCF deployment planning and configuration

● Domain management

● Lifecycle management

● Infrastructure monitoring

● Resource management

● Networking and storage administration

● Automation workflows

● vSphere Kubernetes Service administration

This certification is particularly valuable for professionals transitioning from traditional VMware virtualization administration toward modern private cloud operations.

Typical candidates include:

● VMware administrators

● Virtualization engineers

● Cloud infrastructure engineers

● Data center administrators

3V0-12.26: VMware Certified Advanced Professional - VMware Cloud Foundation Architect

The 3V0-12.26 VCAP-VCF Architect exam focuses on advanced VMware Cloud Foundation solution design capabilities.

Unlike administrator-focused certifications that emphasize deployment and operations, the Architect certification validates the ability to design enterprise-ready VCF solutions aligned with business and technical requirements.

Candidates should understand how to create effective architectures while considering:

● Availability requirements

● Performance objectives

● Security requirements

● Scalability planning

● Operational efficiency

● Disaster recovery

● Business continuity

The exam evaluates architecture skills across:

● Conceptual design

● Logical design

● Physical design

● Infrastructure sizing

● Component integration

● Enterprise deployment planning

Key technology areas include:

● vSphere architectur

● vSAN storage design

● NSX networking architecture

● VMware Cloud Foundation Operations

● Automation capabilities

● vSphere Kubernetes Service integration

This certification is designed for:

● Cloud architects

● VMware consultants

● Solution architects

● Enterprise infrastructure designers

3V0-13.26: VMware Certified Advanced Professional - VMware Cloud Foundation Support

The 3V0-13.26 VCAP-VCF Support exam validates advanced troubleshooting and operational skills required to maintain VMware Cloud Foundation environments in production.

As private cloud platforms become more critical to enterprise operations, organizations need professionals who can analyze complex issues, restore services, and maintain platform reliability.

The exam focuses on:

● Troubleshooting VCF infrastructure issues

● Diagnosing component failures

● Analyzing logs and system behavior

● Resolving operational incidents

● Maintaining service availability

● Supporting enterprise workloads

Key troubleshooting areas include:

● Compute resources

● Storage systems

● Network connectivity

● Cloud management components

● Automation workflows

● Kubernetes services

This certification is ideal for:

● VMware support engineers

● Cloud operations engineers

● Infrastructure troubleshooting specialists

● Managed service providers

VCP-VCF 9.0 vs VCAP-VCF 9.0: Understanding the Certification Progression

The VMware Cloud Foundation certification ecosystem includes both VCP-VCF 9.0 and VCAP-VCF 9.0 certifications.

They serve different professional levels and create a clear career progression path.

Which VMware Cloud Foundation Certification Should Candidates Choose?

Choose VCP-VCF 9.0 if you are:

● New to VMware Cloud Foundation

● A VMware administrator developing cloud skills

● Moving from virtualization administration to private cloud

● Looking for a professional-level VMware certification

VCP-VCF 9.0 provides the foundation needed to understand and manage VMware Cloud Foundation environments.

Choose VCAP-VCF 9.0 if you are:

● An experienced VMware professional

● Working with enterprise VCF deployments

● Responsible for architecture decisions

● Managing complex production environments

● Targeting senior cloud infrastructure roles

VCAP-VCF 9.0 helps professionals validate specialized skills in architecture, administration, and support.

Preparing for the New VCAP-VCF 9.0 Exams

The new 3V0-11.26, 3V0-12.26, and 3V0-13.26 exams are designed for professionals with practical VMware infrastructure experience. Candidates should build strong technical knowledge and hands-on experience before attempting these advanced certifications.

1. Build a Strong VMware Cloud Foundation Knowledge Base

Candidates should understand how VMware Cloud Foundation integrates compute, storage, networking, automation, and cloud management technologies. A complete understanding of VCF architecture provides the foundation needed for all three VCAP-VCF 9.0 certification paths.

2. Understand the Role-Based Certification Focus

Each VCAP-VCF 9.0 exam validates different professional skills. Candidates should select their preparation approach based on their career direction, whether they focus on administration, architecture design, or operational support.

3. Gain Hands-On Experience with VMware Cloud Foundation

Practical experience is essential for advanced VMware certifications. Working with VCF environments helps candidates understand deployment processes, configuration tasks, troubleshooting methods, and real operational challenges.

4. Practice Real-World Scenario-Based Problem Solving

The VCAP-VCF exams focus on professional decision-making rather than basic product knowledge. Candidates should practice scenarios involving architecture choices, infrastructure optimization, issue resolution, and operational improvements.

5. Review Official VMware Exam Objectives and Documentation

Candidates should review Broadcom's official exam objectives and VMware Cloud Foundation documentation before the exam. This ensures preparation covers the latest technology areas, exam expectations, and recommended knowledge domains.

Build Skills Across the VMware Cloud Foundation Lifecycle

The launch of 3V0-11.26, 3V0-12.26, and 3V0-13.26 represents an important update in the VMware certification ecosystem.

These certifications provide a structured pathway for professionals to develop VMware Cloud Foundation expertise across three critical areas:

● Administration — managing and operating VCF environments

● Architecture — designing scalable enterprise private cloud solutions

● Support — maintaining reliability and troubleshooting complex platforms

As organizations continue investing in private cloud and hybrid infrastructure strategies, professionals with VMware Cloud Foundation expertise will become increasingly valuable in building secure, automated, and resilient enterprise environments.

Passcert will continue monitoring VMware certification updates and providing the latest preparation resources to help candidates stay aligned with evolving industry requirements.