Veeam Certified Engineer 2021 Exam Released & Reviewed


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I was recently made aware that Veeam have released the 2021 edition of the Veeam Certified Engineer (VMCE) exam. If you’ve already got a VMCE 2020 certification, or have taken the VMCE 2020 training course within the past year, (or even been lucky enough to already take a seat on the VMCE 2021 training course) you’re eligible to take the exam.

To take the exam simply head toΒ the VMCE certification page, sign in with your company email address that was used for either your training course or previous exam and you should see the below.

Description: An image showing the VMCE certification page with a button labelled β€œManage VMCE 2021 Exam”

Simply click on β€œManage VMCE 2021 Exam” and you’ll be taken to the PearsonVUE website to organise either a remote exam or in-person exam.

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The Exam Online Proctor Experience

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Over the course of the pandemic, PeasonVUE have got repeatedly better at delivering the remote training sessions, they’ve slowly adapted their security measures too, when the pandemic had started they didn’t want any screens within the room, now they allow for additional screens if you can evidence that they have no power. In other ways they’re still more strict, if you cover your mouth for example, you can be disqualified.

My top three tips for a successful remote exam experience are:

  • Ensure you are free from distractions and people/animals. Shut yourself in a room and make it clear you can’t be disturbed. PearsonVUE used to treat it as an automatic failure if someone else was detected entering the room, you’re now permitted to inform them you’re taking an exam and they must leave the room immediately, but it’s better not to invite any judgement on the part of the remote proctor as they can only base their judgement on what they can/can’t see/hear. If they have doubts, they can void the exam.
  • Use an adequately spec’d personal machine. Technologies such as Always On VPN are great for corporate machines, but they can cause issues with the delivery of the content due to corporate firewall restrictions. If you have remote monitoring agents as well, these might use systems such as VNC which are all forbidden by PearsonVUE. They will scan your machine and will not allow the exam to be started if they are detected. To elaborate on what I define as adequately spec’d, you’ll be streaming video at as high a frame rate as possible to PearsonVUE. I had an exam cancelled previously due to using an older, lower powered netbook and they said the frame rate was about 1-2 FPS.
  • You’re allowed to connect half hour before the exam starts, aim to connect at this time, you’ll need to use a mobile phone to take pictures of your ID and your room space, they’ll let you start the exam early if you get through all the checks quicker but as you’re allowed to start an exam up to 15 minutes late so this gives you ample opportunity to clear your workspace or relocate if the proctor has issues with your environment.

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The VMCE 2021 Exam Experience

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I’ve taken the VMCE 9.5, VMCE 2020 and VMCE-ADO exams previously so I’m familiar with the structure Veeam uses for the exams. I’ve always been extremely positive of the Veeam exam experience, they’ve always been focused on real-world examples and ensuring a suitable baseline for the majority of deployments, instead of focusing on fringe-cases that a fraction of their install base might utilise.

Historically the exams were much faster, with a pace that felt like a question a minute, the VMCE 2020 was 50 questions in 60 minutes and you got a 30 minute extension if the language the exam was delivered in wasn’t your native language, so this ratio wasn’t far off. The VMCE 2021 exam has changed this slightly, it’s now 50 questions in 75 minutes. I think this gave the exam a better flow. Traditionally the exam questions have predominately short sentences, but this time round it seems Veeam have started to elaborate on them a bit more, opting for diagrams and brief scenarios over a single sentence. I preferred this as the extra time and text allow you more time to double check exactly what’s being asked of you and make sure you select the right result.

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Preparing for the Exam

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You can’t take the exam without having attended a training course at some point in the past, but Veeam do recommend you take the latest training course before sitting the exam, and it’s easy to see why. Veeam have brought out so many features from the time I first sat my training course that whilst I believe I use most features frequently, there are always features that my customers don’t need, so I spend less time using them. Over time this will lead me to drift from the criteria for the exam, when the Veeam v12 training course inevitably comes around I’m going to attempt to take the training course again, to be sure I haven’t missed out on anything great along the way over these past few years, you never know what will become your new favourite feature!

As the VMCE 2021 exam is still quite new, there are limited resources from the wider community to help study, but thankfully there’s no shortage from Veeam. Check out the Exam Specification document from the VMCE certification page linked above and follow the relevant Veeam Help Centre links to ensure you’ve studied all the relevant content, and most importantly, the VMCE is designed for engineers using Veeam frequently, so if you’re not using a feature, give it a spin in a virtual environment.

Mr VMCE himself @haslundΒ is also preparing a VMCE 2021 mock exam question set, check out his blog over atΒ Rasmus Haslund – Virtualize everything!Β and see if they’re available. I recently had the honour of speaking to Rasmus about where he sources these questions from and was amazed at the level of dedication he puts into this process, so I strongly recommend checking out his previous mock questions too and then comparing any questions you may have to the help centre documentation in case Veeam has changed from his VMCE 2020 set.

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How did it go?

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As the title suggests, this is a review, so I did sit the VMCE 2021 exam, I’m extremely thrilled to announce I passed with 85%, and now I’ve got a feel for where my studying should go next to fill in some knowledge gaps, as every day is a school day!

Description: Score Report with an 85% pass score!

114 comments

Userlevel 7
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CongratsΒ @MildurΒ GREAT JOB!!!

I would really like to do the VMCE, too bad for the 2k for the mandatory remote course which, unfortunately for me, represent a significant obstacle.

So, really, congratsΒ :sunglasses:

@marcofabbriΒ If your job can support short notice, some vendors do 50% off the course when it’s less than X weeks to the run time of the course!

Userlevel 7
Badge +12

CongratulationsΒ @Mildur. That's an unbelievable high mark, probably the highest score so far πŸ†

Thank you @regnorΒ :)

Veeam is my passion and hobby πŸ˜‚

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Thanks Michael for sharing your experience.

I took my vmce 2021 exam yesterday with a score of 98% Β :)

I have usedΒ @haslundΒ youtube videos from the vmce 2020 exam and downloaded the veeam guides to my ipad. Using my lab and reading the β€œlimitations”, β€œbefore you begin” , β€œchapter overview” and β€œnote boxes” was really helpful to get all the necessary knowledge to be successfull in the exam.

Wonderful @Mildur, who can beat this scoreΒ :wink: , nearly impossible! The pressure is very high, I will plan it in Q1 2022, no time for it this year...

Userlevel 7
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CongratulationsΒ @Mildur. That's an unbelievable high mark, probably the highest score so far πŸ†

Thank youΒ @regnorΒ :)

Veeam is my passion and hobby πŸ˜‚

I know the feeling @MildurΒ , for me also but the time after working hours is very difficult with children that needs your attentionΒ :blush:

Userlevel 7
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Thanks Michael for sharing your experience.

I took my vmce 2021 exam yesterday with a score of 98% Β :)

I have usedΒ @haslundΒ youtube videos from the vmce 2020 exam and downloaded the veeam guides to my ipad. Using my lab and reading the β€œlimitations”, β€œbefore you begin” , β€œchapter overview” and β€œnote boxes” was really helpful to get all the necessary knowledge to be successfull in the exam.

Wonderful @Mildur, who can beat this scoreΒ :wink: , nearly impossible! The pressure is very high, I will plan it in Q1 2022, no time for it this year...

I don’t think anyone will be that one.Β Β :joy:

On the other hand I have the VMCA2022 course this week - Thurs/Fri so will post up my thoughts on the course, etc. after.Β  Then need to book both the VMCE2021 and VMCA2022 after that.Β :grin:

Userlevel 7
Badge +13

CongratsΒ @MildurΒ GREAT JOB!!!

I would really like to do the VMCE, too bad for the 2k for the mandatory remote course which, unfortunately for me, represent a significant obstacle.

So, really, congratsΒ :sunglasses:

@marcofabbriΒ If your job can support short notice, some vendors do 50% off the course when it’s less than X weeks to the run time of the course!

Thanks @MicoolPaulΒ , I didn’t know!

Userlevel 7
Badge +13

Thanks Michael for sharing your experience.

I took my vmce 2021 exam yesterday with a score of 98% Β :)

I have usedΒ @haslundΒ youtube videos from the vmce 2020 exam and downloaded the veeam guides to my ipad. Using my lab and reading the β€œlimitations”, β€œbefore you begin” , β€œchapter overview” and β€œnote boxes” was really helpful to get all the necessary knowledge to be successfull in the exam.

Wow! Great job, @Mildur! Contratulations!

Userlevel 7
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I am still very new to the Veeam Legend program. Are there exam discounts available to the legends :)Β 

Userlevel 7
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I am still very new to the Veeam Legend program. Are there exam discounts available to the legends :)Β 

I don’t think there is unfortunately.Β  I know there was a discount after VeeamON for the VMCE2021 class which I took advantage of.

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

I am still very new to the Veeam Legend program. Are there exam discounts available to the legends :)Β 

I don’t think there is unfortunately.Β  I know there was a discount after VeeamON for the VMCE2021 class which I took advantage of.

Thank you for the response. I think @KseniyaΒ should gradually introduce this. Is this going to be possible in the future?

Userlevel 7
Badge +3

Thank you for the response. I thinkΒ @KseniyaΒ should gradually introduce this. Is this going to be possible in the future?

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Hi @chris_eromosele! I don’t have this information, but we might have a similar discountΒ programΒ at VeeamON next yearΒ :relaxed:

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

I am still very new to the Veeam Legend program. Are there exam discounts available to the legends :)Β 

I don’t think there is unfortunately.Β  I know there was a discount after VeeamON for the VMCE2021 class which I took advantage of.

Thank you for the response. I thinkΒ @KseniyaΒ should gradually introduce this. Is this going to be possible in the future?

Would be nice if we did get discounts for sure. I second that.Β Β :joy:

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

Thank you for the response. I thinkΒ @KseniyaΒ should gradually introduce this. Is this going to be possible in the future?

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HiΒ @chris_eromosele! I don’t have this information, but we might have a similar discountΒ programΒ at VeeamON next yearΒ :relaxed:

Good one, thank you for your response!

Userlevel 7
Badge +12

Thanks Michael for sharing your experience.

I took my vmce 2021 exam yesterday with a score of 98% Β :)

I have usedΒ @haslundΒ youtube videos from the vmce 2020 exam and downloaded the veeam guides to my ipad. Using my lab and reading the β€œlimitations”, β€œbefore you begin” , β€œchapter overview” and β€œnote boxes” was really helpful to get all the necessary knowledge to be successfull in the exam.

Wow! Great job,Β @Mildur! Contratulations!

Thanks @vNote42Β  :)

Userlevel 6
Badge +2

Congratz @MicoolPaul, is there any learning resource or book or documents perhaps to help us achieving VMCE?

Userlevel 7
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CongratzΒ @MicoolPaul, is there any learning resource or book or documents perhaps to help us achieving VMCE?

Check out @Chris.Childerhose ’s book on mastering Veeam (https://www.packtpub.com/product/mastering-veeam-backup-replication-10/9781838980443)Β and @haslund ’s website for VMCE mock exams (https://rasmushaslund.com/) in addition to the Veeam official study guide etc! 😁 Good luck!

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Β (https://www.packtpub.com/product/mastering-veeam-backup-replication-10/9781838980443)Β andΒ @haslund ’s website for VMCE mock exams (https://rasmushaslund.com/) in addition to the Veeam official study guide etc! 😁 Good luck!

Thank you for the kind referral :) I can also recommend this video:Β 

Β 

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

CongratzΒ @MicoolPaul, is there any learning resource or book or documents perhaps to help us achieving VMCE?

Check outΒ @Chris.Childerhose ’s book on mastering Veeam (https://www.packtpub.com/product/mastering-veeam-backup-replication-10/9781838980443)Β andΒ @haslund ’s website for VMCE mock exams (https://rasmushaslund.com/) in addition to the Veeam official study guide etc! 😁 Good luck!

Thanks for referring my book.  Look forward to v11 update soon as well.  Have to agree @haslund site is one of the best. 😎

Userlevel 7
Badge +13

I can't belive how long I've postponed the VMCE2021 exam, so I'm glad that I can finally put a checkmark behind it.
Like the past exams I see the VMCE2021 still as very fair; most questions require experience and knowledge of certain details. Fortunately there were not many tricky questions and you're not getting asked any useless stuff, which you'll just learn and memorize for the exam.
While it felt like it was more challenging this time, I didn't get any questions where I had no clue at all πŸ˜…
But as always I felt like failing the exam, so at the end I was relieved to see that I had passed 😁

I really like the Veeam exams compared to other vendors. πŸ‘

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Userlevel 7
Badge +12

I can't belive how long I've postponed the VMCE2021 exam, so I'm glad that I can finally put a checkmark behind it.

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@regnor

Congrats :-)

Looking forward to meeting (virtually) you in the architect course next month πŸ‘

Userlevel 7
Badge +13

I can't belive how long I've postponed the VMCE2021 exam, so I'm glad that I can finally put a checkmark behind it.

Β 

@regnor

Congrats :-)

Looking forward to meeting (virtually) you in the architect course next month πŸ‘

I'm counting the days till our training 😁

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

I can't belive how long I've postponed the VMCE2021 exam, so I'm glad that I can finally put a checkmark behind it.
Like the past exams I see the VMCE2021 still as very fair; most questions require experience and knowledge of certain details. Fortunately there were not many tricky questions and you're not getting asked any useless stuff, which you'll just learn and memorize for the exam.
While it felt like it was more challenging this time, I didn't get any questions where I had no clue at all πŸ˜…
But as always I felt like failing the exam, so at the end I was relieved to see that I had passed 😁

I really like the Veeam exams compared to other vendors. πŸ‘

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Congrats on the pass.Β  Hoping to take mine in early December along with the VMCA2022 exam.Β :sunglasses:

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

Congrats on the pass @regnor!

Userlevel 7
Badge +13

I can't belive how long I've postponed the VMCE2021 exam, so I'm glad that I can finally put a checkmark behind it.
Like the past exams I see the VMCE2021 still as very fair; most questions require experience and knowledge of certain details. Fortunately there were not many tricky questions and you're not getting asked any useless stuff, which you'll just learn and memorize for the exam.
While it felt like it was more challenging this time, I didn't get any questions where I had no clue at all πŸ˜…
But as always I felt like failing the exam, so at the end I was relieved to see that I had passed 😁

I really like the Veeam exams compared to other vendors. πŸ‘

Β 

Well done, @regnor! Congratulations!Β 

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

I can't belive how long I've postponed the VMCE2021 exam, so I'm glad that I can finally put a checkmark behind it.
Like the past exams I see the VMCE2021 still as very fair; most questions require experience and knowledge of certain details. Fortunately there were not many tricky questions and you're not getting asked any useless stuff, which you'll just learn and memorize for the exam.
While it felt like it was more challenging this time, I didn't get any questions where I had no clue at all πŸ˜…
But as always I felt like failing the exam, so at the end I was relieved to see that I had passed 😁

I really like the Veeam exams compared to other vendors. πŸ‘

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Congrats @regnorΒ ! In Q1 I will also take the exam, third time VMCE, it’s always a challenge but as you said : the exams cannot be compared to other vendors.

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