Hello Spring! Nice to meet you. It’s not a secret that spring is the best time for changes and upgrades. The IT world also falls under the spring “perestroika” (changeover). The globally recognized IT vendors withdraw or replace old certificates and exams, and launch new ones. These changes are always good because they test, confirm, improve, and broaden the knowledge and skills of current or future IT professionals.

Today, in this article you will know about updates related to the global organization EXIN, its retiring certifications and exams. Let’s start.

Some Words about EXIN

EXIN is a world independent certificate institute for ICT professionals. It never stands still, the institution permanently innovates via developing exams to improve its portfolio and widen the scope of the proposed tests. The main goal of EXIN is to provide digital transformation of organizations and professionals by evolving and testing digital competencies. It is committed to becoming a leader in digital transformation. And this institute has every reason to achieve it. After all, EXIN is 30 years of experience, about 2 million ICT professionals, 1000 accredited partners. The good reason to be a reliable and leading authority in the ICT market.

The most significant EXIN credentials are PRINCE2®, ITIL®, and ISPL. Nowadays, the institute focuses on responding to market trends with certifications, such as Information Security, Agile Scrum, DevOps, and SIAM.

Retiring Examinations

EXIN made a spring-cleaning thereby the following 6 certification exams will be no longer available, and won’t meet spring:

1. ITIL-Foundation offers a general understanding of the candidate for core terminology, concepts, and elements used in the ITIL® service life cycle, including links between used processes, life cycle stages, and their contribution to service management practices.
2. MOPF verifies that the individual has sufficient understanding and knowledge to work as an informed member of the Portfolio Office or in a number of portfolio management roles.
3. MORF confirms that the candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding to help identify, assess and control risks in any organizational perspective.
4. MOVF verifies the individual’s knowledge and expertise in making an efficient contribution to MoV activities led by other.
5. MSPF is the first step to become a registered practitioner. It provides the candidate with information about the knowledge in program management.
6. PR2F measures the applicant’s ability to operate as an informed member of a project management team using the PRINCE2 technique in a project environment that supports PRINCE2.

EXIN Guarantees

Today, companies want to obtain generalized knowledge in related fields. By studying different areas in their general context, ICT professionals obtain a better understanding of their relationship. To meet the growing demand for experts, EXIN has developed the Certified Integrator: an integrated approach to business practices, new technological developments, and IT methodologies. When you receive three Foundation credentials, you will attain the EXIN Certified Integrator certification automatically and for free.

EXIN guarantees:

• EXIN Certified Integrator certificate
• EXIN Certified Integrator Secure Cloud Services certificate = Service Management + Cloud Computing + Information Security (you will receive it, in case you have EXIN Information Security Foundation, EXIN Cloud Computing Foundation and EXIN IT Service Management Foundation or ITIL Foundation)

Don’t forget about a thorough exam preparation, as it is the best way to earn one of the significant EXIN certifications. As usual, ExamCollection will provide you with all necessary information related to these examinations.

Well, well, well, our article is again devoted to the exam retirement. This time on the bench is the Selling Business Outcomes (810-403) exam. This certification test will be available only until December 29, 2017. Thus, to prepare for the exam and earn the Cisco Business Value Analyst Specialist or Cisco Business Value Specialist certifications, you should have a fundamental preparatory base. After all, for 90 minutes of the exam, you’ll have to show your knowledge and skills related to selling technology services and solutions with a business outcome focus. Candidates can prepare for the 810-403 test by taking the Selling Business Outcomes course or visiting ExamCollection database with Cisco braindumps. To make your exam preparation more effective, we provide you with the detailed exam topics.

End 2017 as a Cisco certified specialist!

EMC Proven Professional certification program is one of the most prestigious and well-recognized in IT world. Getting certified will let you prove your up-to-dated skills, put you in the superior position compare to other professionals, and increase your earning potential.

So if you want to become EMC certified specialist due to the E20-370 and E20-670 exams, you should hurry up. On January 3, 2018, these two certification tests will retire.

Both retiring exams include about 60 questions and last 90 minutes. Let’s have a closer look on each of the exams:

= Content Addressed Storage (CAS) Specialist Exam for Implementation Engineers =

This exam focuses on the CAS family products and implementation tasks required to integrate Centera in heterogeneous open systems environments. The exam topics include CAS concepts, Centera Architecture, Tools and Universal Access (CUA) as well as Centera Operations such as API, Naming Schemes, Pools and Profiles, Compliance, Advanced Retention Management, Replication and Restore.

The E20-370 exam is associated with the Implementation Engineer, Content Addresses Storage (CAS) Specialist (EMCIE) certification. To complete the requirements for this cert, it’s necessary to attain one of the following Associate level certifications:

• Information Storage Associate (EMCISA)
• Information Storage Associate Version 2 (EMCISA)
• Information Storage Associate Version 3 (EMCISA)

= Centera Specialist Exam for Platform Engineers =

This exam focuses on concepts of content addressed storage and the EMC Centera product line. The test also verifies the candidate’s ability to perform installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting in a CAS environment. It requires that a future specialist can formulate features and functions of various hardware models, understand architecture and theory of operations, and demonstrate management and administrative capabilities using native tools and EMC software applications.

The exam topics include Centera Fundamentals, Centera Installation & Maintenance and Centera Universal Access (CUA).

The E20-670 exam is associated with the Platform Engineer, EMC Centera Specialist (EMCPE) certification. To complete the requirements for this cert, it’s necessary to attain one of the following Associate level certifications:

• Information Storage Associate (EMCISA)
• Information Storage Associate Version 2 (EMCISA)
• Information Storage Associate Version 3 (EMCISA)

Dell EMC and ExamCollection provide free practice tests to assess your knowledge in preparation for these exams. These practice tests include the topics and question types you will find on the real exam.

EMC E20 – 370 & ExamCollection E20 – 370

EMC E20 – 670 & ExamCollection E20 – 670

Make the best New Year gift for yourself – become an EMC Certified Specialist!

The Data Protection Advisor 6.x (E22-247) exam associated with the Data Protection Advisor 6.x certification, will retire on November 16, 2017.

This exam focuses on the implementation and management of Data Protection Advisor including the installation of DPA components, user credential management, configuration of backup components, remote data collection configuration and generating and interpreting reports. The Data Protection Advisor 6.x test also covers how to build custom reports using DPA and external sources, use of operators and Smart Groups.

The E22-247 exam is a 90-minutes test with 60 question assessment.

Exam topics include:

• Data Protection Advisor Overview
• Data Protection Advisor Installation – Configuration and Administration
• Data Protection Advisor Management
• Data Protection Advisor – Advanced Administration and Troubleshooting
• Data Protection Advisor – Advanced Custom Reporting

Preparation options:

• Practice test
• ExamCollection free EMC exam preparation materials

N.B. Data Protection Advisor 6.x credential once achieved, will not expire.

The Applying Cisco Specialized Business Value Analysis Skills (BTASBVA) exam (820-424) is rather popular among IT specialists. It tests a candidate’s knowledge and basic skills to successfully execute solutions- and outcome-based selling. And, on December 29, 2017, this exam will be no longer available. All those who would like to become Cisco certified specialist via the 820-424 exam, you still have a chance to fulfill your desire.

The 820-424 exam is a 90-minute test with 65–75 question assessment associated with the Cisco Business Value Specialist certification.

The exam covers the following topics:

• Business Outcomes Selling Concepts
• Business Context and Requirements
• Customer Requirements and Desired Outcomes
• Outcomes and Solution Recommendations
• Business Case
• Implementation Roadmap
• Realizing Business Value

Candidates can prepare for this exam by taking the Applying Cisco Specialized Business Value Analysis Skills course (BTASBVA), version 3 or later. You can also join our IT community for free Cisco exam preparation materials.

Don’t forget to include the 820-424 exam in to-do-list before the end of this year!

December, 31 will become not only the last day of the year but also the farewell tour for several Microsoft exams. Thereby, the following certification tests won’t meet the New Year 2018

1. Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud
2. Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud
3. Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions
4. Managing Programs and Projects with Project Server 2013

Our overview will help you learn the peculiar features of these retiring tests as well as prepare for it. A good exam preparation is a half the battle. We hope our article will help you win the struggle. Let’s start!

The Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud (70-246) exam measures an individual’s ability to configure data center process automation, deploy resource monitoring, monitor resources, configure and maintain service management and manage configuration and protection.

Candidates for this exam should have basic Microsoft SQL Server, Windows PowerShell knowledge, Windows Server, System Center 2012, security, high-availability, fault tolerance, and networking experience in an enterprise environment.

The 70-246 exam is associated with the MCP, MCSE certifications.

Preparation options:

• Instructor-led training: 20246D: Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud
• Video: Microsoft Certification PREP Talk: Exam 246
• Book: Exam Ref 70-246: Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud
• ExamCollection Practice Test
• Practice test

The Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud (70-247) exam measures an individual’s ability to design and deploy System Center, configure System Center infrastructure, System Center integration, the fabric, configure and deploy virtual machines and services.

Candidates for this exam should have basic Microsoft SQL Server, Windows PowerShell knowledge, Windows Server, System Center 2012, security, high-availability, fault tolerance, and networking experience in an enterprise environment.

The 70-247 exam is associated with the MCP, MCSE certifications.

Preparation options:

• Instructor-led training: 20247D: Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud
• Video: Microsoft Certification PREP Talk: Exam 247
• Book: Exam Ref 70-247: Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud
• ExamCollection Practice Test
• Practice test

The Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions (70-534) exam measures an individual’s ability to design Azure Resource Manager networking, an application storage and data access strategy, Azure Web and Mobile Apps, a management, monitoring, and business continuity strategy, secure resources, and architect an Azure Compute infrastructure.

Candidates for this exam should know the features and capabilities of Azure services to be able to identify tradeoffs and make decisions for designing public and hybrid cloud solutions.

The 70-534 exam is associated with the MCP, MCSA, MCSE and MCSD certifications.

Preparation options:

• Instructor-led training: 40442: MOC Workshop: Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions
• Online training
• ExamCollection Practice Test
• Practice test

IMPORTANT: The 70-534 exam will be replaced with a new exam (proposed exam number 535) that covers the new (but related) objective domain. This new exam will be available on November 30, 2017.

The Managing Programs and Projects with Project Server 2013 (74-344) exam measures an individual’s ability to create enterprise projects and portfolios, plan enterprise projects and resources, track and collaborate on an enterprise project, and manage configurable enterprise objects.

Candidates for this exam should have a solid understanding of key project management concepts and terminology, extensive hands-on experience using Microsoft Project Professional 2013 and Project Web App 2013, including managing enterprise custom fields, views, and portfolio objects.

The 74-344 exam is associated with the MCP certification.

Preparation options:

• ExamCollection Practice Test

Make yourself the best New Year gift – become a Microsoft Certified Specialist with these certification exams!

Today we would like to overview two IBM certifications from the list above.

IBM Certified Solution Advisor – Security Systems Identity and Access Assurance

 This IBM certification identifies opportunities and influences direction for IBM security solutions within the customer environment.

Candidates should have the knowledge of IT security and compliance services, IT process model, IT security and compliance standards, IBM Pricing Model, networking environments and operating systems. Individuals who want to earn this cert, should be able to apply security and compliance concepts and standards to a customer’s IT infrastructure; assess IT process maturity; describe business/technical advantages of IBM Security Identity and Access Assurance solutions; supply a transition document to interested parties, understand the customer’s business needs for identity and access management.

The IBM Certified Solution Advisor – Security Systems Identity and Access Assurance certification requires 1 exam – Fundamentals of Applying IBM Security Systems Identity and Access Assurance (C2150-201). This exam consists of 64 questions and lasts 105 minutes.

The test consists of 5 sections:

1. Design
2. Develop
3. Discovery
4. Planning
5. Transition

As for exam preparation, visit ExamCollection website for a real exam practice test, which is verified by the community of former exam takers including certified professionals.

IBM Certified Solution Advisor – Security Dynamic and Static Applications V2

This entry level certification is for solution advisors that are able to identify opportunities and influence direction across the AppScan portfolio, respond to RFPs & RFQs, and understand licensing and pricing.

These solution advisors understand application security and competitive analysis, have knowledge of the broader IBM Security portfolio and the software development cycle, and understand mobility security, business drivers and licensing.

Candidates should have the static and dynamic analysis skills, comfortable discussing technical concepts with developers and comfortable discussing business and financial concepts with managers and executives.

To attain the IBM Certified Solution Advisor – Security Dynamic and Static Applications V2 certification, candidates must pass the IBM Security Dynamic and Static Applications V2 Fundamentals (C2150-500) exam. This test is a 2-hour long exam with 57 multiple-choice questions in English, French, Portuguese (Brazil), Latin American Spanish.

The exam consists of 8 sections including Application Security, Competitive Analysis, IBM Security Portfolio, Software Development Lifecycle, AppScan Product Knowledge, Mobile Security, Business Drivers, Licensing.

Preparation options:

• Sample Test
• Practice Test
• Self-Study Approach: Web Reference: IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Quarterly – 4Q 2014 & Presentation: IBM Security Services – Securing the Web Presence

Earn your IBM certification, while it’s available!

December 31, 2017 – the last day of the year. The time of New Year’s Eve, presents and miracles. They say that people should say goodbye to old things, thoughts and grievances… Evidently, the IT company VMware adheres to this superstition. After all, on December, 31 the company will retire the whole list of old exams and related certifications. The main reason for such a great withdrawal is the release of the new VCA-DBT certification.

VMware is retiring the following VMware Certified Associate 6 certifications and exams:

1. VMware Certified Associate 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCA6-DCV) – 1V0-621 exam
2. VMware Certified Associate 6 – Network Virtualization (VCA6-NV) – 1V0-642 exam
3. VMware Certified Associate 6 – Desktop and Mobility (VCA6-DTM) – 1V0-605 exam
4. VMware Certified Associate 6 – Cloud Management and Automation (VCA6-CMA) – 1V0-603 exam

After December 31, these exams will no longer be available, and the certification will no longer be awarded. But there is enough time to earn one of these retiring certs.

VMware Certified Associate 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCA6-DCV)

Gain greater credibility when discussing data center virtualization, the business challenges that vSphere is designed to address, and how virtualizing the data center with vSphere addresses those challenges.

1V0-621

This exam tests candidates on their skills and abilities identifying technical requirements for managing a VMware vSphere 6 environment. It consists of 50 single and multiple choice, non-proctored, online questions and lasts 75 minutes.

Preparation options: Data Center Virtualization Fundamentals [V6]; VCA6-DCV (1V0-621) Practice Exam; ExamCollection Practice Exam.

VMware Certified Associate 6 – Network Virtualization (VCA6-NV) 

Gain greater credibility when discussing network virtualization, the business challenges VMware NSX and related networking technologies are designed to address, and how virtualizing the network with NSX addresses those challenges.

1V0-642

This exam tests candidates on their skills and abilities identifying technical requirements for managing a VMware NSX 6.2 environment. It consists of 50 single and multiple choice, non-proctored, online questions and lasts 75 minutes.

Preparation options: VMware Network Virtualization Fundamentals 2016;  VCA6-NV (1V0-642) 6.2 Practice Exam; ExamCollection Practice Exam.

VMware Certified Associate 6 – Desktop and Mobility (VCA6-DTM)

Gain greater credibility when discussing desktop virtualization, the business challenges that Horizon with View and related desktop technologies are designed to address, and how virtualizing desktops and mobile devices with View addresses those challenges.

1V0-605

This exam tests your skills and abilities identifying the technical requirements for desktop virtualization. It consists of 50 single and multiple choice, non-proctored, online questions and lasts 75 minutes.

Preparation options: VMware Workforce Mobility Fundamentals; VCA6-DTM (1V0-605) Practice Exam; ExamCollection Practice Exam.

VMware Certified Associate 6 – Cloud Management and Automation (VCA6-CMA)

Gain greater credibility when discussing cloud computing, the business challenges the vCloud Suite is designed to address, and how deploying VMware Cloud solutions address those challenges.

1V0-603

This exam tests your skills and abilities identifying the technical requirements for cloud management and automation. It consists of 50 single and multiple choice, non-proctored, online questions and lasts 75 minutes.

Preparation options:  VMware Cloud Fundamentals; VCA6-CMA (1V0-603) Practice Exam; ExamCollection Practice Exam.

They say, when you get rid of something old, then something new comes. Well, we are waiting for the whole list of new VMware certifications and exams on January 2018.

Effective October 1, 2017, the JN0-347 and JN0-647 exams will remain live and will become the only exams associated with the Enterprise Routing and Switching, Specialist (JNCIS-ENT) and Enterprise Routing and Switching, Professional (JNCIP-ENT) certifications respectively.

As for exam preparation, another useful JN0-347 and JN0-647 preparation options will be real exam practice tests from ExamCollection website, which can be downloaded for FREE and are verified by the community of certified professionals.

NOTE: The last date available to take these exams is September 30, 2017.

As you can see from the title of the article, today we will discuss the next retirement of IBM exams. The C2090-625 and C2090-642 tests will be withdrawn on September 30, 2017.  These exams end their activity in order to give way to new and promising ones. But while C2090-625 and C2090-642 are still available, we want to give you an overview and preparation options concerning these two certification exams.

C2090-625: IBM Cognos 10 BI Data Warehouse Developer

Overview

The IBM Cognos 10 BI Data Warehouse Developer exam covers key concepts, technologies, and functionality of the Cognos products.

• Number of questions: 84
• Duration: 90
• Passing score: 78%
• Language: English

Related Certifications

• IBM Certified Developer – Cognos 10 BI Data Warehouses
• IBM Certified Advanced Developer – Risk Information Governance for BI
• IBM Certified Solution Expert – Cognos BI

Objectives

• Data Manager and Data Warehousing
• Catalogs and Data Source Connections
• Dimensions and Basic Hierarchies
• Basic Dimension Builds and Fact Builds
• Derivations and Derived Dimensions
• Conformed Dimensions
• Hierarchies and Lookups
• Dimensional History and Late Arriving Data
• Data Delivery and Data Processing
• User-Defined Functions (UDFs) and Variables
• Troubleshooting and Tuning

Test Preparation

1. classroom course: IBM Cognos Data Manager: Build Data Marts with Enterprise Data (V10.2)
2. self-paced virtual classroom: IBM Cognos Data Manager: Build Data Marts with Enterprise Data (V10.2) SPVC
3. product documentation
4. sample test for Test C2090-625
5. ExamCollection practice test

C2090-642: IBM Cognos 10 BI Scorecard Developer

Overview

The IBM Cognos 10 BI Scorecard Developer exam covers key concepts, technologies, and functionality of the Cognos products.

• Number of questions: 75
• Duration: 90
• Passing score: 66%
• Language: English

Related Certifications

• IBM Certified Developer – Cognos 10 BI Scorecards
• IBM Certified Advanced Developer – Risk Information Governance for BI
• IBM Certified Solution Expert – Cognos BI

Objectives

• Plan the Scorecard Application
• Monitor Performance with Metrics
• Define the Application Environment
• Load Data into the Scorecard Application
• Load Data Using IBM Cognos Metric Designer
• Load Data Using Flat Files and SQL Server Scripts
• Refine the Scorecard Application
• Secure the Scorecard Application
• Maintain the Scorecard Application

Test Preparation

1. product documentation (Metric Studio User Guide; Metric Designer User Guide; IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Installation and Configuration Guide 10.1.0; IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Administration and Security Guide 10.1.0)
2. sample test for Test C2090-642
3. ExamCollection practice test

We hope our article will help you to pass these retiring exams.