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Exam Information
Official specifications published by Nutanix
Exam Format
90 min
50-60
3000
Associate
Registration
$99 USD
Pearson VUE or online proctoring
English, Japanese
Validity
2 years
Pass the current version of NCA exam; Pass any Professional level Nutanix certification exam; Complete continuing education requirements
NCA Exam Topics and Domains
NCA is organized into 4 weighted domains. Expect to work with AOS, Prism Central, Prism Element, AHV, and more.
1
Describe Lifecycle Management
15%
Describe Life Cycle Manager (LCM)
LCM Overview and ArchitectureSoftware and Firmware Updates
- Understand LCM architecture and components
- Identify prerequisites for upgrades
- Describe the upgrade process flow
Monitor LCM software and firmware upgrades
Upgrade Progress Monitoring
- Monitor upgrade progress through Prism
- Identify and troubleshoot upgrade issues
- Understand rollback procedures
2
Describe Nutanix Basic Administration
25%
Describe how to perform basic VM tasks
VM Creation and ConfigurationVM Lifecycle ManagementVM Storage Management
- Create and configure virtual machines
- Manage VM lifecycle operations
- Configure VM storage and networking
Identify cluster-level settings
Cluster ConfigurationStorage Settings
- Configure cluster-level settings
- Manage storage configuration
- Understand cluster networking
Determine cluster license level
License Management
- Understand license levels and features
- Apply and manage licenses
- Monitor license compliance
3
Maintain the Environmental Health of a Nutanix cluster environment
35%
Perform and interpret a health check
Health Check ExecutionPerformance Monitoring
- Execute and interpret health checks
- Monitor system performance
- Identify potential issues proactively
Administer alerts, events and policies
Alert ManagementEvent AnalysisPolicy Configuration
- Configure and manage alerts
- Analyze system events
- Create and manage policies
Create a support ticket
Support Portal NavigationPulse Integration
- Navigate support portal effectively
- Create and manage support cases
- Configure Pulse for proactive support
4
Describe Cluster Configuration Options
25%
Determine and describe redundancy/replication factors
Redundancy Factor (RF)Data Protection Methods
- Understand redundancy factors
- Configure data protection
- Plan for failure scenarios
Identify storage components
Storage ArchitectureStorage Containers and Pools
- Understand storage architecture
- Configure storage components
- Manage storage capacity
Identify storage optimization
Compression and DeduplicationErasure Coding
- Configure storage optimization features
- Calculate space savings
- Choose appropriate optimization methods
Identify the supported hypervisors
Hypervisor OptionsAHV Architecture
- Compare hypervisor options
- Understand AHV architecture
- Plan hypervisor deployment
Identify basic AHV networking
Virtual NetworksPhysical Network Configuration
- Configure AHV networking
- Manage virtual networks
- Configure physical uplinks
Determine use cases for Nutanix products and services
Nutanix Cloud Platform ProductsCloud Integration
- Match products to use cases
- Understand cloud integration options
- Plan solution deployment
How do I earn this certification?
Passing NCA earns the Nutanix Certified Associate certification. It sits in the Multicloud Infrastructure track.
Next Level Options
- NCP-MCI-6.10 - Nutanix Certified Professional - Multicloud Infrastructure
- NCP-DB-6.5 - Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation
- NCS-Core - Nutanix Certified Specialist - Core
Alternative Paths
- NCP-US - Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage Specialize in Nutanix Files and Objects storage solutions
- NCP-EUC - Nutanix Certified Professional - End User Computing Focus on VDI and desktop virtualization
- NCS-Core - Nutanix Certified Specialist - Core Deep dive into core Nutanix platform capabilities
Practice with Precision
The PlanetCert Simulator mirrors the real exam environment with authentic questions and timed pressure.
How to study for this exam?
The most effective way to prepare for NCA is by using the PlanetCert Simulator to practice questions and review detailed explanations.
What's changed on this exam?
Current Status
- ACTIVE
- Last content update: 2024-12-10
- Announcement date: 2024-11-15
Updates
- Prism Central pc2024.2 Updated UI and new features included in NCA 6.10 • Release date: 2024-11-01
- Life Cycle Manager 2.8 New dark site capabilities and improved inventory management • Release date: 2024-10-15
- AHV 20240301 Enhanced networking features and GPU support • Release date: 2024-10-01
Who should take this exam?
This exam is typically taken by Systems Administrators and Junior Engineers.
- 6-12 months of holistic IT infrastructure experience
- 3-6 months of Nutanix virtualization experience
- Completion of Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Fundamentals (NHCF) course
- Experience with systems administration or IT operations