Is the VMCE v12 exam still available?
No. Veeam's University PRO page states the VMCE exam was retired on March 31, 2026, and the certification FAQ states that the VMCA and VMCE certifications are retired - neither exam can be scheduled anymore, online or at a test center. The current engineer-level credential is the VMCE+ v13, aligned to Veeam Data Platform 13, with its own published exam specification dated May 2026. The current family has two credentials: the operations-focused VMCE+ and the security-focused VMCSE, which Veeam's training pages still mark as coming soon.
What Actually Changed: Old Format vs New Format
The retired VMCE was a 60-question, 75-minute exam in which only 50 of the questions were scored - ten were unscored pilot items - with a passing score of 720 on the 300-900 scale and a 15-minute extension for non-native English speakers. Its scope was mostly Veeam Backup & Replication with light Veeam ONE coverage.
The VMCE+ v13 rebuilds every one of those numbers. The sitting is 100 questions in 150 minutes, and Veeam states there are no unscored items - every question counts. The extension for candidates whose local language is not English doubled to 30 minutes. The passing score moved from 720 to 724 on the same 300-900 scale, set this time with pilot data and Angoff and Hofstee standard-setting. The scope now spans three products: Backup & Replication, Veeam ONE, and Veeam Recovery Orchestrator, with 23% of the published blueprint sitting in the analytics and orchestration domains.
Delivery widened in practice as well: the exam specification states the VMCE+ runs at a Pearson test center or online via home.pearsonvue.com, and Pearson maintains a dedicated Veeam OnVUE page for the at-home route.
| Attribute | VMCE v12 (retired) | VMCE+ v13 (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 60 (50 scored + 10 unscored pilot) | 100 - every item scored |
| Time limit | 75 minutes | 150 minutes |
| Non-local-English extension | 15 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Passing score | 720 of 900 | 724 of 900 |
| Product scope | Mostly Backup & Replication | Backup & Replication + Veeam ONE + Recovery Orchestrator |
| Prerequisite | One course | Three courses (55+ hours self-paced) |
| Status | Retired March 31, 2026 | Live and bookable |
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
If You Already Hold a VMCE or VMCA
Your credential does not lapse. Veeam's exam specification states Veeam credentials do not expire, and that rule covers the retired certifications - retirement ends new bookings, not existing holders. Veeam's certification page confirms that VMCA and VMCE certified professionals can download their certification and badge directly from their Credly profile.
The harder question is currency. A VMCE v12 badge proves the old one-product scope; the VMCE+ exists because Veeam wanted the credential to cover monitoring, analytics, and orchestration too. Veeam's exam guide lists the three courses as mandatory prerequisites for the VMCE+ with no legacy-holder waiver stated on the pages retrieved - so plan for the bundle, and if your situation is unusual, the certification page points you to [email protected] for registration questions. Veeam ProPartners should separately check compliance-refresh requirements with their Veeam representative.
Why Veeam Rebuilt the Credential
Veeam frames the new program as a standard-raising move: the certification page describes proctored VMCE+ and VMCSE exams that validate real-world skills in enterprise data protection and compliance readiness. The exam specification's purpose statement backs that up - the VMCE+ assesses whether you can combine solutions across Veeam products, not just repeat course content, and it warns that training completion alone is not the bar.
The blueprint shows the intent concretely. Data Protection and Maintenance still leads at 26%, but Analytics, Monitoring, and Observability (13%) and Orchestration and Disaster Recovery (10%) now carry nearly a quarter of the exam between them. The credential moved from 'can you run backups' to 'can you run, watch, and orchestrate recovery' - which is why the retired exam's question banks are the wrong preparation for the current one.
The Bottom Line
The legacy VMCE and VMCA are retired, the VMCE+ v13 is the current engineer-level exam, and existing credentials remain valid for life. If you were mid-preparation on v12 material, reset against the current specification: 100 scored questions, 150 minutes, 724 to pass, three courses, three products.
If you want the current sitting handled end to end, Exam Assist handles the exam sitting end to end, and the service fee is due only after the agreed result posts. Start with the take my VMCE+ exam page.