April 2025 — In a significant development for IT professionals, Nutanix has officially launched its comprehensively updated Nutanix Certified Associate (NCA) v6.10 certification exam. This new certification milestone replaces the previous NCA v6.5 (NCA-6.5), which has now been retired from the certification program. The transition marks a substantial evolution in Nutanix's certification landscape, as the company continues its commitment to maintaining certification standards that accurately reflect the latest platform innovations and technological developments. IT professionals should note that registration for the NCA-6.5 exam is no longer available, signaling an important shift in the certification pathway.

The newly introduced NCA-6.10 certification has been meticulously designed to provide a thorough validation of both foundational knowledge and practical operational capabilities within Nutanix environments. This comprehensive certification verifies that professionals possess the essential skills to effectively utilize the Prism UI, demonstrating proficiency in extracting valuable insights from the interface while successfully performing a wide range of fundamental operational tasks. The certification ensures that practitioners can confidently navigate and manage Nutanix systems with expertise and precision.

Ideal for those with 6 to 12 months of general IT infrastructure experience and 3 to 6 months of hands-on experience with Nutanix virtualization technology, the NCA-6.10 exam targets:

- Systems Administrators

- Junior Engineers

- IT Operators

Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to perform life cycle management of VMs and clusters, manage alerts and events, and monitor system performance through the Prism interface. Most candidates are also expected to have completed the Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Fundamentals (NHCF) training.

The NCA-6.10 exam focuses on four major domains:

1.1 Configure interface

1.2 Configure zones

1.3 Configure high availability (HA)

1.4 Configure routing

1.5 Configure GlobalProtect

1.6 Configure tunnels

2.1 Implement authentication roles, profiles, and sequences

2.2 Configure virtual systems (VSYS)

2.3 Configure logging

2.4 Implement PAN-OS software updates

2.5 Configure certificates

2.6 Configure on-premises and Cloud Identity Engine User-ID

2.7 Configure web proxy on PAN-OS

3.1 Install the selected deployment option

3.2 Use APIs to automate deployment

3.3 Manage third-party services to deploy NGFWs (e.g., Kubernetes, hypervisors, CSPs, Terraform, Ansible)

3.4 Use on-premises centralized management

3.5 Build Application Command Center (ACC) dashboards and custom reports

Achieving the NCA-6.10 credential opens the door to several exclusive benefits:

- Official NCA logo usage rights

- Digital badge via Credly to showcase on social platforms and resumes

- Access to the Nutanix Certification Store

- Special discounts on Nutanix events

- Early access to educational programs and resources

Feature	NCA-6.5	NCA-6.10
Based on AOS	6.5	6.10
UI Coverage	Older Prism UI	Latest Prism UI
Lifecycle Focus	Basic	Enhanced with LCM monitoring
Cluster Health	Less emphasized	Strong emphasis
Training Course	Enterprise Cloud Admin	Hybrid Cloud Fundamentals
Badge & Benefits	Standard	Updated digital badge, certification store access
Exam Availability	Retired	Active

- NCA-6.5: Based on Nutanix AOS version 6.5

- NCA-6.10: Updated for Nutanix AOS version 6.10, reflecting the latest enhancements and UI changes in Prism and Nutanix features

Why it matters: Staying current with the latest AOS ensures that certified professionals are equipped with up-to-date knowledge on system behavior, UI, and feature capabilities.

While both exams focus on foundational knowledge, NCA-6.10 includes more refined and restructured objectives to better reflect real-world operational tasks:

- Updated Lifecycle Management focus with emphasis on monitoring LCM software and firmware upgrades

- More detailed expectations around environmental health checks, alerts, and support ticket management

- Refined objectives around storage optimization and basic AHV networking

- Introduction of Nutanix product use cases

- Older terminology or task flows in Prism UI

- Limited coverage of newer Nutanix capabilities and updated best practices

- Less focus on the full lifecycle and operational monitoring aspects

Both versions are meant for early-career professionals, but:

- NCA-6.10 expects familiarity with newer features and interfaces introduced in recent Nutanix releases

- It places a bit more emphasis on hands-on experience with LCM tasks, health analysis, and cluster configuration

- NCA-6.5: Was commonly paired with the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Administration (ECA) course

- NCA-6.10: Now aligns with the updated Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Fundamentals (NHCF) course

While both provide recognition and digital credentials, NCA-6.10 comes with:

- Updated Credly digital badge

- Access to new Nutanix Certification Store

- Improved tracking of educational engagement with Nutanix's platform

With the release of the Nutanix Certified Associate (NCA) v6.10, Nutanix continues its commitment to keeping certifications aligned with the latest technology and industry standards. Replacing the older NCA-6.5, the new NCA-6.10 exam not only reflects updates in AOS and Prism UI but also places greater emphasis on real-world operational skills such as lifecycle management, system health monitoring, and basic cluster administration.

For IT professionals looking to validate their foundational knowledge of Nutanix technologies, the NCA-6.10 offers an up-to-date, practical certification pathway. Whether you're starting your journey in enterprise IT or looking to solidify your role as a Nutanix systems administrator or operator, this certification is a smart investment in your technical future.