Dell is an American-based global company that specializes in designing, developing, manufacturing, and selling PCs. Currently, they also provide a range of technical certifications and educational programs to transform the digital landscape by ensuring more and more individuals are familiar with its products and solutions.

Dell Certification Program Overview

To begin with, the Dell designations can be selected by the desired technology, subject, and career level. The existing technologies include converged infrastructure, data protection, data science, networking, security, servers, storage, and co-skilled & solutions. Currently, the most popular certifications fall under the cloud, networking, and security categories. So, if you elect to go with the cloud series, for example, you will have three major levels of validations to choose from including the Cloud-Associate, Cloud-Specialist, and Cloud-Expert. The networking certification track, on the other hand, features 2 levels including the Networking-Associate and Networking-Specialist. The same applies to the Security certificates and most other paths offered by this vendor.

3 Top Dell Designations

Now that you know the Dell certification overview, let's look at the 3 most valuable exams provided by the official vendor:

1. DEA-5TT1 Associate-Networking Exam

The DEA-5TT1 test covers the installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of the Dell EMC Networking products. In other words, this evaluation addresses the foundational experience of working with networking solutions besides introducing learners to portfolio management. As for the exam nature, it has a duration of 90 minutes and features a total of 60 items. The cut score is 60% and learners can complete the corresponding training course to help boost their chances of success in the actual test. Usually, passing this exam qualifies learners for advanced-level certificates such as the Specialist-Infrastructure Security Version 1.0, Specialist-Implementation Engineer, Campus Networking Version 1.0, and Specialist-Implementation Engineer, Data Center Networking Version 1.0. Lastly, once you pass the DEA-5TT1 exam, you’ll earn the Associate – Networking Version 1.0 validation.

2. DES-1721 Specialist-Implementation Engineer, SC Series Exam

Such a test is intended to validate IT specialists who complete mid-level tasks relating to the deployment and management of storage products for the Dell EMC SC series. It requires success in one of the associate-level exams along this path and brings a total of 60 questions. Usually, this exam has a passing score of 63% with a time limit of 90 minutes. In general, this test focuses on the installation, initialization, configuration, and testing of software and hardware associated with the Dell EMC SC Series storage products. Clearing the DES-1721 evaluation will procure you the Specialist - Implementation Engineer, SC Series Version 1.0 designation.

3. DES-5121: Specialist-Implementation Engineer, Campus Networking

The DES-5121 exam is for anyone looking to acquire an intermediate-level understanding of the installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of products available in the Dell EMC Campus Networking. The emphasis is on the DNOS6-centered features, protocols, and the concepts available in Campus networking environments. Generally speaking, such a test requires knowledge of switches & Dell EMC Networking N-Series and will present a total of 60 items that must be completed in 90 minutes. The passing score is 63% and students can advance even further by obtaining the Specialist-Implementation Engineer, Data Center Networking certificate after completing this exam. Finally, acing the Dell DES-5121 will earn you the Specialist – Implementation Engineer, Campus Networking Version 1.0 designation.

Your Job Opportunities

Most of the Dell certifications are associated with engineering and administrative roles including the following:

• Data Security Engineer

  A data security engineer works diligently to secure the organization’s technology systems in real-time. S/he also plans and performs a range of security operations to ensure the working systems remain intact and free from possible breaches. Besides, a data security engineer must understand how to secure sensitive data and information from possible infiltration or attacks by outside forces whether he/she is working individually or as part of a general IT staff. To easily dispense their duties, a data security engineer will also develop plans to optimize security, adopt security measures, test and retest systems to detect vulnerabilities, monitor systems for possible breaches, and investigate breaches when they occur. If this is your dream job, be sure to obtain advanced skills to help you earn at least $96,962 per year, which is the mean annual salary according to PayScale.com.

• System Administrator

  A systems administrator has everything it takes to ensure the smooth running of IT operations within the organizations they serve. Depending on the company goals, a systems administrator may quickly turn into a jack of all trades, with important roles covering the installation and upgrading of hardware & software, the performance of data backup and recovery, and the maintenance of critical components such as business applications, LANs, WANs, PCs, security tools, emails, and web servers. What's more, a successful systems administrator understands the importance of staying abreast of modern IT trends and will do everything to keep their skills as updated as they can. This explains the significance of continued learning through certification training such as the Dell designations. As a result, according to PayScale.com, systems administrators are normally rewarded with an average pay of $62,983 per annum.

• Network Implementation Engineer

  In short, network implementation engineers understand the configuration, installation, and support of network systems. Besides, their experience and skill level are essential when handling complex issues in network systems. This implies they should understand what’s involved in supervising a technical team, troubleshooting technical issues, and implementing hardware, software, and network solutions. So, if you are interested in this role, you should not only understand the management of domain registrations but also master the configuration of VPN connections, IP VRF configuration, mapping out of the available network changes, and testing of ISDN, satellite connections, and MPLS. That being said, a typical network implementation engineer earns an average of $75,416 yearly according to PayScale.com.

Certification Path

Within the Dell professional certification program, you will find different career levels for every technology. Usually, it begins from the associate level to specialist and expert. This makes it easier for a continuing candidate to match the learning path to short-term or long-term goals. For example, if you elect to go with the Cloud track, you will start with the Associate – Cloud Infrastructure and Services Version 3.0 and the Associate – Information Storage and Management Version 4.0 certificates. Then, you will opt for the Specialist - Cloud Architect, Cloud Infrastructure Version 3.0 designation, and lastly, finalize this certification track with the advanced-tier Expert - Cloud Architect, Cloud Services validation.