NCP Practice Test

The NCP, Certified Nutanix Professional, is taken by people who work with Nutanix infrastructure and want a credential for it. There are no prerequisites, but about 1+ years of IT infrastructure experience is recommended. This page gives you the exam facts from Nutanix, free practice sets split by topic, three worked questions, a study plan and answers to common questions.

NCP Exam at a Glance

What the NCP is and how it works

According to Nutanix, Inc. (Nutanix University / Nutanix Education); exams delivered by PSI Services, “The NCP-MCI 7.5 exam consists of 75 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions.”^[1]

The NCP is the professional-level certification from Nutanix, Inc., run through Nutanix University and Nutanix Education. There are no prerequisites. Nutanix describes successful candidates as having about 1+ years of holistic IT infrastructure experience plus equivalent Nutanix experience.

Exams are delivered by PSI Services, either online with remote proctoring or in person at PSI test centers. Book at least 24 hours ahead. You can cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before the start time.

The fee is $200 USD per attempt. The exam has 75 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions and a time limit of 120 minutes. Scores are scaled from 1000 to 6000, and the passing score is 3000.

A passed certification stays valid for 3 years. To maintain it, you can renew it, pass another NCP-level exam, or pass the NCM-MCI exam.

These figures come from the Nutanix datasheet for the NCP-MCI exam. Other Nutanix tracks can differ in fee, length or content, and Nutanix can change its rules, so check the official exam page for your track before you book. We do not have a verified list of the official content areas, so the practice sets below follow our own topic split and are not a copy of the official outline.

Worked examples: how to reason through NCP questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: Which feature helps clone VMs quickly?

1. Snapshot
2. VM Cloning
3. Migration
4. Replication

Answer: B. VM Cloning

Explanation:

The correct answer is VM Cloning. Cloning creates a new, independent virtual machine from an existing one, which is exactly what the question asks for. In Nutanix this is quick because the distributed file system can use redirect-on-write, so it does not have to copy every data block up front.

A snapshot is wrong because it records the state of one VM at a point in time; it protects that VM but does not produce a new machine by itself. Migration is wrong because it moves a VM to another host and leaves you with the same single VM. Replication is wrong because it copies data to another location for protection or recovery, not to deploy more identical VMs.

Rule to remember: match the verb in the question to the feature. Duplicate a VM means clone, protect a state means snapshot, move means migrate, and copy elsewhere for recovery means replicate.

Example 2

Question: What is the PROPER procedure for decommissioning outdated equipment in Certified Nutanix Professional?

1. Simply discard in regular waste
2. Follow established protocols for safe decommissioning, data clearing, and proper disposal
3. Store indefinitely in case it's needed
4. Donate without preparation

Answer: B. Follow established protocols for safe decommissioning, data clearing, and proper disposal

Explanation:

The correct answer is to follow established protocols for safe decommissioning, data clearing and proper disposal. Retired equipment can still hold configuration details and stored data, so it has to be handled in a controlled, documented way before it leaves your hands.

Discarding it in regular waste is wrong because the data is not cleared and the disposal is not appropriate for electronics. Storing it indefinitely is wrong because it leaves unmanaged hardware and data sitting around with no owner and no end date. Donating without preparation is wrong because whoever receives it could recover what was left on it.

Rule to remember: any question about retiring hardware is looking for a defined process that covers data clearing, disposal and a record of what was done. Answers that skip a step or avoid the decision are almost always distractors.

Example 3

Question: When documenting assessment findings in NCP practice, which approach is MOST appropriate?

1. Include only positive findings
2. Record objective findings, measurements, and observations factually
3. Use jargon only experts understand
4. Summarize verbally without written documentation

Answer: B. Record objective findings, measurements, and observations factually

Explanation:

The correct answer is to record objective findings, measurements and observations factually. Assessment notes are used later by other people to make decisions, so they need to describe what was actually found, in a form someone else can check.

Including only positive findings is wrong because it hides problems and gives a misleading picture. Using jargon only specialists understand is wrong because the notes must be readable by everyone who relies on them, not just the author. Summarizing verbally without written documentation is wrong because nothing is left to review, compare or audit afterwards.

Rule to remember: good documentation is written, factual, complete and understandable. When two options look reasonable, prefer the one that keeps a clear record and leaves out opinion and selective reporting.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official Nutanix exam page and datasheet for your track, and note the fee, format, time limit and passing score so nothing surprises you on the day. Then take a short practice set from each topic below, without looking anything up, to see where you are weakest.

• Work through the weakest topics first, such as Nutanix Architecture and Concepts or Virtual Machine Management.
• For every miss, read the explanation, then find the matching topic in the official Nutanix material and read it there.
• Cover operations with Cluster Deployment and Configuration and Monitoring, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting.
• Do not memorize our answers. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so use them to find gaps in your understanding.

Close to your date, run a full sitting under the same time limit as the real exam, using the main practice test. Review every question you got wrong or guessed, and book your slot at least 24 hours ahead.

Sources & last verified

1. Nutanix, Inc. (Nutanix University / Nutanix Education); exams delivered by PSI Services — number of questions, time limit, exam fee, passing score (official source). “The NCP-MCI 7.5 exam consists of 75 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions.” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
2. psiexams.com — delivery (official source). “Nutanix certification exams are available globally online and at authorized test centers.” Verified Oct 26, 2026 · source checked Oct 26, 2026.
3. Nutanix, Inc. (Nutanix University / Nutanix Education); exams delivered by PSI Services — eligibility (official source). “Successful candidates for the NCP-MCI 7.5 exam and NCP-MCI 7 certification have approximately 1+ years of holistic IT infrastructure experience and equivalent Nutanix experience.” Verified Oct 26, 2026 · source checked Oct 26, 2026.
4. Nutanix, Inc. (Nutanix University / Nutanix Education); exams delivered by PSI Services — registration deadline (official source). “exams must be scheduled a minimum of 24 hours in advance and can be canceled or rescheduled up to 24 hours prior to the time…” Verified Oct 22, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.