VMware have announced big changes to the way it names and versions its certifications. Starting from now, August 2018, certifications will align to the year in which they are passed, with a new annual release and update schedule for all VCP, VCAP, and VCDX certifications!

For example:
Instead of: VMware Certified Professional – Desktop and Mobility 7 (VCP7-DTM)
The new release is: VMware Certified Professional – Desktop and Mobility 2018 (VCP-DTM 201

To compliment the naming convention, there’s also a switch to an annual release schedule:

January 1st: Release and update all VCP certifications
March 1st: Release and update all VCAP Design certifications
May 1st: Release and update all VCAP Deploy certifications
VCDX certification updates will follow VCAP releases
The changes are aimed at simplifying your current certification status, with an increasing number of products and updates being released frequently, vSphere 6.5, 6.7, NSX-V/T etc, and to give you more predictability over certification releases. It’s also quicker and easier to explain how current (or not!) you are in my opinion.