Exam Profile: ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management (ITIL V3 Foundation Exam)
Date: Oct 25, 2010
Exam Profile: ITIL® Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management (ITIL V3 Foundation Exam)
The ITIL® Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management (also informally known as the ITIL V3 Foundation Certification) is a highly sought after certification among IT professionals and business managers worldwide. It proves that you understand the basic concepts contained within the five books of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).
A quick search for “ITIL” on a popular technical employment website yields well over 1000 results, supporting that ITIL is now considered required knowledge for working in today’s IT environments.
Earning your ITIL V3 Foundation certification not only provides you with industry-recognized global credentials, but also proves that you have a foundational knowledge of IT Service Management basic concepts, structure, core principles, processes, and vocabulary.
This ITIL Foundation Certificate is the entry-level certification of the ITIL framework and is the first step to achieving the ITIL Expert certification.
Exam Details
- Number of questions: 40
- Type of questions: Multiple choice
- Passing score: 65% (26 out of 40 questions answered correctly). It is a pass/fail exam.
- Time limit: One hour. Students taking the exam in a language other than their native tongue AND in a country where the language of the exam is not a business language in that country are permitted an extra 15 minutes and the use of a dictionary for the exam.
- Closed book: No notes are permitted during exam session.
- Proctor: The exam will be supervised by an accredited exam supervisor/proctor.
- Format: Students taking the exam as part of an accredited, instructor-led training class will be given the exam in either a paper-based format or a web-based format, depending on the arrangement the instructor has with the certifying body issuing the exam.
- How to register: If students have not taken a formal class and have instead chosen the self-study route, students can take the exam at either a Prometric or Pearson VUE testing center; both have locations worldwide. Note that ITIL exams will not be listed on these sites under “ITIL” but instead will be listed under “EXIN” and/or “ISEB.” Be sure to search using those terms when registering for the exam. (EXIN and ISEB are two organizations who create official ITIL Foundation exams. EXIN exams are more popular in the USA; ISEB tends to be more popular in the UK.)
Trouble Spots
ITIL is a set of books, and these books go through revisions every few years. Currently, the books are in their third version (V3), which are a good deal different than their predecessor. Make sure you are studying ITIL Version 3, and not ITIL Version 2 (V2)!
Although ITIL V2 Foundation exams are no longer offered, there is still plenty of ITIL V2-related material living on in perpetuity the Internet, so be sure you know what you’re reading.
If you have previous experience in ITIL Version 2, be aware that some common terms have been updated in V3. Some subprocesses have been deleted from V2 and many processes have been added to V3. Do not rely on your old V2 training to get you through a V3 exam; the differences are significant.
ITIL V3 is comprised of five books: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement. The bulk of the ITIL V3 Foundation exam will focus on Service Design, Service Transition, and Service Operation; however, you should be prepared for a few tricky Service Strategy and CSI questions as well.
Exam questions are multiple choice, with four answers from which to choose. However, some questions are formatted with possible answers: “A) 1 only; B) 1, 3, and 4; C) 1, 2, 4; D) All of the above.” Read these questions and answers carefully.
Some questions offer a list of options and ask students to choose the one incorrect answer. Be sure to read the question carefully so you know what is being asked of you.
When studying, be sure you understand the value proposition each phase of the lifecycle provides to the business; you will most likely be asked a question or two on this topic.
Studies have shown that a student's first hunch is often the correct answer. If you find yourself obsessing over an answer and changing it many times, go with your gut.
Preparation Hints
You are going to be tested on your knowledge of the ITIL books, so owning the books is a good idea. Though the books are expensive, you can often purchase them used for a bit less money. They can also be purchased in PDF format, which makes searching the books much easier.
For any exam, always go to the source of the exam. For the ITIL Foundation Certificate in Service Management exam, you should get a copy of the official version of the ITIL V3 Foundation Certificate Syllabus from http://www.itil-officialsite.com. The exam objectives are listed later in this article as well as downloadable from the ITIL official site. Look at the exam requirements on the syllabus and highlight the terms that are unfamiliar to you; this will help you set up a study plan for yourself. If the objectives are totally foreign to you, don’t be too discouraged; it just means that you’ll need to read up to get the knowledge you need. Remember, everyone in information technology had to start somewhere.
Next, don’t be afraid to do some online research and ask questions. There are many ITIL-related forums, and chances are your question(s) have already been asked and answered by others.
If you need some live assistance, search the Internet for freelance ITIL instructors. Instructors will welcome the opportunity to work one-on-one to help you prepare for the exam, review the material, and answer your questions.
Lastly, for students requiring a fully immersive experience, countless training companies offer accredited ITIL V3 Foundation training, which often includes the Foundation exam at the end of class. Many students enjoy classroom training because it eliminates many common distractions. However, these classes are often expensive.
Recommended Study Resources
- The official version of the ITIL V3 Foundation Certificate Syllabus from http://www.itil-officialsite.com
- Download an official sample exam (called a “sample paper”) from http://www.itil-officialsite.com/.
- The ITIL Group on LinkedIn is a good place to ask questions; however, it’s best to search the group to make sure those questions haven’t already been answered for you.
- Because ITIL is a set of books, it is wise to purchase the five core ITIL publications (Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement) from your favorite bookseller.
- Alternately, I created a book/DVD set called ITIL V3 Foundation Exam Video Mentor that leads students through the entire exam syllabus point by point to ensure students thoroughly understand all exam topics.
Exam Objectives
These exam objectives are © Crown Copyright 2010, and reproduced under license from OGC. Please check the Official ITIL Site for the most up to date ITIL V3 Foundation Certificate Syllabus.
The letters and numbers at the end of each line item below correspond with the title and section of the ITIL core publication that is being tested. For example, “Describe the concept of Good Practice (SS 1.2.2)” means that you can learn about the concept of a Good Practice by reading section 1.2.2 of the Service Strategy publication. For students not wishing to purchase the five ITIL core publications, Jill Knapp’s book/DVD set ITIL V3 Foundation Exam Video Mentor covers all syllabus points below in detail.
Learning Objectives
Candidates can expect to gain knowledge and understanding in the following upon successful completion of the education and examination components related to this certification.
- Service Management as a practice (Comprehension)
- Service Lifecycle (Comprehension)
- Key Principles and Models (Comprehension)
- Generic Concepts (Awareness)
- Selected Processes (Awareness)
- Selected Roles (Awareness)
- Selected Functions (Awareness)
- Technology and Architecture (Awareness)
- ITIL Qualification scheme (Awareness)
Service Management as a Practice
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to define Service and to comprehend and explain the concept of Service Management as a practice.
Specifically, candidates must be able to:
- 01-1. Describe the concept of Good Practice (SS 1.2.2)
- 01-2. Define and explain the concept of a Service (SS 2.2.1)
- 01-3. Define and explain the concept of Service Management (SS 2.1)
- 01-4. Define Functions and Processes (SS 2.3, 2.6.1, SD 2.3, SD 3.6.4, ST 2.3, SO 2.3, 3.1, CSI 2.3)
- 01-5. Explain the process model and the characteristics of processes (SD 2.3.2, 3.6.4)
The Service Lifecycle
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to understand the value of the Service Lifecycle, how the processes integrate with each other, throughout the Lifecycle and explain the objectives and business value for each phase in the Lifecycle.
Specifically, candidates must be able to:
- 02-2. Describe the structure, scope, components and interfaces of the Service Lifecycle (SS 1.2.3 All )
- 02-3. Account for the main goals and objectives of Service Strategy (SS 1.3)
- 02-4. Account for the main goals and objectives of Service Design (SD 2.4.1, SD 3.1)
- 02-5. Briefly explain what value Service Design provides to the business (SD 2.4.3)
- 02-6. Account for the main goals and objectives of Service Transition (ST 2.4.1)
- 02-7. Briefly explain what value Service Transition provides to the business (ST 2.4.3)
- 02-8. Account for the main goals and objectives of Service Operations (SO 2.4.1)
- 02-9. Briefly explain what value Service Operation provides to the business (SO 2.4.3 1st para, SO 1.2.3.4)
- 02-10. Account for the main goals and objectives of Continual Service Improvement (CSI 2.4.1, 2.4.2)
Generic Concepts and Definitions
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to define some of the key terminology and explain the key concepts of Service Management.
Specifically, candidates must be able to define and explain the following key concepts:
- 03-1. Utility and Warranty (SS 2.2.2 )
- 03-2. Resources, Capabilities and Assets (SS 3.2.1)
- 03-3. Service Portfolio (SS 4.2.3, SD 3.6.2 – to end of 1st bullet list)
- 03-4. Service Catalogue (Business Service Catalogue and Technical Service Catalogue) (SS 4.2.3.1, SD 4.1.4)
- 03-5. The role of IT Governance across the Service Lifecycle (CSI 3.10 All)
- 03-6. Business Case (SS 5.2.1 Intro, CSI 4.4.1)
- 03-7. Risk (SS 9.5.1, CSI 5.6.3)
- 03-9. Service Provider (the candidate is not expected to know the detail of each of the three types of Service Providers) (SS 3.3 Intro only, not 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3)
- 03-10. Supplier (SD 4.2.4, 4.7.2)
- 03-11. Service Level Agreement (SLA) (SD 4.2.4, 4.2.5.1)
- 03-12. Operational Level Agreement (OLA) (SD 4.2.4)
- 03-13. Contract (SD 4.7.5.1)
- 03-14. Service Design Package (SD Appendix A)
- 03-15. Availability (SD 4.4.4)
- 03-16. Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS) (ST 4.7.4.2)
- 03-17. Configuration Item (CI) (ST 4.3.4.2)
- 03-18. Configuration Management System (ST 4.3.4.3 )
- 03-19. Definitive Media Library (DML) (ST 4.3.4.3)
- 03-20. Service Change (ST 4.2.2)
- 03-21. Change types (Normal, Standard and Emergency) (ST 4.2.6.1, 4.2.4.5, 4.2.6.9)
- 03-22. Release Unit (ST 4.4.4.1)
- 03-23. Concept of Seven R’s of Change Management (ST 4.2.6.4); no requirement to learn list
- 03-24. Event (SO 4.1 1st para)
- 03-25. Alert (SO Glossary)
- 03-26. Incident (SO 4.2)
- 03-27. Impact, Urgency and Priority (SO 4.2.5.4, 4.4.5.4)
- 03-28. Service Request (SO 4.3)
- 03-29. Problem (SO 4.4)
- 03-30. Workaround (SO 4.4.5.6)
- 03-31. Known Error (SO 4.4.5.7)
- 03-32. Known Error Data Base (KEDB) (SO 4.4.7.2)
- 03-33. The role of communication in Service Operation (SO 3.6)
- 03-34. Service Assets (SS 3.2)
- 03-35. Release policy (ST 4.1.4.2)
Key Principles and Models
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to comprehend and account for the key principles and models of Service Management and to balance some of the opposing forces within Service Management.
Specifically, candidates must be able to:
Service Strategy
- 04-2. Describe basics of Value Creation through Services (SS 3.1.1, 3.1.2)
Service Design
- 04-3. Understand the importance of People, Processes, Products and Partners for Service Management (SD 2.4.2)
- 04-4. Understand the five
major aspects of Service Design
(SD 2.4.2):
- Service Portfolio Design
- Identification of Business Requirements, definition of Service Requirements and design of Services
- Technology and architectural design
- Process design
- Measurement design
Continual Service Improvement
- 04-8. Explain the Plan, Do, Check and Act (PDCA) Model to control and manage quality (CSI 3.6, 5.5.1, Fig 5.6)
- 04-9. Explain the Continual Service Improvement Model (CSI 2.4.4, Fig 2.3)
- 04-10. Understand the role
of measurement for Continual
Service Improvement and explain
the following key elements:
- The role of KPIs in the Improvement Process (CSI 4.1.2)
- Baselines (CSI 3.7.1)
- Types of metrics (technology metrics, process metrics, service metrics) (CSI 4.1.2)
Processes
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate understand how the Service Management processes contribute to the Service Lifecycle, to explain the high level objectives, scope, basic concepts, activities and challenges for five of the core processes, and to state the objectives and some of the basic concepts for thirteen of the remaining processes including how they relate to each other.
The list of activities to be included from each process is the minimum required and should not be taken as an exhaustive list.
Specifically, candidates must be able to:
Service Strategy
State the objectives and basic concepts for:
- 05-21. Demand Management (SS
5.5). The following list must
be covered:
- Challenges in managing demand for Services (SS 5.5.1)
- Activity-based Demand Management (Patterns of business activity (PBAs) (SS 5.5.2)
- Business activity patterns and user profiles (SS 5.5.3)
- 05-22. Financial Management
(SS 5.1 Intro, 5.1.2 Intro)
- Business case
Service Design
Explain the high level objectives, basic concepts, process activities and relationships for:
- 05-31. Service Level Management
(SLM) (SD 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.5,
4.2.5.1 - 9, CSI 3.5). The following
list must be covered:
- Service-based SLA
- Multi-level SLAs
- Service level requirements (SLRs)
- SLAM chart
- Service review
- Service improvement plan (SIP)
State the objectives and basic concepts for:
- 05-41. Service Catalogue Management (SD 4.1 Intro, 4.1.1, 4.1.4)
- 05-42. Availability Management
(SD 4.4.1, 4.4.4)
- Service availability
- Component availability
- Reliability
- Maintainability
- Serviceability
- 05-43. Information Security
Management (ISM) (SD 4.6 Intro,
4.6.1, 4.6.4 )
- Security framework (SD 4.6.4.1)
- Information security policy (SD 4.6.4.2)
- Information security management system (ISMS) (SD 4.6.4.3)
- 05-44. Supplier Management (SD 4.7 Intro, 4.7.1) • Supplier Contract Database (SCD) (SD 4.7.4)
- 05-45. Capacity Management
(SD 4.3.1, 4.3.4)
- Capacity plan
- Business capacity management
- Service capacity management
- Component capacity management
- 05-46. IT Service Continuity
Management (SD 4.5.1, 4.5.4)
- Business Continuity Plans
- Business Continuity Management
- Business Impact Analysis
- Risk Analysis
Service Transition
Explain the high level objectives, basic concepts, process activities and relationships for:
- 05-51. Change Management (ST
4.2)
- Types of change request (ST 4.2.4.3, Table 4.3)
- Change process models and workflows (ST 4.2.4.4)
- Standard change (ST 4.2.4.5)
- Remediation Planning (ST 4.2.5)
- Change Advisory Board / Emergency Change Advisory Board (ST 4.2.6.8)
- 05-52. Service Asset and Configuration
Management (SACM) (ST 4.3.1,
4.3.4, 4.3.5) to include:
- The Configuration Model
- Configuration items
- Configuration Management System (CMS)
- Definitive Media Library
- Configuration baseline
State the objectives and basic concepts for:
- 05-61. Release and Deployment Management (ST 4.4.1, 4.4.4)
- 05-62. Knowledge Management (ST 4.7 Intro, 4.7.1, 4.7.4)
- DIKW & SKMS
Service Operation
Explain the high level objectives, basic concepts, process activities and relationships for:
- 05-71. Incident Management (SO 4.2, Fig 4.2)
- 05-72. Problem Management (SO 4.4, Fig 4.4), not PM techniques
State the objectives and basic concepts for:
- 05-81. Event Management (SO 4.1 Intro, 4.1.1, 4.1.4)
- 05-82. Request Fulfillments (SO 4.3 Intro, 4.3.1, 4.3.4)
- 05-83. Access Management (SO 4.5 Intro, 4.5.1, 4.5.4)
Functions
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to explain the role, objectives and organizational structures of the Service Desk function, and to state the role, objectives and overlap of three other functions.
Specifically, candidates must be able to:
- 06-1. Explain the role, objectives
and organizational structures
for
- The Service Desk function (SO 6.2)
- 06-2. State the role, objectives
and organizational overlap of:
- The Technical Management function (SO 6.1, 6.3 Intro, 6.3.1, 6.3.2)
- The Application Management function (SO 6.5 Intro, 6.5.1, 6.5.2)
- The IT Operations Management function (IT Operations Control and Facilities Management) (SO 6.4 Intro, 6.4.1, 6.4.2)
Roles
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to account for and to be aware of the responsibilities of some of the key roles in Service Management.
Specifically, candidates must be able to:
- 07-1. Account for the role
and the responsibilities of
the
- Process owner (SD 6.4 Intro, 6.4.1)
- Service owner (CSI 6.1 Intro, 6.1.4)
- 07-2. Recognize the RACI model and explain its role in determining organizational structure. (SD 6 Intro, CSI 6.2 – not RASI-VS or RASCI)
Technology and Architecture
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to
- 08-2. Understand how Service Automation assists with integrating Service Management processes (SS 8.1)
ITIL Qualification Scheme
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to
- 09-1. Explain the ITIL Qualification scheme, distinguish between the purposes of the two intermediate streams, mention the included certificates, ITIL Expert and ITIL Master, and understand the different options for further training.
Mock Exam
The purpose of this unit is to help the candidate to pass the ITIL Foundation exam.
Specifically, candidates must:
- 10-1. Sit minimum one ITIL Foundation mock exam.
Where to Go from Here
When students have earned the ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management, they will have earned two credits toward the ITIL Expert certification which requires 22 credits.
To earn additional ITIL credits, students must take intermediate level ITIL classes from an accredited training organization; there is no self-study option available. Intermediate classes come in two flavors: Service Lifecycle classes and Service Capability classes.
Service Lifecycle classes are worth three ITIL credits each and typically last three days each. Students earn ITIL credits only when they pass the exam given at the end of class. These courses each focus on one of the five ITIL books, and the focus of these courses is on the introduction and implementation of the specific Lifecycle phase being taught, and coverage of the principles, processes, and related activities. Classes offered are Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement.
Service Capability classes are typically five-day courses and are geared towards IT professionals who seek to implement ITIL in their organizations; classes are worth four ITIL credits each. Students only earn ITIL credits when they pass the exam given at the end of class. Service Capability classes are hands-on, intensive courses that lead students through practical exercises, focusing on detailed process implementation and management. Course content is offered within clustered groupings:
- PP&O (Planning, Protection and Optimization): Capacity Management, Availability Management, IT Service Continuity Management, Security Management, Demand Management and Risk Management
- SO&A (Service Offerings and Agreements): Service Portfolio Management, Service Level Management, Service Catalogue Management, Demand Management, Supplier Management and Financial Management
- RC&V (Release, Control and Validation): Change Management, Release & Deployment Management, Service Validation & Testing, Service Asset & Configuration Management, Knowledge Management, Request Fulfillment and Evaluation
- OS&A (Operational Support and Analysis): Event Management, Incident Management, Request Management, Problem Management, Access Management, Service Desk, Technical Management, IT Operations Management and Application Management
Managing Across the Lifecycle is the capstone class that ensures students have an understanding of the entire service lifecycle; this is typically a five-day class and a passing score on the exam earns the student five ITIL credits. The ITIL Expert certification cannot be achieved without this class.
When 22 ITIL credits have been earned in the correct combination, the ITIL Expert Certificate in IT Service Management is awarded. As of this writing, this is the highest level of ITIL V3 certification available. Students can track their progress towards the ITIL Expert Certification by using the official Credit Profiler System.
Also as of this writing, the ITIL® Master certification is currently under development and in a pilot phase in Europe, but there is no official release date.
Have you taken the ITIL V3 Foundation Exam? Share your experiences by posting to the ITIL thread in our forums.
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