ITIL® V3 Foundation Study Guide
ITIL 4 Foundation Study Guide ›
ITIL Foundation is the entry level certification that demonstrates an awareness of key ITIL best practices. It is the prerequisite for any further ITIL certifications. To earn the ITIL Foundation certification, you must correctly answer 26 questions on a 40 question multiple-choice exam (65%). Each question will include 4 possible answers from which you must provide the best answer to the question. Most people have 1 hour to complete the exam. People who are not taking the exam in their native language have an additional 15 minutes to finish and may use a dictionary.
The ITIL Foundation certification does not expire or require continuing education to maintain.
These all-new for 2020 ITIL e-books highlight important elements of ITIL 4 best practices. Quickly understand key changes and actionable concepts, written by ITIL 4 contributors.
You are not required to take an ITIL training course before you sit for the exam, but training is strongly recommended. If you are planning on earning higher level ITIL certifications, then it would be worthwhile to get formal training, since it includes more detailed discussion on how the pieces fit together instead of just preparing you to pass the Foundation exam.
Taking the exam costs around $300. Training organizations usually include the cost for taking the exam in their course fee and can administer the exam right after training is complete.
You may take the exam at a testing center (ex. Prometric). On the testing center’s website, you will schedule a specific date and time to take the exam. Make sure you read and follow the test center regulations. Know what forms of identification are required and leave unallowed items at home. You may be searched when you check into the testing center or if you leave the exam room for a break. Foam earplugs and a sweater/light jacket are typically permitted, but check your location’s regulations to confirm what you can and cannot bring to the testing center.
You may also take the exam online without going to an exam center. If you choose this option, you must use a webcam. A proctor will greet you, walk you through the examination process, and then observe while you take the exam.
The exam may be administered online or on paper. If it is administered online, you will receive a preliminary score once you have completed the exam. Paper exams are sent off to be graded. Final scores and certificates are available within a few weeks after taking the exam.
Axelos (www.axelos.com)
Axelos is the worldwide manager of multiple best practice methodologies, including ITIL. They provide a number of resources for the exam, including books, sample exams, and an iPhone app.
ATO’s - Authorized Training Organizations
Axelos works with Examinations Institutes (EI), worldwide partners who are authorized to provide training and administer examinations. These partners provide both in person and online resources.
To find an authorized partner near you or learn which online resources are authorized, click on the following links:
Acquiros
APMG International
BCS
EXIN
PEOPLECERT
Sample Exams - Taking sample exams is highly recommended. These samples illustrate the types of questions typically asked. More importantly, you become familiar with the way questions are worded so that you can find the correct answers in the shortest period of time and avoid traps.
The only sample exams confirmed to be accurate and up-to-date are the ones from Axelos, the EI’s, and authorized training partners. Training classes offer at least one sample exam.
Axelos - Axelos also offers an iPhone app with 300 sample exam questions.
APMG International - Sample Exam.
The ITIL Foundation exam has a high pass rate. Statistics published in 2013 show a 90% pass rate, and many training providers advertise a 99% pass rate. Those who avoid the key traps will succeed on the exam.
Trap #1: Overthinking
How to avoid the trap: Memorize, don’t analyze.
The exam is multiple choice and testing basic knowledge of ITIL best practices. Memorize high-level concepts and definitions and stay focused on those concepts and definitions. Do not think about how your company does a particular process. Do not think about how you would improve the process. Just answer based on the ITIL materials.
Example: An incident is resolved when:
The answer is C. All four of the answers fit a Service Operation Process, but only C is associated with an Incident. Answer A could be part of the evaluation process for Service Request Fulfillment. Root-cause analysis is part of Problem Management. Exceptions are addressed by Event Management.
Trap #2: Too many choices
How to avoid the trap: Memorize groups.
Some questions offer 2 or more options that may be correct. The answers will involve various combinations of those options, and only one combination is correct. The simplest version of this question is to present two options and offer these four potential answers: #1 only, #2 only, both, or neither. Frequently, there will be 4 options and 4 combinations presented.
Example: Which of the following activities are included in Access Management?
The answer is D. Access management processes include verification (#1), providing rights (#2), monitoring identity status, logging and tracking access, and removing or restricting rights.
Trap #3: Out of order
How to avoid the trap: Learn acronyms. Memorize lists in their correct order.
It’s not always enough to know the items in a list. If they are presented in a particular sequence or represented by an acronym, then it is crucial to know the correct order. Knowing the sequence makes the difference between an easy answer and a wild guess.
Example: What is the correct sequence for the knowledge structure?
The answer is D. The knowledge structure is also known as the DIKW structure.
Trap #4: Speed reading
How to avoid the trap: Read each question carefully.
Some questions are worded in a way that would trip up someone who did not read every word of the question. Do not read the first few words and jump down to the answers. Each question has some keywords that will either make the right answer obvious or quickly eliminate one or more possible answers.
Two common ways to trap speed readers are:
The answer is B. The first answer is part of Service Level Management. C is a known error and is handled by Problem Management. The planned meeting described by D is part of Release and Deployment Management.
The answer is A. The core processes are Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement.
As you read more practice questions, you will recognize the keywords that can easily point to the correct answer or eliminate possible answers. Memorizing the material in its proper order and understanding how exam questions are worded are the biggest keys to success.
Please note: This is not a comprehensive list. The purpose of this list is to highlight the more common question types that appear on the Foundation Certification exam.
For a more comprehensive listing, download the Foundation Syllabus from the Axelos site if it has not been included with your training materials. Axelos provides this syllabus to ensure that ATO’s cover the appropriate material in their training. If you are doing self-study, the suggested training timeframes help you prioritize what material to study and how much time to spend studying each topic.
The Foundation syllabus breaks down levels of understanding into Comprehension and Awareness. Comprehension topics require a deeper level of knowledge and will require more understanding. Comprehension goes beyond memorizing definitions and includes understanding why and how the concept impacts the business. Awareness topics do not go in-depth, so in most cases they can be addressed by memorizing key definitions.
Comprehension:
Awareness:
For each stage you MUST:
The 5 stages have a total of 22 processes.
Key Concepts:
Responsible - Person or people responsible for getting the job done. Each action or decision must have at least one role marked as R.
Accountable - The one person held accountable for each action. One and only one A can be designed for each action or decision.
Consulted - People whose opinions are sought.
Informed - People kept up-to-date on progress.
Key Definitions:
Key Roles:
Key Concepts:
Management
Organization
Processes
Knowledge
Financial Capital
Infrastructure
Applications
Information
Key Definitions:
Key Roles:
Core Process - Service Level Management
Service Level Management Agreements
Between Customer and IT Organization
Service Level Requirements (SLR)
Service Level Agreements (SLA)
Between IT Organization and External Providers (Suppliers)
Underpinning Contract (UC)
Between IT Organization and Internal Providers (Departments)
Operational Level Agreements (OLA)
3 different SLA structures
Service-based (2 tier)
Customer-based (2 tier)
Multi-level (3 tier)
Corporate level
Customer level
Service level
SLA Monitoring Chart (SLAM)
Service Review
Service Improvement Plan (SIP)
Relationship between Service Level Management (SLM) and Business Relationship Manager (BRM)
Key Concepts:
Service Catalog (2 view and 3 view)
Key Definitions:
Key Role:
Core Process - Change Management
Key Definitions:
Core Process - Incident Management
Core Process - Problem Management
Other Processes:
Access Management - Understand the definitions, activities, and processes.
Key Concept:
Know the 4 Functions and 4 Types of Services Desks
Functions:
IT Operations Management
Technical Management
Application Management
Key Definitions:
Key Roles:
Key Concepts:
To obtain the ITIL Foundation Certification, you must answer at least 26 out of 40 multiple-choice questions on the examination. Focusing on the key topics and memorizing ITIL definitions will lead to success. Good luck on the examination.
