ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Exam Introduction
Information Technology plays a significant role and acts as a key differentiator for desired business success. Senior management of the organizations is concerned to optimize their IT investments and improve the efficacy and competency of their IT resources to meet various business requirements and offer quality services to the customers.
To meet the business and client requirements, senior management follows some best practices. These best practices have been specified or defined in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). ITIL ® is the Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and is identified as the only reliable and widespread documentation of best practices for IT Service Management. Moreover, ITIL is a framework of best practices proposed to facilitate the delivery of high quality IT services. ITIL is:
A globally accepted approach for IT Service Management (ITSM)
A comprehensive set of best practices that includes several management processes, such as Change management, release management, and capacity management.
The foundation for BS 15000 certification, which is world's first formal standard for ITSM
ITIL Certifications
ITIL certification is a mechanism that validates you for your complete understanding of ITIL concepts and terminology. Being ITIL certified also indicates to both your organization and others that you are the master of covered various processes and topics at the level adequate with the certification. This is a globally recognized certification.
ITIL Certifications are offered by two institutions, EXIN and ISEB. EXIN (or Examination Institute for Information Science) in the Netherlands is a worldwide IT examination provider and an autonomous institution establishing educational requirements to develop and organize certification examinations for the Information Technology field.
Worldwide, more than 250, 000 professionals have been certified through EXIN. EXIN has acquired around 40 years of experience, also the thorough and extensive knowledge in the certification examinations in the Information Technology field. EXIN offers the warranty with respect to the content and quality of the various examinations. The Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) follows the British Computer Society (BCS) and offers certifications for adding value to professional careers. Also, it provides a platform to a professional for recognition and to enhance career. Through the ISEB, BCS provides industry-recognized credentials to measure competence, skill, and performance in many areas of Information System, with the aim of enhancing industry standards, supporting career development, and providing viable edge for employers. Worldwide, more than 60, 000 individuals have cleared ITIL certification through ISEB. ITIL certification structure is as follows:
Foundation
Practitioner
Manager
ITIL Foundation is the entry level certification. The next level is ITIL Practitioner and the highest level is Manger (or Masters).
Introduction to ITIL Foundation Certification
This primer focuses on ITIL Foundation certification. This is the entry level certification to evaluate a professional's understanding of the ITIL terminology. The ITIL Foundation certificate is awarded after the successful completion of an examination set by a recognized institute, such as ISEB. In addition, this certification is the mandatory requirement for the Practitioner and Manager level certifications. Details, such as cost, number of questions, time limit are as follows:
Prerequisites
None
Exam Type
MCQ
Number of Questions
40
Passing Score
65%
Time Limit
60 Mins
Total Cost
140 USD
The duration of ITIL Foundation Certification exam is one hour and includes 40 multiple choice questions (MCQ) based on:
Basic concepts and terms of ITIL Framework
ITIL management processes and the inter-relations of these processes
The importance of ITSM and the IT Infrastructure
The Service management processes and the required interfaces for the interaction among them
As discussed earlier, there are two examination institutes EXIN and ISEB who they provide ITIL foundation certification. You can go through their websites to register yourself for the test:
Refer the following links for details:
Exin
ISEB
Preparing for the ITIL Foundation Certification Exam
You can prepare yourself for the ITIL Foundation by attending some classroom sessions that provide interaction with other students and the instructor, taking a web based ITIL Foundation preparation course (self-paced and cost-effective), or studying on your own. Shape your own study style that can be the best guide of the appropriate format for you.
You need to work out on the following management processes that are broadly covered within the ITIL Foundation certification:
Incident Management
Problem Management
Configuration Management
Change Management
Release Management
Service Desk
Service Level Management
Financial Management For IT Services
Capacity Management
IT Service Continuity Management
Availability Management
Security Management
ICT Infrastructure Management
Application Management
You can expect more in-depth questions on the following management processes:
Incident Management
Problem Management
Configuration Management
Change Management
Release Management
Service Desk
Service Level Management
Basically, ITIL Foundation certification covers ITIL terminologies and the need of several management processes.
Tips for passing the ITIL Foundation certification
Always refer standard books, study guides, and Websites to learn about ITIL framework. It is better if you enhance your knowledge through discussions with peers and coaches, going through with the real case studies, and homework.
To clear the certification in very first attempt you need to:
Understand the objectives, various management processes, and role of the IT Service Management best practices in a detailed manner
Understand the ITSM activities and their impacts
Understand the significance of ITSM and the IT Infrastructure
Do preparation thoroughly and pass the exam
Also, you need to focus on the core concepts, such as:
How to align IT services to meet the business goals
How to improve quality of the service and optimize the associated costs
How to manage IT services to offer the best services
How to place Service Level Agreements (SLA)
How to specify SLA , so that you can determine and monitor the quality of outsourced services.
How to motivate workforce to understand their roles, functions, and responsibilities
How to enhance ability to handle regular or unpredicted changes
How to implement the ITIL Best Practices within the organization with the available resources
How to operate all of the service management activities working together to achieve service level goals
How to make Service Delivery more customer focused
If you will focus on the above mentioned concepts, you will have in-depth knowledge of the ITIL Framework that will help to clear ITIL Foundation Certification exam in the very first attempt.
Is this certification worthwhile?
ITIL certifications are the assets for a management professional. ITIL Certification will cost you in terms of time, money, and effort, and it is natural to wonder if the expenditure is worthwhile. The answer has more to do with your expectations than with the intrinsic value of certification. ITIL certifications can help you out to get a better job. It can also be a big help when it comes to negotiating for a higher salary or for a promotion. Preparing for the ITIL certification exams is a very structured way to learn about the ITIL framework, which is quite different from the day-to-day experience of managing the resources and offering the usual services. After clearing the ITIL certification, you could find that you have a more detailed understanding of management processes and their implementation and that, as a result, your overall management skills are much improved.
Other ITIL certifications
Apart from the ITIL foundation certifications, there are two more certifications: Practitioner and Masters.
ITIL Practitioner
ITIL Practitioner certification is more advanced than Foundation level. This certification has been re-structured by both of the examination agencies. Previous Practitioner certifications were based on to one ITIL module and the current exam covers 2 or 3 ITIL modules into a single certification. The first combined exam was including Change management, Configuration management, and Release cluster, and was referred as ITIL Practitioner Release and Control (IPRC). The prerequisites of this exam are as follows:
ITIL Foundation Certification
Practical experience in the corresponding processes
This certification is time-bound and paper-based. Total duration of this exam is 120 minutes and it includes 40 MCQ type questions.
ITIL Mangers (or Masters)
ITIL Manager Certification is the highest level of ITIL certification and honored to those individuals who are competent to implement the ITIL theory to any Organization. The prerequisites of this certification are as follows:
ITIL Foundation Certification
Vast Work and thinking capability
This certification also requires experience as follows:
Practical experience of two years in the relevant field
Should be in Manager's role for the minimum of two years in the delivery of IT services
Experience in any project work and/or worked in the shared project management model.
This certification includes two different exams based on Service delivery and Service support. This certification is time-bound and the duration of each exam is 180 minutes. In addition, it includes five open questions based on a case study in each examination paper.
Conclusion
The ITIL Foundation certification is very useful and carves a better career path. Its preparation helps you to have a better understanding to manage the resources and to deliver quality services. Since, this certification is very much valuable in IT field, so it requires in-depth knowledge of the ITIL Framework. Your approach can help you out to clear the exam. Moreover, good groundwork, in-depth knowledge, and a positive attitude are the vital attributes if you want to clear the ITIL Foundation exam in very first attempt.
Waseem Khan, ASK
To meet the business and client requirements, senior management follows some best practices. These best practices have been specified or defined in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). ITIL ® is the Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and is identified as the only reliable and widespread documentation of best practices for IT Service Management. Moreover, ITIL is a framework of best practices proposed to facilitate the delivery of high quality IT services. ITIL is:
A globally accepted approach for IT Service Management (ITSM)
A comprehensive set of best practices that includes several management processes, such as Change management, release management, and capacity management.
The foundation for BS 15000 certification, which is world's first formal standard for ITSM
ITIL Certifications
ITIL certification is a mechanism that validates you for your complete understanding of ITIL concepts and terminology. Being ITIL certified also indicates to both your organization and others that you are the master of covered various processes and topics at the level adequate with the certification. This is a globally recognized certification.
ITIL Certifications are offered by two institutions, EXIN and ISEB. EXIN (or Examination Institute for Information Science) in the Netherlands is a worldwide IT examination provider and an autonomous institution establishing educational requirements to develop and organize certification examinations for the Information Technology field.
Worldwide, more than 250, 000 professionals have been certified through EXIN. EXIN has acquired around 40 years of experience, also the thorough and extensive knowledge in the certification examinations in the Information Technology field. EXIN offers the warranty with respect to the content and quality of the various examinations. The Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) follows the British Computer Society (BCS) and offers certifications for adding value to professional careers. Also, it provides a platform to a professional for recognition and to enhance career. Through the ISEB, BCS provides industry-recognized credentials to measure competence, skill, and performance in many areas of Information System, with the aim of enhancing industry standards, supporting career development, and providing viable edge for employers. Worldwide, more than 60, 000 individuals have cleared ITIL certification through ISEB. ITIL certification structure is as follows:
Foundation
Practitioner
Manager
ITIL Foundation is the entry level certification. The next level is ITIL Practitioner and the highest level is Manger (or Masters).
Introduction to ITIL Foundation Certification
This primer focuses on ITIL Foundation certification. This is the entry level certification to evaluate a professional's understanding of the ITIL terminology. The ITIL Foundation certificate is awarded after the successful completion of an examination set by a recognized institute, such as ISEB. In addition, this certification is the mandatory requirement for the Practitioner and Manager level certifications. Details, such as cost, number of questions, time limit are as follows:
Prerequisites
None
Exam Type
MCQ
Number of Questions
40
Passing Score
65%
Time Limit
60 Mins
Total Cost
140 USD
The duration of ITIL Foundation Certification exam is one hour and includes 40 multiple choice questions (MCQ) based on:
Basic concepts and terms of ITIL Framework
ITIL management processes and the inter-relations of these processes
The importance of ITSM and the IT Infrastructure
The Service management processes and the required interfaces for the interaction among them
As discussed earlier, there are two examination institutes EXIN and ISEB who they provide ITIL foundation certification. You can go through their websites to register yourself for the test:
Refer the following links for details:
Exin
ISEB
Preparing for the ITIL Foundation Certification Exam
You can prepare yourself for the ITIL Foundation by attending some classroom sessions that provide interaction with other students and the instructor, taking a web based ITIL Foundation preparation course (self-paced and cost-effective), or studying on your own. Shape your own study style that can be the best guide of the appropriate format for you.
You need to work out on the following management processes that are broadly covered within the ITIL Foundation certification:
Incident Management
Problem Management
Configuration Management
Change Management
Release Management
Service Desk
Service Level Management
Financial Management For IT Services
Capacity Management
IT Service Continuity Management
Availability Management
Security Management
ICT Infrastructure Management
Application Management
You can expect more in-depth questions on the following management processes:
Incident Management
Problem Management
Configuration Management
Change Management
Release Management
Service Desk
Service Level Management
Basically, ITIL Foundation certification covers ITIL terminologies and the need of several management processes.
Tips for passing the ITIL Foundation certification
Always refer standard books, study guides, and Websites to learn about ITIL framework. It is better if you enhance your knowledge through discussions with peers and coaches, going through with the real case studies, and homework.
To clear the certification in very first attempt you need to:
Understand the objectives, various management processes, and role of the IT Service Management best practices in a detailed manner
Understand the ITSM activities and their impacts
Understand the significance of ITSM and the IT Infrastructure
Do preparation thoroughly and pass the exam
Also, you need to focus on the core concepts, such as:
How to align IT services to meet the business goals
How to improve quality of the service and optimize the associated costs
How to manage IT services to offer the best services
How to place Service Level Agreements (SLA)
How to specify SLA , so that you can determine and monitor the quality of outsourced services.
How to motivate workforce to understand their roles, functions, and responsibilities
How to enhance ability to handle regular or unpredicted changes
How to implement the ITIL Best Practices within the organization with the available resources
How to operate all of the service management activities working together to achieve service level goals
How to make Service Delivery more customer focused
If you will focus on the above mentioned concepts, you will have in-depth knowledge of the ITIL Framework that will help to clear ITIL Foundation Certification exam in the very first attempt.
Is this certification worthwhile?
ITIL certifications are the assets for a management professional. ITIL Certification will cost you in terms of time, money, and effort, and it is natural to wonder if the expenditure is worthwhile. The answer has more to do with your expectations than with the intrinsic value of certification. ITIL certifications can help you out to get a better job. It can also be a big help when it comes to negotiating for a higher salary or for a promotion. Preparing for the ITIL certification exams is a very structured way to learn about the ITIL framework, which is quite different from the day-to-day experience of managing the resources and offering the usual services. After clearing the ITIL certification, you could find that you have a more detailed understanding of management processes and their implementation and that, as a result, your overall management skills are much improved.
Other ITIL certifications
Apart from the ITIL foundation certifications, there are two more certifications: Practitioner and Masters.
ITIL Practitioner
ITIL Practitioner certification is more advanced than Foundation level. This certification has been re-structured by both of the examination agencies. Previous Practitioner certifications were based on to one ITIL module and the current exam covers 2 or 3 ITIL modules into a single certification. The first combined exam was including Change management, Configuration management, and Release cluster, and was referred as ITIL Practitioner Release and Control (IPRC). The prerequisites of this exam are as follows:
ITIL Foundation Certification
Practical experience in the corresponding processes
This certification is time-bound and paper-based. Total duration of this exam is 120 minutes and it includes 40 MCQ type questions.
ITIL Mangers (or Masters)
ITIL Manager Certification is the highest level of ITIL certification and honored to those individuals who are competent to implement the ITIL theory to any Organization. The prerequisites of this certification are as follows:
ITIL Foundation Certification
Vast Work and thinking capability
This certification also requires experience as follows:
Practical experience of two years in the relevant field
Should be in Manager's role for the minimum of two years in the delivery of IT services
Experience in any project work and/or worked in the shared project management model.
This certification includes two different exams based on Service delivery and Service support. This certification is time-bound and the duration of each exam is 180 minutes. In addition, it includes five open questions based on a case study in each examination paper.
Conclusion
The ITIL Foundation certification is very useful and carves a better career path. Its preparation helps you to have a better understanding to manage the resources and to deliver quality services. Since, this certification is very much valuable in IT field, so it requires in-depth knowledge of the ITIL Framework. Your approach can help you out to clear the exam. Moreover, good groundwork, in-depth knowledge, and a positive attitude are the vital attributes if you want to clear the ITIL Foundation exam in very first attempt.
Waseem Khan, ASK
Comments