By ITIL 5 Master – Jacqueline (Jaqi) Haworth

Today I became an ITIL V5 Master, adding to my V4 Master, V3 Expert and V2 Manager certifications. I’m genuinely proud of that.  Little did I realize when I took my ITIL V2 Foundation 20 years ago that ITIL would become a thread running through so much of my career — shaping how I train others, advise organizations, lead teams, solve problems and challenge my own thinking.

The certificates, though, are probably the least interesting part.  Passing an exam and applying what you learn are very different things.

– You can know every definition and still design a terrible process.
– You can meet every SLA and still provide a poor customer experience.
– You can implement an expensive ITSM platform and simply automate your problems.

The Value of a Framework

A framework is only useful if you use it to make things better.
ITIL has evolved enormously over those 20 years.  V2 gave us process discipline and structure.  V3 taught us to think about the service lifecycle.  ITIL 4 shifted the conversation from following processes to creating value.  And Version 5 evolves again for a world of digital products, experience, transformation, automation and AI.

Three Things from Version 5 that Stand Out For Me

1. Understand the value stream first. Improve it second. Automate it third.
   If the process is poor, automation can simply make a bad process run faster.
2. Customers don’t care about our organizational chart or how green our SLA report is.
   They care whether the service works, whether someone takes ownership when it doesn’t, and what the overall experience feels like.
3. AI doesn’t fix bad foundations.
   Before asking “How can we use AI?” we should ask what problem we are solving, whether we can trust the data and knowledge, who remains accountable, and how we will know it actually improved the outcome.  AI still needs good data, governance, knowledge, value streams and people who understand what they are trying to achieve.

Passing the exam is only the start.
After many years of teaching ITSM frameworks, one lesson has stuck with me.  The real value comes when you go back to work and use what you learned to simplify something, remove waste, improve an experience, challenge a poor metric or question something being done simply because “we’ve always done it that way.”

Remember, a qualification is a milestone.  It’s not the destination.  It’s the beginning of your journey.

AI is good and AI is bad.  We live in a litigious world.  If you don’t have the right controls in place, you can be broke and out of business tomorrow.   AI use can quickly spiral out of control, leaving you with massive bills, and a huge number of AI application to support and manage.  If you thought you had technical debt today, it’s about to grow by a factor of thousands.

AI is everywhere and you and your company need to be prepared:

• Prepared to protect your brand.
• Prepared to ensure legal compliance.
• Prepare  to validate the data your AI tools will be using.
• Prepare  to manage access to confidential and sensitive data.
• Prepared to provide information the business needs.
• Prepared to safeguard your reputation.
• Prepared to maximize your financial return of AI assets and investments.

To do this companies need to adopt ITIL AI Governance.

ITIL AI Governance is a certification module from PeopleCert that shows the ITIL perspective on AI governance and helps organizations manage the risks, ethics, and compliance challenges of artificial intelligence in service management. Unlike static traditional IT controls, it provides a dynamic approach to handle autonomous, fast-moving AI systems across four key perspectives–View Full Course.

When you Safeguard Brand Reputation with ITIL AI Governance you will:

• Mitigate risks related to Shadow AI.
• Mitigate bias by building testable frameworks to catch discriminatory outputs before they reach customers.
• Control AI hallucinations by setting up strict accuracy boundaries so chatbots do not fabricate false promises or bad advice.
• Maintain Trust by proving to clients and stakeholders that the company uses AI responsibly and ethically.

ITIL AI Governance also Improves Operational Efficiency by:

• Reducing Model Drift
• Standardizing Procurement
• Speeding up Adoption

ITIL AI Governance is an OPPORTUNITY to Save Your Company and Your Career – Can You Afforce to Miss Out? 

• If you are responsible for spearheading automation strategy (CTOs, CIOs & Digital Transformation Mangers) – You Can’t Miss Out!
• If you are responsible for integrating AI tooling into operational workflows (Service Desk Managers, Practice Owners and Solution Designers) – You Can’t Miss Out!
• If you are responsible for enforcing ethical boundaries and data privacy (Data Protection Officers, Internal Auditors and Risk Managers) – You Can’t Miss Out!
• Are you beginning your ITSM or Digital Product & Service Management Career? – You Can’t Miss Out!

Are There Prerequisites?

• No
• None
• Not even ITIL Foundation is required – go straight to ITIL AI Governance
• Note – Mandatory training through an Accredited Training organization or Official eLearning is required.  Learners can go straight to the AI Governance Certification with no Foundation requirement.

Is IT Governance Part of the ITIL 5 Pathways (Foundation, Managing Professional, Practice Manager, Strategic Leader or Master?

• No
• ITIL AI Governance is a standalone module, and it is not attached to any of the main certifications nor does it count toward any other ITIL Designations
• Available to everyone!  Start Today!

This Critical AI Governance Certification Covers::

• AI Governance Foundations and Leadership – Understand the difference between having an AI policy and having real AI governance. Describe where an organization sits on the governance maturity spectrum and what good governance makes possible.
• The ITIL AI Governance Improvement – Apply the four-step model: Assess (evaluate current governance maturity and stress-test arrangements), Design (define governance requirements and controls), Implement (deploy governance adjustments), and Maintain (assure, monitor, and continually improve governance).
• The ITIL AI Capability Model (6c) – Identify and describe the six AI capabilities — Creation, Curation, Clarification, Cognition, Communication, and Coordination — and how they shape governance boundaries, risk profiling, and combined behavior.
• Governance Controls and Shadow AI – Design governance controls (preventive, detective, corrective) and decision boundaries. Design Shadow AI controls and apply ethics using a likelihood × impact risk matrix.
• AI Risk, Ethics, and Countermeasures – Identify and describe AI risk categories (bias, privacy, hallucination, opacity), ethical principles, and countermeasures. Apply the capability model and risk-control reasoning to real-world scenarios.
• Cross-Framework AI Governance – Describe how ITIL, PRINCE2, and DevOps provide complementary approaches for AI-enabled work. Apply AI governance within DevOps practices and PRINCE2 methods across stages and decision points.

Exam Details

• Exam body: PeopleCert
• Duration: 90 minutes (non-native English speakers receive additional time)
• Format: Multiple-choice, open book
• Number of Questions: 40 Multiple Choice Questions
• Passing Score: 70% or 28 out of 40 questions answered correctly
• Open-Book Exam – Candidates are allowed to reference official PeopleCert core Guidance eBook
• Delivery Options: Online proctored exam (available anytime, anywhere through PeopleCert)

Note: The ITIL® AI Governance exam is open book and scenario-based, consistent with other ITIL (Version 5) advanced modules. You may use the official eBook and Scenario Booklet during the exam.

Transitioning from military service to a civilian career is more than finding the next job. It is about building a long-term career with opportunities for growth. Veterans, service members, military spouses, and dependents bring leadership, discipline, problem-solving, and a mission-first mindset that employers value across the technology sector.

That’s why GogoTraining is proud to support the Act Now Education and PeopleCert initiative to introduce the military-connected community to ITIL, the world’s leading framework for IT service management. The goal is not simply to help participants earn a certification. It is to help them understand how ITIL can open doors to rewarding careers in technology and provide a foundation for continuous professional growth.

Technology Careers Continue to Grow

Demand for technology professionals remains strong. According to data highlighted in the program, U.S. computer and IT occupations offer a median annual salary of $105,990, with approximately 635,000 job openings expected each year. Up to 40% of mid- and senior-level technology positions either require or strongly prefer ITIL knowledge, especially when combined with certifications such as CompTIA, Cisco, AWS, PMP, or Agile credentials.

Professionals with recognized certifications are 35% more likely to be promoted, while ITIL-certified professionals often earn 10 to 25% higher salaries than their non-certified peers.

One Framework, Many Career Paths

ITIL provides a strong foundation for a wide range of civilian careers, including:

• IT Service Management
• Service Desk and Technical Support
• Systems, Network, and Cloud Administration
• Digital Operations
• Project, Program, and Product Management
• Cybersecurity Operations and Risk Management
• Compliance, Governance, and AI Risk Management

These roles exist across both the public and private sectors, giving military-connected professionals flexibility as they plan their next chapter.

Military Experience Already Fits

Many of the principles behind ITIL will feel familiar to military professionals. Standard operating procedures, mission planning, risk management, continuous improvement, teamwork, and after-action reviews all align closely with ITIL practices. Participants will learn how to translate the skills they already possess into language and practices recognized by civilian employers.

More Than Passing an Exam

Throughout this initiative, the participants will learn how to connect ITIL concepts to real-world careers in IT service management, cybersecurity, project management, cloud operations, and digital transformation.

Program Objective

The objective of the Act Now Education, PeopleCert and GogoTraining Partnership is to help military-connected learners make informed career decisions, understand where their experience creates value, and build confidence to pursue opportunities in one of today’s fastest-growing industries.

At Act Now Education, PeopleCert, and GogoTraining, we believe the greatest value of ITIL is not the certification itself. It is the opportunity it creates. By helping veterans, service members, military spouses, and dependents understand the breadth of technology careers available to them, we hope to support successful transitions into meaningful, long-term careers that continue their commitment to serving others in a new way.

GogoTraining is proud to partner with Act Now Education and PeopleCert to help Veterans identify career opportunities that exist for them in the area of Digital Product and Service Management and move forward to attain the ITIL Certification.

ITIL 5 Foundation and ITIL 5 Foundation Bridge released in February. Feedback is good on both courses.

We get a lot of questions about which version to take (4 Foundation or 5 Foundation) since ITIL 4 Foundation is also available. Standard answer is to take V4 if your job or job search requires V4. We don’t expect job postings to list ITIL 5 until the end of the year since it just released.  If you are new to ITIL, then start with ITIL 5.

ITIL 4 includes 15 of the 24 practices and that is valuable to many students. ITIL 5 Foundation does not include the practices.

• If you are interested in what’s different between ITIL 4 and 5 Foundation, here is a complimentary 40-minute presentation we put together for you. Click Here to Watch.

For everyone who has ITIL 4 Foundation and is not going on to advanced certs, then you can take advantage of the ITIL 4 Foundation Bridge Exam. It’s short (half the length of Foundation) and much less expensive ($263 versus $690 for Foundation).

• It is a great and inexpensive way to renew your certification and update your resume to ITIL 5 Foundation. Click Here to Save an extra $50 (Bridge Exam $199).

After Foundation, PeopleCert released the new ITIL 5 Managing Professional Courses (Product, Service & Experience).

Next, they released ITIL Transformation. From what I hear it a very valuable course and it follows in the footsteps of ITIL V3 that was much more prescriptive. We have a short video overview (9 minutes) on what makes it so good. Click Here to Watch. Transformation is part of ITIL 5 Practice Manager, Managing Professional and Strategic Leader designations.

• ITIL Transformation is also the course that ITIL 4 Practice Managers and Strategic Leaders will need to take to receive their ITIL 5 Designation.  The GogoTraining eLearning Transformation Course will be released by June 15^th.  You can purchase the course & exam package now for $999.  It will be $1,499 when released.
• Save $500 when you purchase the Pre-Release Package.

Coming in May is the course that all Managing Professionals, ITIL V3 Experts and Masters, ITIL 4 Managing Professionals and Masters, have been waiting to take – ITIL 5 Managing Professional Transition. It will take all ITIL V3 and ITIL 4 Master’s and bestow the ITIL 5 Master Designation and it will take all ITIL 4 Managing Professionals and bestow the ITIL 5 Managing Professional Designation.

• PeopleCert has not release the exam price to us yet so will be back in touch when we have it to offer you a prerelease sale.
• If you would like to receive the offer, Click Here to let us know.

Have ITIL 5 Questions?  Click Here or call 877.546.4446.

ITIL migrated from version 3 to version 4 in 2019 with the release of the Foundation course and the Managing Professional Transition course. The subsequent courses will be released throughout 2020 so if you are in service management, involved in ITIL v3 or looking to get into the area, now is a good time to understand what it’s all about.

Quick Refresher:

ITIL V3 is alive and well for at least a year and 60 to 70% of ITIL 4 comes from ITILV3. In ITIL 4 there are two tracks, Managing Professional and Digital Leader. The first path to be developed by AXELOS is Managing Professional. It consists of 4 courses and AXELOS created a bridge course for V3 certification holders with 17 or more credits called the Managing Professional Transition course. It allows V3 credit holders to take 1 course instead of 4 to receive the Managing Professional certification.

If you are ready to dip your feet into the ITIL 4 world, there are several ways to start depending on your position. Here is a quick look at the best way to get started. If you don’t see a category that fits your background, Contact Us.

• I am a Manager/Executive

The ITIL 4 Executive Review Course is the one for you. It is a 3 hour video course by Dr. Suzanne Van Hove and Doug Tedder. Quick and easy and the price is right – Only $95 Buy Now – (List Price $495/You Save $400)

• I am an ITIL V3 Foundation Certificate Holder

We recommend the full ITIL 4 Foundation Course. Complete with the fully Accredited Video course by Dr. Suzanne Van Hove and all official courseware including the student guide, candidate syllabus, recommended reading, exam guide and tips, glossary, training plan and two (2) AXELOS Sample Exams, 1 exam voucher and this month only + 1 Free Exam Re-Take – Only $495 Buy Now – (List Price $783/You Save $288)

• I hold the ITIL V3 Foundation + 1 or more ITIL Intermediate Certifications

Axelos is giving everyone who holds 17 or more ITIL V3 credits the opportunity to take just 1 course and become an ITIL 4 Managing Professional. Why is this good? Because…

• • 60 to 70% of ITIL 4 content comes from ITIL V3
  • ITIL V3 Intermediate exams are $73 less than ITIL 4 exams – so you can save up to $292 on exam fees when you complete the V3 path
  • You only have to take 1 ITIL 4 course to become an ITIL 4 Managing Professional
  • ITIL V3 courses are $400 less expensive than ITIL 4 courses – so you can save up to $1,600 on course fees
  • Click HERE to tell us how many Accredited ITIL V3 course/exam packages you need and we will get a customized savings package

• I have 17 ITIL V3 Credits or More

Then you can go straight to the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition course. 1 course, 1 exam and you are an ITIL 4 Managing Professional. This package includes the PeopleCert Accredited course, 1 Exam Voucher AND 1 Free Exam Retake for only $865 – (List Price is $1,353/You Save $488)

NOTE: These offers are valid January 2020 only and may not be combined with other offers. Have questions? Email us or call us at 877.546.4446.

Who can take ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Certification Training?

• All ITIL Experts
• Anyone with 17 or more ITIL V3 credits
• Anyone with 15 ITIL V3 Intermediate credits and ITIL 4 Foundation

Who can teach ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Certification Training?

• Accredited ITIL Trainers who hold MALC or a minimum of 17 ITIL V3 credits and who complete the Managing Professional Transition Train-The-Trainer videos and take and pass the exam.

When will the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Exam be available?

• PeopleCert will release the exam on October 3, 2019

How much will the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Course Exam cost?

• The exam price is expected to be $469.

Which Exam Institute provides the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Exam?

• PeopleCert

How is the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Exam administered?

• You can take the exam in a live classroom course or live online proctored anywhere anytime.

Do students have to take an Accredited Course to sit for the exam?

• Yes, a certificate of completion from an Accredited Training Organization is required to sit for this exam.

Does PeopleCert Offer Exam Re-Takes for free?

• No, you must pay for every exam.

When will the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Certification Training Course be available?

• AXELOS finalized the materials that go into the class mid-September therefore it is expected that training organizations will begin teaching courses in the October/November 2019 timeframe.

How long is the class?

• Classroom courses are 4.5 days with the last half day dedicated to taking the exam.  Online self-paced courses are divided into video lectures, exercises, and sample exams.  It is expected that  students who take self-paced courses will spend 30 hours of study.

Do I need to read the 4 Managing Professional Books?

• Yes, AXELOS highly recommends that every student has a copy of the 4 books and reads them in addition to taking a classroom, live online or self-paced video class.

Do I need to take the ITIL 4 Foundation Course before I take the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Certification Training Course?

• It is highly recommended that you take the ITIL 4 Foundation course or purchase and read the ITIL 4 Foundation book from AXELOS as the concepts covered in the ITIL 4 Foundation course will help you achieve the best learning experience when you take the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition course.

The Facts: If you have 17 ITIL V3 credits or more, then you can become an ITIL 4 Managing Professional October 2019. With 17 ITIL V3 credits, AXELOS is allowing you to become an ITIL 4 Managing Professional by taking only 1 course and exam instead of 5 courses and exams.

In addition, you will get to become ITIL 4 Managing Professional Certified in October 2019. Everyone without the 17 credits will need to wait for at least 6 to 12 months to get this certification because AXELOS has not created the courses or the exams for the Managing Professional Track yet.

Get 12 Courses for $1,995 (Includes ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Course)

What’s Included:  This package is designed to give you all the ITIL V3 credits you need to go directly into the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition course and become one of the first to become an ITIL 4 Managing Professional.  In this package you receive:

• The ITIL Foundation Courses (V3 and ITIL 4)
• 5 ITIL V3 Lifecycle Courses
• 4 ITIL V3 Capability courses
• The Managing Professional Transition Course
• Course Transcripts
• Certificates of Completion
• $100 off all ITIL V3 and ITIL 4 Exams

Get 12 Courses for $1,995 (Includes ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Course)

Extra Bonus:  Once you achieve your Managing Professional designation you only have to take the ITIL Leader course to become an ITIL 4 Strategic Leader.