What is ITIL?

ITIL is an acronym for the Information Technology Infrastructure Library that was created in the 1980s by the UK Government’s Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency. The agency understood that a set of standardized service management practices was necessary to align service management delivery from one agency to another. What started out as a set of recommendations grew into ITIL V1. ITIL has had several versions with V1 arriving in late 80s, V2 in late 90s, V3 in 2007 and then ITIL 2011. ITIL is currently undergoing another revision to include how ITIL relates to other frameworks and standards including Agile, DevOps, Lean, ISO 20000 and more.

Who Uses ITIL Today?

The figures vary. In Europe it is suggested that up to 70% of European business leaders consider ITIL a must have in their organizations . Outside of the UK the number of organizations that have adopted and adapted ITIL is estimated to be around 33%.

Why Do Organizations Adopt ITIL?

When organizations adopt and adapt ITIL, they ensure that their services are delivered according to well defined best practices that allows them to increase customer satisfaction and better manage their processes and reduce costs.

ITIL Certification Salaries

No doubt certifications assist in higher paying jobs and raises. Most report that holding an ITIL Foundation Certification can jump your salary $5,000 to as much as $13,000. The 2016 Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report shares that the average salary for ITIL-certified professionals ranges from $92,000 to $105,842 and that more than 90 percent of respondents to their survey reported their average salary with an ITIL Foundation certificate exceeded $98,000.

How to Get ITIL Certifications

#1 – ITIL Foundation

You start with the Foundation Certification. It is a TON of information. There is no requirement to take an accredited course to pass the exam, however it is HIGHLY recommended. The exam is 100% on the content in the course. When you take an Accredited ITIL Foundation course then you know for sure you are getting all the info you need to pass. Courses are available live at training organization location, live online and On-Demand to give you ultimate flexibility.

#2 – What Next After ITIL Foundation?

After ITIL Foundation Certification you can go on to become ITIL Practitioner Certified or move into the ITIL Intermediate courses.

ROUTE 1 = ITIL Practitioner

This is a relatively new certification that was released about 2 years ago and it is the only course out of 12 that actually shows students how to adopt and adapt ITIL. ITIL Practitioner like ITIL Foundation has no formal training requirement, however, it has the lowest pass rate of all 12 exams. There is a great deal of knowledge and practical experience required to pass this exam and we do not recommend students take this exam without having (1) taken the ITIL Practitioner course and (2) taken at least one of the ITIL Intermediate courses. The exam requires you to adopt and adapt what you learned. It is not repeating concepts. It is the most expensive ITIL exam retailing at $469 from PeopleCert.

Route 2 = The ITIL Intermediate Path

This is the second option and the more common path following ITIL Foundation Certification. AND – YOU MUST hold an ITIL Foundation certificate to take these exams. To take any of these exams you MUST have taken an Accredited Course and hold a Certificate of Completion. The Intermediate series is made up of 9 courses split into a Lifecycle track and a Capability track. You can stick with one path or mix and match from the both.

i. Intermediate Service Lifecycle Courses – Managers take this path

1. Service Strategy
2. Service Transition
3. Service Design
4. Service Operation
5. Continual Service Improvement

ii. Intermediate Capability Courses – The people who do the work/implement ITIL take this path

1. Service Offerings and Agreements
2. Planning, Protection and Optimization
3. Release, Control and Validation
4. Operational Support and Analysis

#3 – Becoming an ITIL Expert

After Foundation and completing 17 credits in one of these paths or a combination of courses (some people like to mix and match), then the student has enough points to take the Managing Across the Lifecycle course (MALC) which allows them to sit for the MALC exam. You need a minimum of 17 credits to take MALC.

a. Foundation is 2 credits
b. Lifecycle course are 3 each
c. Capability are 4 each
d. MALC is 5

#4 – PeopleCert Certification Exam

Once you have prepared for an exam and hold the required Certificate of Completion for the Intermediate and MALC courses, then you are ready to purchase and take your exam. The official exam provider for all ITIL exams as of January 1, 2018 is PeopleCert. You can purchase your ITIL Exams from PeopleCert directly or from an Authorized Exam Organization. Exams can be taken at exam centers and Online so you can take them from the comfort of your home or office.

We hope this article on ITIL Certification has been informative and helpful. If you have any questions, we are here to help. You can reach us by phone at, 877.546.4446 or via email at, customerservice@gogotraining.com

Good news! If you hold the ITIL Practitioner Service Desk, Incident and Problem Management certificate you can use it towards 3.5 credits in the current ITIL Credit program. To get your credits you will need to register and upload your certificate in the PeopleCert system so PeopleCert can review it and apply the credit.

When it comes to the ITIL Foundation exam, students–especially those with experience–often think that they can take the sample exams and then sit for the exam and pass.  While that may be true for some, it is not true for everyone.  The ITIL Foundation course establishes the basis upon which all advanced ITIL courses and certifications are built.  It is full of facts and details which you need to master in order to pass the exam.  Sample Exams are just that, sample exams.  They are not the actual test.  They are created by AXELOS and distributed by PeopleCert for students to test their knowledge.  They do not guarantee success.  In order to guarantee success you have to study.  Master the facts.  Know them.  And be able to apply them in the exam.

While it is true that ITIL Foundation has the highest pass rate of all the ITIL Exams, in the 92 to 94% range, 6 to 8% of the people who take the exam will not pass.  While 6 to 8% seems like a small number, take a look at some eye opening statistics:

• Over 200,000 people take the exam each year
• 12,000 to 16,000 people who take the exam will fail.
• Failure costs $4 to $5.58 million dollars a year ($349/voucher)

How to Pass Your ITIL Foundation Exam the First Time

No one ever likes to hear this, but the answer is you MUST study.   For Foundation taking an accredited course is not required, but it is highly recommended.  Why?  Because you know that you are learning everything you need to know.  Accredited Training Providers cannot offer courses that have not been reviewed and approved.

If you are taking a live course, come prepared.  Do some advance study and then be ready with questions for the instructor.  Make the very best use of their time.  If you are taking a self-paced course, repeat and rewind until you master the concepts.  Do all the course exercises and take the sample exams.  Remember – Sample Exams are just that, a sample.  They were created by AXELOS and are the official exam samples.  You can search the internet for other materials to learn and test your knowledge, but ultimately, you must know the content to pass the exam.

Important Self-Paced Course Features

• Make sure the course is accredited
• Make sure you can watch the course as many times as needed
• Make sure you have access to the instructor to ask questions
• Make sure the provider includes a Training Plan
• Make sure the instructor gives you Exam Tips

If you have questions on exam prices, need to get more ITIL Training  or would like to purchase exam vouchers, contact us customerservice@gogotraining.com or call us at 877.546.4446.

Group Discounts on courses and exams are available for groups of 5 or more.  If you have a group to train, contact us at customerservice@gogotraining.com or by phone at 877.546.4446.

Since our last update on ITIL Exam Prices PeopleCert has finalized their 2018 prices as follows:

• ITIL Foundation Exams went from $233 to $349
• ITIL Intermediate Exams and MALC went from $330 to $399
• ITIL Practitioner Exams went from $356 to $496

 How to Save on your ITIL Exam Fees

All GogoTraining Members receive 10% off their ITIL Exam Fees and exams may be purchase on the site.  In addition, larger discounts are available when exam vouchers are purchase in bulk.  If you have questions on exam prices, need to get more ITIL Training  or would like to purchase exam vouchers, contact us customerservice@gogotraining.com or call us at 877.546.4446.

Group Discounts on courses and exams are available for groups of 5 or more.  If you have a group to train, contact us at customerservice@gogotraining.com or by phone at 877.546.4446

Is ITIL Online Training For You?

It used to be that when you were ready to get your ITIL Certifications you signed up for a live instructor-ed, classroom-delivered course.  When you did that, you had to get approval to take off from work and the budget to take the class.  Live ITIL classroom courses can cost anywhere from $1,200 to $3,500 depending on the course, the length of the course and whether or not the certification exam was included in the cost of the training.  With training budgets being the first to be hit when budgets are tightened, many individuals and organizations are turning to online self-paced ITIL courses.

Online self-paced ITIL training has many benefits:

• You can train on your timeframe
• You can train from any location
• Courses are available 24/7
• You can repeat and rewind in order to master the materials
• Pricing is at 50 to 75% lower than classroom training
  • Contact Us for course and exam pricing

The Downside to Online Self-Paced ITIL Training

The biggest downside is time.  Whenever you are assigned or decide to take a class you MUST allocate the time to take the class.  We have found that the most successful students setup a schedule and, if assigned by their company, get approval to take the time to take the class from their manager.  This ensures that there is a timetable and approval to take the class.  Almost like getting approval to take a live class.   When you treat an online class like a live class you will have a much better chance of completing the class and sitting for the certification exam.

 Goal Setting and Time Allocation

If you are good at managing your time and setting goals, then online self-paced training will be a good vehicle for you to achieve your goals in a timely and cost-effective manner.  The most important thing to do is to set your goals and to allocate the time to achieve them.  The next most important thing is to find a course that is engaging.  There are courses taught by computers and animation and there are courses taught by real instructors.  Everyone has different interests and most companies allow you to sample their courses before you buy them.  Take the time to sample and find the type of course that you find most engaging.

How to Pick A Great Online Self-Paced ITIL Training Class

The most important feature of any online self-paced class is that it is created by an expert instructor and designed and proven to be a successful knowledge transfer course.  For example, there are organizations today that allow anyone to put up a course without checking the author’s credentials.  To be successful you want to make sure that the organization you choose is working with expert instructors.  You want to make sure that the classes are accredited.  In the case of ITIL you want to make sure that the courses are taught by ITIL Experts and that they include sample exams, exercises designed to help you master the materials and you want to be able to ask the instructor questions.  Do not accept a substitute.

Check Box for Success

 Here are a list of questions you will want to ask to help ensure your success:

• Is the class accredited?
• Is it taught by an ITIL Expert?
• Does the course come with exercises?
• Does the course come with sample exams?
• What kind of support comes with the class?
• Do I have access to the instructor to ask questions?
• How long do I have access to the class?
• Can I take the course as many times as I need to in order to master the content?
• Does the course come with exam tips?

 Have Questions?  Need a Price Quote?

The team at GogoTraining is here to help.  Have a question about a certification?  Need help planning your training roadmap?  Looking for a course and exam package?  Call us at 877.546.4446 or email us at customerservice@gogotraining.com

By Guest Author Adrian Bates

Hello, my name is Adrian Bates and I have utilized GogoTraining to acquire three ITIL certifications: ITIL Foundations; ITIL Release Control and Validation Intermediate; and Planning Process and Optimization Intermediate Certification.

Here are a couple of tips and tricks that I use to identify what information is critical to absorb during training. Additionally, I listed a couple of tips that have helped me prepare for an exam.

Tip 1:

Prior to taking the training, I briefly reviewed the “Example Exams” within the module. I tended to focus on the “Question Rationale” portion of the test exam. This explains the reasoning behind how it was determined what the best answer is for each question.  There is an area within the question and rationale titled “Bloom’s Taxonomy Testing Level”. This portion explains what the candidate is expected to understand. This tends to help me during training as key parts of the course tend to stand out as critical pieces of information when reflecting on the example exams.

Tip 2:

Another key piece of information that assists with passing the exams is understanding the functional roles and responsibilities of each process. Each scenario speaks to a specific process and generally asks that you align the process or manager role accordingly.  If you have a fundamental understanding of the Capacity, Availability, Demand, Continuity processes etc…, you will have a higher chance of answering the question correctly.

Tip 3:

The last tip I have is that you thoroughly read the question being asked. Every scenario presents a challenge or obstacle that has to be overcome. Close attention must be paid to what question is being asked. For example, the question may ask something along the lines like; what is the best “approach” to create a successful continuity plan that addresses the issues listed by the Information Security Officer. The answers will vary, some of the answers are known as “distracters”. For example, one of the answers might illustrate a plan. The plan will sound great and may be best way to solve the issue. Keep in mind, you were not asked to solve the problem.  You were asked to assess the best way to approach the problem, and to create a plan that in the end will address the issues.  Again, it is very important that you read the question being asked slowly and to answer it as direct as possible.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my tips and tricks! My goal is to achieve ITIL expert and I have found this technique to be very helpful.  I have passed every exam on the first try and I strongly recommend GogoTraining when preparing for your exams.  Their training material is a great asset. The cost, accessibility to the site, support and training, in my opinion all receive good marks. You will realize this when you take the exam.

As many of you know PEOPLECERT was chosen by AXELOS to be the only Accredited ITIL Exam Institute as of January 1, 2018.  This means that effective January 1, 2018 the only organization that is authorized to provide ITIL Exams will be PEOPLECERT.  In preparation for this changeover GogoTraining became a PEOPLECERT Accredited Training Organization earlier this year.

2018 ITIL Exam Price Increase

We were recently informed that PEOPLECERT is increasing exam prices as of January 1, 2018.  Exam vouchers purchased in 2017 will not be valid for use in 2018.

Here is what we know so far:

• The Foundations exams are going from $233 to $295
• Intermediate exams and MALC expected to go from $330 to $345
• Practitioner is expected to go from $356 to $395

If you have questions on exam prices, need to get more ITIL Training  or would like to purchase exam vouchers, contact us customerservice@gogotraining.com or call us at877.546.4446.

Group Discounts on courses and exams are available for groups of 5 or more.  If you have a group to train, contact us at customerservice@gogotraining.com or by phone at877.546.4446

By Guest Author Bassomo Romaric

Background

I am Bassomo Serge Romaric, Cameroonian, 30 years old and I am Telecommunication engineer. I started my career 8 years ago in IT mostly around Storage (EMC), Virtualization (VMware), Network (CISCO, Fortinet). Service Operation is my bread and butter everyday job.

Why I wanted to achieve ITIL Certification

I was hired one year ago, in our National Telco Company. In my previous work experience, I knew about ITIL, but I was not feeling the necessity to learn more. It is when I changed my previous company that I discovered the power of ITIL and the desire to learn more. In fact in my current company we have poor user satisfaction, bad reputation in delivering services to customer, project are delivered over-cost, over-time, quality is declining, many incidents …. Etc. We have some good guys in IT, CCIE, Oracle Expert, Microsoft expert but nothing runs as expected. We have no ITSM initiative at all, we are only focused on technology and not how IT creates value to business. This is why I decided to achieve ITIL certification.

Research of training provider

I passed my foundation exam in May 2015, I decided to look at the requirements of expert track. I have two options taking classroom exam or online class. Classroom was my preferred option because for me it is interactive. But when it comes to math :

1 – Lifecycle = 5 exams at $2000 each + 1 MALC exam at $3000 = $13 000

2 – Capability = 4 exams at $2500 each + 1 MALC exam at $3000 = $15 500

And I have to add travel fee because at the time there were no accredited training provider for intermediate courses (capability) in my country or nearby. It was too expensive for me. And my company only invests in tech certification for engineers. So my project was stalled.

At the beginning of 2016, I take my project out of the bag and I begin investigations for the online option. My first step was to have a short list of accredited training provider from EXIN. I checked the website of every training provider, also checked the background of the trainer on LinkedIn.  I choose GogoTraining because of the trainer Dr Suzanne Van Hove. I knew her ISO 20 000 with Lynda.com so I was very comfortable with the quality. And after I stay because GOGO people are very responsive.  And also very very important the price structure is very flexible you can buy access for 1 year, six months … etc depending on your time and budget. During my journey, I discover GOGO staff, they are very kind and always available.  When you send an email you have feedback immediately.

My exam technique

First of all the course is clear. Dr Suzanne is a great trainer. With GOGO you do two things at same time, you train for ITIL course and you have some great experience sharing with Dr Suzanne. She shares some tips of how to handle some cases in real life. Her Capability courses are simply excellent.

How I used the material

• First I take one day off (Sunday) to listen all the videos about 8 hours. I skipped the exercises and sample questions.
• Afterward, I read the Book in particular order (Chap 1, 9 , 2, 3, 4, 5; 6; 7 , 8). There are scenario highlights when you are reading the book that refer to some real case company. There are so helpful and increase understanding. This is the first and most helpful sample question.
• Third step use this process model to verify if I have the understanding of a particular process.

• After my reading,  I did the exercises.
• Next, I viewed videos for the second time.
• I read ITIL pocket book
• 1 days before the exam I do sample exam question and I review the topics where I was weak.
• The day of the exam I read the enlarged slide and the video 01 Exams tips.

My scores

I passed all my exams the first time!!!

Foundation: 100%

Capability: SOA 90% , PPO 78%, RCV 95%

Lifecycle: SS 75%, SD 85% , ST 75%

Editor’s Note: We congratulate and thank Bossomo & all of our students who have learned so much and brought their skills to the ITIL Community! Well done!!

GogoTraining conducted a webinar on Mar 15, where Dr. Suzanne Van Hove discussed several nuances of ITIL Practitioner. She explained in detail about the ITIL Practitioner course, the concepts of IT Service Management, and why you need the Practitioner. She also answered some frequently asked questions related to ITIL Practitioner.

Key takeaways from the seminar:

1. Students will need to understand the following terms & concepts:
   1. What is Adopt & Adapt
   2. Service Value,
   3. Who is or can be the Customer
   4. What is Effective vs. Efficient,
   5. VOCR (Value, Outcome, Costs, Risks)
2. The importance of Communication, Metrics and Organizational Change Management to the Service Management consultant
3. The need for and use of an improvement framework

A Peek Inside the ITIL Practitioner Exam

Passing the ITIL Practitioner exam is all about applying the concepts. 70-80% of the questions in the ITIL exam are application-based while remaining are based on theories. Thus, you should spend a majority of your preparation time (70-80%) on doing exercises to strengthen your ability to apply theoretical knowledge.

Most of the exercises in ITIL Practitioner training are based on case studies. There will be a fictitious company and a hypothetical situation. You need to apply the ITIL concepts and identify key elements in order to implement the proper solution within the given situational context.   Only through the proper implementation of the concepts can you solve the problems correctly.

The ITIL Practitioner course has several advantages such as helping you gain practical skills, boosting your self-confidence and teaching you about the environment in which Service Management decisions are made within an organization. The course also helps you become an internal or external specialist and utilize the skills learned to provide expert professional advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Are exam questions similar to the exercises in the course?

Answer: No. The exercises are designed to reinforce the principles. Since the exam questions are based on a particular case, you need to have a tremendous understanding of the concepts and their applications to answer them. However, practicing the exercises will help you do better in the final exam.

Question:  When can I take the ITIL Practitioner

Answer:  ITIL Foundation is mandatory for taking ITIL Practitioner exam. Also, it is recommended that you should take at least take one or two intermediate classes before attempting ITIL Practitioner so that you develop the understanding of the context and critical ITSM concepts.

Question:  How difficult would it be for experienced ITSM professionals if they take the Practitioner exam without undergoing a training program?

Answer: It will be difficult as it uses a specific language and you need to write ITIL Practitioner exam in a particular atmosphere. So, you will need to study the course extensively and familiarize yourself with all the core concepts before taking the exam.

Question: How much studying do I need to pass the exam?

Answer: It depends on the individual. There are many concepts which are subtle while others are quite dynamic. You need to read the course text thoroughly and practice the activities given in the book.  If you have done the ITIL CSI intermediate course, it will help you in the Practitioner exam preparation. You may also highlight the key concepts in the book so that you can refer to them quickly during the exam.

Question: Should I take any particular Intermediate Class before attempting the ITIL Practitioner exam?

Answer: It would be good to take one or two intermediate courses before you take ITIL Practitioner.  If you have not taken any we recommend CSI or Service Strategy.

Question: How is ITIL Practitioner different from ITIL Expert?

Answer: ITIL Expert is very different from ITIL Practitioner regarding content as well the context. The Expert doesn’t deal with the soft skills and still requires you to memorize the concepts even though it is more practical than the Intermediates. ITIL Practitioner is more hands-on and based on your application of concepts in different contexts.

Conclusion

You need ITIL Practitioner so that you learn the skills necessary to lead an Adopt & Adapt initiative within your organization. ITIL Practitioner is significantly different from the other ITIL courses as in the Practitioner your focus is not on memorizing new knowledge but, synthesizing what you already have and applying it to real-life situations.  Active participation in course exercises, as well as focused study, will be critical to pass this difficult exam.

If you have any questions to Dr. Van Hove, please send them to customerservice@gogotraining.com.