Many ITIL Certified Professionals hear ITIL 5 is here and wonder, Why? 

For those of you who read the classic story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factor or watched the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, then you know all about the Golden Ticket.  For those of you who have not, the Golden Ticket is a rare pass hidden under the wrappers of five ordinary Wonka Chocolate Bar that rewards the winner with a lifetime supply of chocolate.  The story tells the tales of the hunt for the tickets while providing a lesson in character.

So how it is possible that I draw the analogy between the lessons learned during a hunt for chocolate and the New ITIL Transformation (Version 5) Certification?  Here are the lessons that the author, Roald Dahl, sought to teach in his book.  For those of you who have taken Transformation, what do you think?  Am I spot on?

Lesson One:  Virtue and Integrity Triumph Over Vice

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory highlights a system of moral tests that must be passed to win the chocolate.  For me Transformation provides the system needed to implement ITIL in the real world.  Knowing the right way to navigate is what it is all about.  When you have the tools you need to successfully implement ITIL you win all the benefits that come with it.

Lesson Two:  True Wealth lies in Character, Not Materialism

In relation to certifications, value lies in knowing how to use the information you learned in the real world.  In my first job my boss told me, “Marianne, we don’t pay for excuses, we pay for results.  Do the job.”

In the ITIL Certification world,  Transformation is the only Certification that does the job.  Foundation gives you a common language to communicate.  The advanced certifications give you even more specific knowledge, but nothing on bringing what you learned to life.  The true character of ITIL rests in knowing what to do with it.  It does not rest in paying for certifications that can’t be actualized without the information you learn in Transformation.

Lesson Three:  A Warning Against inept Parenting

Don’t laugh too hard at this one.  It is all about discipline.  Stop indulging and do the work.  If you think about it, if Transformation is the only ITIL Certification that gives you the tools to do the work.  If we think of PeopleCert as the Mother Ship, then Transformation is PeopleCert’s disciplinary certification.  Take it.  Learn it.  Implement it.  Do you need to pay for any of the other certifications?  Maybe, maybe not.  Depends on if you need to be certified in the other topics.  Now remember this is coming to you from a training provider, so this does not serve me well, but it is the truth.  Hard work + Transformation = Good Parenting!

Lesson Four:  The Power of Pure Imagination

Finally, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory shows us how much potential lies in all of us.  We are told to be creative, think out of the box and have an open mind.  Wonka chose a child to inherit his legacy because to make sure that the ability to “dream big” and think beyond corporate rigidness was vitally important to success.

In the world of ITIL, Transformation allows you to “Dream Big” and be creative while using the tools you are given to help you build the right path for your organization. Dreaming Big and Being Big is 100% based on creativity, non-conformity, an open mind, and discipline.  If you want to make a difference in your organization, if you want to make a difference in your career, if you want to make a difference in the way you address issues in the workplace, then ITIL Transformation is your Golden Ticket.

Transformation is the only ITIL 5 Certification that provides the guidelines that you need to succeed.  Information is great but does nothing for you if you don’t know how to use it.  Transformation gives you the available to bring ITIL to life in the real world.  If you only take 1 advanced ITIL Course, this is the one our Triple ITIL Master David Billouz recommends.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this piece as much as I have enjoyed writing it.  Really looking forward to your comments!

Getting asked about ITIL 4 – should I continue with my certifications and the answer is…it depends.

1. If you hold the ITIL 4 Foundation Certification and no advanced ITIL 4 certifications, then it is best to upgrade to ITIL 5 with the ITIL 5 Foundation Bridge Certification. Is it low cost ($263) compared to the full ITIL 5 Foundation ($680) and it renews your certifications for 3-years. Remember, the ITIL 5 Foundation Bridge is a limited edition meaning it will not be available forever.

2. If you have advanced certifications, then you are usually best to complete them because you can upgrade them to ITIL 5 by adding only 1 Certification. We call this Certification (ITIL 5 Transformation) the Golden Ticket because you can upgrade ITIL 4 Practice Manager, ITIL 4 Managing Professional and ITIL 5 Strategy by adding the ITIL Transformation Certification. On top of that, it is the only ITIL 5 Certification that shares how to implement ITIL in the real world. A real game changer.

3. If you are new to ITIL, then you have to look at why you want to get certified. If you work for an ITIL 4 shop or are applying to jobs that require ITIL 4 Certification, then go with ITIL 4 Foundation. If not, then go straight to ITIL 5 Foundation.

Let me know if this was helpful and be sure to ask questions!

This September All ITIL 5 Courses are Free!

>  No Strings Attached!

>  Buy the Discounted PeopleCert Exam Voucher.

>  Receive the PeopleCert Exam Voucher & the Accredited Course (1-year Access).

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Don’t Miss Out!

• ITIL Foundation – $599 – Buy Now!
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• ITIL Managing Professional Transition (2 Exam Vouchers) – $1,345 – Buy Now!
• All Advanced Exams – $799

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What’s Included:

• 12 months access to the PeopleCert Accredited GogoTraining eLearning Course.
• 12 months access to your trainer to ask questions while you prepare for certification.
• 1 PeopleCert Exam Voucher Valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.
• 5-year access to the PeopleCert Official eBook.
• 12 months access to the PeopleCert Accredited Resource Kit.
• The PeopleCert Official Certification Exam Syllabus.
• 2-PeopleCert Accredited Sample Papers and solutions.
• Letter of Course Attendance/proof of completion required for all advanced ITIL Exams.
• Official PeopleCert e-Certificate provided by PeopleCert upon passing the exam.
• Exclusive GogoTraining Exam Prep Videos.
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Rules:

• This is a limited time offer – Valid for all ITIL 5 Exam Vouchers purchased in September 2026.
• The package includes 1-year Free Access to the GogoTraining’s PeopleCert Accredited Course that goes with the exam voucher purchased.
• PeopleCert Exam Vouchers are valid for 1-year from the date of purchase and include the PeopleCert eBook and Resource Kit.
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• PeopleCert Take2 Exam Retake can be added to any package for $78 (PeopleCert charges $105)
• 1-year Access for courses that are not yet released begins on the release date.

Have Questions?  Contact Us Today!

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.

Getting to ITIL 5 from ITIL 4 is very easy.  Take a look at the options below and Contact Us with Questions.

1. If you have an ITIL 4 Foundation Certification (Active or Not) you can upgrade your Foundation Certification to ITIL 5 by taking the ITIL 5 Bridge Certification. This is the fastest and least expensive way to update your ITIL 5 Foundation and recertify for 3-years. This is for people who are Foundation Certified and have no plans to go on to advanced ITIL 5 certifications.
2. If you have the ITIL 4 Practice Manager or Strategic Leader Designations you only need to take 1 course & exam to achieve the ITIL 5 Designation. The Certification is ITIL Transformation, and my understanding is that it is an amazing class. Probably the best ITIL 5 class because it gives you the tools you need to use in the real world.
3. If you hold the ITIL V3 Expert, ITIL 4 Managing Professional or ITIL 4 Master Designations you too only need to take 1 Certification to upgrade to ITIL 5. The Certification is the Managing Professional Transition. It is a 5-day course in the classroom (about 20 hours in eLearning) and includes 2-exams (one for MP and one for Transformation).
4. If you hold only ITIL 4 Foundation you have the option to go right into any ITIL 5 Advanced course without having to take the ITIL 5 Foundation.
5. If you are New to ITIL you have the choice to do either ITIL 4 or ITIL 5. ITIL 4 will be available until December 31, 2027. If your organizations uses 4 or you are going after a job that requires V4, go for V4. Otherwise you can go straight to ITIL Version 5.

The world is constantly changing. As IT Service Providers, Digital Product and Service Vendors and those employed in these organizations we need to know how change impacts our business, when transformation is required and how to design successful transformations.

Enter the New ITIL 5 Transformation Certification

The New ITIL Transformation Certification is the only ITIL Certification that addresses the real world.  It does this by giving IT Service Providers, Digital Product & Service Vendors, and their employees the tools they need to make successful transformation decisions and create successful outcomes.

What Does This Mean to You?

Whether you lead an organization or are a member of an organizations, contributing to successful transformations means success for you and your organization.

Transformation Teaches “How To”

The Transformation Certification provides a detailed overview of the most common situations that IT Service Providers and Digital Product & Service Vendors deal with and provides the tools required to manage the situations when they arise.

Who Qualifies to Take the ITIL Transformation Certification?

Everyone. Isn’t that interesting?

The ITIL Transformation Certification is a part of EVERY ITIL 5 Advanced Certification Path (Practice Manager, Managing Professional and Strategic Leader) or you can go straight from Foundation to Transformation and stop there.

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.