ITIL® 4 represents a massive paradigm shift in the information technology service management (ITSM) framework. With this latest iteration, the first in eight years, the developers of ITIL strive to prepare learners for the new technologies, lifecycles, and agile approaches to service co-creation existing in the workplace. Currently, I am teaching the following Skillsoft ITIL 4 Foundation courses, which offer learners a broad and comprehensive curriculum that will prepare candidates for the ITIL 4 certification examination. These courses include the core components of the Service Value System and cover subjects such as the ITIL Service Value Chain, the ITIL Practices, the ITIL Guiding Principles, IT Governance, and Continual Improvement.
Many of you will be familiar with ITIL®3 and perhaps are wondering if it is possible to simply update to the new exam. Given how dramatically the standard has shifted, I would recommend that candidates start fresh and go through all of Skillsoft’s nine new courses, which fully align with AXELOS’ ITIL 4 syllabus and certification exam objectives. For example, in our new ITIL 4 curriculum, it covers the new Service Value System and Service Value Chain, which replaces the ITILv3 Service Lifecycle. Also, there are now 34 Practices as opposed to 26, and they are divided into three categories: general management, service management, and technical management. There is also a greater emphasis on governance and automation in the new path.
What do candidates need to know for ITIL 4 certification?
The following are the main five topics anyone pursuing ITIL certification will need to know:
This area is a large percentage of the exam. So, for example, you will need a good understanding of the Service Desk practice, the different types of changes in Change Management, and the three phases of Problem Management, to name just a few. You will find that our courses the necessary practices for the Foundation exam in the latter part of the curriculum.
All students must identify the elements of the Service Value Chain) and their basic definitions, which I go over in the Service Value Chain course. Knowing these areas will help you to better understand the new Service Value System.
At the beginning of the training, all learners will discover the relationship between value and various stakeholders, core concepts, relationships, and definitions, such as “utility” and “warranty.”
The other main areas of the exam explore the definitions, inputs, and outcomes of the Service Value System, along with the seven guiding principles that embody the core message of ITIL and service management in general. You will find these elements covered in the Service Value Chain and Guiding Principles courses of the curriculum.
While the curriculum content is extensive, there are only 40 questions on the exam. Candidates need to know how to define all of the critical aspects of the Service Value System but do not need to possess an in-depth understanding of the area. That level of detail falls within the Managing Professional and Strategic Leader certifications.
Skillsoft’s ITIL 4 Foundation curriculum not only prepares learners for the ITIL 4 certificate exam, it is also the cornerstone professionals need as they move further along the IT service management path to ITIL Master. ITIL 4 Foundation is not the goal, but rather, the first step on a journey to genuine continual improvement using ITIL as the framework.
Have a look at the course details here: https://www.certhub.com.au/itil-foundation-v4-2019-update/
***A guest blog post from Michael Shannon senior technical instructor and content developer at Skillsoft specialising in all things ITIL, cloud, and security.