ITIL 4 was introduced by AXELOS in early 2019, making it the latest addition in the evolution of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). ITIL 4 supports organizations with a start-to-finish IT services model and assists IT teams in fulfilling a greater role for overall business strategy and digital transformation. Professionals interested in getting ITIL certifications have to clear multiple levels of ITIL certification exam. These start with the foundation level exam and end with the ITIL Master level exam.
The ITIL foundation exam covers the key elements and concepts of ITIL. The exam aims to test the candidate’s knowledge and awareness about the principles of ITIL including, but not limited to, the ITIL service lifecycle, links between the different stages of the lifecycle, the processes and the impact on IT service management. The ITIL 4 Foundation certification exam has a total of 40 questions with a time limit of 60 minutes. You must score at least 65% marks (26 questions out of 40) to earn the ITIL 4 Foundation certification and earn two credits through successful completion of the exam.
One of the most common questions which crop up in the minds of our competitive geniuses and IT enthusiasts is how to crack the ITIL exam in the very first go. This blog will be helpful for all the professionals looking to get it right the first time around.
Below you will find carefully panned out tips for your successful first attempt at ITIL foundation exam.
- Intent: You must have a clear intent of passing and earning the certification. In today’s busy world almost everyone is pressurized by the baggage of earning more and more certifications, to make their resume look better for the employer. Owing to this reason, a number of working professionals start the ITIL journey but are unable to invest the time required to plan and prepare for the exam. Therefore, it is imperative to gain clarity on how important the certification is for you and prepare accordingly. You must spare a minimum of 6 hours every week to study and prepare for the exam. The ITIL Foundation text consists of 5 sections – Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement (CSI) with a few introductory sections as well. You should plan your time by focusing on 1 section each week. Planning ahead can be beneficial to avoid the last-minute jitters before the exam.
- Practice, practice and practice some more: Practice makes perfect – As clichéd as this may sound, it is the universal truth which holds a lot of power. To start with, you must refer to a good guide for the ITIL exam, which provides a roadmap with well-designed material for passing the exam. It helps you in familiarizing yourself with the pattern of the exam and you get an idea of what the real exam could be like. This guide is followed by self-assessment or sample papers. Practice and re-practice self-assessment questions and sample test papers for ample preparedness. We cannot place enough emphasis on the importance of effective revision. As the great Billie Jean King, once said – “Champions keep playing until they get it right”
- Think ITIL: The examination judges you on your knowledge of ITIL concepts. Having prior experience in your organization may influence your answers which can backfire because you are being assessed plainly on your knowledge and understanding of ITIL concepts. Therefore, it is essential to think ITIL only and not be biased by prior experience.
- Understand the keywords and abbreviations: ITIL certification uses a variety of abbreviations and keywords. It is essential to understand and memorize these abbreviations and keywords before appearing for the examination. The abbreviations and keywords usually link to other keywords and may get a bit confusing if you’re not completely accustomed to the concepts of ITIL. For example – If you receive a question on customer value, this may be directed to a service strategy. Similarly, there are other keywords such as service design and service level agreements (SLA) which can be linked to other keywords and you must be accustomed to these terminologies at the back of your hand.
- Read the examination carefully: Take plenty of time to read each question carefully to avoid any carelessness. When completing the exam online, it is easy to skim through a couple of lines which could lead to a completely wrong answer. The questions are not especially tricky to understand and you get 60 minutes for 40 questions. This gives you plenty of time to re-read your question and answer.
- Breathe and relax: And finally, just breathe! It is easy to lose focus by panicking before the exam, or even worse, during the exam. The trick is to stay focused and keep your head clear. Maintain a healthy balance by following the absolute basics, such as sleeping well, knowing your material and being confident about your concepts and knowledge.
Point to remember:
- Whilst going through the study material, create your own list of key points and revise them religiously.
- Clarify any questions or doubts you may have with your instructor
- The Practice test is your bible and will help you understand where you stand
- Schedule your ITIL exam once you fair consistently well on the sample tests
Adopting and following the above tips, can go a long way in guaranteeing success in your ITIL journey. The most important advice anyone could give is to stay determined and maintain your self-confidence throughout the completion of this path. In addition to this, it is imperative to take up an ITIL course with an accredited center – an Authorized Training Organizations (ATO). You can opt for online classes or classroom study. The ITIL training provider can help you by providing a step-by-step guide to master the course.
Cognixia – world’s leading digital talent transformation company is offering a fully developed portfolio of AXELOS accredited ITIL training, ranging from the Foundation to Intermediate and Expert levels. Our ITIL 4 Foundation course offers live, instructor-led training session with round-the-clock technical support and lifetime access to the learning material via the LMS. This course focuses on helping organizations and individuals understand ITIL 4 best practices and ultimately achieve the ITIL 4 certification. Cognixia is an Authorized Training Organization with AXELOS, and has secured a 100% pass rate for all its public schedules for ITIL 4 Foundation till date. In other words, all our ITIL 4 Foundation training participants have cleared the ITIL 4 Foundation certification examination in their very first attempt and have earned their ITIL 4 Foundation certification. Our ITIL training is also covered by the 100% moneyback guarantee, whereby, if you do not clear the ITIL certification exam in the first attempt, we will refund the entire course fee back to you. (Terms and Conditions Apply)
To know more about our ITIL 4 Foundation training and to get certified in ITIL 4, review our course here.
