Understanding ITIL® 4 certification Paths
Peoplecert’s and Axelos’s ITIL® 4 certification scheme can be adapted to the learning requirements of the individual and the organization. It uses a modular, tiered approach to allow you to develop a
As we all know ITIL® stands for IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and it offers best practices for delivering IT services using a systematic approach to IT service management (ITSM). ITIL certification is near the top of almost every list of must-have IT certifications, and for good reason. As an IT management framework, ITIL® can help businesses manage risk, strengthen customer relations, establish cost-effective practices, and build a stable IT environment that allows for growth, scale, and change.
The ITIL® 4 was updated by Axelos in February 2019 to include a stronger emphasis on maintaining agility, flexibility, and innovation in ITSM, while still supporting legacy networks and systems. As of 2023, ITIL® 4 has been fully rolled out and Axelos announced the discontinuation of ITIL 3 at the start of 2022.
Initially ITIL® was Developed by the British government’s Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) during the 1980s, the ITIL® first consisted of more than 30 books, developed, and released over time, that codified best practices in IT accumulated from many sources (including vendors’ best practices) around the world.
ITIL® 4 certification paths
The ITIL® 4 certification scheme has been streamlined to offer three main designation paths, each with their own modules to complete. You will progress from the Foundation level to either the Managing Professional (MP), Strategic Leader (SL), or Practice Manager (PM) paths. You can stop at either path, or if you choose to complete all three, you’ll be eligible to earn the ITIL® Master designation.
ITIL® Foundation
No matter which path you choose, you’ll first need to pass the ITIL® Foundation module, an entry-level certification that covers the basics of ITIL® 4. Candidates for the ITIL® 4 Foundation exam should have a basic understanding of creating valuable products and services for customers and stakeholders, the basic principles of ITIL® 4, the four dimensions of service management, best practices of ITIL® 4, and key concepts of Lean, agile, and DevOps.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Foundation
ITIL Managing Professional (MP)
ITIL® Specialist Create Deliver & Support: This module covers core service management techniques, service performance, and service quality and improvement methods. It’s aimed at ITSM practitioners responsible for end-to-end delivery of IT services and products.
Learning Options for ITIL® Specialist Create Deliver & Support
ITIL® Specialist Drive Stakeholder Value: This module covers engagement and interactions among customers, users, suppliers, and partners with the service provider. You’ll cover SLA design, multi-supplier management, communication, relationship management, CX and UX design, and customer journey mapping
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Specialist: Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV):
ITIL® Specialist High Velocity IT: In this module you’ll learn how to integrate methodologies such as agile and Lean with other technical skills, including cloud, automation, and automatic testing, to deliver rapid delivery of products and services.
Learning Options for ITIL® Specialist: High Velocity IT (HVIT):
ITIL® Strategist Direct Plan & Improve: The fourth module covers the practical skills necessary to “create a learning and improving IT organization with a strong and effective strategic direction.” You’ll focus on leveraging agile and Lean to plan and deliver continual improvements quickly.
ITIL Strategic Leader (SL)
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Strategist: Direct Plan and Improve (DPI):
ITIL® Leader Digital & IT Strategy: In the second module, you’ll learn how to align business and IT strategy and how to handle disruptive technologies. It covers topics such as how to remain competitive in a fast-changing market, maintaining flexible and adaptable environments, and how to effectively build and implement successful IT and digital strategies.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy (DITS):
ITIL Master
If you complete all modules required for both the MP and SL certification paths, you’ll qualify for the ITIL Master designation. To become an ITIL Master you need at least five years’ experience working in ITSM in a leadership, management, or advisory level.
ITIL® Practice Manager (PM)
The ITIL® Practice Manager (PM) certification offers practice-based modules that allow for a more flexible training schedule, allowing you to “bundle, mix, and match the modules,” according to Axelos. It’s designed for those who want to validate and demonstrate skills and abilities in specific ITIL® 4 management practices. To earn the ITIL® 4 Practice Manager certification, you’ll need to complete five individual practices offered through day-long training, or the three-day bundled course, along with the ITIL® Specialist: Create, Deliver, and Support module.
ITIL® 4 Practitioner: Service Desk – including the key concepts, principles, values, and challenges. This module validates your ability to measure, assess, and develop the Service Desk practice capability using the ITIL Maturity Model.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Practitioner: Service Desk
Incident Management – covering skills around coordinating incident handling, resolving incidents, conducting incident reviews, and improving incident management practices.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Practitioner: Incident Management
Problem Management – completing this module validates that you have the skills and abilities to reduce the impact of potential incidents, reduce technical debt and losses, and identify relevant IT support resources.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Practitioner: Problem Management
Service Request Management – covering concepts including reducing costs around request handling and fulfilment, identifying realistic fulfilment expectations, and improving the service consumer experience.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Practitioner: Service Request Management
Monitoring and Event Management – covering proactive and early detection of incidents and problems, understanding service health, boosting performance, reducing the cost of outages, and managing assets impacting the service value stream performance with a focus on IT service availability.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Practitioner: Monitoring and Event Management
ITIL® Extension Modules
ITIL® 4 Specialist: Acquiring & Managing Cloud Services – covers how cloud procurement and technology can support broader business goals, strategies, and functions. This module covers the benefits of a vendor-neutral approach, identifying effective cloud services, and adopting a customer-focused end-to-end cloud procurement user journey.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Specialist: Acquiring & Managing Cloud Services (AMCS):
- ITIL® 4 Specialist: Sustainability in Digital & IT – focused on creating sustainability in IT and digital services, especially around procurement, products, and practices. It covers challenges around volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) and how to conduct a full cost benefit analysis to identify potential risks and opportunities.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Specialist: Sustainability in Digital & IT (SDIT):
ITIL® 4 Specialist: Business Relationship Management – covers topics including defining business relationship management roles, applying metrics and practice success factors to improve performance, and identifying operational requirements.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Specialist: Business Relationship Management (BRM):
ITIL® 4 Specialist: IT Asset Management – learn here how to define IT asset management roles, responsibilities, knowledge, and skills. It covers planning and managing the lifecycle of IT assets, automating IT asset management, and improving overall performance.
Learning Options for ITIL® 4 Specialist: IT Asset Management:
