Are you an IT professional and want to be more into managing the business rather than developing apps or databases? Want to do what works for you through improved IT services and productivity in a startups? Are you a business manager with IT skills and need a certification for the next big movement in your career? The ITIL Certification is perfect for all the above scenarios. This article is the ultimate guideline that brings you one step closer to the ITIL accreditation challenge in 2022.
What Is an ITIL Certification?
Owned by Axelos, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is the leading framework for information technology (IT) service delivery and management. ITIL suggests a set of practices that businesses can adopt to get assistance with:
Global compliance with corporate policies, data security, and privacy protectionA continuous improvement of IT servicesAvoiding or eliminating usual business bottlenecks
The framework is applicable to any business or any industry. Hence, you will see different organizations like HSBC, IBM, and NASA have implemented ITIL. To certify an IT professional to be an expert in ITSM best practices, terminologies, utilizing processes, and formulating IT service development methods, Axelos offers a worldwide examination. This test is widely known as ITIL certification. Being an ITIL-certified professional means you have the required skills and wisdom to apply the ITIL framework for the betterment of any business.
The Benefits of an ITIL Accreditation
Advantages for Organizations
#1. Rationally, cost-effectively, and appropriately aligning IT to business objectives. #2. Delivering high-quality services that meet your customers’ needs. #3. ITIL framework helps your business managers to plan the entire development cycle well. #4. It assists you to reduce the resources like personnel, time, and money in IT services development and provisioning lifecycle. #5. If you are looking for customer satisfaction at all stages of service delivery, ITIL must be your framework of choice. #6. ITIL helps you increase staff morale in IT, ITES, and other business organizations.
Advantages for Professionals
#1. A strong foundation in product knowledge is a must-have for top-level business managers. ITIL accreditation ensures that you have earned it. #2. Grow your IT professional career from operations to managerial levels where you can gain decision-making powers. #3. The most valued use of the ITIL certification is to enhance your earning potential in comparison to non-ITIL IT services managers. #4. Top-tier enterprises that have already adopted ITIL will only hire IT services managers if they have ITIL accreditation. Thus, getting this certification helps you to secure jobs in top companies. #5. Getting certified will also prove that you are credible for the industry and you also have the productive capacity. #6. Brand yourself in professional communities like IT services management (ITSM) and IT asset management (ITAM) as a solutions giver and leader.
Various ITIL Certification Levels
1. ITIL Foundation (ITIL F)
For tech-enabled services and products, you need to perceive ITSM as an end-to-end operational model for the development of products/services, delivering services/products, and continually improving these. The ITIL Foundation course deals with this. It also introduces the candidate to the foundational ITIL framework. The exam will test your ability to recall the ITIL framework. It has 40 multiple choice questions (MCQ) and the total mark is 40. You need to get at least 26 marks to pass the test. There is an exam fee and it is about $495.00 for the US and will vary with the country of the test. If you are working in an IT industry and have a basic understanding of ITSM, you can appear for this test.
2. ITIL Managing Professional (ITIL MP)
It is an advanced-level accreditation test to get the ITIL MP designation. Here, you can expect to test your ITSM skills around the following IT business concepts:
Drive Stakeholder ValueCreate, Deliver and SupportDirect, Plan, and Improve.High-velocity IT
The exam will go on for 90 minutes and you need to secure 28 marks to pass the test. You should have already passed the ITIL Foundation course and possess 17 professional credits to qualify for the test. It will cost you $569.00 to enroll for the certification.
3. ITIL Strategic Leader (ITIL SL)
If you want to understand the value of the ITIL framework in digitally enabled services and IT operations, you need to take yourself through the test of ITIL SL. Before appearing in the test, you should familiarize yourself with advanced ITSM concepts like ITIL v4 Digital and IT Strategy Leader and Direct, Plan and Improve Strategist. You are eligible to take the test if you are an IT business director, head of business departments, senior business leader, and C-Suite professional. The catch of the course is you need to go through two separate tests:
ITIL 4 Strategist has 40 questions for which you will get 90 minutes and the pass mark is 28. You have to shell out $655.00 for the certification.ITIL 4 Leader includes 30 MCQs out of which you need to correctly answer 21 to pass the accreditation exam. The cost of the exam is $569.00.
4. ITIL Master (ITIL M)
It is the highest level of accreditation in the ITIL discipline. This certification substantiates that the qualified candidate is fully capable of applying ITIL’s methods, principles, and techniques in real-life businesses. To be able to apply for this certification, you need to get expert-level ITIL certifications. Furthermore, you will need documented proof that you have at least spent 5 years in managerial, leadership, or top-line management consultant role in ITSM or ITAM. The course does not have any fixed syllabus and is fully personalized. Hence, there are no specific questions, exam time frame, or training courses that you can follow. Moreover, since the application process is personalized, there is no information about cost.
An Overview of the ITIL Exam Procedure
#1. The certification test is a closed book exam. You may use various study materials like ITIL 4 edition or ITIL Foundation publications for preparation but not allowed during the test. #2. Most of the exams range between 60 to 90 minutes. However, if you are not a native to the medium of the exam, then you may get an additional 25% time. #3. The test does not contain any negative markings. #4. For most of the ITIL accreditation levels, you need to secure 65% to 70% marks to pass. #5. The test is online through the PeopleCert Online Proctoring software. You may use either Windows or macOS computers to appear in the exam.
Annual Salary Expectations for ITIL Certification Holders
#1. According to a Ziprecruiter survey, the average pay for an ITIL Foundation-certified professional is $91,973 a year. #2. Another survey from Payscale.com says that an ITIL MP designated candidate could get an average salary package of $101,906 a year. Once you have clearly and unequivocally introduced yourself with the ITIL certification, it is now the time to learn some of the best resources for exam preparation:
ITIL 4 Foundation Exam Preparation/Practice Tests: Udemy
If you are preparing for the ITIL version 4 Foundation test, this Udemy course could be a good fit. It has been created by the NetPro Academy and holds a 4.5 rating on the Udemy platform. So far, 900+ students have subscribed for this course to fulfill their exam preparation journey target for ITIL accreditation. The course is suitable for everyone who is looking for a globally accepted certification in ITSM. Also, if you are an ITIL version 3 certificate holder, you can subscribe to this test to prepare for the version 4 exam. Since the course gives you access to 6 sets of practice tests totaling 250 questions, it is surely an exhaustive study material.
ITIL v4 Foundation Certification Training Course: Edureka
This Edureka course is yet another outstanding resource if you are preparing for the upcoming ITIL 4 Foundation exam. Its study material will easily introduce you to the evolving challenges in the ITSM. Its self-study resources also help you to overcome these emerging challenges through modern technology and ITIL principles. If you have a basic understanding of IT terminologies and services, you can take this course. Also, if you are already working in an IT or ITES environment, you must check out the course. Moreover, the course offers you 5 modules of pure learning on the exam and 1 module of practice tests. Thus, you should feel aptly confident to appear for the main exam once you complete this Edureka course diligently.
ITIL 4 Foundation Certification Training: Simplilearn
If you are looking for more elaborated course content than the above, you may give this Simplilearn course on IITL Foundation certification materials a try. It holds a 5-star rating on the Simplilearbn platform with 14,542 user ratings. Plus, more than 18K ITIL certification aspirants have already benefited from this training resource. It packs 6 lessons covering all the concepts and aspects the exam could focus on. Furthermore, after completion of this course, you master several skills like ITIL primary concepts, ITIL process models, ITIL central principles, ITSM efficiency, etc. Finally, the course is available as a self-paced study content or instructor-led training.
ITIL 4 Exam Preparation: Coursera
Do you want to prepare for the upcoming ITIL Foundation test from a premium online platform with financial aids? You must try this Coursera course! LearnQuest, the preferred internal staff training partner of enterprises, has prepared the course content. The whole course spans 5 weeks. However, you will only need to invest a total of 19 hours to complete all the modules and instructor-led sessions. Therefore, if you are a working professional the course is best suited for you. This Coursera study material will focus on the elementary principles of ITIL like service management, the 4-Dimensions of service management, the service value system, etc. As a bonus, you also get a complete overview of the test, two mock exams, test tips, and a course summary.
ITIL 4 Foundation Course Description: Global Knowledge
Sign up for this Global Knowledge branded course for ITIL 4 Foundation from Skilsoft to pass the real-life exam with flying colors. It comes with learning options like On-Demand and Live Instructor. Hence, you can choose the mode of content delivery depending on your schedule. But, if you are a business brand looking to train your management staff with this course, you can go for the Group Training mode. In line with all standard courses, you learn the basic ITIL v4 concepts, guiding principles, the service value system, ITIL practices, and practice papers.
ITIL 4 Foundation Certification: Axelos
If you are looking for self-service preparation for the ITIL certification, you can also visit Axelos. Axelos is the sole provider of this certification globally and uses various exam testing partners to certify IT, professionals. First off, you can get the complete examination syllabus from this platform. Besides the exam content, the syllabus also focuses on exam overview and other best practice guidelines from Axelos. Secondly, you can get a practice paper for free. Moreover, you also get the answers to those mock questions and the rationale behind the answers.
The Final Words
ITIL helps businesses to align ITAM and ITSM to benefit the business goals. It is a framework that many small, medium, startup, and large businesses adopt to facilitate end-to-end value from IT services and products. This is the global standard that dictates the processes and principles for IT and ITES business. However, its structure is not rigid. All you need to do is perform what is the best for your business while following the relevant KPIs and five stages of ITSM. When you get the most sought-after ITIL certification:
You increase your chance to land a better job in a leading enterpriseGet a promotion towards a position that is more valuable and secureYou can understand what is good for your business without relying on a third-party
Therefore, without wasting more time, use any of the above preparation courses to get ready for the next ITIL examination event. You may also be interested in knowing how to get SHRM certified in 2022.
