WHAT IS ITIL 4 AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE CERTIFIED IN ITIL 4?
We are in a time of exciting change full of opportunity. Digital services are helping organizations to compete in the modern digital economy. But this new digital era, known as the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ and characterized by the unavoidable interaction between humans, digital technologies and physical assets, has created an increasingly fast-paced and complex environment, requiring organizations to be more agile, better equipped to adapt what they do, and ready to adopt new ways of working to succeed.
ITIL 4 is the evolution of this well-established framework. It provides a flexible end-to-end IT/digital operating model for the delivery and operation of tech-enabled products and services, which helps organizations to connect and align these different challenges. ITIL 4 supports the existing investment that people and organizations have made in traditional service management activities, for example incident management and continual improvement.
However, the scope of ITIL 4 has moved beyond ITSM and elevates the discussion outside of IT to a wider range of professionals working in the digital world. By taking ITIL 4, organizations and professionals can:
- Enable value co-creation to meet business outcomes and customer changing needs via a clear capability model
- Drive business strategy and digital transformation through a future-proofed approach to digital services
- Adapt and align to new technologies, such as Cloud, Automation, and AI
- Adopt new ways of working, including Agile, DevOps and Lean.
WHAT IS THE ITIL 4 CERTIFICATION SCHEME?
You can view the full certification scheme and the suggested ITIL 4 routes to certification for candidates who are already ITIL qualified at www.axelos.com/itil-4.
WHAT ARE THE ITIL 4 CERTIFICATION DESIGNATIONS CALLED?
There are four certification designations within the ITIL 4 scheme:
- ITIL 4 Foundation
- ITIL 4 Managing Professional designation, comprised of four modules:
- ITIL 4 Specialist Create, Deliver and Support (CDS)
- ITIL 4 Specialist Drive Stakeholder Value (DPI)
- ITIL 4 Specialist High-velocity IT (HVIT)
- ITIL 4 Strategist Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) - Universal module
- ITIL 4 Strategic Leader designation, comprised of two modules:
- ITIL 4 Strategist Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) - Universal Module
- ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy.
- ITIL 4 Master 4
The ITIL 4 Managing Professional and ITIL 4 Strategic Leader designations will provide candidates a greater depth of knowledge and guidance in key areas of service management and IT strategy, to support their learning journey and career progression.
How to become an ITIL 4 Managing Professional
Candidates must be certified in ITIL 4 Foundation and all four modules that comprise the ITIL 4 Managing Professional designation.
How to become an ITIL 4 Strategic Leader
Candidates must be certified in ITIL 4 Foundation and both modules that comprise the ITIL 4 Strategic Leader designation. Candidates must also be able to demonstrate that they have at least three years’ minimum of managerial experience.
IS ITIL 4 TRAINING MANDATORY FOR CANDIDATES OR CAN THEY SELF-STUDY?
AXELOS has not mandated training for ITIL 4 Foundation, so you are able to self-study. However, candidates are encouraged to attend an accredited training course to fully understand the new material.
For all modules in the ITIL 4 Managing Professional and ITIL 4 Strategic Leader designations (including the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition module) training is mandatory to enable candidates to fully understand the new material.
HOW TO TAKE AN ITIL 4 COURSE AND EXAM, AND WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED DURATION FOR EACH COURSE?
You can find training or book an exam via PeopleCert, our official Examination Institute, or direct via one of the AXELOS Accredited Training Organizations’ (ATOs), such as HDAA.
Recommended duration for each course:
- The ITIL 4 Foundation course: two days (minimum of 12 contact hours)
- All of the ITIL 4 Managing Professional courses and the ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy course: three days (minimum of 18 contact hours)
- The ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition module: five days (minimum of 30 contact hours).
All ITIL 4 courses can be taken in the classroom or online.