ITIL 4 and Exams – What You Need to Know

If you work in an organisation that delivers services to customers, it’s likely that you will have heard of ITIL. You may also know that this framework of best-practice procedures and processes for IT and service management has undergone many changes in recent years.

ITIL was first introduced in the 1980’s (yes, there were computers back then!) to collate best practice around the management of information systems and we’ve seen many changes since then. The latest iteration; ITIL 4 (introduced 2019) was designed to provide a digital operating model that enables organizations to co-create effective value from their IT-supported products and services. It aims to provide the digital skills needed for the next few years, where it is expected that rapid transformation will be seen and when IT products and services will need to be delivered more quickly and in a more iterative way.

With ITIL 4, came a new training and certification scheme that included some significant changes from the exam provider PeopleCert. From November 2019, no training course could be sold without the official exam being included. This means that practitioners who value the learning experience had no choice but to also purchase the exam. A further update meant that from February 2022, candidates also had to purchase the core guidance eBook.

PeopleCert, who are the scheme owner, accreditor, and examiner, have advised of a price increase from the 1st January 2023 on all ITIL 4 exams. Unfortunately for candidates, there will then be another increase from April 2023, as they have made the decision that all candidates MUST also purchase the relevant official training guidance.

With ITSM Zone, you can currently purchase an ITIL 4 Foundation exam for $349. From the 1^st January 2023, this cost will increase, and there will be another increase from 1st April 2023. With such high exam costs, it really is worth taking accredited training to help you pass first time!

So, if an ITIL 4 qualification features in your 2023 development plans, it’s probably worth accelerating that a little and doing it sooner rather than later! You can even buy your exam voucher now and schedule the exam when you are ready, at any point within the 12 months that the voucher is valid for.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask -  we are more than happy to help!

About the author

Kirsty Unila provides dedicated support to customers and partners at ITSM Zone. Kirsty and her team look after corporate accounts and make sure ITSM Zone clients have everything they need – from training needs analysis to ongoing reporting and next steps.

When she’s not working, Kirsty spends time with her family and fell walking.