ITIL Official Accreditor FAQ s - July 2010

Transcription

1 General ITIL FAQs ITIL Official Accreditor FAQ s - July 2010 What is ITIL? ITIL is the most widely adopted framework for IT Service Management in the world. It is a practical, no nonsense approach to the identification, planning, delivery and support of IT services to the business. ITIL principles are used by a number of organizations in both the public and private sectors such as NASA, the NHS, HSBC bank, Disney TM and L Oreal. ITIL is also supported by quality services from a wide range of providers including consultancies, software and tool vendors and well known service providers such as IBM, Telefonica, HP and British telecom (BT). Developed by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), the ITIL best practices are detailed within five core guidance publications outlining the fundamental ITIL principles, and corederived publications, which focus on other specific applications or areas within the service management discipline. There is also an easily accessible, yet comprehensive qualifications scheme, offering a range of personal training courses and certifications covering specific or clustered ITIL Service Lifecycle phases and processes. These are offered through a network of accredited Examination Institutes and Training Organizations. ITIL Best Practices also underpin the foundations of ISO/IEC (previously BS15000), the International Service Management Standard for organizational certification and compliance. Organizations can therefore implement ITIL principles in order to meet the requirements within the standards, to achieve organizational certification. Is there an ITIL glossary of terms and definitions? The Official ITIL Glossary is available and has been translated into a number of languages to support the translation of examinations and publications. The Glossary can be downloaded from the following webpage: officialsite.com/internationalactivities/translatedglossaries.asp How do I become an Accredited Training Organization (ATO) or Accredited Trainer for ITIL? There are a number of Licensed Examination Institutes (EIs) offering ITIL accreditation and certification services. Contact one of these organizations for detailed information on accreditation listed on the following webpage: Please note: Any training organization who wishes to offer ITIL training and examination services to individuals or organizations must be accredited. Organizations offering ITIL training who are not accredited by an approved Examination Institute may be in breach of Intellectual Property law.

2 Why are the ITIL ATOs listed on the Official Site alphabetically and not by course or country? The list on the ITIL Official Site serves to advise the general public and ITIL community of: o training organizations that are accredited with an Examination Institute to offer training and examination services, and o training organizations that hold a valid Intellectual Property license to use the Intellectual Property subsisting in ITIL. See the full listing of licensed Accredited Training Organizations at the following webpage: officialsite.com/trainingorganisations/atolisting.asp. The ATOs are listed alphabetically because many ITIL ATOs offer a variety of training products and services on an international basis, so listing by course or country would not be possible. To seek a training product or examination in a specific area, enquire directly with the ATOs listed or contact one of the Examination institutes listed on the following webpage: What are the methods of delivery for ITIL accredited training courses? Accredited ITIL training is available via Accredited Training Organizations in the following formats: Face to face training physical or virtual classroom based courses Learning Technology solutions courses delivered via computer based training product, Online learning methods Blended Training Solutions combination of the above How can I appeal my ITIL V3 examination/accreditation decision? All EIs will have their own individual process for appeals against accreditation or certification decisions. Individuals should use this procedure in the first instance. However, if a candidate is dissatisfied by the processing or result of an appeal or complaint made through the EI, they have the right to escalate this to OGC s Official Accreditor, The APM Group Ltd. If necessary, the APM Group may take the appeal or complaint to the ITIL Qualifications Board for consideration and resolution. In this instance APM Group will submit the issue or complaint to the next meeting of the ITIL Qualifications Board and ensure feedback is provided in a timely fashion after the meeting.

3 Can I become a member of ITIL? There is no direct membership offered for ITIL, as ITIL is a guidance framework, however there are a number of international membership groups, institutes and forums for IT Service Management principles and practices. The most widely known and accepted membership forum in the IT Service Management space is provided by the itsmf the IT Service Management Forum, who have over 50 international chapters. For more information on their services, please see Can my organisation achieve ITIL certification or compliance? ITIL certification or compliance is not achievable, because ITIL is a framework of guidance and not a standard; however, an organisation can achieve ISO/IEC certification, the standard for IT Service Management, which is underpinned by ITIL best practices. If implemented effectively, ITIL principles can help organizations to meet the requirements and can help an organization achieve certification when audited by a registered certification body. For more information, please see Software Tool vendors can also obtain endorsement following assessment of ITIL Process Compliant software tools under the official OGC ITIL Software scheme. For more information please see officialsite.com/softwarescheme/itilsoftwarescheme.asp. Can I advertise myself as ITIL qualified on my business card? Currently, there are no post nominals for ITIL certified individuals. Any individual who would like to include information on their ITIL certification on a business card needs to take note of the following: An OGC Trade Mark logo (e.g. the ITIL Swirl) cannot be used on business cards as they advertise a person/company and not the associated product. An OGC word mark can (e.g. ITIL) be used on a business card as long as the correct symbology is used. For example: Joe Bloggs ITIL Accredited Trainer Where practical (if it can be included legibly) the Trade Mark acknowledgement statement should also be shown. For example: Joe Bloggs ITIL Accredited Trainer ITIL is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce, in the United Kingdom and other countries.

4 What are the Intellectual Property rules and permissions for ITIL? The APM Group has delegated authority to issue Trade Mark Licences for the re use of OGC's Trade Mark s (PRINCE2, MSP, M_o_R, P3O, P3M3, ITIL ). APM Group also have the authority to issue Trade Mark and Crown copyright licences to those who wish to reproduce content from official publications produced by the (OGC) relating to those trademarks. The rules and permissions around the use of Intellectual Property subsisting in ITIL are varied, depending on the user, so for full and detailed information, please see Can I use the ITIL logo? The ITIL logo is the Best Practice swirl followed by the word ITIL. This specific logo can only be used by OGC, TSO and APM Group The Accreditor. If you wish to use the logo for any reason you will need to obtain prior permission from OGC. Please contact OGC at ServiceDesk@ogc.gsi.gov.uk. Can I use the ITIL Accreditation Marks? The ITIL logo appears in a number of accreditation marks, which can only be used by certain organizations who are accredited for specific ITIL services or products, and have entered into a licensing agreement with APM Group The Accreditor. The ITIL Accredited Examination Institute mark which includes the ITIL logo and the text Accredited Examination Institute is restricted to use by Licensed and Accredited ITIL Examination Institutes only. The ITIL Accredited by mark, which includes the ITIL logo and individual EI logo s with the text Accredited By is restricted to use by Licensed and Accredited Training Organizations only, and only in the context of their ITIL training, consulting and marketing activities. The ITIL Licensed Affiliate mark which includes the ITIL logo and the text Licensed Affiliate is restricted to use by Licensed Affiliates only, in the context of the ITIL training, consulting and marketing activities they conduct in conjunction with a Licensed and Accredited Training Organization. For examples of these marks, please see the following page:

5 I am a Licensed ATO. How can I use the ITIL Word and Accreditation Marks for marketing purposes? ATOs can use the ITIL word mark (i.e. the product name) in free text to hyperlink to their own web pages which are directly related to their accredited ITIL offerings. Only ATOs have the right to use the ITIL word mark in their own website domain names, as long as the use of the trademark is duly acknowledged on the website. ATOs can use the ITIL Accreditation mark to advise the community of their accredited status. The mark can be used within ITIL Training and consultancy marketing materials and websites. The Accredited by logo can be used to hyperlink to the official product site only ( Although the ITIL marks can only be used by accredited organizations, anyone is able to use the ITIL Trade Mark by obtaining an APM Group Trade Mark Licence if necessary. For further information on licensing, please see May I use the "ITIL diamond device"? The ITIL diamond device has a four quadrant pattern. It comes in various colours, is a lapel pin and may appear on ITIL certificates or some itsmf publications. OGC does not own this logo. If you wish to reuse the diamond device you need to contact itsmf for permission. For more information, please see Can I link from my website to the ITIL Official site? Yes there are no restrictions on links to the ITIL web site using the officialsite.com domain name. How many people have taken the ITIL qualifications worldwide? Unfortunately, the APM Group The Accreditor is unable to share this information with the general public at this time, as this information is only shared with members of the ITIL Qualifications Board, the Licensed examination institutes and the ATO community. However, we are establishing a process for making this information available on the ITIL Official website sometime in the future.

6 ITIL Examination FAQs How can I obtain training for the ITIL examinations? ITIL training is available from an Accredited Training Organization. For a full list of Accredited Training Organizations who are authorized and licensed to offer ITIL training and examination services please see officialsite.com/trainingorganisations/atos/atolisting.asp. Alternatively, please contact one of the ITIL Examination Institutes listed on the following webpage: officialsite.com/examinationinstitutes/examinstitutes.asp. Am I able to self study for the ITIL Examinations? Candidates are able to self study (i.e. take the examination directly from an Examination Institute without attending an accredited training course) for the ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management examination only. All higher level ITIL examinations require a candidate to complete mandatory accredited training before being able to take the examination. This decision has been made by the ITIL Qualification Board because the higher level ITIL courses are focused toward the practical application and analysis of ITIL principles and knowledge. As a result, the examination requires candidates to display a deeper level of understanding than would be gained through self study, and the benefits to a candidate once they return to the workplace following completion of accredited training, will be far greater. When will my name appear on the Global Successful Candidate Register on the ITIL Official Site? The name and examination details of all successful ITIL V3 examination candidates who have given permission will be added to the Global Successful Candidate Register at This website is updated by each Licensed Examination Institute directly. If your details do not appear on the website 6 weeks following confirmation of your examination result, contact the Examination Institute you gained your qualification through. Examination Institute details can be found on the following webpage: If you are not aware of which EI this was you should contact your course provider.

7 I have passed an ITIL examination. Will I receive an ITIL Pin? ITIL examination candidates should obtain their pin from their Examination Institute upon successful completion of their examination. The Examination Institutes administer the pin scheme on behalf of the itsmf ( who offer pins to successful candidates in exchange for contact information for Service Management related marketing and information purposes. Your pin will either be sent directly to you with your certificate or you will be advised of the application process for receipt of the pin, which will involve providing your express permission to share your information with the itsmf. If you have passed an examination but have not yet received your pin, please contact your Examination Institute listed on the following webpage: If you are not aware of which EI this was you should contact your course provider. How do I obtain a replacement ITIL pin or certificate? To get a replacement certificate or ITIL pin you should contact the Examination Institute through which you gained your qualification listed on the following webpage: If you are not aware of which EI this was you should contact your course provider. I have passed an ITIL Examination. Can I have the actual score that I achieved in my examination? If you have had confirmation of your ITIL examination result but not the score, you should contact the Examination Institute through which you gained your qualification listed on the following webpage: officialsite.com/examinationinstitutes/examinstitutes.asp. If you are not aware of which EI this was you should contact your course provider.

8 ITIL V3 Examinations FAQ s What examinations can be taken in ITIL V3 and what are the entry requirements? The following certifications are available under the ITIL Version 3 Qualifications scheme: The ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management is the entry level examination for the scheme. There are no pre requites for entry to this examination. The ITIL Intermediate Level is the core of the scheme. To take an examination at this level, candidates must hold the ITIL Foundation qualification and must complete an accredited training course. The following examinations are available at the intermediate level: Service Lifecycle management focused examinations o Service Strategy; Service Design; Service Transition; Service Operation, and; Continual Service Improvement. Service Capability process focused examinations Planning Protection and Optimization; Release Control and Validation; Operational Support and Analysis, and; Service Offerings and Agreements ITIL Managing Across the Lifecycle (MALC) is the Capstone examination for the scheme. Candidates who have gained a number of ITIL certifications are eligible to take this course and examination, and will be eligible for the ITIL Expert Level Award following successful completion. To take the MALC examination, candidates must hold the ITIL Foundation qualification, must have achieved a minimum of 17 credits from ITIL intermediate (or earlier V2) certifications, and must complete an accredited training course. There are also 2 bridging qualifications currently available under the V3 scheme, which allow holders of earlier ITIL certifications to update their knowledge to an ITIL V3 level of knowledge. These 2 certifications are available at Foundation and Manager level. For more information on these qualifications please see For full information on the qualifications available under the scheme please see

9 What languages are the ITIL examinations translated into? ITIL V3 Examinations have been translated into a variety of languages, reflecting the international coverage and application of the ITIL framework. For more information on the available examination languages, please see What book should I use to study for the ITIL V3 Foundation examination? The ITIL Foundation examination is based on the five Core publications; however there are a number of core derived, condensed study aids based on the content of the syllabus which can help students prepare for the examination. For more detailed information on the publications required for each of the qualifications, please see: officialsite.com/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lid=950&sid=7 To purchase an ITIL publication, please see managementpractice.com/publications Library/IT Service Management ITIL/?CLICKID= What books should I use to study for the ITIL V3 Intermediate examinations? The ITIL Intermediate courses and examinations are based on the five core publications, and each individual course and examination has a focus on one or more of these titles. For more detailed information on the publications required for each of the qualifications, please see: officialsite.com/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lid=950&sid=7. To purchase an ITIL publication, please see managementpractice.com/publications Library/IT Service Management ITIL/?CLICKID= What is the ITIL V3 Credit System? In order to recognize the value and inherent ITIL content in the earlier ITIL certifications from the V1 and V2 schemes, a decision was made to include a credit system in the design of the ITIL V3 qualifications scheme. The credit system allocates each ITIL qualification in the V3 and earlier schemes with a specific credit value, based on the qualifications coverage of the ITIL core principles and processes. Throughout their Service Management career, candidates can use the intermediate certifications to develop specialism s related their specific ITIL role or area of practice, and use the accessible, flexible design of the scheme to change their certification path as they move into new and different areas of the profession. As candidates gain a variety of qualifications over time, they will also accrue the associated credits and once a maximum number of credits is achieved, they will be able to reach the ITIL V3 Expert Level Certification, which recognizes a candidates overall achievement and a superior level of ITIL knowledge and expertise.

10 For more detailed information on the credit values and how the system works, please see officialsite.com/qualifications/itilv3creditsystem.asp. How do I achieve ITIL Expert Level Certification? Throughout their Service Management career, candidates can use the intermediate certifications to develop specialism s related their specific ITIL role or area of practice, and use the accessible, flexible design of the scheme to change their certification path as they move into new and different areas of the profession. As candidates gain a variety of qualifications over time, they will also accrue credits for each module, which they can use towards ITIL V3 Expert Level Certification, which recognizes a candidates overall achievement and a superior level of ITIL knowledge and expertise. In order to reach the ITIL Expert Level, candidates need to achieve the pre requisite number of associated credits which is 22 (twenty two). Candidates must ensure that 2 (two) of these credits are achieved at ITIL foundation level and 5 (five) are from the MALC qualification. The only exception to this pre requisite is those students who are eligible for the ITIL Service Managers Bridge route. When working towards ITIL Expert Level, we strongly recommend that candidates achieve a selection of certifications which cover a variety of the process and concept areas through the intermediate stream. This will ensure that candidates have a balanced and superior knowledge of the whole of the ITIL V3 Service Lifecycle, and will better enable them to apply the principles in practice. For more information on the bridging options available, please see For more information on the ITIL Expert Level, please see Are there any restrictions on qualifications/credits that can be used towards ITIL Expert Level? Any combination of ITIL V3 Intermediate certifications can be used towards the ITIL Expert Level award, as there is a minimal degree of overlapped ITIL content between the different modules. For students who would like to use V2 and V3 certifications and credits towards the ITIL Expert Level, the following modules cannot be used together towards Expert Level, because they have a high degree of overlapped ITIL content: V3 SOA with V2 IPAD V3 RCV with V2 IPRC (or CCR) V3 PPO with V2 IPPI Candidates who are actively working towards the ITIL Expert Level should use the ITIL Credit Profiler tool ( officialsite.com/itilservices/v1/map.asp) to ascertain how many

11 credits they currently hold towards this level of certification and if there are any restrictions on future certifications they should take, based on their current qualifications profile. Candidates can gain information on which module selections will provide an optimum balance of ITIL knowledge, by identifying the levels of overlap between ITIL certifications. Is the ITIL Expert Level a higher or equivalent certification level to the ITIL Service Manager qualification? The ITIL Expert is a slightly higher level certification than the Service Manager qualification because it encompasses the knowledge base from earlier ITIL versions together with the broader V3 Lifecycle elements. How long will ITIL V3 Bridging Qualifications be available? The schedule for withdrawal of the V3 Bridging Qualifications is: V3 Foundation Bridge to cease on 30 December 2010 V3 Manager Bridge to cease on 30 June All of the above will be available for resits until the 30 June For more information, please see ITIL V2 Examination FAQs What examinations can be taken in ITIL V2? What are the entry requirements? There are currently 2 levels of certification which remain available under the ITIL V2 scheme. These are the Practitioner Level certifications and the Service Managers certification. There are a number of single subject and clustered process examinations available at V2 practitioner level. Two examinations constitute the V2 Service Manager qualification, both of which must be passed to achieve the certification. All V2 qualifications are based on the ITIL V2 Service Support and Service Delivery publications. The entry requirement for both certification levels is the Foundation Certification in IT service management (awarded based on either ITIL V2 or V3 guidance) and completion of an accredited training course. For more information on the V2 qualifications which are available, please see the following page: officialsite.com/qualifications/itilv2qualifications.asp. For information on the V2 withdrawal schedule for the publications and certifications, please see

12 What are the differences between an ITIL V2 Clustered Practitioner certificate and an individual Practitioner certificate? The ITIL clustered (or combined) certificates focus on the relationship between individual processes within ITIL which are often performed together, e.g. Service Desk, Incident and Problem Management. Individual ITIL Practitioner certificates focus on single processes only. How long will ITIL V2 Qualifications be available? The schedule for withdrawal of V2 Qualifications is: V2 Foundation to cease on 30 June 2010 now withdrawn V2 Manager to cease on 31 August 2010 V2 Practitioner to cease on 31 Dec All of the above will be available for resits until the 30 June After these dates you will no longer be able to sit an examination based on ITIL V2 (as a first attempt). However, V2 qualifications are still recognized by the industry and under the current scheme and each certification has a credit value which candidates can use to reach certain levels of ITIL Certification achievement. For more information, please see Will my earlier ITIL qualifications expire? No ITIL Version 1 and Version 2 qualifications will remain valid indefinitely and will still be recognized within the IT Service Management Industry. Earlier ITIL certifications also hold a credit value under the V3 scheme and can be used towards higher levels of ITIL Certification. ITIL Update Examination FAQs What is the ITIL Update Project and how will this affect the ITIL examinations? ITIL is subject to a continual improvement cycle and OGC has announced it will update the current ITIL manuals to accommodate feedback from the user community. The update is due for release in ITIL Examinations based on the current version of the guidance (Version 3) will reflect the update but as the core principles and processes of ITIL are not changing, it is thought that there will not be a fundamental change to the examinations. The Service Strategy Lifecycle module will be reviewed in more detail once the update to the Service Strategy publication has been completed.

13 When is the next update of ITIL due for release? It is envisaged that this will be mid How big are the changes to ITIL going to be? The changes to ITIL publications and qualifications will not be major. Anyone who is currently considering or in the midst of their ITIL education journey is encouraged to continue. The qualifications you achieve will continue to be recognized by the industry and under the ITIL Qualifications credit scheme. Will I need to re certify when the update is released in 2011? Candidates who hold existing ITIL certification will not need to become recertified. The Accreditor also has no plans to introduce any bridging examinations for the impending update as the core ITIL process areas and principles will not be changed. Should I take the ITIL Foundation examination now or should I wait until the update is published in 2011? Any examination candidate who is currently preparing to take their examination should take it now and not wait until the updates have been published. In accordance with the scope for the updates, core ITIL processes and basic principles will not be changed, so candidates understanding of the basic ITIL principles will be the same regardless of when they take the examination. How will the ITIL update affect the Intermediate exams? Because the core ITIL processes and principles are not changing, we do not envisage that the syllabuses and examinations will need to undergo extensive changes. However, the scope of change to the Service Strategy publication will mean that the Service Strategy Lifecycle module and those capability modules which include elements of this Service Lifecycle phase will need a more extensive review to determine the degree of change that may be required. The necessary impact analysis and review of the examination questions will be conducted as soon as possible, so that any updates are made in a timely manner following the publication of the updated books. Will I still be able to take an ITIL V3 bridging course following publication of the update? The last of the bridging certifications (the V3 Managers Bridge) will be withdrawn in June Depending on the final publication date for the updated books, this course may still be available; however it will not be updated or aligned to the updated publications. _ END