ITIL-4-Foundation ITIL 4 Foundation Exam Questions and Answers

A help desk is considered to be focused on break-fix (what ITIL calls incident management), whereas a service desk is there to assist with not only break-fix but also with service requests (requests for new services) and requests for information (such as “how do I do X?”).

https://www.atlassian.com/itsm/service-request-management/help-desk-vs-service-desk-vs-itsm#:~:text=A%20help%20desk%20is%20considered,I%20do%20X%3F%E2%80%9D).

In ITIL 4, the continual improvement practice focuses on:

Aligning services and practices with changing business needs

Identifying and prioritizing improvement opportunities

Using appropriate methods and tools to assess and plan improvements

ITIL 4 explicitly notes that organizations should develop skills in assessment and improvement techniques, such as SWOT analysis and balanced scorecard reviews, to support continual improvement. These methods help assess the current state, opportunities, risks, and performance from multiple perspectives, and they feed into the continual improvement model.

Why the others are incorrect:

Incident management concentrates on restoring service after incidents; it does not specifically emphasize methodologies like SWOT or balanced scorecard.

Service request management deals with handling user requests efficiently and effectively, not with improvement analysis techniques.

Change enablement is about controlling and enabling beneficial changes; while it may use some analysis, it is not the practice highlighted for competencies in SWOT and balanced scorecard.

Therefore, the practice that encourages organizations to develop competencies in techniques such as SWOT analysis and balanced scorecard review is continual improvement, making B the correct answer.

“Service desk staff require training and competency across a number of broad technical and business areas. In particular, they need to demonstrate excellent customer service skills such as empathy, incident analysis and prioritization, effective communication, and emotional intelligence.

https://www.servicedeskinstitute.com/the-case-for-itil4-foundation-service-desk-analyst-training/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CService%20desk%20staff%20require%20training,effective%20communication%2C%20and%20emotional%20intelligence.

Think and work holistically

No service, practice, process, department, or supplier stands alone. The outputs that the organization delivers to itself, its customers, and other stakeholders will suffer unless it works in an integrated way to handle its activities as a whole, rather than as separate parts.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-guiding-principles/#:~:text=5.,rather%20than%20as%20separate%20parts.

The purpose of the problem management practice is to reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes of incidents and managing workarounds and known errors1. Workarounds are temporary solutions that reduce or eliminate the impact of an incident or problem for which a full resolution is not yet available2. Known errors are problems that have a documented root cause and a workaround3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 15; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 35; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Problem Management, page 7.

Partners and suppliers are one of the four dimensions of service management that influence the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery1. This dimension covers the relationships that an organization has with other organizations that are involved in the design, development, deployment, delivery, support, and improvement of services2. This dimension also includes the contracts, agreements, and policies that govern these relationships3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 8; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 19; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Partner and Supplier Management, page 7.

Service management is the term used to describe how organizations manage their services to deliver value to their customers and other stakeholders. Service management requires a set of specialized organizational capabilities, such as processes, roles, tools, and competencies, that enable the effective and efficient delivery of services1. Service management is also a professional practice supported by an extensive body of knowledge, experience, and skills3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 2; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 11.

The purpose of the improve value chain activity is to ensure continual improvement of products, services, and practices across all value chain activities and the four dimensions of service management.

https://wiki.process-symphony.com.au/framework/lifecycle/service-value-systemitil-4/#:~:text=The%20purpose%20of%20the%20improve,four%20dimensions%20of%20service%20management.

A service request is a formal request from a user for something to be provided. Service requests are typically less complex and are either approved or denied based on the budget, need, or urgency.

An emergency change to apply a security patch (A) is not a service request because it is an urgent change that needs to be made to address a security vulnerability. The implementation of a workaround (B) is not a service request because it is a temporary solution to a problem. Managing an interruption to a service (D) is not a service request because it is an incident that needs to be resolved.

Providing a virtual server for a development team (C) is a service request because it is a request for a new service that can be fulfilled by the IT department.

A change is defined as the addition, modification, or removal of anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-change-enablement/#:~:text=A%20change%20is%20defined%20as,or%20indirect%20effect%20on%20services.

Incident management is typically closely aligned with the service desk, which is the single point of contact for all users communicating with IT. When a service is disrupted or fails to deliver the promised performance during normal service hours, it is essential to restore the service to normal operation as quickly as possible.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-v3-incident-management/

The continual improvement practice aligns the organization’s practices and services with changing business needs through the ongoing identification and improvement of services, service components, practices, or any element involved in the efficient and effective management of products and services1. A continual improvement register (CIR) is a tool used to track and manage improvement ideas from identification through to final action2. It helps to prioritize, monitor, and communicate the status of improvement initiatives3. The other statements are not true because:

Used to help plan changes, assist in communication avoid conflicts and assign resources: This describes the purpose of a change schedule, which is a tool used by the change enablement practice2.

Used to select the right method, model or technique for identifying improvements: This describes the purpose of a continual improvement model (CIM), which is a tool used by the continual improvement practice2.

Used to provide a formal description of one or more services designed to address the needs of a target consumer group: This describes the purpose of a service offering, which is an output of the engage activity of the service value chain1. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 15; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 34; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Continual Improvement, page 9.

In ITIL 4, the service value chain is the central component of the Service Value System. It describes the set of interconnected activities an organization performs to create value in the form of products and services. The service value chain is explicitly defined as the model that outlines the key activities required to co-create value with customers and other stakeholders.

That is exactly what the question is asking: “the activities needed by an organization to help it co-create value” – which directly matches the role of the service value chain, so A is correct.

Why the other options are not correct in this context:

B. Continual improvement is a practice and a component of the Service Value System that ensures services, practices, and all components are continually improved, but it is not the central model of value-creating activities.

C. Guiding principle refers to recommendations that guide decisions and actions across all circumstances, not the activities themselves.

D. Practices are sets of organizational resources designed for performing work or accomplishing an objective; they support value creation, but they are not the component that models the end-to-end set of activities for co-creating value.

Therefore, the component focused on the activities needed to co-create value is the service value chain, making A the correct answer.

The second step is to conduct an objective current-state assessment of existing services and service management practices. This should include consideration of the users’ perception of the value being received, along with a review of people’s competencies and skills, the processes and procedures involved, the capabilities of the available technological solutions and the prevailing organizational culture. The success of an improvement initiative depends on a clear and accurate understanding of the starting point and the required impact of the initiative.

For example, an organization can measure the current net promoter score (NPS) from a customer satisfaction survey, conduct a benchmark survey against its competitors or review findings of operational statistics or audit reports to understand its current state. If this step is skipped, the current state will not be understood and there will not be an objective baseline measurement against which improvement can be measured.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-continual-improvement/

In ITIL 4, the guiding principle “Keep it simple and practical” advises organizations to:

Always use the minimum number of steps necessary to achieve objectives

Eliminate activities that do not create value

Avoid over-complication and unnecessary work

This principle explicitly supports removing unnecessary processes, steps, or documentation that do not contribute to value. That is exactly what the question describes as “the elimination of unnecessary work,” so A is correct.

Why the others are not correct in this context:

B. Think and work holistically focuses on seeing the organization as an integrated system and considering end-to-end value creation, not specifically on eliminating unnecessary work.

C. Start where you are emphasizes using and understanding existing practices, capabilities, and data before creating something new, but it does not directly focus on removing unnecessary work.

D. Progress iteratively with feedback promotes working in small, manageable iterations and learning from feedback; it is about how to approach change, not specifically about eliminating unnecessary work.

Therefore, the guiding principle that proposes eliminating unnecessary work is “Keep it simple and practical”, making A the correct answer.

The purpose of the continual improvement practice is to align the organization’s practices and services with changing business needs through the ongoing identification and improvement of services, service components, practices, or any element involved in the efficient and effective management of products and services1. This practice needs the right culture to be embedded across the entire organization, as it requires a shared vision, commitment, empowerment, collaboration, learning, and measurement2. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 15; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 34; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Continual Improvement, page 7.

In ITIL 4, service request management is one of the 7 practices described in more detail.

A service request is defined as a user request for something to be provided – for example:

access to an application or file

information or advice

a standard change that is preapproved

a new or replacement item of equipment

The key idea is:

A service request is a formal request from a user for something they are entitled to receive as part of a service.

Looking at each option:

This describes an incident.

An incident is an unplanned interruption to a service or reduction in its quality.

A request to restore normal service operation after something has gone wrong is handled by the incident management practice, not by service request management.

So this is not a service request.

This normally relates to a change.

Implementing a patch modifies the live environment.

This is usually handled through the change enablement practice (and then deployment management), often as a normal change or standard change, depending on the organization’s policies.

Although some standard changes can be triggered via service requests, ITIL Foundation typically uses clearer examples (such as access requests). This option is not the best example.

This is a classic example of a service request:

A user is asking for access (permission) to something as part of an existing service.

It is not fixing something broken, it is asking for something to be provided.

ITIL 4 explicitly lists access requests (for example, to applications, services, or data) as a common type of service request within the service request management practice.

Therefore, C is the correct answer.

This describes problem management:

When we investigate the root cause of one or more incidents, we are using the problem management practice.

The aim is to understand and remove the underlying cause, not to provide a standard service action requested by a user.

So this is not a service request.

This aligns with ITIL 4 Foundation descriptions of:

Service request – a user request for something to be provided.

Service request management practice – managing all types of service requests in a user-friendly and efficient way.

Incident management – restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible.

Problem management – identifying and managing the causes of incidents.

Change enablement – ensuring that changes are evaluated, authorized, and managed.

That is why “a request for access to a file” is the correct example of a service request.

In ITIL 4, the continual improvement practice is structured around the continual improvement model, which uses a series of questions such as:

What is the vision?

Where are we now?

Where do we want to be?

How do we get there?

Take action

Did we get there?

How do we keep the momentum going?

A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is specifically mentioned in ITIL 4 as a technique used to assess the current state, especially in the step “Where are we now?” of the continual improvement model.

This step is about understanding the current situation, including:

current capabilities (strengths and weaknesses)

current constraints and risks (threats)

potential areas for improvement and value creation (opportunities)

SWOT helps organizations objectively analyze their present performance and conditions, so they can make informed decisions about what to improve and how.

Therefore, in the context of the continual improvement practice, SWOT analysis is used primarily for:

Understanding the current state.

B. Defining the future desired stateThis is related to the step “Where do we want to be?” which focuses on defining measurable target states and objectives. Techniques here are more about setting goals and desired outcomes, not primarily SWOT.

C. Tracking and managing ideasThis aligns more with maintaining an improvement register or backlog, not with SWOT. Idea tracking is about managing suggestions and initiatives over time.

D. Ensuring everyone actively participatesThis relates to communication, organizational change management, and engagement, but not specifically to SWOT. SWOT is an analytical tool, not a participation method by itself.

ITIL 4 Foundation – Continual improvement model, especially the step “Where are we now?”

ITIL 4 Foundation – Continual improvement practice: use of assessment tools such as SWOT analysis to evaluate the current state of services, processes, and practices.

In ITIL 4, the purpose of the information security management practice is to:

Protect the organization’s information by ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, and also covering aspects such as authentication, non-repudiation, and reliability.

Authentication ensures that users or systems are who they claim to be.

Non-repudiation ensures that an action or transaction cannot later be denied by the party that performed it.

These are core topics within information security controls and are explicitly associated with the information security management practice.

Why the other options are incorrect:

Change enablement – Focuses on ensuring that changes are properly assessed, authorized, and managed to maximize value and reduce risk; it does not specifically manage authentication or non-repudiation.

Service configuration management – Ensures that accurate and reliable information about configuration items (CIs) and their relationships is available; it is not primarily about security controls like authentication and non-repudiation.

IT asset management – Manages IT assets to maximize value and control costs and risks; again, not about authentication or non-repudiation as a primary purpose.

Therefore, the practice whose purpose includes managing authentication and non-repudiation is information security management.

In ITIL, there are six activities in the service value chain which represent the steps an organization takes in the creation of value:

Plan

Engage

Design and Transition

Obtain/Build

Deliver and Support

Improve

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-service-value-chain/

Nonrepudiation provides an assurance that the sender of data is provided with proof of delivery and the recipient is provided with proof of the sender's identity, so neither can later deny having processed the data. Further, this concept can apply to any activity, not just the sending and receiving of data; in a more general sense, it is a mechanism to prove that an activity was performed and by whom. Nonrepudiation is typically comprised of authentication, auditing/logging, and cryptography services.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/nonrepudiation

A service level agreement (SLA) is a documented agreement between a service provider and a customer that identifies both services required and the expected level of service1. A necessity to a successful SLA is that the language and terms used in the SLA should be commonly understood by all parties, to avoid ambiguity, confusion, and disputes2. The other statements are not true because:

Base the SLA on system-based metrics that are useful to the service provider: The SLA should be based on customer-based metrics that are meaningful to the customer and reflect the value of the service2.

In order to promote consistent service, they should be carried forward, unchanged, from one year to the next: The SLA should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changing business needs, customer expectations, and service performance2.

Vague targets, such as those related to user experience should be avoided: The SLA should include both quantitative and qualitative targets, such as those related to user experience, satisfaction, and perception, as well as availability, reliability, and security2. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 16; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 37; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Service Level Management, page 8.

The service desk practice provides a single point of contact for users and customers to report issues, make requests, or seek guidance1. This practice guarantees that users have a range of access channels to choose from to report problems, such as phone, email, web portal, chatbot, or self-service2. This helps to improve user satisfaction, reduce frustration, and increase efficiency3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 14; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 32; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Service Desk, page 7.

The problem management practice follows a three-phase approach to reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes of incidents and managing workarounds and known errors1. The three phases are:

Problem identification: the process of finding problems that are the cause or potential cause of one or more incidents2.

Problem control: the process of analysing the root cause and impact of a problem and developing a workaround or a permanent solution2.

Error control: the process of managing known errors throughout their lifecycle, from recording to removal2. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 15; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 35; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Problem Management, page 9.

The Obtain/Build activity is responsible for ensuring that all service components are available when and where needed, and that they meet the agreed specifications.

https://www.beyond20.com/blog/what-is-the-itil-4-service-value-chain/#:~:text=The%20Obtain%2FBuild%20activity%20is,they%20meet%20the%20agreed%20specifications.

When focusing on value, the first step is to know who are the customers and key stakeholders being served. Next, it is important to have an understanding of what consitutes value from the consumer’s perspective.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-guiding-principles/#:~:text=When%20focusing%20on%20value%2C%20the,value%20from%20the%20consumer 's%20perspective.

The ‘progress iteratively with feedback’ guiding principle encourages organizations to break down complex initiatives into smaller, simpler, and more manageable units of work1. This principle also recommends seeking and acting on feedback from stakeholders, avoiding big-bang approaches, and adapting plans based on new information2. However, this principle does not advise prohibiting changes to plans, analysing the whole situation in detail, or reducing the number of steps that produce tangible results, as these would be contrary to the iterative and adaptive nature of this principle3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 7; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 27; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Progress Iteratively with Feedback, page 9.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

In ITIL 4, problem management focuses on identifying and managing the underlying causes of incidents. Its purpose is described as reducing both the likelihood and impact of incidents by:

Identifying actual and potential causes of incidents (problems).

Managing workarounds and known errors so that the impact of incidents is minimized until a permanent solution can be implemented.

A workaround is a way of reducing or eliminating the impact of an incident or problem when a full resolution is not yet available. A known error is a problem that has a documented cause and either a workaround or a permanent solution identified.

Therefore, the missing word in the sentence is “workarounds”, making D the correct answer.

Why the other options are incorrect:

Events are handled primarily by the monitoring and event management practice.

Changes are controlled through the change enablement practice.

Configuration items are managed by the service configuration management practice.

Relevant ITIL 4 Foundation references:

Problem management practice: purpose, definitions of problem, workaround, and known error.

In ITIL 4, the service level management practice is responsible for:

Setting clear, business-based targets for service performance

Monitoring and reporting on service delivery

Conducting regular reviews with customers and stakeholders

Ensuring that services and service performance meet agreed needs and expectations

Part of this practice explicitly involves reviewing services with customers to validate that the services are still meeting their needs and agreed service levels. These reviews are used to confirm whether the services remain fit for purpose and to identify improvement opportunities.

The other options have different focuses:

Monitoring and event management focuses on observing services and infrastructure, identifying events, and determining their significance.

Change enablement controls risks related to changes and ensures that changes are properly assessed and authorized.

Service desk is the main point of contact between service provider and users, handling incidents and service requests, but it is not primarily responsible for formal reviews of service coverage against customer needs.

Because the described activity—conducting reviews to ensure services cover customer needs—is a core responsibility of service level management, the correct answer is B.

In ITIL 4 terminology, a problem is defined as the cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents. Incident management deals with restoring service as quickly as possible, while problem management focuses on finding and addressing the underlying causes so that incidents do not recur.

A problem is therefore directly associated with the cause behind one or more incidents, matching the wording in the sentence.

A known error is a problem that has been analyzed and has a documented root cause and workaround; it is not simply “the cause or potential cause” but a further state of a problem.

A change is the addition, modification, or removal of anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services, not specifically the cause of incidents.

An event is any change of state that has significance for the management of a service or other configuration item; again, not defined as the cause of incidents.

Because ITIL 4 explicitly associates the phrase “cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents” with problem, the correct answer is D.

The incident management practice aims to minimize the negative impact of incidents by restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible1. A major incident is an incident that has a significant impact or urgency for the business and requires a high level of coordination and resources to resolve2. The most likely way of resolving major incidents is by forming a temporary team working together to identify a resolution, such as a major incident team or a swarming team3. The other statements are not true because:

Users establishing a resolution using self-help: Self-help is an option for users to resolve their own incidents with minimal or no assistance from the service provider, but it is not suitable for major incidents that require urgent and expert attention3.

The service desk identifying the cause and a resolution: The service desk is responsible for logging, categorizing, prioritizing, and escalating incidents, but it may not have the skills or authority to identify the cause and a resolution for major incidents that involve multiple teams or suppliers3.

A support team following detailed procedures for investigating the incident: A support team may follow detailed procedures for investigating the incident, but it may not be able to resolve major incidents that require cross-functional collaboration or escalation3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 14; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 32; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Incident Management, page 8.

This is one of the most important questions for continual improvement. This question helps to define measurable targets for the IT service provider that will help to reach the vision of the company in the long-term. At this stage, we look at the identified key performance indicators from the previous step and determine what values we want to target for each of these indicators. This decision must be made with the business’s vision in mind, but also with a sense of what is practically possible.

https://blog.masterofproject.com/continual-improvement-model/