Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a
framework for best practices in IT service management, and a good one at that.
It's recognized all over the world as one of the key certifications for IT
professionals. Plus, it's one of the highest paying IT certifications out
there. That's because ITIL focuses on the basics that matter to business: how
to improve IT services, increase productivity and cut costs. Want to boost your
professional resume? Here's how to add ITIL certification to your job-hunting
arsenal.
ITIL ensures that an IT professional knows the best
practices and the best solutions in any IT service management situation. ITIL's
framework helps improve IT operations no matter where the organization is in
the service management life cycle, and it helps businesses by reducing costs
while also improving IT services. What's more, a lot of organizations and
professionals view ITIL as a sort of common language or model, which makes its
related skills more transferable between organizations. (To learn about other
certifications, see our website)
Those in IT financial management, continuity management,
availability and capacity management, service-level management, and service
desks stand to get the most out of ITIL training and certification. Thousands
of companies all around the world – including some of the world's largest
technology companies – even have this certification as a requirement.
If you're interested in pursuing the ITIL certification,
there are a few things you should know.
1. The Basics
ITILv3 has five different certification levels:
The most popular of these is the ITIL Foundation
certification, which is the first step to all further ITIL certifications.
While a foundation-level certification is usually enough, those who are looking
for higher and managerial positions would do well to get both an
intermediate-level and expert-level certification.
2. The Test
The test itself has 40 multiple-choice questions that
must be answered in 60 minutes. If you are answering in a language that is not
your native language, you can use a dictionary and have 75 minutes to complete
the exam. This supervised test has a 65 percent pass rate.
The ITIL Expert in IT Service Management certification is
finally obtained by accumulating credits via the earlier levels. The Master
level may be achieved through five years of on-the-job experience in
leadership, managerial or higher management roles.
Clearly, studying for all levels at once is impossible.
Keep it simple by preparing yourself for the examination that you are taking.
ITIL generally involves intensive study and tough exams as well as work
experience, so if you're looking to take the higher levels of ITIL, it's best
to approach them one by one. (You can find out more details about each test at
the ITIL's official website.)
3. Study Guides
ITIL consists of five volumes covering specific practices
of IT service management. If these have you dumbfounded, you might need study
guides to help you narrow down what you need to know to pass the exam you're
taking. There are many online resources and training courses that can help you
prepare.
That said, be aware that there are a lot of providers
offering study guides and training courses that are as expensive as the
examinations themselves, if not more so. If it's in your budget, these can be
good resources, but there are also free resources online. All you need to do is
search for them.
Similarly, official ITIL publications are expensive, but
less-expensive books are available from other providers. These books can be
helpful, but the quality of these resources varies widely.
Search online for practice exams. These are often free
and you can do as many exams as you want. Not only will you get a feel for what
types of questions will appear on the actual exam, but you will also learn how
to answer them. This will help you pace yourself in the actual exam and help
you become familiar with the multiple-choice format that the ITIL exam uses.
While taking practice exams, take note of the kind of
multiple-choice questions that are included in the exam and find out the best
way to answer them. Do not leave a question blank – ITIL does not penalize
wrong answers.
ITIL may include an exhaustive set of guidelines,
how-to's and best practices in its framework, but if you have been working as
an IT professional for quite some time, you are probably already familiar with
these principles. Nevertheless, despite all the tips, tricks and tidbits about
ITIL online, nothing can guarantee a passing grade beyond sitting down and
studying hard for the test.
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