ITIL Qualifications Explained

ITIL certification is for individuals and it signifies differentyears of experience in an IT service Management
levels of awareness and capability with regard to ITILenvironment in a supervisory, managerial or
ITIL training is undertaken in the UK by over 30consultancy role.
specialist training companies- All accredited on behalf ITIL Master
of the OGC. They use approved course materialsCandidates for this level will be required to have
based on the official ITIL manuals – and theyachieved the ITIL Expert certification and to have
prepare delegates for exams which are usuallydemonstrated practical application and experience.
included in the training course.ITIL Qualification StructureThey will be assessed on the broader issues of ITSM
There are 4 levels within the ITIL Version 3 qualificationimplementations including: 
structure, providing a systematic route from Foundation- Managing cultural and organisational change 
through to higher level management qualifications- Responding to industry change 
- Foundation- Continual improvement of ITSM capability 
- Intermediate- Preparing organisations for audit and certification 
- ITIL ExpertThis qualification will not be associated with an
- ITIL Masteraccredited course. 
The new ITIL qualifications scheme recognises theITIL Bridging CoursesAn interim set of Bridging Courses
value of existing v2 qualifications and introduces ahas been introduced for those who have already
system that gives credits for both ITIL v2 and v3undertaken training under earlier versions of ITIL and
courses.who wish to update their knowledge to reflect the
To achieve the ITIL Expert qualification, candidateslatest release.Foundation Bridge
must achieve at least 22 credits, two of which can beWho should attend: Existing holders of the Foundation
gained at Foundation level. (Full details of the creditsCertificate. Active members of Service Management
system, examinations and pre-requisites can be foundteams.
via the website.)Duration : 1 day
ITIL FoundationContent : An overview of the lifecycle approach to ITIL
This is the first step on the ITIL v3 education– highlighting key changes and explaining the
programme. The course explains the basics of ITIL, itsbenefits
terminology and common processes. It also travelsExam : 30 minute multiple choice paper with 20
through the Service Lifecycle, defining the roles andquestions – 65% pass mark
responsibilities involved.Credits : 0.5 (which can be added to the 1.5 earned
Who should attend: Anyone involved in IT or thefrom version 1 or version 2 foundation certificates)
business 
Duration: 3 daysManager Bridge
Exam: 40 Questions multi choice – pass mark 26Who should attend: Existing holders of the
Credits: 2Manager’s Certificate who wish to upgrade to the
ITIL Intermediatenew ITIL Expert qualification. It is not necessary to
At the intermediate level there are 9 modular courseshave taken the Foundation Bridge. CIOs, IT Managers,
from which students will typically need to acquire 15IT Professionals
credits in order to move on to the “cap-stone”Duration : 4 or 5 days
Managing Across the Lifecycle Course and achieveContent : In depth coverage of the lifecycle approach
the ITIL Expert qualificationto ITIL – highlighting key changes and explaining the
The courses are grouped into 2 streams. It will bebenefits
possible to “pick and mix” from these variousExam : 90 minute multiple choice paper with 20
modules to suit the requirements of you and yourquestions – 80% pass mark
organisation. There are some constraints to ensure aCredits : 5 (which when added to the 17 earned from
good mix of topics is covered.version 1 or version 2 Service Manager certificates
The Service Lifecycle courses (each worth 3 credits)result in the 22 credits required to qualify as an ITIL
align to each of the 5 core ITIL manuals.Expert)
Service Strategy Practitioner Bridge Those with at least 12 credits
Service Designfrom v2 Practitioner courses but who do not hold the
Service TransitionManager’s Certificate may achieve ITIL Expert
Service Operationstatus by: 
Continual Service ImprovementThe Service Capability- First completing the Manager’s Bridge course and
courses (each worth 4 credits) focus on ITILexam 
processes:Planning, Protection and Optimisation- Then completing the Managing across the Lifecycle
Service Offerings and AgreementCourse and Exam 
Release, Control & ValidationThis enables part qualified individuals to obtain ITIL
Operational Support & AnalysisExpert certification without the need to study at the
Who should attend: IT professionals interested tonew Intermediate level.
develop specific ITSM skill sets and those who seek toBenefits of ITIL Investments in information services
achieve ITIL Expert statushave frequently been characterised by over spend,
Duration:Service Lifecycle – 21 hrs minimum (3 or 4under delivery, and a lack of transparency.  ITIL
day course), Service Capability – 30 hrs minimum (4provides a maturity path for IT which is not technology
or 5 day course)based – providing practical management tools which
Exam:90 minute graduated multiple choice withare accessible to a wider audience.
scenario based questions. Pass mark 65% (75% for aBenefits of adopting ITIL can include:
Distinction)- Increased productivity
Credits:Service Lifecycle – 3, Service Capability –- Higher levels of customer satisfaction
4ITIL Expert- Reduced costs
The ITIL Expert will replace the current ITIL Manager- Improved communications between the IT function
certification which distinguishes experienced IT serviceand its customers
leaders who have studied the application of ITIL in- Improved morale of service delivery staff
depth.- Lower costs of training
The version 3 ITIL Expert qualification is obtained upon- Better asset utilisationSavings in total costs of
achievement of 17 or more credits from theownership of 48% have been reported in case
Foundation, Intermediate, Bridge or v2 Courses -studies.  P&G has attributed savings of 10% of
followed by the broad and high level course -their total IT costs to adoption of ITIL.
"Managing Across the Lifecycle".Total Cost of Ownership studies by Axios and others
Managing Across the Lifecyclesuggest 75% of your IT costs are associated with
The purpose of this module is to consolidate and testService Management rather than acquisition and
the content of the 5 core guidance ITIL manuals. Thecommissioning.  ITIL training and certification can help
focus is on business, management and supervisoryyou understand and optimise the effectiveness of this
aspects, with attention given to the interactionsspend.
between the different ITIL processes.Who should ITIL Training and ISO20000
attend: CIOs, IT Managers, IT ProfessionalsITIL embodies the methodologies which underpin the
Duration: 5 daysISO/IEC20000 quality accreditation for organisations
Exam: 8 multiple choice, scenario based, gradientwith respect to their information systems. This is
scored questions.displacing BS15000 in the UK and is rapidly being
Pass Mark 28 marks (70%)adopted as the definitive international standard for IT
In addition, candidates must be able to demonstrate atService Management.
least 5 years of IT experience and have at least 2