How to Become ITIL-Certified

If you are a professional either currently in the field of information technology (IT) or are looking to enter the industry, certifications can better position you to negotiate a higher salary and prepare you for roles beyond the entry-level ranking. 

In fact, these certifications may hold more weight than a degree from a university or college. More than 25% of IT professionals do not have college degrees, and this is because hiring managers are looking at specific certifications, soft skills, and experience above a degree.

ITIL certification can open the door for new opportunities in your professional career. Earning your ITIL certification requires you to take a training course on ITIL foundations, as well as attend training relevant to your ITIL 4 pathway. Once you have completed your training, you need to pass the relevant ITIL exams, and follow the ongoing steps to maintain your certification.

What Is ITIL?

ITIL stands for ‘Information Technology Infrastructure Library.’ Why is ITIL training important? ITIL training prepares you for the framework of the best practices across the IT service life cycle. It allows organizations to fortify their strategies by: 

• Learning from past mistakes
• Establishing reliable performance indicators
• Appropriating expenses to provide quality service

When you earn an ITIL certification, you will learn how to integrate a variety of value streams and activities to develop, deliver, and support ongoing IT services and products. Your training will cover methodologies, practices, and tools to boost performance and continuous improvement.

The Different ITIL 4 Certification Pathways

ITIL 4 is a version of ITIL that optimizes digital technologies to produce values with consumers, embrace digital transformation, and streamline business strategy. It focuses primarily on the concepts of value, cost, and risk. ITIL 4 has three main designation paths that come with their own unique modules to complete. These pathways are:

• Managing Professional (MP)
• Strategic Leader (SL)
• Practice Manager (PM)

No matter the path you choose, you will need to complete the ITIL foundation module. This is required for your ITIL 4 certification. This entry-level certification covers all of the basics of ITIL 4, including:

• Understanding how to create valuable products and services for customers and stakeholders
• The four dimensions of service management
• ITIL 4 best practices
• Key concepts of Lean, Agile, and DevOps

ONLC offers an extensive and inclusive training that prepares you for the ITIL 4 foundation exam, and the exam voucher is included in your training. This training prepares you to improve the quality of services you deliver to customers while operating under the core aspects of the ITIL framework.

How to Get Certified

To become ITIL- or ITIL 4-certified, you must take the required training for ITIL 4 Foundations, a training related to your specific pathway, and pass the exam for the ITIL 4 Foundations certification and the exam for your specified pathway. From there, you simply need to maintain your certification so that it is valid and current.

Required Training

In order to earn your certification, you need to complete the required training. The first step is to enroll in the ITIL 4 Foundation Certification Course offered by ONLC. This comprehensive course lays the groundwork for frameworks and principles you will delve further into when you take your next course, which is for your specific pathway.

Next, enroll in an ITIL 4 course that is specific to your pathway. Currently, ONLC offers courses for ITIL Specialists and ITIL Strategists. Both require you to complete the ITIL Foundations training and certification. These courses are ideal for those in senior IT management positions, such as a CIO or CTO, and other leadership roles.

Pass the Exams

There are two exams you need to complete for your certification: the Foundations exam, and the second exam that is catered to your pathway. ONLC offers a bundle for your training, complete with a voucher for the exam via PeopleCert. The exam will be taken at one of the PeopleCert’s approved testing centers, or online for your convenience.

The Foundations exam consists of forty multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of one hour. To qualify for your certification, you must score a minimum of 65% or answer twenty-six questions correctly.

When it comes to your pathways, your certification routes will vary. The pathway for an ITIL Managing Professional will differ from that of an ITIL Practice Manager, so it’s recommended you research the specifications for your desired pathway. Generally, you can expect to pass four modules, each of which requires you correctly answer twenty-eight out of forty multiple choice questions in a ninety-minute, closed-book exam.

Maintenance

Luckily, there is no expiration date on your ITIL certification once you have earned it. However, you may find value in continuing your education and working your way up the different ITIL 4 pathways to position yourself for promotions and leadership within your organization.

Ready to move forward with ITIL certification? ONLC has you covered–check out our resources today!