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3. ITIL® Version 3 Answers

3.1. Do OGC propose to embrace both V2 and V3?
No. OGC expects a transition from V2 to V3. V3 builds on V2, so the way users should view it is as an opportunity to enhance their practices. As we have always said, ITIL® is a framework and should be customised to each organisation’s needs, so we would expect a user’s view of the new ITIL® to be dependent on his current priorities for improvement.

3.2. What is the difference between V2 and V3?
ITIL® V3 articulates the relationship between IT and the business far more clearly than earlier versions of ITIL®. Instead of focusing on processes as in V2, V3 considers a wider view of IT by considering the lifecycle of a service from its initial planning, which should be aligned to the business need, through to its final retirement. This allows a more thorough treatment of strategic options, functions, roles, and responsibilities as well as continual improvement. The processes remain and have been improved. ITIL® V3 also looks more closely at alignment with other best practices and standards.

3.3. Should I wait to attend training when ITIL® V3 path is better known?
Foundation training in V3 will be available from 13 June 2007, so there is not a long wait. If your need is urgent do the V2 training and take a bridging module later.

3.4. What is the impact of ITIL® V3 upon my ITIL® or ITSM strategy?
There is much more strategic guidance, so the effect should be that your IT strategy will be better aligned to the delivery of desired business outcomes.

3.5. What are the most significant differences between V3 and V2?
The key point is that V3 articulates the relationship between IT and the business far more clearly than earlier versions of ITIL®. Instead of focusing on processes as in V2, V3 considers a wider view of IT by considering the lifecycle of a service from its initial planning, which should be aligned to business need, through to its final retirement. This allows a more thorough treatment of strategic options, functions, roles and responsibilities as well as continual improvement. The processes remain and have been improved. ITIL® V3 also looks more closely at alignment with other best practices and standards.

3.6. Will my investment in ITIL® V2 publications and training be lost?
No because it is more a question that ITIL® has grown (towards the business) and matured rather than changed. 95% of V2 still applies.

3.7. What is the impact of ITIL® V3 on existing ITIL credentials and will they need to be refreshed?
It is inevitable that people will eventually regard a V3 certificate as more valuable than a V2 certificate. ITIL® V1 and V2 qualifications will remain valid indefinitely and the new qualifications scheme will not affect your current qualification. However, you will have the option to update your knowledge and, essentially, your qualification through the proposed 'V2>V3 Foundation Bridge' and 'V2>V3 Managers Bridge' which will be a course and examination which aims to bring your knowledge inline with V3 and your existing qualification inline with those available in the new qualifications scheme.

3.8. What practical support is there for the V2 to V3 migration?
This area is an opportunity for the vendor industry to support users, but it is not considered as a migration. Users should be just as picky about what they implement from V3 as they were about V2. A rational analysis may show that there is a higher priority (ie better return) for an organisation in implementing a new ITIL® area rather than to migrate what has already been done.

3.9. As a champion of ITIL® within my organisations how do I now promote ITIL® to the end users?
It offers better value to the business than ever before.

3.10. Having purchased the set, what do we do now?
Read it. It will take a while for the new ideas to sink in. Some might even be controversial.

3.11. Is ITIL® still independent?
Yes. The ITIL® V3 guidance was written by authors recruited through a global competition, and reviewed by industry experts and public volunteers in all the stakeholder groups, globally. It has no commercial agenda.

3.12. How are you ensuring other standards are aligned to ITIL® V3?
After publication, it is our intention to publish guides to alignment of ITIL® with other global best practices. The first of these is likely to be with COBIT. OGC and TSO began talking with ITGI and ISACA last November, and hope to publish a revision to the existing COBIT/ITIL® alignment guide by the end of the year. There is a lot of enthusiasm amongst ITIL® stakeholders (and OGC) that ISO/IEC 20000 continues be aligned with ITIL®. So far we have enjoyed good communication with individuals responsible for ISO/IEC 20000 revision, most of which appreciate the role that ITIL® processes play in underpinning ISO certification. We will continue to promote a close alignment with international standards.

4. ITIL® Version 3 Examinations and Accreditation Answers

4.1. APMG, The APM Group what’s the difference?
APMG is the abbreviated form of The APM Group.

4.2. I understand The APM Group has licensed ISEB and EXIN as Examination Institutes (EI), how does this work?
As OGC’s official accreditor APMG can licence Examination Institutes to offer the ITIL® qualifications. This allows EXIN and ISEB to continue to offer ITIL® qualifications to their existing community of training providers.

4.3. What is the responsibility of an EI? What’s the criteria they just meet to become licensed?
An EI must be independent from any training or consulting activities and be able to assess a training companies, material, management systems and trainers. Full details of the requirements that need to be meet are available on www.ITIL-officialsite.com.

4.4. What are the differences between each EI?
Each EI will set their own prices and offer their model for accreditation that conforms with International Standards for the accreditation of products (training courses); organisations and personnel.

4.5. Is APMG not also an Examination Institute?
APMG is also an EI. APMG has separated its activities as the official accreditor and as an EI.

4.6. Do all three EIs accredit training and consultancy organisations? If so where can I find a complete list of accredited organisations?
All EIs accredit Training organisations but not consulting organisations. A single consolidated list will be available on www.ITIL-officialsite.com.

Each EI also lists all their accredited training providers on their own websites, namely:
APMG: www.apmgroup.co.uk/web/site/QualificationsAssessments/ITServiceManagement.asp
EXIN: www.exin-exams.com/training-providers/search-training-providers.aspx
ISEB: www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.7207

4.7. Do I as an end user need to worry about which EI that my chosen training organisation is using?
No. All EIs will offer qualifications against the same official syllabus and will compile examination papers from a single central database of questions. Qualifications from any EI will be equal to that from all others.

4.8. What exams can be taken in ITIL®? / What are the entry requirements?
There are currently three levels of IT Service Management Certificates for which candidates can aim. The certificates in V2 are:

Foundation Certificate: This examination, which consists of a one hour multiple choice paper and is usually taken at the end of a three day training event, is designed to test a candidate's basic understanding of the principles and terminology of the IT Infrastructure Library®. It is suitable for staff of all levels and forms one of the entrance criteria for other certificates. This is designed to provide a foundation level of knowledge in IT Service Management and is aimed at all personnel who wish to become familiar with the best practices for IT Service Management, as defined in the IT Infrastructure Library® (ITIL®). There are no entry requirements to take the Foundation Examination but it is strongly recommended an accredited training course is attended.

The Practitioner Certificate: Each discipline within the Support and Delivery Sets may be studied and practiced in detail. There is a certificate for each separate discipline, attainment of which is achieved by a combination of assignments set during a (typically) 3 day training event or sitting an objective testing examination. Please check with your Examination Institute which requirements will apply to you. This is aimed at those who are responsible within their organisation for designing specific processes within the IT Service Management discipline and performing the activities that belong to those processes. The Practitioner's Certificate focuses on the depth of understanding and application of those subjects: treating each subject as a specialism. Candidates must hold the Foundation Certificate and it is strongly recommended an accredited training course is attended.

The Manager's Certificate: This certificate, aimed at managers and consultants, typically requires attendance on a 10 day training event, followed by two three hour examination papers that are designed to test the practical application of the theory of ITIL®. Some Examination Institutes will also require an in-course assessment to be completed. Please check with your Examination Institute which requirements will apply to you. There are also Management level certificates based on the Business Management and Network Services Management ITIL® publications. The Manager's Certificate is aimed at those who need to demonstrate a capability for managing ITIL®-based solutions across the breadth of the Service Management subjects. Candidates must hold the Foundation Certificate and it is strongly recommended an accredited training course is attended.

4.9. When will the exam syllabus for the ITIL® V3 Bridging Courses be available?
The ITIL® V3 Foundation and Managers Bridging syllabi can be found at: www.itil-officialsite.com/Qualifications/ITILV3QualificationScheme.asp.

4.10. What is the structure of the ITIL® Foundation Bridging Examination?
The ITIL® V3 Foundation Bridge Course will be a one day course with an exam at the end of the day. The Examination will contain 20 questions to be answered in 30 minutes. Candidates need to achieve a mark of 13 out of 20, a pass mark of 65%, to pass the paper. The format of this exam will be in the style of objective testing. The ITIL® V3 Foundation and Managers Bridging syllabi can be found at: www.itil-officialsite.com/Qualifications/ITILV3QualificationScheme.asp

4.11. What is the structure of the ITIL® Managers Bridging Examination?
The ITIL® V3 Managers Bridge Course requires at least 28 hours of classroom-based instruction or equivalent via e-learning, finishing with an exam. The Examination will contain 20 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Candidates need to achieve a mark of 16 out of 20, a pass mark of 80%, to pass the paper. The format of this exam will be complex multiple choice. The ITIL® V3 Foundation and Managers Bridging syllabi can be found at: www.itil-officialsite.com/Qualifications/ITILV3QualificationScheme.asp

4.12. Will I still be able to take ITIL V2 examinations after the new ITIL V3 exams start?
Yes. ITIL® V2 exams will be offered if there is a market demand for them but they are likely to be stopped at the end of 2008. An official statement will be released notifying the community when ITIL® V2 exams are no longer running.

4.13. What will be the format of the ITIL® V3 higher level exams?
The Service Lifecycle and the Service Capability module examinations require mandatory accredited course attendance. The exams will be 90 minutes long and the pass mark is 65%. The format of the examinations will be complex multiple choice.

4.14. How do I attain the ITIL® V3 Diploma/Expert?
In order to obtain the ITIL® V3 Expert, you will need to undertake a series of V3 examinations or alternatively, update your V1 or V2 examinations with various Bridge courses and examinations. The current proposal is that candidates can take the following routes to obtain the Diploma:

V3 Foundation (or V2 plus Bridge) + all five Lifecycle (Business Based) Intermediate modules + Managing Across the Lifecycle = ITIL® Expert
V3 Foundation (or V2 plus Bridge) + all four Capability (Practitioner Based) Intermediate modules + Managing Across the Lifecycle = ITIL® Expert
V3 Foundation (or V2 plus Bridge) + a combination of specific modules from both Intermediate Lifecycle and Capability streams + Managing Across the Lifecycle = ITIL® Expert
V1 or V2 Managers + V3 Managers Bridge = ITIL® Expert
The specific combination of modules from both the Capability and Lifecycle streams (as per option three above) which ensure that a candidate has covered all areas of the Service Lifecycle in sufficient detail and has the required knowledge to attempt the Managing Across the Lifecycle course has now been defined by theV3 Examination Panel. However the proposal is awaiting sign off by the Qualifications Board.

The Managing Across the Lifecycle course is then the final Capstone course at the Intermediate level which bridges the gap between Practitioners or Process Owners (Capability Stream) and Service/Business Managers (Lifecycle Stream) to give all candidates a rationalised view of the Service Management Lifecycle and is the final step in attaining the ITIL® Expert.

4.15. When will the ITIL® V3 Examinations be available?
ITIL® V3 Foundation examination papers have been available from the 13 June 2007. Q1 and Q2 2008 are the current target dates for the release of The Service Lifecycle and Capability streams. Please check www.itil-officialsite.com for the latest press releases.

4.16. Please could you explain the credits system that will be introduced with V3?
Each V3 certification has been assigned a numerical credit value. Credit values across all levels can be accumulated to achieve the required minimum 22 in order for a candidate to achieve the ITIL® Expert level achievement qualification. Once the ITIL® Expert Level is achieved, a candidate can pursue the Advance Level certification, which is currently in development. Credits for all levels of certification have not been confirmed by the Exam Panel or approved by the Qualification Board.

4.17. Will APMG, ISEB and EXIN all offer the same ITIL V3 exams?
Yes.

4.18. I am foundation V2 qualified and was looking at doing the Manager’s certificate for V2, what are my options now?
You can still take your V2 manager’s exam. We would recommend that you also take a bridging course to deal with any differences in terminology between V2 and V3.

4.19. What is the bridging course? Is it the same course for anyone with a V2 qualification? Which title will support this?
The bridging course covers the differences between V2 and V3 and is suitable for anyone with a V2 qualification who wants to bring themselves up-to-date with the new concepts in V3. There will be no title associated with this course.

4.20. Will the examination formats change for ITIL® V3?
The format for the V3 Foundation exam will remain the same as for V2. The Service Lifecycle module and The Service Capability module examinations require mandatory accredited course attendance. The exams are 90 minutes long and the pass mark is 65%. The format of the examinations will be complex multiple choice.

4.21. Should I take a ITIL® V2 exam now or wait for ITIL® V3 to be launched?
The decision is entirely up to you. Both qualifications are equal and it is likely that there will be an opportunity for those who hold valid ITIL® qualification in V1 and V2 to undertake short upgrade courses to bring their knowledge in line with the new concepts and themes detailed within the refreshed ITIL® V3 publications.

4.22. Will those who are ITIL® V2 certified need to re-certify under ITIL® V3?
Since the core principles of ITIL® are not changing, existing qualifications and certificates will remain valid and intact. There will be no change to the current V2 qualifications and both current and new versions of the qualification scheme will run concurrently for a period of 3-6 months (which will be dictated by a number of factors), ensuring that training providers have adequate preparation time for transition to the refreshed ITIL® V3. Training already undertaken will not be undermined by the introduction of new material. There will be opportunities for candidates to upgrade their qualification and short conversion or update courses will be provided if appropriate.

4.23. How frequently will you change/review the exam papers?
Exam questions will be under continual review. Each EI will create examination papers from the central database so papers are expected to change frequently.

4.24. Do you propose to translate the exams, releasing these at the same time as the five core titles?
Yes. The exams will be translated into Languages to support the translated titles.

4.25. Do ITIL® exam certificates expire?
The V2 certificates do not expire however for V3 they will. Registered Practitioners/Managers will be required to sit a short examination of equivalent rigor to the Examinations to re-confirm their competence in the current product, no earlier than three years and no later than five 5 years after initial certification. The examination is available as either web enabled or paper based.

4.26. How does a training organisation become accredited?
Each EI has different processes so please contact them for details.

4.27. How can APMG guarantee that ISEB and EXIN are using the same criteria they are when choosing to accredit an organisation?
As OGC’s official accreditor APMG will assess and audit all EIs to ensure they work in accordance with their own detailed standards. These standards will be assessed to ensure they meet the requirements of the International Standards against which all EIs will be accredited.

4.28. If an organisation is already PRINCE2 accredited will they automatically become ITIL qualified if they choose to start training courses on ITIL®?
No. They will have to have ITIL® training material accredited and have their ITIL® trainers assessed.
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