ITIL V3 transition allows ITIL courses to move from being available as stand-alone ITIL exams to a transition plan or gateway (the ITIL Foundation Certification) after which full ITIL certification can be obtained. The ITIL V3 foundation certification exam contains multiple-choice questions and is often accompanied by a practice exam. The first course that you take in your ITIL transition will be the Foundation Certificate and will test your basic knowledge of ITIL.
There are three levels of ITIL foundation certifications; those are Professional, Service Lifecycle Associate, and Certified. The exams cover all the ITIL foundation subjects and cover additional modules based upon the industry sector (e.g., enterprise VPNs and virtual private networks). As with all ITIL certifications, passing the exams requires careful preparation.
The ITIL Foundation Associate consists of a series of four foundations courses that provide a solid base for ITIL professionals to build upon. The Foundation Certificate is the first step towards the Intermediate Level and covers the basics of ITIL including basic terminology, managing professional skills, basic networking, and the business model of ITIL. The Intermediate Level ITIL foundation covers the core ITIL topics of managing professional skills, implementing ITIL procedures, implementing Service Lifecycle Management (SLM), and understanding the Service Level Agreement (SLA). The advanced foundation, the Consultant Level provides additional information on improving a company’s IT infrastructure, implementing recommended practices, understanding and using the Technology Transfer Definition (TBD).
ITIL Foundation is not linked to any one particular TLD or Certification authority, so all professionals within an organization can participate in the exams, provided they meet the eligibility criteria set by the institutes. This means that there are no national exams for ITIL to be certified by and only the ITIL Practitioner (IP) and Guide (GL) examinations are recognized internationally. ITIL certifications are also accepted at the national level by professional associations such as the ITIL Institute and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), though some of these organizations may recognize independent exams for ITIL, for those professionals who have successfully completed a foundation level examination but are not yet at the consultancies or at the advanced certification level.
There is also another certification scheme in the UK called the National Information Technology Infrastructure Learning Zone (NITLZ) which is open to all and can be reached by anyone who has completed a foundation level study or who has reached the consultancies level. The exams offered by NITLZ cover all the areas covered by the ITIL Foundation, with the exception of Service Design. However, this examination is recommended for more experienced professionals than those who are new to the field of information technology. It is important to note that ITIL experts are not permitted to offer an opinion on the quality of services provided by the companies they serve.
Candidates who successfully pass the preliminary assessment, which includes knowledge test, written examination and work experience tests, will be sent a set of prerequisite tests and will receive a logistic and accession reference letter. Candidates will be required to prove their eligibility before being awarded a certificate, which will be required to proceed with the finalisation of the ITIL foundation. To ensure an even better experience, ITIL professionals are strongly recommended to take the necessary prerequisites, including both knowledge and experience, through one of the accredited vocational centres in the UK or other relevant country.
ITIL experts are strongly recommended to contact a qualified ITIL transition specialist, who can assist them through the entire process. This person can explain the steps involved and the different levels in the ITIL foundation. He or she will also guide the candidates, who are interested in a full ITIL certification, in their transition plans. Candidates who successfully complete the study, take the final examinations and receive the foundation certification are then able to recognise and value the benefits of the ITIL certification, and know how to use it to their advantage in their day-to-day professional lives. This certification, therefore, offers immediate benefits to ITIL candidates, making the transition from non-ITIL professionals to highly competent ITIL professionals much easier.
