7 Things To Check Before Taking Up An ITIL - Foundation Course
From costs to reviews - here’s how you evaluate an ITIL Foundation level training program.
ITIL® stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library. It is a framework that sets detailed practices to align IT (and non-IT) services to business needs. ITIL involves building a Foundation-level understanding of the framework as the base. Individual service lifecycle stages follow this base level in a pyramid structure.
The ITIL Foundation (or ITIL-F) certification helps you gain an entry into the ITIL framework of managing IT services. It is a pretty sought after certification, due in part to the rising global demand for IT and non-IT services. The certification itself is a straight-forward process. It involves a (recommended) study of the ITIL framework, followed by writing an exam.
There're quite a few study options for the ITIL-F certification - from self-study to classroom lectures. However to ensure adequate preparation, the following are some key questions you should ask of an ITIL-F course:
1. Is the course provider an Accredited Training Organization (ATO)?
ATOs are officially recognised by the ITIL-F certification provider (Axelos) and their examination institutes (e.g. Peoplecert). An ATOs course content is regularly evaluated by the examination institutes so as to conform to exam requirements.
2. How much of practice is included in the course?
This is a very important consideration, particularly for the Foundation level exam. The exam itself will have 40 questions, of which you need to get 26 correct to pass. Simulated tests and practice questions go a long way in familiarising you with the exam pattern.
3. What do the course reviews say?
Reviews detail other test takers’ experience with the course. Also, reviews may also speak about how best to use a particular course.
4. What language(s) is the course available in?
If you aren't a native English speaker, you might wish to take up the certification exam in your native language. If so, you should check out the language options available in the course. FYI, the ITIL Foundation examination is available in 21 languages (full list here).
5. Is an exam voucher included as part of the course?
ATOs have an advantage here - they'll be able to bundle an examination voucher for a lower price in most cases. You should check around for a better deal though (we offer one as well).
6. What’s the duration for which you’re able to access the course components?
Especially relevant if you do not intend to take up the ITIL-F certification right away. You wouldn’t want to spend again on going through the same course, would you?
7. What do I do if I run into issues?
Sad but true - issues can occur with any course or course provider. In such situations it is important that there is someone from the course provider who actually works to get your issues sorted. We call this dedicated support.
BONUS TIP
Here’s how to choose a particular mode of training
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Classroom training - choose this option if you’re very new to service management, and have a record of doing better as part of a group learning exercise.
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Online classes - choose this option if you just want to put some structure to your preparation, with an instructor to set a learning roadmap.
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Online self-learning - choose this if you’d like to quickly review concepts and then learn through practice on simulated exams.
Ready to explore courses?
Here’re some fast and easy courses for your ITIL-F certification - Online self-learning, Online and Classroom Training. You can also review 5 unmissable reasons to get an ITIL Foundation certification.