ITIL principles help organizations define the scope of improvement, and services that can be leveraged from within the organization to enable improvement. In the process, ITIL helps an organization reduce costs on the one hand, and become customer-centric with its improved services, on the other. The ITIL framework comes as a set of guidelines that covers the entire lifecycle of IT businesses starting from identifying IT requirements to developing and embedding the solutions to continuous maintenance of new services through review and improvement.
The Value of ITIL Certifications
Many organizations around the world have implemented ITIL within their structure as the best practices help fulfill customer expectations. Therefore, organizations are in need of ITIL-certified professionals, and it may so happen in the future that having ITIL certification becomes a mandate to handle IT projects.
ITIL certification empowers an individual to face challenges and provide solutions for various issues within his or her organization. The ITIL foundation certification enables an individual to face challenges and risks that occur at any point in time. ITIL Intermediate course, on the other hand, enables individuals to provide solutions to the challenges faced and any other risks existing within the project or team by making use of the IT Service Management best practices. Compared to the money spent for getting certified, the benefits derived are pretty high.
Having the ITIL Intermediate credential adds to the resume of IT professionals and their demand in the job market increases. They can demand a high salary in case looking for better work opportunities.
The Meaning of ITIL Certifications
ITIL offers certification at four levels. The different levels cover ITIL principles in varying degrees of depth. The four levels are:
- ITIL Foundation
- ITIL Intermediate (Service Lifecycle and Service Capability streams)
- ITIL MALC
- ITIL Expert
- ITIL Master
Levels of ITIL Certifications
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ITIL Foundation:
This certification exam comes with 40 multiple choice questions. On passing, candidates are provided with 2 credits. No pre-requisites are there to take this exam. ITIL Foundation covers the key concepts and principles associated with ITIL.
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ITIL Intermediate:
ITIL intermediate provides candidates with 15 to 16 credits depending upon whether they are taking the ITIL Intermediate Service Lifecycle stream or ITIL Intermediate Service Capability Stream. In order to take this exam, you should complete the ITIL Foundation exam first and go for an accredited training course.
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ITIL Managing Across the Lifecycle (MALC):
This exam provides you with 5 credits and requires you to have at least 15 credits from intermediate and 2 credits from the foundation. It is also the gateway to attaining the ITIL Expert certification.
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ITIL Expert:
This level requires you to have 22 credits from the prior certifications. Once you pass this stage, you can move to the last level or ITIL Master Qualification.
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ITIL Master Qualification:
Prior to taking the master’s qualification, you must complete the previous few levels and attain the required number of credits. Once you pass this level, you are awarded the ITIL certification.
A Brief Look at ITIL Certifications
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ITIL Foundation Level:
The initial stage of ITIL certification equips individuals with the basic concepts of ITIL Service Delivery and Service Support. Candidates at this level will gain a basic understanding and touch upon all ITIL concepts and know how to implement them within/her organization.
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ITIL Intermediate Level:
comes with a set of modules from which you can choose depending upon your requirements. The modules under ITIL Intermediate level can be broadly categorized into two categories: Service Capability and Service Lifecycle. Service Capability offers process-level and specialized knowledge on one or more of the ITIL processes. Service Lifecycle offers high-level management knowledge on several ITIL processes.
ITIL Service Capability comprises the following:
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- Service Offerings and Agreements (SOA)
- Operational Support and Analysis (OSA)
- Release, Control, and Validation (RCV)
- Planning, Protection, and Optimization (PPO)
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In order to earn a capability certification, an individual must pass the exam on the topics mentioned above. It is of best use for IT personnel who need to be involved with various hands-on IT-related work. This certification needs you to take a more detailed look at the ITIL processes compared to Service Lifecycle.
ITIL Service Lifecycle comprises the following:
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- Service Strategy (SS)
- Service Transition (ST)
- Service Operation (SO)
- Service Design (SD)
- Continual Service Operation (CSI)
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Earning a certification in any of the above subjects signifies that the candidate has a reasonable degree of understanding of the particular subject. In order to get the certificate, the candidate has to pass an exam consisting of challenging multiple choice and scenario-based questions. In the exam, individuals are asked about the steps that he or they would undertake given a real-life scenario involving ITIL concepts. Ideally, ITIL intermediate-level service lifecycle certifications hold importance for those handling managerial roles within IT organizations.
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ITIL Expert Level:
This provides a thorough understanding of various concepts under ITIL in great detail. Like ITIL intermediate, the Expert level also comes in a modular format, and candidates can choose the topic based on their requirements. In order to pass the exam of ITIL Expert Level, candidates need to have detailed knowledge of all concepts across the ITIL Service Lifecycle.
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The ITIL Master Level Certification:
This level teaches the practical application of ITIL and strengthens the ability to apply ITIL principles in a host of industry settings. This certification confirms the fact that the candidate has the potential to demonstrate advanced ITIL concepts and principles in the workplace.
Getting ITIL certification not only adds value to an individual’s career but also enhances the work processes and culture of the organization he works for. ITIL certified professionals educate the organization and improve its processes based on ITIL terms. IT organizations are on the lookout for ITIL-trained professionals to enhance the quality of their workforce and improve their impression of stakeholders.
