The ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Practitioner Exam is a certification test that validates an individual's ability to apply ITIL concepts and frameworks in real-world situations to support business objectives and manage organizational change effectively. Launched in 2016 by AXELOS, this certification is part of the ITIL qualifications scheme, which is designed to provide a comprehensive pathway for professional development in IT service management.

Exam Overview

• Focus: Unlike other ITIL certifications that are heavily theoretical, the ITIL Practitioner Exam emphasizes practical application of the ITIL framework. It covers how to adapt ITIL guidance to an organization's specific needs, how to improve service management within an organization, and how to implement key principles and techniques.

• Format: The exam is scenario-based, consisting of multiple-choice questions that test practical knowledge and application skills. Candidates are presented with a range of scenarios that they might encounter in a real-world IT service management role.

• Duration and Structure: The exam typically lasts 135 minutes and consists of 40 questions. A passing mark is 70%, which translates to correctly answering 28 out of 40 questions.

• Prerequisites: To sit for the ITIL Practitioner Exam, a candidate must have passed the ITIL Foundation exam. It is also recommended that candidates have some hands-on experience in IT service management.

Content Covered

The ITIL Practitioner Exam focuses on three key areas:

1. Continual Service Improvement (CSI): This area focuses on the skills necessary to continually align and realign IT services to changing business needs by identifying and implementing improvements to IT services that support business processes.

2. Guiding Principles: These are recommendations that can guide an organization in any action, regardless of its model, mission, vision, size, or structure. These principles help professionals to adopt and adapt ITIL guidance to their own specific needs and circumstances.

3. Change Management: This includes skills related to managing changes effectively and ensuring that changes are made with minimal disruption to IT services.

Skills Assessed

• Practical application of the ITIL framework to improve the quality of IT service management within an organization.
• Ability to adapt ITIL guidance to specific organizational contexts.
• Competence in using metrics and measurement to enable continual service improvement.
• Proficiency in communication, especially in terms of explaining how IT services can generate business value.