Introducing ITIL® (Version 5): Everything you need to know about the new certification scheme

First created in the 1980s, ITIL® has been a recognised source of best practice guidance for IT service management professionals for over 40 years, and today PeopleCert (the examining body for ITIL) has announced the launch of its latest iteration.

ITIL (Version 5) aims to bridge IT product and service management in one unified certification scheme fit for the modern digital and AI-driven world.

What is ITIL (Version 5)?

Launched in January 2026, ITIL (Version 5) is a best practice framework for digital product and service management. It connects strategy with delivery creating a shared approach that aligns business and technology professionals, allowing them to achieve measurable outcomes that meet objectives for both sides.  

The framework has also been designed to be AI-ready, offering practical guidance for adopting and scaling AI responsibly and ethically. 

Why has ITIL been updated?

The digital landscape has changed drastically since the launch of ITIL 4. Organisations now need to deliver digital products and services at a faster pace, respond to change more quickly and effectively, and make smarter decisions as AI and automation become part of everyday work. 

As a result, it was time for the framework to undergo an update.

ITIL (Version 5) has been created to better fit this new working environment. It offers clearer, more practical guidance for modern digital-first organisations around the use of AI, agile adoption, and the presentation of value. 

The ITIL (Version 5) certification scheme

The ITIL (Version 5) certification scheme is made up of nine core modules and one AI-focused extension module, which form four different designations. 

ITIL Foundation

The Foundation qualification is the starting point for those new to ITIL. It introduces the key concepts and terminology used within the framework. This course discusses how value is created for customers and the organisation, how to establish clear roles and responsibilities, and the importance of continual improvement. 

ITIL Foundation is designed to give you a solid basis for future progression through the other courses included within this certification scheme. 

ITIL Practice Manager

This designation is designed for professionals who want to build capability in key ITIL practices and apply them confidently in their day-to-day work. To achieve this designation, you must complete ITIL Foundation, ITIL Transformation, and one of the following:

• Monitor, Support and Fulfil (MSF): Covers the service desk, incident management, problem management, service request management, and monitoring and event management
• Plan, Implement and Control (PIC): Covers change enablement, deployment management, release management, service configuration management, and IT asset management
• Collaborate, Assure and Improve (CAI): Covers relationship management, supplier management, service level management, continual improvement, and information security management

ITIL Managing Professional

Aimed at professionals responsible for leading and delivering digital products and services, the Managing Professional designation will help you build a well-rounded skill set across service management, user experience, and continual improvement. 

To achieve this designation, you must complete ITIL Foundation and ITIL Transformation, plus:

• ITIL Product and ITIL Service: Together these courses reflect how products and services can come together as one complete solution. You’ll cover the end-to-end lifecycle from discovery and design through to delivery and support.
• ITIL Experience: This course focuses on designing and managing the service experience, not just the process behind it. It teaches you how to create user-centred, outcome-driven experiences.

ITIL Strategic Leader

ITIL Strategic Leader focuses the creation of digital strategy, governance decision-making and investment prioritisation, teaching senior professionals how to lead in a way that turns plans into measurable results.

To achieve this designation, you must complete ITIL Foundation and ITIL Transformation, plus:

• ITIL Strategy: This course explores practical ways to connect vision with execution and track real business impact. You’ll cover strategic principles, governance and decision models. 

ITIL Transformation

This certification is centred around delivering sustainable change across an organisation. It offers clear, practical guidance on how to design, plan and manage improvements across the service value system, so you can align people, ways of working, and technology behind shared goals. 

As a core module in the ITIL (Version 5) certification scheme, this qualification is required for the Practice Manager, Managing Professional, and Strategic Leader designations. You only need to complete this once, and it will count towards all three pathways.

ITIL AI Governance

The only extension module included in this new edition, ITIL AI Governance is focused on enabling organisations to adopt artificial intelligence responsibly, ethically and compliantly. It covers the drivers behind AI adoption, the risks and opportunities it creates, and the steps you can take to implement strong governance for its usage.

ITIL Master

The highest designation, ITIL Master recognises professionals who have built a broad, advanced capability across the full certification scheme completing all three of the Practice Manager, Managing Professional and Strategic Leader designations. 

Becoming an ITIL Master highlights your deep expertise in the ITIL (Version 5) framework and your ability to adapt it to different organisations, challenges and processes.

Start your ITIL (Version 5) certification journey

This new edition marks a clear shift towards more effective digital product and service management in the age of AI and transformation, improving the end-to-end lifecycle and building a stronger relationship between strategy and delivery. 

Start your chosen pathway with ITIL Foundation (Version 5), now available from ILX. Book your place one of our live virtual classroom courses or pre-order our eLearning today!