Benefits of ITIL ITIL Qualifications
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ITIL® 4 qualifications

ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library. It is a globally recognised framework that offers a series of guidance for IT service management (ITSM).

ITIL is not a formal standard like ISO 20000. Instead, it teaches best practice for ITSM which, when implemented effectively, should help your organisation reach these standards.

Learn more about the difference between ITIL and ITSM.

The history of the ITIL framework

The first edition of ITIL was developed at the end of the 1980s to help develop an efficient IT framework for the British Government’s private sector. This initial framework titled, GITIM (Government Information Technology Infrastructure Management) was quite different to the ITIL we know today, but its core focus was the same: delivering value through IT services.

Throughout the 2000s, versions 2 and 3 of ITIL were released. These additions introduced multiple changes to help improve ITSM practices. Then in 2019, AXELOS launched ITIL 4. This most recent edition of the framework was designed to better reflect today’s business landscape.

ITIL 4 syllabus

There are seven core modules within the ITIL 4 syllabus:

In addition to this, the syllabus also includes a series of practice-based certifications covering areas including Change Enablement, Incident Management, IT Asset Management and more.

ITIL master diagram

ITIL 4 qualification scheme

As shown by the diagram, these modules make up the five levels or designations within the ITIL 4 certification scheme:

  • ITIL Foundation
  • ITIL Practice Manager (PM)
  • ITIL Managing Professional (MP)
  • ITIL Strategic Leader (SL)
  • ITIL Master

Practice Manager stream

Designed to help professionals improve and validate their skills in a given practice area, each individual course in this designation focuses on a different one of the 34 management practices covered in the ITIL 4 framework. 

To become an ITIL Practice Manager, end-learners must complete five of the following modules, plus the ITIL 4: Foundation and ITIL 4: Create, Deliver and Support certifications:

Monitor, Support & Fulfil

  • ITIL 4 Incident Management
  • ITIL 4 Service Desk
  • ITIL 4 Problem Management
  • ITIL 4 Service Request Management
  • ITIL 4 Monitoring and Event Management

Plan, Implement and Control

  • ITIL 4 Change Enablement
  • ITIL 4 Deployment Management
  • ITIL 4 Release Management
  • ITIL 4 Service Configuration Management
  • ITIL 4 IT Asset Management

Collaborate, Assure and Improve

  • ITIL 4 Relationship Management
  • ITIL 4 Supplier Management
  • ITIL 4 Service Level Management
  • ITIL 4 Continual Improvement
  • ITIL 4 Information Security Management

Managing Professional stream

Aimed at IT professionals working within digital teams, ITIL 4’s Managing Professional stream focuses on providing you with all the practical and technical knowledge you’ll need to effectively run IT projects, services, workflows, and how to manage the teams within them.

To become an ITIL Managing Professional, end-learners must complete the following modules:

  • ITIL 4 Foundation
  • ITIL 4 Create, Deliver and Support
  • ITIL 4 Drive Stakeholder Value
  • ITIL 4 High-velocity IT
  • ITIL 4 Direct, Plan and Improve

View our ITIL Managing Professional bundle.

Strategic Leader stream

The ITIL Strategic Leader stream recognises that ITIL’s value goes beyond just IT operations and can, in fact, be beneficial to all digitally enabled services. Following this stream will show that you appreciate and understand how IT can affect and influence overall business strategy.

To become an ITIL Strategic Leader, end-learners must complete the following modules:

  • ITIL 4 Foundation
  • ITIL