Simple Steps to Become ITIL Certified

PayScale sets the average monthly salary of Information Technology Infrastructure Library certified professionals at $52,146 to $110,674 for women and at $554,527 to $118,205 for men. If you want to move up the corporate ladder or want better compensation, getting certified is one way to achieve those goals. Here are simple steps to getting the certification you need to turn your career prospects around:

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Step 1: Know the Basics

You’ll need to know what you’ll be up against. Do you need to undergo prerequisite training before you can take this course? Ask before you go through the trouble of enrolling in a training program. That way, you’ll know what areas you need to cover or where to go from there. For instance, if you want to pass the ITILv3, you’ll need to pass an ITIL foundation certification first.

Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with the Test

The test will last for 40 multiple choice questions. You will have 60 minutes to answer. If you’re answering in a language that isn't your first language or mother tongue, you’ll have 75 minutes to complete the exam and can use a dictionary within that time frame. The exam will be supervised and you will need to retain at least 65 percent for a pass rate. Different levels require different exams so study for each one thoroughly. Also, don’t try to study for all levels all at once. That’s going to be impossible, especially if you have a demanding job. Take on each exam level carefully.

Step 3: Invest in Study Guides

There are plenty of resources out there. I Know How It Works warns of getting the wrong resource guides, though. A good book to start with is the one by Hellen Morris & Liz Gallacher, the ITIL Foundation Exam Guide. If you must start anywhere, pick this one to give you a solid foundation for what’s to come. Good study guides will cost you, though, so prepare your wallet. However, investing in these resources significantly increases your chances of passing through your ITIL certification test while making do with cheaper options could lead to little help and advantage. If you’re serious about passing the exam, you’ll want to have the right study guides in the bag.

Step 4: Practice

Answering mock questions is a good way to get you in the right headspace. This tells a great deal of how the actual test will go, the type of ITIL questions you’ll deal with, the time constraints you’ll work with, among many other things. You could also do summaries for every chapter you read off your resource guides. Don't forget to do chapter tests. Many of these will provide you with excellent practice for your certification exam.

Step 5: Prepare

An excellent way to prepare yourself for the coming exam is to join an ITIL training program. While reading books can provide you with a good foundation of the basics, a program can help you do that and more. Discussions can help you work through your weak areas that much faster and better. In addition, you tend solve a problem better when you have already tackled similar ones in the past. By seeing how others work through those problems, you can figure out solutions and the right answers with greater ease.

Tips and Reminders

Still worried about failing the ITIL certification test? Here are other helpful ITIL tips and reminders :

Understand, don’t memorize. It’s better for you if you don't just blindly memorize terms and concepts. Understand them instead. That’s going to work much better for you.

Know the exact definitions. Remember keywords in terminologies. This will help you remember what those ITIL terms mean.

Take the exam soon. Don’t wait too long before you take the exam. Schedule your exam soon after your ITIL training program, right when the information is still fresh in your mind.

Answer all questions. The ITIL doesn’t penalize for incorrect answers so don’t leave any of those questions black. Answer each one.

Choose the right program. Make sure you pick reliable training and program providers to ensure you get the best possible advantage during your certification exam. With Koenig Solutions, you have a fine option for training providers.