ITIL V3 Foundation - Study Books or Course?

Chris1011

Hi All,

I am currently working in an IT environment as a desktop support analyst.
Over the year I have had some experience in an ITIL v3 Environment.

I am hoping to look for a new job in the next few weeks and while I have leave booked, I want to be able to take some courses and one of them being - ITIL v3 foundation.

Would you recommend I attend a course or simply self study?
Some of the courses I have seen have a hefty price tag attached - £1k+

I was hoping to spend really a maximum of £400-£500 inc the exam but if the £1k courses are better and worth the long run, then I may consider.

What are your thoughts?

Claire Agutter

Hi Chris

If you've already got some experience, then using officially approved study books or an online course could be cheaper alternative for you. I would recommend you download the course syllabus and free sample exam from the ITIL Official Site (link here: http://www.itil-officialsite.com/Qualifications/ITILQualificationLevels/ITILFoundation.aspx) and see how confident you feel.

I would also be very surprised if you pay 1k+ for a Foundation course - most classroom providers will offer hefty discounts against list price if you ring them up and haggle.

If you've got any questions feel free to contact me direct.

Good luck!

Claire

Chris1011

Thank you for your response.

I did try the practice exam paper and got 20 out of 40 without any practice or revision.

Amazon have a few books I was thinking of purchasing but ive read there were some changes to the syllabus in 2011, so what book is highly recommended here and is there anywhere else I can do mock/past exam papers?

Thanks again

Claire Agutter

Hi Chris

There are a few other threads in this forum that list the free foundation questions available on line, the list on the IT Skeptic site here: Pass the ITIL V3 Foundation exam in six easy and (almost) free steps | The IT Skeptic is quite good.

There has been a 2011 update so make sure anything you buy is the latest version and be wary of the free material online being out of date. Any books you buy via Amazon, itSMF etc should state clearly which version they are aligned with.

20/40 is not bad, good luck with the real thing! Don't forget as well as visiting a testing centre to do the test you can also take it online from home - try Loyalist Certification Services :: Loyalist Certification Services.

Claire