ITIL Intermediate Level - Starting point !

Hello -

I have passed ITIL foundation course in 2010 and am now planning to pursue ITIL Intermediate - Service life cycle track from mid December 2012.

There are 5 modules listed under Service Life Cycle track - SS, SD, ST, SO and CSI. I know I would want to take the CSI module at the end but am not sure which would be the best logical sequence to start with. I am tempted to start from Service Strategy as this underpins all other modules.

I understand learning style of each individual varies and it all depends on what one puts into the courses. Grateful if the ones who have travailed this path or helped others with this journey could share what would be a realistic time frame one could plan to complete all the 5 courses. I am looking at 4 months - is it do able?

Grateful for your insights!

Vivek

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Claire Agutter

Hi Vivek

We run an online expert program that gives delegates 12 months to complete all the required courses. The fastest we've ever had someone take all the courses was 3 months - but this was a delegate who didn't have any work commitments and was able to dedicate most of his time to studying.

4 months is possible but it will depend on what else is happening in your life. Each lifecycle syllabus mandates 21 hours of study plus an additional 21 hours of recommended reading in the relevant core volume.

As to the order of the courses, we recommend to our delegates that they start with an area of the lifecycle they are comfortable with already - this is often Service Operation. This allows them to get used to studying, the exam format, the workload etc while concentrating on processes that they are already familiar with. Service Strategy includes processes that some people have no experience of so it can be a tough place to start.

Good luck with your studies,

Claire

joba19

I would recommend to start off with a Service Lifecycle that is related to your current job. If you let us know, we can tell you which Service Lifecycle to start off with.

vivek441

joba19 wrote: »

I would recommend to start off with a Service Lifecycle that is related to your current job. If you let us know, we can tell you which Service Lifecycle to start off with.

Thanks Appreciate your feedback. Agreed. It is always better to proceed to unknown from what is known.

vivek441

Claire Agutter wrote: »

Hi Vivek

We run an online expert program that gives delegates 12 months to complete all the required courses. The fastest we've ever had someone take all the courses was 3 months - but this was a delegate who didn't have any work commitments and was able to dedicate most of his time to studying.

4 months is possible but it will depend on what else is happening in your life. Each lifecycle syllabus mandates 21 hours of study plus an additional 21 hours of recommended reading in the relevant core volume.

As to the order of the courses, we recommend to our delegates that they start with an area of the lifecycle they are comfortable with already - this is often Service Operation. This allows them to get used to studying, the exam format, the workload etc while concentrating on processes that they are already familiar with. Service Strategy includes processes that some people have no experience of so it can be a tough place to start.

Good luck with your studies,

Claire

Thanks Claire. A very structured post covering all the issues I have posted. I could not agree with you more.

BTW, what ITIL Exam service provider are you associated with and from your years of experience in ITIL pedagogy what do you suggest the best learning route would be? There are so many ITIL prep courses in the market however, the competition is more on the low cost rather than value delivery. Perhaps, you could shed some light to this as well, and what should the delegates look out for as potential pitfalls to avoid.

Cheers

Vivek

Claire Agutter

Hi Vivek

I work for IT Training Zone, which is the company that runs the www.itiltrainingzone.com website. I've also been a classroom trainer in the past and I was a consultant before that.

There are 3 main types of ITIL training available at the moment - I've tried to summarise some of the key points below and hope this will be useful.

1) Online training - typically the cheapest option. Will be accredited to meet the syllabus, relies on some discipline from the delegate but allows you plenty of time to study and retain the material. Make sure you still get tutor support, and check what is/isn't included in each provider's package - some will offer more or less time, include the exam or price it seperately etc.

2) Blended training - more expensive than online but cheaper than classroom. Offers an online element but includes some instructor interaction (this may be virtual). This can help provide structure if a delegate is worried they won't complete their online learning.

3) Classroom - the most expensive option. Allows face to face interaction with other delegates and an instructor, but the course syllabuses are very intensive and it can feel a bit like an exam cram. Make sure you know who your instructor is and their background and experience if you choose this route.

This blog article goes into a little bit more detail and also includes the virtual classroom option: APMG Accredited Online ITIL Training | ITIL Training Zone | ITILTrainingZone.com Blog from the Online ITIL Experts

Claire

olddba

Hello,

I had a similar question to Vivek, I have more than a decade of IT work experience working in DBA support(as part of Infrastrucutre for very large support environments) and recently passed the ITILv3 foundation.I wish to give the ITILv3 Service Operations module exam and was wondering between the training (could be online or class room) and the exam, how much study time I would require.

Regards,
Rajesh.

Claire Agutter

Hi Rajesh

As I mentioned above, the syllabus mandates 21 hours of contact time with a training provider - so 3 days in a classroom course or 21 hours of study online. The 21 hours of self study using the ITIL core volumes is recommended rather than mandatory, but we always encourage our delegates to do it where possible.

Add 90 minutes for your exam and you're looking at 43.5 hours total - although of course this will vary depending on your level of ITIL awareness currently, how you study etc.

Kind regards

Claire

feahmed

Claire,

Thanks for the information about IT Training Zone. I have passed the ITIL Foundation Exam and was looking for a training provider to work towards the Intermediate certifications. IT Training Zone looks pretty good for people like me who are under a budget (my employer is not going to reimburse so I have to pay out of my own pocket). I have a couple questions:

(1) Does each of your course include practice tests or mock exams?
(2) After completing a course, do I get a completion certification, which will be accepted if I try to register for the exam without using IT Training Zone (for e.g. EXIN)
(3) Does your ITIL Expert Package also includes the "Managing Across the Lifecycle" course?

Thanks
Ahmed

Claire Agutter

Hi Ahmed

Here are the answers to your questions.

1) Yes, all of our courses include the official sample exams
2) You will get a course completion certificate at the end of each course which is your proof of study. You can use this to arrange your own exams if you wish
3) Yes, our Expert package includes everything you need to get to expert - a lifecycle, capability or mixed track plus Managing across the Lifecycle

I don't know if this will be removed as advertising, but if you are self-funding you may be interested in our February offer which you can read about here: 1000 for 1000

Kind regards

Claire

vishal3g

Claire,
I have passed ITIL v3 foundation exam in 2011. And now I plan to start the intermidiate certification. Is this possible or do I need to get the latest ITIL 2011 foundation certificate before starting the intermieidate exam

Thanks
VG

Claire Agutter

Hi Vishal

You don't need to get the latest certification but it's a good idea to review the changes between V3 and 2011 before you start your studies. The ITIL Official Site has a pdf you can download with a summary of the updates.

Kind regards

Claire

pumbaa_g

My apologies if already discussed, this is a topic I have done some amount of research on as I am starting on ITIL Expert Course in March. In short try the OSA/SO as a starting point, this is something which I have discussed with my colleagues who have completed the Expert Certification. The reasons are below

1. OSA is something which almost all of us are aware of, think Event/Access/Incident Management. Easy to understand and get an idea about the ITIL Environment for the next cycles
2. Easiest of the lot to complete and clear.

Claire is the expert in these forums (as well as being one of the reviewers for the OGC Books) so as she said start with the module that is relevant for your role then work your way up.