Flunked OSA on Sunday

pumbaa_g

Hi All,

My apologies for the late post but I was a bit tied up moping around for last 2 days.

I completed my self study and training for OSA on Sunday after a grueling 4 day training. I have already gone through the OGC Book for SO with a fine tooth and comb and have some 9 years experience in Service Operations (Service Desk/Incident Management/Major Incident) cleared 3 out of 4 sample papers and was feeling confident and wham! I flunked the OSA Exam. Kind of disappointing as I have over a period of time had a good run with various certifications and managed to clear all of them.

I am going through the material provided in the class again, not really finding anything new. Anyway I have scheduled the exam for Saturday so hoping for the best.

Any advice?

Claire Agutter

Hi Pumbaa

Sorry to hear you've been disappointed with your result - the ITIL intermediate exams are very tough. Your training provider may have received a report (depending on which exam institute you used) showing which syllabus areas you scored well/badly in, so it's worth taking a look at that to highlight any weak areas.

2 other points worth considering are:

1) Your experience can actually be a disadvantage if you've worked in organisations that used a different process to the ITIL framework - it's good to have experience but make sure it doesn't mislead you and make you pick answers based on what you've seen in the real world rather than the 'ITIL way'

2) Go over those mock exams again with a fine toothcomb. Exam technique is so important for these exams - makes notes about why you are picking or rejecting answers and compare them with the examiner's rationale (you should have been given this by your training organisation)

Good luck with the resit - make sure you contact your training org. to see what extra support they can provide as well.

Claire

pumbaa_g

Thanks Claire, I am having a discussion with the trainer on Friday to go over the weak areas and hoping for the best for Saturday. Thanks for your inputs, will keep it in mind

N2IT

Agree with Claire these exams can be rough. Good luck on OSA, I'm sure you will do a lot better this time around.

pumbaa_g

Yup did much better the second time around. Felt that the exam was really easy, was able to pick out the distractor with one read.

Anyway Thanks everyone for the support.

RCV next, and I have heard its a tough nut to crack

N2IT

LOL

OSA is one of the easier intermediate exams. I passed on the first try with a 36 if memory serves me correctly. ST was a lot more challenging IMO.

Quick question - If OSA was "easy" what did you consider ISO 20000 F?

Claire Agutter

Congratulations Pumbaa! And good luck with RCV - remember, you'll have learnt lots of exam technique doing OSA that will apply, even though the content is different

pumbaa_g

Thanks Claire, I am slowly developing that skill. Till now the exams that I have given rely on knowledge more than technique, this is definitely a different kettle of fish.
N2IT, OSA is the easiest exam in the intermediate series and looking back I think that it was sheer bad luck that I got stuck with a really bad set.
My trainer told me that everyone in his trainings (he has multiple) who got that set failed however, everyone passed comfortably in the second attempt. I dont consider ISO20K as a exam :P if you are good with ITIL Foundation then just a browse through will be enough for clearing the ISO20K Exam.
One factor which could have impacted my exam was that I have been in Service Operations for almost 10 years now and that may have led to over analysis which my trainer tells me is not good in the exam.

N2IT

You have to be aware of the small changes in the wording which impacts the questions. You'll see a lot more of that if you keep taking ITIL exams.

Good luck on RCV