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ITIL® 4 Foundation

ITIL 4 Foundation is the world’s most recognized certification in IT service management (ITSM). It gives you a complete introduction to the ITIL 4 framework for delivering and improving IT services. No experience required, with your official exam included. In the US it’s the common language of IT service teams.

Enrol Now — $750
Format
100% online
Exam
40 questions
Prerequisites
None
Access
12 months

About this qualification

What Is ITIL 4 Foundation?

The entry-level, globally recognized certification in IT service management — the qualification IT teams ask for by name.

What ITIL 4 Foundation is

ITIL® 4 Foundation is the entry-level, globally recognized IT service management (ITSM) certification from PeopleCert. It introduces the ITIL 4 framework — the modern, end-to-end approach to designing, delivering, and continually improving IT-enabled products and services that create real value.

The course introduces the building blocks of ITIL 4: the Service Value System (SVS), the service value chain, the four dimensions of service management, the seven guiding principles, and an overview of the ITIL practices. Together these give IT teams a shared language for delivering services that meet business needs.

There are no prerequisites — ITIL 4 Foundation is designed for anyone in IT support, service delivery, or operations, or moving into IT for the first time. In the US, ITIL 4 is widely expected for IT service and support roles, and it’s the natural starting point on the ITIL certification pathway.

40
multiple-choice questions in the official Foundation exam
0
prerequisites — open to anyone, no experience required
PeopleCert
the awarding body for ITIL 4 worldwide
ITSM
the global standard for IT service management

Is this for me?

This Course Is for You If…

ITIL 4 Foundation opens doors right across IT — whether you’re just starting out or formalising years of hands-on experience.

IT Support & Service Desk Staff

Working on the front line of IT support and want to understand the framework behind great service delivery.

IT Professionals & Managers

Already working in IT and want a formal, recognized credential to advance your career and salary.

Project & Change Staff

Involved in IT projects or change initiatives and need to understand how services are designed and delivered.

Anyone Working With IT Services

Collaborating with IT teams and want a shared language for how modern IT services create value.

Career Changers Into IT

Moving into IT from another field and want a recognized credential to open the door.

New to ITSM

Brand new to IT service management and want the entry-point qualification that builds your foundations.

Course structure & curriculum

What You’ll Learn — Module by Module

The course is structured across 7 modules, building your knowledge progressively — from the core concepts of service management through to exam preparation. Total study time is approximately 20–25 hours.

Introduction to ITIL 4
What IT service management is · Why ITIL · How the framework is structured · Overview of the ITIL 4 certification path
~2 hrs
Key Concepts of Service Management
Value · Services & products · Value co-creation · Stakeholders & service relationships · Outcomes, costs & risks
~3 hrs
The Four Dimensions of Service Management
Organisations & people · Information & technology · Partners & suppliers · Value streams & processes
~3 hrs
The ITIL Service Value System (SVS)
How the components of the SVS work together to create value · Inputs, outputs & governance
~3 hrs
The Service Value Chain
The six activities · Plan · Improve · Engage · Design & transition · Obtain/build · Deliver & support
~3 hrs
The Guiding Principles & Practices Overview
The 7 guiding principles · Overview of the ITIL practices · How practices support the value chain
~3 hrs
Exam Preparation & Practice Papers
Exam technique · Full-length practice exams · Weak-area review · Final revision checklist
~3 hrs

All learning outcomes covered

Value, services, and products

Value co-creation and service relationships

Outcomes, costs, and risks

Organisations and people

Information and technology

Partners and suppliers

Value streams and processes

The Service Value System (SVS) and its components

How the SVS turns demand into value

Plan — the value chain activity

Improve and Engage

Design & transition and Obtain/build

Deliver & support

How the six activities combine into value streams

Focus on value

Start where you are

Progress iteratively with feedback

Collaborate and promote visibility

Think and work holistically

Optimise and automate; keep it simple and practical

Overview of the ITIL practices

What’s included

Everything You Need to Succeed

Each course includes the materials, practice, and support you need to learn the framework properly and walk into the exam ready.

12 Months Course Access

Full access to all accredited course materials for 12 months. Study on any device, online 24/7. Never lose your progress.

Official PeopleCert Exam Included

Your official ITIL 4 Foundation exam is included in the price — there’s nothing extra to buy. We book it for you when you’re ready to sit it.

Practice Exam Papers

Full-length practice exams that mirror the real thing — so you walk in knowing exactly what to expect and where to focus.

Account Manager Support

A dedicated account manager to help with your studies, exam booking, and any questions along the way.

Certificate & Digital Badge

On completion, receive a verifiable certificate and digital badge to share directly on LinkedIn and your CV.

14-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Enrol with confidence. If the course isn’t right for you, you’re covered by our 14-day money-back guarantee.

In practice

ITIL 4 in the United States

The same framework underpins IT service delivery across every kind of organization. See how ITIL 4 applies in practice.

IT Support & Service Desk

Turning a struggling service desk into a value-driven support team

A growing organization’s service desk was overwhelmed by repeat tickets and unclear priorities. Applying ITIL 4’s guiding principle to focus on value, the team re-framed support around the outcomes users actually needed. The incident and service request practices gave them consistent ways to log, prioritize, and resolve issues — while the continual improvement model turned recurring problems into permanent fixes.

ITIL 4 in action By mapping the most common requests to a simple value stream, the team automated routine fulfilment and cut average resolution time significantly — freeing analysts to handle the issues that genuinely needed a human.

Cloud & Software

Stabilising releases across a fast-moving cloud platform

A software team shipping frequently struggled with unplanned outages after deployments. Using the ITIL 4 service value chain, they connected design & transition, obtain/build, and deliver & support into a single flow. The change enablement and release management practices added lightweight controls that protected stability without slowing the team down — embodying the principle to optimize and automate.

ITIL 4 in action A clear change-assessment step caught a risky configuration change before it reached production, avoiding an outage during a peak trading window.

Financial Services

Aligning IT and the business in a regulated environment

A financial services firm needed IT services that met strict regulatory and availability requirements. ITIL 4’s four dimensions of service management ensured nothing was overlooked — balancing people and organization, technology, suppliers, and value streams. The service level management and relationship management practices gave the business and IT a shared, measurable view of what “good service” meant.

ITIL 4 in action By defining services around business outcomes rather than technology, IT could demonstrate compliance and value to auditors using the same language the board already understood.

Exam details

About the ITIL 4 Foundation Exam

Your official ITIL 4 Foundation exam is included in the course price and sat online via PeopleCert. There are no prerequisites. When you’re ready, simply contact your account manager — we’ll arrange the booking for you.

Questions
40
Format
Multiple choice
Pass mark
26 / 40(65%)
Duration
60 minutes
Type
Closed book
Exam
Included

What to Expect on Exam Day

You sit the exam online through PeopleCert’s remote proctoring platform. Here’s the full process, from booking to results.

Booking

When you feel ready, contact your account manager. We handle the booking with PeopleCert and confirm your exam date, time, and joining instructions — usually within 5–10 working days.

Equipment required

You need a laptop or desktop computer (not a mobile or tablet), a working webcam and microphone, and a stable internet connection.

On the day

Log in 15 minutes before your scheduled start. The invigilator will verify your identity using photo ID and ask you to scan your room. The 60-minute timer then begins. No notes or materials are permitted — the exam is closed book.

Results

You get a provisional pass or fail result as soon as you finish. Your official PeopleCert certificate follows within a few working days and is added to PeopleCert’s register of successful candidates.

Rescheduling

If you need to reschedule, contact us at least 48 hours before your exam time. We will arrange a new date at no additional charge.

Your tutor

Learn From an ITIL Expert

Philip Hearsum, ITIL tutor
Philip Hearsum
ITIL 4 Lead Architect
ITIL 4 Lead Architect & Course Tutor

This course is led by Philip Hearsum, whose career in IT began in the 1980s and in IT service management in the late 1990s. He gained his ITIL Manager certificate under ITIL v2 and became an ITIL v3 Expert, then joined the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) — the body that looked after ITIL — as ITSM portfolio manager, where he ran quality control on the ITIL v3 2011 update. When OGC became AXELOS, Philip was one of the lead architects of ITIL 4 and is named in the acknowledgements of the official ITIL 4 publication. Today he focuses on training and consultancy, bringing that real-world experience into every module.

ITIL 4 Lead Architect Former OGC / AXELOS In IT Since the 1980s ITIL v3 Expert

Last reviewed and updated:

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What Our Students Say

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1,247 verified reviews

The majority of students pass first time, based on an internal student survey conducted in May 2026.

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Career Growth Path

Where This Qualification Takes You

ITIL 4 Foundation is your launchpad. See the roles it unlocks — and the qualifications that take you further.

Where You Are Now

Any background

ITIL® 4 Foundation

$55k–$75k avg.

You are here

Service Desk / ITSM Analyst

$75k–$100k avg.

IT Service Manager

$100k–$145k avg.

ITSM / Service Delivery Lead

$150k–$200k avg.

ITIL is the world’s most widely adopted ITSM framework
Service delivery & ITSM managers in the U.S. earn around $100k–$145k (Indeed / Glassdoor)

Recommended next certifications

→ Specialist

ITIL® 4 Specialist: Create, Deliver & Support

How services are built and run end to end — the core delivery specialist module.

$100k–$140kLearn more →
 → Specialist

ITIL® 4 Specialist: Drive Stakeholder Value

Manage the whole customer journey and service relationships.

$100k–$140kLearn more →
 → Specialist

ITIL® 4 Specialist: High Velocity IT

ITIL for fast, digital, DevOps-style delivery.

$110k–$150kLearn more →
 → Strategist

ITIL® 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan & Improve

Direction, planning, and continual improvement across the organization.

$120k–$160kLearn more →

Pricing

Simple, Transparent Pricing

One course. Everything included. No hidden extras.

Foundation — right for you if…

You are new to IT service management, moving into IT, or want the essential first ITIL 4 qualification before specialising further.

Where it leads — the ITIL pathway

ITIL 4 Foundation is the gateway to the wider ITIL certification scheme. Once certified, you can progress into the ITIL 4 Specialist and Strategist modules that unlock senior IT service management roles.

ITIL 4 Foundation — Sale Price

$880 $750 Save $130

Everything you need to gain your ITIL 4 Foundation certificate — official exam included, no extras to buy.

Official PeopleCert Exam Included
ITIL 4 Foundation — we arrange the booking
12 Months Course Access
Study anytime, on any device, 24/7
Practice Exam Papers
Full-length papers that mirror the real exam
Account Manager Support
A dedicated contact for your studies and exam
Certificate & Digital Badge
Share on LinkedIn immediately on completion
14-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Enrol with complete confidence

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