PeopleCert Raises the Bar: ITIL 4 Continuing Education Requirements to Roll Out in 2023

The ITIL 4 Certification Program is Changing

ITIL has long been one of the few professional certifications that did not require holders to re-certify or perform any sort of continuing education to maintain the credential. But as of January 2023, that’s all changing. In short, credential holders will soon be required to re-certify or record professional development points to keep their certifications in good standing.

In this must-read article for those who hold ITIL certifications of any kind, we’ll discuss the imminent changes to ITIL credential maintenance, including:

• What exactly is changing,
• What’s driving the changes,
• How the ITIL program compares to other best practice certifications,
• What immediate and ongoing actions ITIL credential holders will need to take, and
• The resulting value these changes will provide to leaders and teams.

Why is PeopleCert Requiring ITIL 4 Certification Maintenance Now?

It was always a little surprising that the ITIL certification schema did not require any sort of recertification, continuing education, or professional development to maintain credentials. After all, complementary bodies of knowledge such as the Project Management Institute (PMI), ISACA, the Scrum Alliance, ISC² and others all have certificate expiration dates and require certificate holders to demonstrate sustained commitment to the discipline and evidence of being current with the latest developments in the field. Perhaps Axelos considered ITIL’s cadence of updating the content using versioning as its own form of continuing education: no need to expire v2 certifications since v3 is now the new normal, then of course ITIL 4.

At the same time, it also came as a bit of a surprise that PeopleCert decided, after all these years, to create a certificate maintenance schema for ITIL. Why now? What are some of the key drivers?

Changes in Emerging Technology and ITIL 4

First and foremost, the world is changing, and advances in technology and ways of working are accelerating at a velocity that surpasses much of what we have witnessed in past decades. To put this in context, consider some of the twenty-five cutting edge (if not bleeding edge) technologies in the latest Gartner Hype Cycle for 2022 (shown to the right)– Causal Artificial Intelligence, Web 3, Augmented FinOps, and Platform Engineering, to name a few. In just one year, from the 2021 to 2022 Hype Cycle, 80% of the list is composed of new emerging technologies. Certain technologies, such as NFT, Decentralized Identity, and Cloud Data Ecosystem, have already descended into the dreaded “Trough of Disillusionment.” Not all these technologies are germane to every industry or specific organization. However, a competent IT professional is aware of the emerging technologies that are relevant to their business and can separate the hype from technologies with staying power.

Changes in Modern Ways of Working and ITIL 4

As with technology, approaches to work are also rapidly transforming. Take, for example, all the changes just within the last few decades. The first version of ITIL emerged in 1989 to be followed by ITIL v2 in 2001, ITIL v3 in 2007, and ITIL 4 in 2019. “Lean” was coined in 1991. The Agile Manifesto was launched by a group of software engineers, ostensibly during a ski trip, in Snowbird, Utah, in 2001. The SIAM discipline developed around 2005. DevOps was being developed from 2007 through 2008 and codified in 2009. In some cases, as with ITIL, the advent of a new work approach was revolutionary; in other cases, such as DevOps, the foundations existed for decades but were codified only recently.  In the timeline of approaches, two major things stand out:

• As time progresses, new techniques and approaches are introduced more rapidly.
• The formal releases of new versions of ITIL have occurred within roughly ten-year intervals (as shown in the image below).

Approaches to Work Timeline

The Case for Ongoing ITIL 4 Skills Development

Ten years, frankly, is too long to wait to update frameworks and associated skillsets. Instead of constantly releasing new versions of ITIL, PeopleCert wants to encourage professionals to stay involved with ITIL not just through daily practice but also through continual professional development, which is incremental by nature. This kind of incremental development cannot be accomplished with a one-and-done class but rather by continued exposure, practice, and learning. The reality is that, in the United States, 85% of ITIL certificate holders have only ITIL Foundation certification. With a goal of reconnecting IT professionals with ITIL and increased learning, PeopleCert is hoping that more professionals will pursue advanced ITIL education.

Another driver of the new certification maintenance scheme is requirements from U.S. government agencies. Federal government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the military increasingly require continuing education. Think about it: the biggest day-to-day activity of the Army is training, and this is true for many military and government agencies. When the mandate is training, time-tested best practices like ITIL rise to the forefront. PeopleCert’s maintenance requirement fully supports this.

Ultimately, PeopleCert recognizes that over the years more than 2,000,000 people worldwide have become certified at some level of ITIL across all versions over the years. However, they do not want people to simply understand some high-level ITIL concepts (which can easily be forgotten over time) and learn some key vocabulary. Instead, they want people to use ITIL.  The goal is to be better equipped to adopt ITIL as a best practice and adapt it to our own unique environments.

Frequently Asked Questions on Maintaining ITIL Certifications

Below are the most common questions we’ve received around the changes coming in 2023.

When does the new ITIL 4 recertification/maintenance scheme go into effect?

The new ITIL 4 recertification and maintenance scheme goes into effect in January 2023.  Regular updates on the new certification maintenance program and additional details will be provided throughout the year.  What we’ve included below is what we know thus far.

ITIL v3 credential holders do not need to recertify.  However, ITIL v3 certifications were officially retired in 2022, and it is a good idea to earn the latest and greatest ITIL 4 certification to keep current with what’s new.  Our article on “Going from ITIL v3 to ITIL 4: Key Differences and Shifting Beliefs” is a good primer for understanding the differences, as there are quite a few substantial changes between versions.

Those who earned ITIL 4 certifications on or after June 2019 will need to fulfill maintenance requirements by June or recertify. This means, per the official PeopleCert announcement, that these credential holders will need to take action of some sort within six months (more on the available options below).  It is unclear currently whether each ITIL certification will need to be renewed individually or if the new requirements only pertain to certain classes (e.g., ITIL Foundation).  More details to come on that.

What is the renewal lifecycle for ITIL 4 certifications?

The ITIL 4 renewal lifecycle includes a recertification commitment every three years, over the course of which credential holders must earn sufficient educational credit hours to maintain their ITIL certifications.  The good news is that these hours can be earned a variety of ways.

How Can I Maintain my ITIL Certification?

There are three ways to maintain your existing ITIL certifications:

1. Report Professional Development Credits – PeopleCert is creating a point system that allows credential holders to earn points for a variety of professional development activities. More on this system below.
2. Take an additional ITIL Advanced Course – Taking an advanced ITIL course and exam will also help credential holders maintain their certifications. This approach is a great option that supports continuous learning, especially for those pursuing capstone certifications such as ITIL Managing Professional and/or Strategic Leader. This is also, arguably, the easiest way to maintain a credential. For example, many Beyond20 students start by taking ITIL 4 Foundation and progress to taking an advanced course a few months later to deepen skills and knowledge in a particular area of ITIL 4.
3. Take the associated exams again – This path is straightforward. When your ITIL certification expires, you can simply retake the exam. For example, let’s say that you have an ITIL 4 Foundation certificate, and it expires, you could retake and pass the exam. The same applies to any of the other ITIL 4 advanced certificates. Of course, retaking the exam is not the option that most people prefer, so the two options above are more realistic, easier paths to take.

ITIL 4 Certification Scheme and ITIL Extension Modules

What Counts Towards Professional Development for ITIL Certifications?

PeopleCert has not yet released a full description of what will count towards ITIL 4 professional development and recertification. However, it will likely include some combination of continuing education such as reading relevant content, writing articles, attending industry events, contributing back to the field, etc. In this sense, PeopleCert has suggested the points system for professional development will be PMI-like.

Do ITIL Extension Courses Count Towards other ITIL Certification Renewals?

Currently, there are two ITIL Extension Modules (with more on the way) which are neither part of the Managing Professional nor Strategic Leader certification tracks. These are:

• ITIL 4 Specialist: Sustainability in Digital and IT
• ITIL 4 Specialist: Acquiring and Managing Cloud Services

PeopleCert is currently discussing whether taking either of these courses can be counted towards the “Taking an additional ITIL Advanced Course” path to recertification or, alternatively, reported as “Professional Development.”

As an aside, in 2023, PeopleCert plans to release two new exciting and timely ITIL Extension Modules around IT Asset Management and Business Relationship Management. As we learn more about these classes in the pipeline, we will let you know.

Do Other IT Certifications Count Towards ITIL 4 Recertification?
PeopleCert has not yet determined whether effort towards other IT certifications can be applied to maintaining ITIL 4 certifications. However, they are actively assessing whether certifications such as those offered by PMI (PMP, PgMP, PfMP, ACP, etc.), ISACA (CISM, CISA, etc.), and ISC² (CISSP) can be applied. According to PeopleCert, the basic idea is to complement – not compete with – other certifications and bodies of knowledge and enhance the breadth of knowledge for those who hold ITIL certifications.

Do Tool-based and Technical Certifications Count Towards ITIL 4 Recertification?
At this point, PeopleCert has not yet decided whether tool-based and technical certifications can be applied to maintaining ITIL 4 certifications. However, they are actively investigating whether earning platform-based certifications such as those offered by ServiceNow will count. This is especially true with ServiceNow certifications since the platform itself if built on ITIL best practice.

How Many Professional Development Hours are Required to Maintain ITIL Certifications?

PeopleCert has not yet stated how many professional development hours will be required to maintain ITIL certifications. Considering that one way to renew certification is to take an advanced ITIL course, it is not unreasonable to imagine that a corresponding number of total hours would be required a la PMI’s Professional Development Units (PDUs). We expect PeopleCert to cite specific hour and/or point requirements in January 2023.

Where and How Can I Report Professional Development Points?
Currently, there is no mechanism to report professional development points for ITIL 4 certifications. When the new requirements are officially rolled-out, PeopleCert plans to use an existing website such as myAxelos or create a sub-site where credential-holders can report professional development points.

Can I still Validate my ITIL Certification if I Choose Not to Renew?

We certainly recommend renewing your ITIL certification. However, in some cases, a credential-holder may decide to allow their credential to lapse. Credential holders that maintain their certifications will be listed on the successful candidate register, and employers can verify active certifications on the Successful Candidate Register. Note: The current Successful Candidate Register is not a comprehensive list, as it is an opt-in database, but it is a good first place to check. If you cannot find your credential in the Successful Candidate Register, contact PeopleCert.

For those who have allowed their credentials to expire, a sub-site will be created to allow employers to validate that a prospective employee has earned a certification even though it will be identified as lapsed.

How Do ITIL Certification Maintenance Requirements Compare to other Credentials?

You may be wondering how the ITIL certification maintenance requirements stack up against other industry-leading certifications.  In a word – favorably.

While we do not have all the specifics regarding how many professional development hours will be required for ITIL maintenance, we know that ITIL courses are typically 2-3 days in length or roughly between 16 and 24 hours.

The table below summarizes the professional development requirements from four leading best practices for their marquee certifications– PMI, ISACA, (ISC)², and PeopleCert.

Is an ITIL Certification still worth it?

Ultimately, business leaders and individual certificate holders want to know whether investing in obtaining and maintaining ITIL certifications is worth it. There are several reasons why ITIL still makes sense and, in fact, is more relevant than ever. Let us discuss it from both organizational and individual perspectives.

Organizational Benefits from ITIL

The ITIL framework is time-tested and has emerged as the leading set of IT Service Management Best Practices. ITIL was conceived because conversations between IT and the organizations and customers it supported were strained; and IT struggled to demonstrate its value. Since its inception, the ITIL framework has continued to lead the way in terms of bridging the worlds of IT and consumers. In fact, much of the advice offered in early versions of ITIL still holds true today.

At the same time, ITIL has evolved over the years to accommodate newer ways of working, such as Agile and DevOps. Far from competing with these newer approaches, ITIL 4 complements them and is the only set of best practices that fully explains how Agile, DevOps, Lean, Kanban, Project Management, and other disciplines can help improve IT service management. This is critical since, in this era of digital transformation, the role of IT for leading organizations is expandedbeyond technical support. Instead, IT is playing a role in driving business decisions. It comes as no surprise that, according to Forbes, 88% of IT executives report that ITSM is important to digital transformation efforts.

ITIL uses digital technology to support the whole organization.

Speaking of digital transformation, it would be impossible without the use of digital technologies. A substantial portion of ITIL 4 is dedicated to understanding the role technology modernization and the use of digital technology to improve the organization. In the past, technology and automation was considered primarily from the perspective of improving internal process efficiency. While this still holds true, increasingly, digital technologies are being used to shape and improve both the customer experiences and employee engagement.

Career Benefits from ITIL

From the perspective of the individual certificate holder, ITIL remains one of most sought after and top paying IT certifications. Though salary surveys vary slightly, ITIL is consistently ranked amongst the top 10 IT certifications.  Beyond salary, the real benefit the ITIL framework brings to individuals and teams is that it equips them with new, innovative ideas that they can immediately bring back to the workplace to better collaborate, enhance existing systems, and elevate processes to better serve customers.

A common question we get asked is: If I already have ITIL v3 certification, does it make sense to upgrade to ITIL 4?

The answer is a resounding Yes! First, earning the most updated certification for virtually any framework or body of knowledge indicates your personal commitment to improving yourself. Consider this: I earned an MBA fifteen years ago. While the MBA is a great starting point, there are currently 250,000 students enrolled in MBA programs around the world (and this doesn’t count those who have already earned a degree). What impresses people more is that I did not stop with the MBA . . . I continued to learn both informally and through formal certifications.

Second, although ITIL v3 advice is still sound, ITIL 4 includes a significant amount of new material, including concepts such as the Service Value System, Service Value Chain, and Value Stream Mapping, to name a few. It also reframes ITIL practices from strictly process-oriented activities to broader sets of resources used to accomplish work. Finally, it includes discussion of a multitude of high velocity IT approaches such as Agile, DevOps, and Lean.

As an accredited Axelos Training Organization (ATO), we hear the latest and greatest news as it happens.  Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions regarding ITIL 4 certification and the upcoming certification maintenance changes.  We’re happy to help.