What Can I Expect from the ITIL 4 Foundation Exam Online?
We get a lot of questions from ITIL students, especially now that the ITIL 4 Foundation course and associated exam are delivered almost exclusively online. In this blog article, we’ve included some of the most common questions we receive. If you’re looking for specific study tips and tricks, as well as details on the types of questions you will see on the ITIL 4 Foundation exam (along with a free, online, 40-question practice ITIL 4 Foundation exam), we’ve got you covered there too. Let’s jump into some of the questions.
What are the basics of the ITIL 4 Foundation exam?
The ITIL 4 Foundation exam has 40 multiple-choice questions, and you will have up to 60 minutes to complete the exam. This format has remained unchanged from the in-person exam. Questions will be of varying level of difficulty (several easy and moderate questions and 4-5 that will be difficult). You don’t get penalized for answering any questions incorrectly, so be sure to answer all 40 questions on the exam. All questions are worth the same number of points, and each question has only one correct answer: A, B, C, or D. You need 26/40 correct – or 65% – to pass the exam.
What do I need to do prior to taking the ITIL 4 Foundation exam?
You will need to download a program called ExamShield from PeopleCert. The software prevents you from opening other programs or tabs on your computer while taking the exam itself (Sorry, no Googling the answers!). You will want to download the software a few days prior to taking the exam and test out your microphone and camera. Note: Make sure you don’t have earphones of any kind when you test your sound as you won’t be able to have them in when you take the exam. You will also want to prepare your room. At a minimum, you need to have a clean desk. This is also a closed book exam, so you cannot have any notes lying around.
Can I have scratch paper with me to take the exam?
Yes. You can have a few sheets of blank paper to take the exam along with a writing utensil. The proctor will ask you to show them both sides of your paper to make sure that it’s blank. Feel free to use the scratch paper to jot down any mnemonics you learn in class and essentially do a “brain dump” of any key concepts (for example, the 5 components of the Service Value System, the 6 activities within the Service Value Chain, the 4 Dimensions of Service Management, the 7 Guiding Principles, and any key terms that go with each of the ITIL 4 Practices you learn about in class). At the end of the exam, they’ll ask you to rip up the paper. This ensures they maintain the integrity of the exam itself.
What do I need to have with me when I take the exam?
Have your picture ID with you (a driver’s license or something equivalent with a picture on it). Have scratch paper and a pen or pencil too. Take off any smart watches. Put cell phones out of arm’s reach.
What’s the experience like once I login to take the exam?
You can log into the exam up to 10 minutes before your start time; and your online proctor will greet you. They will ask you to show your ID to make sure you are who you say you are and run through some housekeeping items before getting started. They will ask you to do a 360-degree pan of the room to make you that you’re alone, in a quiet place (with a closed door behind you if you can manage it), and that there are no notes, mobile devices within reach, additional computer screens, etc. If you have an extra monitor, they will ask you to cover it with, for example, a blanket. Once your environment looks good to your proctor, you will be able to start the exam.
What’s the user interface like on the ITIL 4 Foundation exam?
It’s pretty intuitive. You will see one question on the screen at a time. At the top of the screen, you will see a clock that tells you how much time you have left on the exam. On the left-hand side of the screen, you will see a list of all of the question numbers. You can click on or mark any question as you go along and skip around to questions pretty easily. Below the question itself, near the bottom of the screen, you can click to the previous or next question.
One word of caution here: If you stumble upon a difficult question, we recommend answering it (if you can), flagging it, and then moving on quickly. Since every question is worth the same number of points, you don’t want to spend too much of your time on a single question and not have enough time to finish the exam. With that said, most students take about 30-45 minutes out of the allotted 60 minutes to go through all 40 questions the first time; and you will likely have a fair amount of time to go back near the end of the hour and double-check any questions that you’ve marked. Make sure you’ve answered all 40 questions before clicking “End Exam.”
What are the technical/computer requirements for taking the exam? Can I use an iPad or tablet?
PeopleCert’s technical requirements for both Windows and Mac operating systems can be found here. The best results are achieved using a laptop. Do not use an iPad or tablet.
What happens once I am done with the exam?
Once you have answered all 40 questions and click “End Exam,” it will ask you whether you’re sure. When you click “Yes,” you will immediately know whether you’ve passed and you’ll receive a score (for example, they’ll tell you “Congratulations! You passed with a score of 35 out of 40.”). They’ll also give you a general sense of how you did in several areas like general concepts, service management practices, etc. They will not, however, tell you whether you answered a specific question correctly.
If you pass, you will receive a congratulatory email from PeopleCert once you log out of the ExamShield system. You’ll be able to access an electronic copy of your ITIL 4 Foundation certificate online. Make sure to add your certification details to your resume and LinkedIn profile (and be sure to celebrate!). Also, be sure to uninstall the ExamShield software from your computer.
Can I listen to classical music during the exam? Can I use my fidget spinner?
No music or sound of any sort is allowed. Some proctors will allow the fidget spinner; but many will not. It never hurts to ask the proctor, but be prepared for them to say no.
Any other test taking tips with the online format?
As you would with the in-person format, take your time during the online ITIL 4 Foundation exam. Take the full hour if you need it. Make sure to read the full questions and all four possible answers for each. You must get 26 of the 40 questions correct, so don’t leave any easy points on the table. Make sure you go back and review any questions you’ve marked and ensure you’ve answered what the question is asking.
Why should I take the ITIL 4 Foundation certification training course with Beyond20?
First, we will prepare you well for the exam. Our 2-day, online ITIL 4 Foundation certification classes have a >95% pass rate (and > 98% customer satisfaction rate) to prove it! Beyond that, our classes are interactive and a ton of fun. You will not only learn ITIL concepts, but you’ll also meet a lot of great people and take back new ideas and knowledge with you to the workplace.
Also, if you take a Beyond20 course and you get a perfect score on the ITIL 4 Foundation exam, we will send you some amazingly delicious brownies.
If you don’t get a perfect score, but you do pass, let us know! We love to celebrate our students’ successes. Even if you don’t pass, that’s ok. We will send you lots of activities to get you prepared for the retake (and we’ll even foot the bill for it too).
Have other questions regarding online training or exams? Let us know. We are happy to help!