ITIL 4 Foundation study guide · 2026

The 7 ITIL 4 Foundation domains, explained

7 domains and 18 official assessment criteria. Seven ITIL Practices in Detail carries the most weight at 42.5%. Each guide explains what the domain covers, how its questions are framed and where candidates lose marks.

Start with Domain 7 See all domains
Questions
40 multiple-choice questions (1 mark each, no negative marking)
Time
60 minutes (75 minutes for candidates sitting in a non-native language), closed book
Passing score
26 of 40 (65%)
Outline
ITIL 4 Foundation Candidate Syllabus v1.4 (EN_ITIL4_FND_2019, September 2019; current PeopleCert ITIL 4 Foundation exam)

Exam blueprint

Bar widths follow the official weights. Weight ranges are drawn at their midpoint.

  1. 1 12.5%
  2. 2 15%
  3. 3 5%
  4. 4 2.5%
  5. 5 5%
  6. 6 17.5%
  7. 7 42.5%
  1. 1 Key Concepts of Service Management
  2. 2 The ITIL Guiding Principles
  3. 3 The Four Dimensions of Service Management
  4. 4 The ITIL Service Value System
  5. 5 The Service Value Chain
  6. 6 Purpose and Key Terms of 15 ITIL Practices
  7. 7 Seven ITIL Practices in Detail

All 7 domains

18 official assessment criteria 24–32 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01 12.5%

    Key Concepts of Service Management

    The vocabulary the rest of ITIL 4 is built on: what a service is, who the sponsor, customer and user are, how value is co-created, and how service providers and consumers relate to each other.

    Inside this domain

    • Recall the definition of: service, utility, warranty, customer, user, service management, sponsor
    • Describe the key concepts of creating value with services: cost, value, organization, outcome, output, risk, utility, warranty
    • Describe the key concepts of service relationships: service offering, service relationship management, service provision, service consumption

    Watch for Value delivered, not co-created

    Assessment criteria
    3
    Questions est.
    5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  2. Domain 02 15%

    The ITIL Guiding Principles

    Seven universal recommendations that steer decisions in any situation. This outcome tests whether you can recognise which principle a scenario applies, and how the principles work together rather than one at a time.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe the nature, use and interaction of the guiding principles
    • Explain the use of the guiding principles

    Watch for Automation keyword

    Assessment criteria
    2
    Questions est.
    6
    Study time est.
    4–5 hrs
  3. Domain 03 5%

    The Four Dimensions of Service Management

    Four perspectives that must be balanced for every service and for the service value system as a whole, plus the external PESTLE factors that act on all four. A small outcome with two fairly predictable marks.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe the four dimensions of service management

    Watch for Technology magnet

    Assessment criteria
    1
    Questions est.
    2
    Study time est.
    2–3 hrs
  4. Domain 04 2.5%

    The ITIL Service Value System

    The model that shows how every part of an organization works together to turn opportunity and demand into value. One mark on the paper, but the frame that connects every other learning outcome.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe the ITIL service value system

    Watch for Dimensions as components

    Assessment criteria
    1
    Questions est.
    1 question
    Study time est.
    1–2 hrs
  5. Domain 05 5%

    The Service Value Chain

    The operating model at the heart of the service value system: six activities that can be combined in many orders to create value streams. Two marks test how they connect and what each activity is for.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe the interconnected nature of the service value chain and how this supports value streams
    • Describe the purpose of each value chain activity: plan, improve, engage, design & transition, obtain/build, deliver & support

    Watch for Lifecycle thinking

    Assessment criteria
    2
    Questions est.
    2
    Study time est.
    2–3 hrs
  6. Domain 06 17.5%

    Purpose and Key Terms of 15 ITIL Practices

    Pure recall, and seven marks of it: the one-line purpose of fifteen practices and the definitions of seven terms. Precision with wording turns this outcome into reliable points.

    Inside this domain

    • Recall the purpose of the following ITIL practices: information security management, relationship management, supplier management, IT asset management, monitoring and event management, release management, service configuration management, deployment management, continual improvement, change enablement, incident management, problem management, service request management, service desk, service level management
    • Recall definitions of the following ITIL terms: IT asset, event, configuration item, change, incident, problem, known error

    Watch for Release does deployment

    Assessment criteria
    2
    Questions est.
    7
    Study time est.
    4–5 hrs
  7. Domain 07 42.5%

    Seven ITIL Practices in Detail

    The heaviest block on the paper: seventeen marks spread across seven practices, tested at understanding level with workplace scenarios. Master these and you are well over halfway to the pass mark.

    Inside this domain

    • Continual improvement, including the continual improvement model
    • Change enablement
    • Incident management
    • Problem management
    • and 3 more practices in scope

    Watch for Emergency means no approval

    Practices in scope
    7
    Questions est.
    17
    Study time est.
    8–10 hrs

Study the heaviest domains first

Marks follow weight. This order puts the most marks behind you first, across about 24–32 hrs of study.

  1. 7 Seven ITIL Practices in Detail 42.5% · 8–10 hrs
  2. 6 Purpose and Key Terms of 15 ITIL Practices 17.5% · 4–5 hrs
  3. 2 The ITIL Guiding Principles 15% · 4–5 hrs
  4. 1 Key Concepts of Service Management 12.5% · 3–4 hrs
  5. 3 The Four Dimensions of Service Management 5% · 2–3 hrs
  6. 5 The Service Value Chain 5% · 2–3 hrs
  7. 4 The ITIL Service Value System 2.5% · 1–2 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 7: Seven ITIL Practices in Detail

A support team notices that the same application error has caused twelve incidents this month. They analyse it, identify the likely cause, and document a temporary fix that restarts a service, but a permanent solution has not been found. Which phase of problem management does this describe?

One trap from every domain

The answer that looks right, and the clue that gives it away.

  • Domain 1

    Value delivered, not co-created

    Clue Words such as delivered to or supplied to sitting next to the word value.

  • Domain 2

    Automation keyword

    Clue Check whether anything is actually being automated.

  • Domain 3

    Technology magnet

    Clue Look for words like contract, sourcing or integration.

  • Domain 4

    Dimensions as components

    Clue Lists mixing dimension names with components.

  • Domain 5

    Lifecycle thinking

    Clue Words like sequence, phase or stage.

  • Domain 6

    Release does deployment

    Clue Words like move or transfer to live environments.

  • Domain 7

    Emergency means no approval

    Clue Statements about authorization of urgent changes.

Other Enterprise Architecture & IT Governance certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with ITIL 4 Foundation.

Practise what you read

ITIL 4 Foundation domains: common questions

How many domains are in the ITIL 4 Foundation exam?

ITIL 4 Foundation has 7 domains with 18 official assessment criteria between them: Key Concepts of Service Management, The ITIL Guiding Principles, The Four Dimensions of Service Management, The ITIL Service Value System, The Service Value Chain, Purpose and Key Terms of 15 ITIL Practices and Seven ITIL Practices in Detail.

Which ITIL 4 Foundation domain carries the most weight?

Seven ITIL Practices in Detail is the heaviest at 42.5%, followed by Purpose and Key Terms of 15 ITIL Practices (17.5%). The lightest is The ITIL Service Value System (2.5%). Weights come from PeopleCert's official outline.

What is the ITIL 4 Foundation exam format?

Questions: 40 multiple-choice questions (1 mark each, no negative marking). Time allowed: 60 minutes (75 minutes for candidates sitting in a non-native language), closed book. Passing score: 26 of 40 (65%).

How long should I study for ITIL 4 Foundation?

Our planning estimate is 24–32 hrs across all domains, split by weight. It is an editorial estimate, not an official figure, so adjust it to your experience and to how you score on practice questions.

Where should I start?

Start with Seven ITIL Practices in Detail, because it carries the most marks, then work down by weight. Use the checklist on each domain page to confirm you can do what the domain asks before moving on.

Which outline is this guide based on?

This guide follows ITIL 4 Foundation Candidate Syllabus v1.4 (EN_ITIL4_FND_2019, September 2019; current PeopleCert ITIL 4 Foundation exam), published by PeopleCert. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and assessment criteria come from PeopleCert's official outline (ITIL 4 Foundation Candidate Syllabus v1.4 (EN_ITIL4_FND_2019, September 2019; current PeopleCert ITIL 4 Foundation exam)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.