A Journey Through ITIL 4: Streamlining Knowledge, One Service at a Time

Some certifications sharpen your thinking. Others reframe how you see the organization. And then there are those rare ones—like ITIL 4 Foundation—that do both while bringing clarity to the chaos of service management.

After immersing myself in deep technical domains like networking and cybersecurity, I wanted to zoom out and understand how services and teams operate at scale. ITIL 4 became that lens—not just to pass an exam, but to mature the way I think about structure, efficiency, and value delivery.

Getting Started: A Gentle Ramp

I kicked off my preparation with ITIL 4 Essentials – Your Essential Guide for the ITIL 4 Foundation Exam and Beyond by Claire Agutter (2nd edition). The book broke down ITIL’s Service Value System and key practices into bite-sized, relatable insights—exactly what I needed to move from abstract theory to meaningful application. As someone balancing work and study, it served as a calm and structured entry point.

Leveling Up with Jason Dion

Once the foundations were in place, I signed up for Jason Dion’s ITIL 4 Foundation course. This was a turning point.

Not only did the video lessons demystify trickier concepts like value co-creation and the guiding principles, but the practice exams (300+ questions!) mirrored the real exam so well that they put me into “exam mode” without the pressure. The 60-day pass guarantee didn’t hurt either—it was clear the team stood behind their content.

A Power Review: 7 Days of Focus

To sharpen my readiness, I tackled Become ITIL 4 Foundation Certified in 7 Days by Abhinav Krishna Kaiser. Think of it as an effective primer for rapid review. Combined with the Dion material, it helped me identify not just what I knew, but what I still misunderstood—and that made all the difference.

Learning Through Community (and YouTube)

I supplemented my prep with YouTube, especially Value Insights – Agile and ITIL Training Partner. These bite-sized lessons and conversations deepened my conceptual understanding and kept me engaged on days when books felt too static. Sometimes, a single video analogy makes a whole framework click.

Practice Makes Prepared

The final stretch of my preparation was powered by Jason Dion’s practice tests. Attempting full-length exams, reviewing wrong answers, and tracking progress helped me shed the final bit of doubt before the real test.

Exam Day: Calm, Clean, and From Home

One of the things I appreciated most about ITIL 4 was how accessible the exam felt. I scheduled the online proctoring session from home, and the entire experience was smooth and glitch-free. Within a few minutes of submitting, I saw the good news: I’d passed. On the first try.

Final Thoughts

ITIL 4 Foundation isn’t just another line on your resume. It’s a reframe for anyone working in IT, cybersecurity, or service delivery—especially if you’re aiming to streamline team operations, clarify workflows, or think at the enterprise scale.

If you’re exploring certification paths or have questions about ITIL, feel free to reach out or subscribe to my newsletter. I’m always happy to guide fellow learners through their own journeys.

(Photo by Philipp Katzenberger on Unsplash)