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ITIL® Certification Cost: Everything You Ever Need To Know
Published
11th Sep, 2023
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In today’s global scenario, business and technology have overlapped each other and are linked inextricably. To remain competitive, companies need to focus on adapting to the latest IT services and platforms. However, the process of migration for a company and its IT capabilities can be taxing. To ease this migration and ensure that the selection, planning, delivery and maintenance of IT are of a certain standard within the organisation, a standardised framework called the ITIL was designed.
This framework of ITIL® ensures that the implementation of IT services for an organisation focuses on efficiency and predictable service deliverability. It ensures that the IT services department in any organisation can become an active business partner.
ITIL® is gaining importance in the world of business such that without it, the resources spent on designing and developing an IT service management (ITSM) process seem like a loss. This makes businesses less competitive and in the end, alienates customers.
What is the Cost of an ITIL® Certification?
IT professionals are likely to have heard of the ITIL® framework. Many within the field may also have thought of pursuing the coveted ITIL. Anyone in pursuit of these ITIL have one question in mind- Is the investment of resources worth the return? It is essential to analyze the costs of attaining these ITIL® Assessments spread across various levels and the benefits one can expect. This cost-benefit analysis is necessary to help one decide whether these are an appropriate and beneficial investments for individuals and their business. Before exploring more about the costs of obtaining the ITIL® qualification, let us briefly understand what ITIL® is.
What is ITIL®?
Simply put, ITIL® is a set of specific practices designed to manage IT service management (ITSM). The ITIL® framework has been developed in such a manner that its methods can be adopted by any organization, irrespective of its type or size. The structure aims to do a straightforward thing, i.e., help organizations align IT with their business strategies and ensure that this alignment results in value and a minimum level of competency. In its endeavour to simplify the alignment of IT within a business, ITIL® has defined a well documented and designed framework which includes a set of processes and procedures, checklists, and tasks which help in ensuring compliance, calculating improvement, and steer clear of commonly made mistakes – all in order to make sure that the customer, who is the end user, is delivered the best-in-class services.
ITSM, a preeminent and prominent framework, focuses on service delivery and is recognized around the globe. To ensure that it is well implemented, ITIL® was put in place and now is owned as well as maintained by AXELOS which is a joint venture between the United Kingdom’s Cabinet Office and Capita.
AXELOS maintains and oversees the entire ITIL® framework, as well as accredits a set of training and exam institutions to smoothen the process of ITIL® assessment. AXELOS has ensured that there are numerous ITIL® accredited training organizations (ATOs) whose purpose is to deliver training and examinations, the access to which is available on the AXELOS website.
A candidate pursuing ITIL® choices can select between multiple accrediting and non-accredited providers. The latter may cost less, but their learning resources and accreditations are not vouched for, especially by AXELOS. Also, the cost varies depending on the choice made. The fee also varies, based on the country in which the candidate resides. Other elements influencing the price include whether the program is taken in-person or online or is provided in-house by the company the candidate is working in. Of the five levels of candidacy, the last one, i.e., the ITIL® Master level assessment is set to cost $4,000.
Axelos has recently revealed the ITIL® V4 certification scheme, which includes two different designation modules - ITIL® Managing Professional (ITIL® MP) and ITIL® Strategic Leader (ITIL® SL). However, the ITIL® V3 is still operational and has a cost structure based on the level being pursued. The first level is the ITIL® Foundation. The candidate who wishes to pursue this can purchase an online proctored ITIL® foundation exam for US $314 if they are in the US or Canada. As mentioned, the exam fee varies from country to country. So, for example, if the candidate is in the United Kingdom, their examination fee would be £269 instead. It is important to note that the price is based on the country where the candidate takes up the exam and not their home country. The exam costs for some of the countries are as under: US / Canada $314, UK £269, Australia AU $395, India INR 15,000.
In the latter section, the components of the ITIL® exam have been listed to let candidates know that there is no one fixed cost for giving the ITIL® examination.
Basically, it is essential to understand that the final cost may depend on a few factors:
- The various components in the ITIL® assessment cost
- Mode of giving the examination i.e. online or offline, from an ATO or a Prometric Centre
- The country you are giving the examination from
ITIL, on account of its immeasurable value and contribution, is being adopted across the globe and industries. Global brands such as HSBC, IBM, and NASA are implementing and executing ITSM strategies with the help of ITIL. For these companies and many others, the main advantage of ITIL® has always been its flexibility and scalability: organizations can invest intermittently into the ITIL® infrastructure and put in as little or as much as they’d prefer. It is also possible that they can combine the ITIL® framework with other popular frameworks such as COBIT, Six Sigma, and TOGAF.
Components included in ITIL® Exam Cost
The candidate taking the ITIL® Foundation exam has to consider a set of costs that he or she will incur. There will be the ITIL® Foundation exam cost that the candidate will have to bear to obtain the ITIL® certificate. If the candidate plans to take the ITIL® resource pack to prepare for the examination, it needs to be added to the ITIL® certification cost. There are certain additional costs that may also have to be borne by the candidate, depending on their preferences.
Some of the other cost components for an ITIL are as under:
ITIL® Study Guide
Candidates may not have factored in the cost of an ITIL course and may want to pursue the path of self-studying through a study guide. It is not mandatory for those seeking ITIL® V4 Foundation to attend ITIL® learning sessions. If that is the case, the candidate has to factor in the cost of self-studying, which could include a study book edition which may cost around $30, if bought as a paperback or less if bought as a soft copy on the internet.
ITIL® Practice Test
Candidates wishing to prepare for the ITIL® exam in a manner that it is secure, need a study plan. Preparation plans for such candidates must include ITIL® practice tests. Many professional ITIL® exam websites have practice tests listed online which cost up to $25-$50. There are, however, free practice tests available online for the ITIL® V4 exam. These free practice tests, which are full-length and simulate the actual test, will help candidates bring down the overall cost. In this scenario, as mentioned already, these can get the candidates to access full-length practice tests.
Other ITIL® Resources
One should always needs to keep a contingency in mind or a buffer in case of any last minute or additional needs. To ease the stress of the examination and the candidates’ jitters, more tests can be availed. To ensure a quick and smooth revision of concepts, techniques, and resources like process diagrams, mind maps, flashcards, etc. can be used by the candidates.
Basically, the components of the ITIL® certification for a candidate can include the ITIL® exam, the ITIL® course, ITIL® Study Guide, ITIL® Practice tests and other resources. Therefore, candidates can, before choosing an ITIL® training provider, assess these costs and then come to a conclusion.
While performing a cost-benefit analysis, it is essential to understand the benefits of ITIL V4 foundation certification, which include the following:
- A bright career path with access to many career opportunities in the field of ITSM
- An assured edge over other candidates when he or she is applying for a job opportunity within the ITSM field
- Recognition and validation among their peers as well as employers
- Useful in executing and improving ITIL® in their organization
- Awareness of the best practices in ITSM
- Knowledge of an important common language which is reflected in the candidate’s choice of words and jargon when speaking to a client
- Improvement of the service delivery of any organization towards its end-users
- Aid an organization by reducing its costs and improving its efficiencies
- Assurance of a better pay package
Succinctly put, the components of the cost are
A combination of these benefits and the current scope and growth witnessed in the field of ITSM, the ITIL® V4 is almost like a mandatory pursuit for anyone wishing to embark on a career path in ITSM. This is especially true as ITSM is a field whose prospects are continually increasing with time as the dependency on IT by organizations to be competitive and have a sustainable business model, is expanding.
In the field of ITSM, a professional has to be agile, nimble and ensure improvement to the business processes in order to live up to the ever-changing needs of customers. The ITIL® framework has factored this in and has an in-built phase called the ‘Continual Service Improvement’ phase. It runs across the remaining four core areas. Hence, it is recommended that the earlier one goes for ITIL® V4 foundation, the better it is - whether it is an individual or an organization.
Does the amount of certification change with each level?
ITIL® V3 offers five different certification levels (Changed with ITIL® V4):
- Foundation
- Practitioner
- Intermediate (Service Lifecycle and Service Capability categories)
- Expert
- Master
The cost of each level differs, based on the components mentioned above, the country where the exam is given and the mode of taking the examination. The various methods are:
1. Online Proctored Examination
A candidate does not need to go anywhere in order to take the ITIL® examinations. Especially, if the candidate’s career and job do not allow for the time to go to an examination center or an ATO, this option opens the opportunity to take the exam from the comfort of their home or office.
Here’s how an Online Proctored exam is conducted.
If the candidate has a computer along with webcam and internet access, they can take the exam via the online proctored exam option. The candidate can sign up for the online exam from the convenience of their home or laptop at any time. Most ITIL® V3 and V4 providers offer this option where the candidate will be proctored when they are taking the exam. This option is beneficial when the candidate is on a service desk or in a job which has a shift rotation system.
2. Exam from an ATO
Usually, ATOs not only conduct the ITIL® course but also administer the examination post completion of the course. Therefore, it is vital to choose a good ATO and this will ensure that the candidate is trained well and can give the exam at the center.
3. Examination from a Prometric center
Pearson VUE is the Prometric partner for ITIL® and AXELOS for administering the ITIL® certification examinations. This option offers a lot of flexibility as the candidate can choose to avail it even if they have attended training at an ATO center or done self - study. The candidate can schedule the exam at a Pearson VUE Prometric center which is close to them.
The cost of the ITIL® certification depends on whether the candidate prefers to take online training or classroom training. The cost of the entire course varies based on this choice and the geographical location, if it is a classroom session.
4. Online ITIL® Training
This gives the candidate the flexibility of learning and training from anywhere, anytime and at their pace from an ITIL® learning session that is online and explains the ITIL® Framework. Actually, the candidate gets more from the online ITIL® learning program than the other options.
On average, the ITIL online certification may cost around $275. It may be available for a lower or higher price, depending on the country in which the candidate is taking the examination. In the UK, for example, it could be around £200.00 while in India it could be approximately ₹15000. Comparatively, a session in the classroom could be anywhere around $2000.
A very viable and financially feasible option would be the monthly subscription of the online mode. These come at a price as low as $50 per month. Whether the candidate can finish the preparation in one month or not is entirely dependent on the drive and motivation of the candidate. If they thrive under tight schedules and timelines, this is a very feasible option. Also, the candidate can then actively reduce their overall ITIL® Certification cost.
In online mode, the candidate can receive access to these resources:
- Recorded video sessions of about two days i.e. 14-16 hours
- A certificate at the end.
- If the candidate is already a PMP, they can get about 14-16 PDUs (Professional Development Units).
- They may also receive a money back guarantee with certain conditions and fine prints attached.
- Handouts that can be downloaded for preparing for the ITIL® Exam.
Top Cities where KnowledgeHut Conduct ITIL Certification Training Course Online
ITIL® Exam Fee in Different Countries
This post has endeavoured to give a full price list for the ITIL® V3 Foundation certification examination from Peoplecert’s website. The prices mentioned are without discounts or offers that Peoplecert runs occasionally.
| Country | ITIL®-F Certification exam fee |
|---|---|
| United States | US $314 |
| United Kingdom | £269 |
| Canada | US $314 |
| Argentina | US $292 |
| Australia | AU $395 |
| Austria | €323 |
| Brazil | US $296 |
| China | US $314 |
| Denmark | €337 |
| France | €323 |
| Germany | €320 |
| India | ₹16,278 |
| Japan | ¥35910 |
| Portugal | €319 |
| Singapore | US $314 |
| United Arab Emirates | US $314 |
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ITIL® Certification Re-attempt Cost
The ITIL® Foundation, as mentioned earlier, is the first one in a series and is fairly easy to clear. If the candidate has taken the time to prepare, they would definitely pass the ITIL® examinations.
In the rare scenario that the candidate does fail, it is possible for them to buy a new exam voucher and give the exam again, or the candidate can appeal to the ATO for a re-evaluation of their answers for a nominal fee. The current re-evaluation fee stands at around US $100 - US $150 and the candidate is refunded the price if the outcome is favorable. However, if the outcome is not favorable, the candidate will lose the appeal fee and they will have to buy a new exam voucher.
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