What the course covers
About this course map
Seven syllabus areas, mapped one-for-one to the official ITIL 4 Foundation candidate syllabus and taught in the same order, so nothing the exam draws on is left uncovered. Each area below maps to one of the exam's seven learning outcomes, and we give it teaching time roughly in proportion to its weight on the paper.
ITIL is owned by PeopleCert, which acquired the framework from Axelos, and the current Foundation syllabus is version 4.2.0 from March 2025. PeopleCert has begun a phased release of ITIL Version 5, and a Foundation Bridge exists for people who already hold ITIL 4 and want to catch up. ITIL 4 Foundation remains available, valid and widely required, and existing ITIL 4 certifications keep their value as the framework evolves — so this course teaches the current ITIL 4 Foundation syllabus as it stands.
Foundation is a recall-and-understand certification: the exam tests whether you know the concepts and can explain them, not whether you can apply them in a live scenario. The teaching matches that — clear definitions, worked examples and the relationships between the pieces, rather than the case-work of the higher-level ITIL modules.
Area 01 — Key concepts of service management
The vocabulary the whole framework is built on, and the exam checks that you have it exactly. Around 12.5% of the exam.
Area 02 — The ITIL guiding principles
Seven principles that are meant to inform every decision, and the most heavily tested concept area on the paper. Around 15% of the exam.
Area 03 — The four dimensions of service management
The four perspectives that any service has to be considered from, so that nothing is left out. Around 5% of the exam.
Area 04 — The ITIL service value system
The overarching model that shows how the parts of ITIL fit together to create value. Around 2.5% of the exam.
Area 05 — The service value chain
The operating model at the heart of the service value system, and the activities that turn demand into value. Around 5% of the exam.
Area 06 — The ITIL practices: purpose and key terms
An overview of fifteen ITIL practices — enough to recall what each is for and the terms that go with them. Around 17.5% of the exam.
Area 07 — Seven ITIL practices in detail
The practices the exam expects you to explain, not merely name — and by far the largest share of the marks. Around 42.5% of the exam.
Who should take this
Anyone who works in or alongside IT service delivery and needs the shared language: service desk and support staff, IT operations and infrastructure teams, project and delivery managers, business analysts, and managers who commission or oversee IT services. It is also a common first step for people moving into IT service management from another field, and a prerequisite mindset for the higher ITIL modules.
There are no prerequisites and no experience is required. Foundation is pitched at recall and understanding, so it is genuinely accessible to newcomers, though the volume of defined terms rewards steady study over cramming.
The exam
The ITIL 4 Foundation exam is set and awarded by PeopleCert.
The exam voucher is purchased separately from PeopleCert. We arrange it on your behalf and send you the details, and you book your own exam sitting. The certification is renewed every three years through PeopleCert's continuing professional development scheme.
How we deliver it
Classroom or online live, or at your office for a private group. The teaching is definition-led and example-driven: short blocks on each syllabus area, checks along the way to confirm the terms have landed, and a full-length mock exam under timed conditions before you sit the real one. Small cohorts, so questions get answered.
Mapped to the official ITIL 4 Foundation syllabus, version 4.2.0. Taught from Hacky Security's own curriculum by instructors who hold the certification and work in service management. This is preparation for the exam; the certification and voucher come from PeopleCert.
Exam & certification
- 1Train with us instructor-led preparation, labs and practice questions.
- 2Sit the official examExam voucher sold separately. We buy it from the certification body on your behalf and send you the code — you book your own exam date.
- 3Get certifiedThe certification is awarded by ITIL / AXELOS when you pass their exam.
What you receive
- ITIL / AXELOS certification — issued by ITIL / AXELOS after you pass, and verifiable with them.
- Hacky Security certificate of completion — for the training itself, with a unique ID.
- Checkable by employers — anyone can confirm our certificate on the Verify page.
This course is Hacky Security’s own preparation training. The certification itself is awarded by ITIL / AXELOS, not by us.
Similar courses
Independent preparation training delivered from Hacky Security's own curriculum. Hacky Security is not affiliated with or endorsed by the certification body named above. Certification names and codes are the trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to describe what this course prepares you for.
