ITIL® 5 Foundation

ITIL® Foundation (Version 5) is the entry-level certification in the current ITIL framework, released by PeopleCert in February 2026. It covers digital product and service management, the ITIL Value System, the guiding principles, the four dimensions, the product and service lifecycle, value streams, and the management practices teams use to deliver and improve services.

Version 5 reframes Foundation around digital product and service management and adds guidance for AI enabled and automated service environments. The core ideas carry forward, including value co-creation, the four dimensions, and the guiding principles, but the detailed practice workflows that dominated the ITIL 4 Foundation exam are no longer the focus. Studying from ITIL 4 material will leave a large part of the Version 5 syllabus uncovered.

If you are new to ITIL, take Version 5. It is the current framework, it is what employers will be hiring against going forward, and it is the prerequisite for the higher level Version 5 certifications. ITIL 4 Foundation remains valid if you already hold it, but there is little reason to start there now.

No. PeopleCert offers an ITIL Foundation Bridge (Version 5) route for existing ITIL 4 Foundation holders. The Bridge exam is 20 questions in 30 minutes, closed book, with the same mark, and it covers only what changed in Version 5. Check your eligibility with PeopleCert before you register for the full exam.

The exam is 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, closed book mark. That means 26 correct answers out of 40. There is no negative marking, so answer every question. Question styles include standard multiple choice, negative questions asking which option is not correct, missing word questions, and list based questions where you select two correct statements.

The published Version 5 syllabus weights are 30% key ITIL terms and definitions, 40% the ITIL Value System, 10% the four dimensions, 10% the product and service lifecycle, 5% value stream identification and mapping, 2.5% ITIL and AI, and 2.5% ITIL alongside other frameworks. Key terms and the Value System together carry 70% of the exam, which is where the class spends most of its time.

Three days of instructor-led training, plus a short pre-class preparation module you complete before day one. The three days move from core terminology and the four dimensions, through the ITIL Value System and guiding principles, into the product and service lifecycle, the management practices, and exam readiness.

Yes, for most candidates. ITIL Foundation is a recall and understanding exam rather than an applied skills exam, and the syllabus is tightly scoped. The pre-class work gets the vocabulary in place, the three class days cover every syllabus area in proportion to its exam weight, and day three is built around mock questions and targeted review so you walk out exam-ready.

There are no formal prerequisites for ITIL Foundation (Version 5). It is designed as the entry point to the framework and assumes no prior ITIL knowledge. Any exposure to IT service delivery, support, or product teams will help you connect the concepts to your own work, but it is not required.

Service desk and support staff, IT operations and infrastructure teams, product and service owners, project and change managers, business analysts, consultants, and anyone whose organization runs on ITIL or is moving toward product based delivery. It is also a common requirement in IT job descriptions and vendor contracts.

Authorized ITIL® courseware, the mobile study app, the exam voucher, and the Take2 re-sit option. You also get the practice questions and mock exam walkthrough built into day three.

The exam is delivered by PeopleCert, most commonly as an online proctored session you schedule at a time that works for you. Your voucher is included with the course, and results are available immediately once you finish.

The course includes Take2, PeopleCert’s re-sit option, so you can take the exam a second time. Day three is built around identifying and closing gaps before you sit, so the goal is to have you ready the first time.

ITIL certifications are valid for three years. You renew by logging 60 CPD points through PeopleCert Plus, or by passing another exam in the same product suite before your renewal date. Passing any Version 5 exam also extends the validity of the ITIL 4 certifications you already hold.

The ITIL® (Version 5) course on this page is offered by Cornerstone Service Management, an Accredited Training Organization (ATO) of PeopleCert. Training Camp handles enrollment, scheduling, and student support.