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ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) is the one advanced PeopleCert module that counts toward both the ITIL 4 Managing Professional and ITIL 4 Strategic Leader designations. This guide covers the 40-question exam, the prerequisites and training rule, what the module teaches, where it stands now that ITIL (Version 5) is out, and the management roles it supports.
ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) is an advanced PeopleCert module for managers who set direction, plan work and run continual improvement. It’s the only advanced ITIL 4 module required for both the Managing Professional and Strategic Leader designations.
The Specialist modules teach how to build and run services. DPI sits a level above that work. It covers setting and cascading direction, applying governance, risk and compliance, measuring and reporting on performance, and leading organizational change, all inside the ITIL 4 service value system. PeopleCert pitches it at IT managers of all levels.
You need ITIL 4 Foundation (or any ITIL v3 certification) and accredited training before PeopleCert will release your result. The certification is issued by PeopleCert, which holds the ITIL framework, and it’s still on sale alongside ITIL (Version 5) until the planned ITIL 4 sunset on December 31, 2027.
Set direction, cascade goals, and put governance, risk and compliance to work.
Decide what actually needs planning, then use proven methods to deliver it.
Run continual improvement on data and feedback, with value streams in view.
Pick KPIs that mean something, and lead the people side of change.
Four things that set Direct, Plan and Improve apart from the other ITIL 4 modules in 2026.
PeopleCert’s ITIL 4 Managing Professional designation needs Foundation plus Create, Deliver and Support, Drive Stakeholder Value, High-velocity IT and DPI. ITIL 4 Strategic Leader needs Foundation plus DPI and Digital and IT Strategy. DPI is the only advanced module in both lists, so a single pass moves you toward both.
DPI spends its time on governance, planning, measurement and organizational change, the parts of ITIL a manager owns. An engineer after deeper practice detail will get more from one of the Specialist modules.
ITIL (Version 5) launched in February 2026, but PeopleCert hasn’t pulled DPI. Its current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on December 31, 2027. Our breakdown of what changed from ITIL 4 covers the wider shift.
PeopleCert accepts ITIL 4 certificates as prerequisites for every higher-level ITIL (Version 5) module. For DPI holders who want ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5), its ITIL FAQ recommends taking ITIL Strategy (Version 5) and ITIL Transformation (Version 5).
Passing any Version 5 certification also renews the ITIL 4 certificates you already hold, because PeopleCert keeps every ITIL certificate in one product suite.
The certification, the exam and the transition dates, as PeopleCert lists them in October 2026.
On its own, DPI completes neither designation. Your next step depends on which designation you’re building and whether you want to finish in ITIL 4 or move to Version 5.
Add the three Specialist modules: Create, Deliver and Support, Drive Stakeholder Value, and High-velocity IT. If you’re one module away, PeopleCert advises finishing ITIL 4 MP first, then upgrading through the Managing Professional Transition (Version 5) module.
Add ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy, a 30-question, 60-minute closed book exam. Once you hold ITIL 4 Strategic Leader, passing ITIL Transformation (Version 5) upgrades it to the Version 5 designation.
PeopleCert’s recommended route for DPI holders who want ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5) is ITIL Strategy plus ITIL Transformation. Both are 40-question, 90-minute exams, and both are open book.
DPI sits between Foundation and the ITIL 4 designations, and it’s the advanced module both designations share.
The prerequisite
Strategist, Specialist and Leader
Professional level
Two questions to answer before you commit: can you sit it, and should you take DPI specifically with Version 5 already out. Here’s a straight answer to both.
ITIL 4 Foundation, any ITIL v3 certification, or the ITIL 4 MP certificate.
Those are the three prerequisites on PeopleCert’s DPI page. ITIL Foundation (Version 5) isn’t one of them, so if Version 5 Foundation is your only ITIL credential, confirm your eligibility with PeopleCert or your training provider before you book.
An ATO course or ITIL Official eLearning.
Unlike ITIL Foundation (Version 5), which you can self-study, DPI has a training rule. PeopleCert requires training through an Accredited Training Organization or ITIL Official eLearning, and it won’t release your exam result without proof you finished it. The standalone exam bundle on its site is sold for re-sits only.
PeopleCert lists DPI as popular with people who have moved into IT management, leadership and transformation roles.
Runs the teams that keep services up. DPI’s material on cascading goals, setting policies and controls, and choosing KPIs gives an operations manager a way to direct the work instead of only reacting to it.
Leads the teams that build products and changes. The value stream mapping and planning content helps a development manager see where work stalls and back an improvement with a business case.
Owns service performance against agreed outcomes. Measurement, reporting and continual improvement are core DPI topics, and they match what a service manager reports to leadership every month.
Drives large changes across IT. DPI’s organizational change management and stakeholder communication material is written for this job, which is mostly about getting people to adopt a new way of working.
Heads of IT and IT directors set direction for the whole function. DPI covers vision, governance, risk and compliance at the level where those calls get made.
A common first management role. DPI gives a newer manager a structured way to line a team’s objectives up with the organization’s strategy, which is how PeopleCert describes the credential.
In ITIL 4, DPI shares the Strategic Leader path with Digital and IT Strategy. In Version 5, PeopleCert points DPI holders to Strategy and Transformation. Here’s how the four line up.
| Direct, Plan and Improve | Digital and IT Strategy | Strategy (Version 5) | Transformation (Version 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framework Body | PeopleCert | PeopleCert | PeopleCert | PeopleCert |
| Level | ITIL 4 Strategist | ITIL 4 Leader | Version 5 advanced module | Version 5 core module |
| Counts Toward | ITIL 4 MP and SL | ITIL 4 SL | SL (Version 5) | Every Version 5 designation |
| Prerequisites | ITIL 4 Foundation or any ITIL v3 cert | ITIL 4 Foundation or any ITIL v3 cert | Any ITIL 4 cert or Foundation (Version 5) | Any ITIL 4 cert or Foundation (Version 5) |
| Exam | 40 items, 90 min, closed book | 30 items, 60 min, closed book | 40 items, 90 min, open book | 40 items, 90 min, open book |
| Passing Score | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% |
| Exam Languages | 9 | 9 | 9 | English only |
| Status | On sale, sunset planned Dec 31, 2027 | On sale, sunset planned Dec 31, 2027 | Current | Current |
| Best For | Finishing either ITIL 4 designation | Completing ITIL 4 Strategic Leader | Strategy roles in the new scheme | The module every Version 5 path needs |
All four modules require training through an Accredited Training Organization or ITIL Official eLearning before PeopleCert releases a result. Facts come from PeopleCert’s module pages and ITIL FAQ as of October 2026. For the new entry-level exam, see our ITIL Foundation (Version 5) guide.
Certification Matchups: the published facts, strengths and weak spots of 33 certifications, side by side.
Our 4-day Direct, Plan and Improve boot camp is live and instructor-led, in person or online, and uses PeopleCert’s authorized courseware. Your exam voucher, a DPI handbook, a study guide, prep questions and a mock exam are included, along with a PeopleCert Take2 re-sit and 180 days of one-on-one coaching after class. Certification is awarded by PeopleCert on passing the exam.
The ITIL® 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve course on this page is listed as PeopleCert accredited training and uses PeopleCert’s authorized courseware.
ITIL is a registered trademark of PeopleCert International, used under the permission of PeopleCert International. All rights reserved.
The move from ITIL 4 to Version 5, how ITIL works in practice, and how it fits a management career.
What moved between ITIL 4 and Version 5, how the new designations are built, and what to do if you’re partway through an ITIL 4 path.
A practical primer on the framework and the certification levels, including how the Managing Professional and Strategic Leader tracks lead to ITIL Master.
How value streams play out when ITIL governance meets DevOps speed. Useful background for the value stream mapping area of the DPI syllabus.
Where service management and security discipline meet, from risk management and change control to the governance work that sits at the center of both.
What hiring managers actually look for in a certification stack, and why a coherent set of credentials beats a random collection.
For managers weighing a project credential next to ITIL. The eligibility bar, the training rule and the exam fee for the PMP.
How to read a practice exam result the way an instructor does, starting with the topic breakdown before the total.
PeopleCert lists nine areas the module covers, from the key concepts of direction, planning and improvement through governance, metrics, value streams and organizational change. Click any area for what it covers.
The core ideas behind directing, planning and improving in ITIL 4, and why value, outcomes, costs and risks have to be weighed together in each of those decisions.
How to set up governance structures that actually work, and how to keep the organization compliant with the regulations, standards and policies that apply to it.
How to define, select and use key performance indicators to judge how well IT services and processes are performing.
The concepts and practices of continual improvement, including using feedback and data so services, processes and practices keep evolving.
Enough grounding in IT service risk management to help an organization avoid disruptions and losses.
Using value stream mapping to find where processes can improve and to speed up the flow of value through the organization.
Better communication and collaboration between departments and stakeholders, so services get delivered as planned.
Working out accurately what needs to be planned, then applying key principles and methods so the plan is delivered.
Why organizational change management matters in IT service management and continual improvement, and how it handles the people side of change.
Areas follow PeopleCert’s ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve product page as of October 2026. PeopleCert doesn’t publish per-area exam weights there, so confirm the current syllabus with your training provider before scheduling.
The questions candidates ask most often when researching ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve.
ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) is an advanced ITIL 4 module from PeopleCert. It teaches managers how to set direction, apply governance, risk and compliance, plan work, measure performance, run continual improvement and lead organizational change. It’s the one advanced ITIL 4 module that counts toward both the Managing Professional and Strategic Leader designations.
Yes. PeopleCert still sells DPI alongside ITIL (Version 5), which launched in February 2026. Its current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on December 31, 2027, and it says ITIL 4 exam voucher validity dates will be announced in due course. PeopleCert also says existing ITIL certifications continue to hold their value as ITIL evolves.
PeopleCert doesn’t name a one-for-one replacement, because the Version 5 scheme is built differently. ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5) needs Foundation, ITIL Strategy (Version 5) and ITIL Transformation (Version 5). Transformation is the core module in every Version 5 designation, which is the shared role DPI plays in ITIL 4. For DPI holders, PeopleCert recommends Strategy plus Transformation to reach Strategic Leader (Version 5).
The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions to finish in 90 minutes. It’s closed book, and you need 70 percent, which is 28 correct answers out of 40, to pass. PeopleCert offers it in nine languages, including English.
PeopleCert lists two. First, you need ITIL 4 Foundation, any ITIL v3 certification, or the ITIL 4 Managing Professional certificate. Second, you need training through an Accredited Training Organization or ITIL Official eLearning, and PeopleCert won’t release your exam result without proof you completed it. ITIL Foundation (Version 5) isn’t on the DPI prerequisite list.
Not on its own. Extra self-study helps, but PeopleCert requires DPI candidates to complete training through an Accredited Training Organization or ITIL Official eLearning. Its standalone DPI exam bundle is sold for re-sits only.
PeopleCert’s ITIL 4 Managing Professional designation requires Foundation plus four modules: Create, Deliver and Support, Drive Stakeholder Value, High-velocity IT, and DPI. ITIL 4 Strategic Leader requires Foundation plus DPI and Digital and IT Strategy. DPI sits in both lists, so one pass counts toward both designations.
PeopleCert’s ITIL catalog lists DPI from US$865 as of October 2026. That price is an exam bundle (exam voucher, official eBook and Learning Resource Kit) meant for re-sits, since first-time candidates have to train with an accredited provider or ITIL Official eLearning. PeopleCert’s eLearning bundles with the exam start at US$1,338. Training Camp’s boot camp includes the exam voucher.
PeopleCert runs it as a web-based, online proctored exam. You book a time slot, a live proctor checks your ID and room over webcam, and you sit the exam under remote supervision. Rescheduling is free up to 48 hours before the start time.
PeopleCert lists DPI as subject to renewal. You can log 60 Continuous Professional Development points (20 a year for three years) through PeopleCert Plus, pass another certification from the ITIL product suite before your renewal date, or retake the exam. Passing any ITIL (Version 5) certification also renews your ITIL 4 certificates.
PeopleCert lists DPI as popular with IT managers in development and operations, IT leaders, transformation managers and IT service managers. Team leads moving into management take it too. It fits people whose job is directing other people’s work more than doing the technical work themselves.
PeopleCert offers Take2, a re-sit you add before your exam and use within six months of the first attempt. Training Camp’s boot camp includes a Take2 re-sit and lets you come back to class, so a missed first attempt has a clear next step. Take2 buys a second sitting, and you still need 70 percent to pass.
Yes, if you manage people or services and want an ITIL 4 designation. DPI counts toward both of them, and it stays on sale until the planned December 31, 2027 sunset. If you hold no ITIL 4 certificate at all and are starting from zero, look hard at the Version 5 modules instead, since that’s the scheme going forward.
Tell us whether you’re finishing an ITIL 4 designation, weighing DPI against the Version 5 modules, or training a group of managers, and we’ll help you map out the right path.