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PeopleCert still sells the ITIL 4 Foundation exam as of October 2026, but it now sits beside a newer version. ITIL Foundation (Version 5) launched in February 2026, and PeopleCert's current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on December 31, 2027. If you already hold ITIL 4 Foundation, you don't have to retake anything. This guide covers the exam, the weighted syllabus, the sunset, and how to choose between ITIL 4 and Version 5.
ITIL 4 Foundation is PeopleCert's entry-level certification for ITIL 4, the IT service management framework built around the service value system, the seven guiding principles and the four dimensions of service management. It launched in 2019, and the exam is still on sale.
It is no longer the newest version, though. PeopleCert released ITIL Foundation (Version 5) in February 2026, and the two run in parallel for now. According to the PeopleCert ITIL FAQ, the current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on December 31, 2027, and exam voucher validity dates for ITIL 4 will be announced later. For now, the ITIL 4 Foundation exam bundle costs the same US$690 that PeopleCert charges for Version 5.
If you already hold ITIL 4 Foundation, you don't need to do anything to keep progressing. PeopleCert recognizes ITIL 4 qualifications as prerequisites for every higher-level Version 5 certification, so you don't sit Foundation again. The ITIL Foundation Bridge (Version 5) is an optional upgrade, a 20-question, 30-minute exam that earns the Version 5 certificate. Renewal is the one obligation that stays with you, and it's covered below.
Foundation carries no prerequisites and is issued by PeopleCert, which owns ITIL. For the new version, see our ITIL Foundation (Version 5) guide.
Seven recommendations, from focus on value to optimize and automate, that guide decisions in any situation.
Organizations and people, information and technology, partners and suppliers, and value streams and processes.
Six activities (plan, improve, engage, design and transition, obtain/build, deliver and support) that turn demand into value.
Foundation tests the purpose of 15 practices and seven of them in detail, from incident management to service level management.
Yes, with a deadline attached. Four things to weigh before you write ITIL 4 off, including the date that limits how long you can still sit it.
ITIL 4 Foundation has been PeopleCert's entry-level ITIL exam since 2019. Its definitions of incidents, problems, known errors, changes and service levels are the words service desks and operations teams use every day. PeopleCert describes Version 5 as an evolution rather than a revolution that keeps proven ITIL 4 concepts, so what you learn here doesn't go to waste.
ITIL 4 Foundation opens the ITIL 4 Specialist and Strategist modules while they're on sale. PeopleCert also recognizes ITIL 4 qualifications as prerequisites for all higher-level Version 5 certifications, so holders can move up without a second Foundation exam.
Version 5 reframes ITIL around digital products and services, adds AI guidance, and replaces the service value chain with a product and service lifecycle. Our Version 5 guide and our breakdown of what changed from ITIL 4 cover it in detail.
PeopleCert's ITIL FAQ says the current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on December 31, 2027, and the Foundation Bridge (Version 5) is scheduled to retire on the same date. Exam voucher validity dates for ITIL 4 haven't been announced yet. If you buy an ITIL 4 voucher, plan to use it well before the end of 2027 rather than sitting on it.
The sunset covers the modules, meaning the courses and exams. PeopleCert has not published an end date for ITIL 4 certificates people already hold, and its FAQ treats them as valid prerequisites for Version 5.
The certification, the exam, and the dates that govern the move to Version 5, as of October 2026.
Two ladders sit above ITIL 4 Foundation right now. The ITIL 4 modules stay on sale until the planned 2027 sunset, and the Version 5 modules accept ITIL 4 Foundation as the entry requirement.
Four modules earn it (Create, Deliver and Support, Drive Stakeholder Value, High-velocity IT, and Direct, Plan and Improve). The CDS and DPI exams are 40 questions in 90 minutes with a 70% pass mark, and they require accredited training or ITIL Official eLearning. If you're one module short, PeopleCert recommends finishing the ITIL 4 designation.
The leadership designation takes two modules, Direct, Plan and Improve plus Digital and IT Strategy. Holders can later upgrade to the Version 5 Strategic Leader designation by completing the ITIL Transformation (Version 5) module.
ITIL 4 Foundation is accepted as the prerequisite here too. In the Version 5 scheme, ITIL Product, Service, Experience and Transformation lead to ITIL Managing Professional, and ITIL Strategy plus Transformation lead to ITIL Strategic Leader. There's also a separate ITIL AI Governance (Version 5) module.
Foundation is the entry point to both ITIL 4 and Version 5. From here you can finish an ITIL 4 designation before the sunset or move straight onto the Version 5 modules.
The entry point
ITIL 4 or Version 5
Professional level
Two questions to answer before you commit: can you sit it, and should you pick ITIL 4 over Version 5. Here's a straight answer to both.
No prerequisites, and training is not mandatory.
PeopleCert lists no prerequisite for ITIL 4 Foundation and sells a self-study exam bundle (voucher, official eBook and Learning Resource Kit), so you can prepare through a course or on your own and book the exam directly. The Specialist and Strategist modules above it are different, since they require accredited training.
A recall exam on a version with an end date.
PeopleCert hasn't said how long ITIL 4 vouchers will stay valid, so buy and sit the exam in one push instead of holding a voucher for months. The questions turn on precise ITIL 4 definitions, and negative and missing-word questions punish loose reading. General IT experience helps less than you'd expect.
PeopleCert ties ITIL 4 Foundation to roles such as IT service manager, IT operations specialist and IT service operations manager. These six are where the syllabus gets used most directly.
Owns how IT services are delivered against agreed service levels. Service level management is one of the seven practices Foundation tests in detail, and the SLAs it produces are what this role is held to.
The usual first job in service management. Service desk, incident management and service request management are three of the seven practices Foundation covers in detail, which is most of what a service desk shift involves.
Keeps systems running and gets them back when they fail. Monitoring and event management, incidents, problems, known errors and workarounds are the daily vocabulary of the job, and Foundation covers each of them.
Runs change enablement, from assessing and authorizing changes to scheduling them so releases don't collide. Change enablement is one of the practices Foundation examines in depth, along with what a change actually is.
Leads the teams that deliver and support services day to day. The service value chain and the four dimensions give a manager a way to look at people, suppliers, tools and processes together instead of one ticket queue at a time.
Runs an IT team inside a larger service organization. The continual improvement model and the guiding principles give a team lead a shared method for fixing recurring problems, and Foundation is where both are taught.
Until the planned 2027 sunset, three Foundation-level routes exist. Here's how they line up as of October 2026.
| ITIL 4 Foundation | Foundation (Version 5) | Foundation Bridge (Version 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issued By | PeopleCert | PeopleCert | PeopleCert |
| Status | On sale, sunset planned Dec 31, 2027 | Current version (Feb 2026) | Retirement scheduled Dec 31, 2027 |
| Core Model | Service value system, six-activity value chain | Product and service lifecycle | Only the new and changed Version 5 content |
| Prerequisites | None | None | An ITIL 4 certification (not Cloud or Sustainability) |
| Exam | 40 questions, 60 min, closed book | 40 questions, 60 min, closed book | 20 questions, 30 min, closed book |
| Passing Score | 65% | 65% | 65% |
| Exam Languages | 12 | 9 | 9 |
| PeopleCert Exam Bundle | US$690 | US$690 | US$263 |
| Certificate Earned | ITIL 4 Foundation | ITIL Foundation (Version 5) | ITIL Foundation (Version 5) |
| Best For | Roles or programs that name ITIL 4 | New learners with a free choice | ITIL 4 holders who want the new certificate |
Prices are PeopleCert's self-study exam bundles (voucher, official eBook and Learning Resource Kit) in US dollars, including VAT, as listed in October 2026. They vary by country and training partner. For the new version in detail, see our ITIL Foundation (Version 5) guide.
Certification Matchups: the published facts, strengths and weak spots of 33 certifications, side by side.
Our ITIL 4 Foundation boot camp is three days of live, instructor-led training, online or in person, on PeopleCert's authorized ITIL 4 courseware. Your exam voucher, mock exams, a mobile study app and a PeopleCert Take2 re-sit are included, and you keep 180 days of instructor support after class. Certification is awarded by PeopleCert when you pass the exam. If nobody needs ITIL 4 from you specifically, our ITIL Foundation (Version 5) boot camp teaches the current version in the same three days.
The ITIL® 4 course on this page is offered by Cornerstone Service Management, an Accredited Training Organization (ATO) of PeopleCert.
ITIL is a registered trademark of PeopleCert International, used under the permission of PeopleCert International. All rights reserved.
What changed in Version 5, how ITIL 4 works in real teams, and where Foundation fits an early IT career.
Answers to the questions ITIL 4 holders asked the week Version 5 launched. It covers whether your certificate still counts, what moved from the service value chain to the eight-activity lifecycle model, and what stayed the same.
A practical primer on what ITIL is, how the ITIL 4 service value system works, the mistakes teams make when they adopt it, and how it fits with DevOps, Agile and cloud.
Why the ITIL 4 service value chain and a DevOps pipeline don't line up neatly, and how teams map value streams so governance and delivery speed can work together.
Where ITIL 4 service management and security work meet in practice, whether holding both credentials is worth it, and which one to take first.
Where ITIL Foundation fits among the first certifications worth getting, with a direct recommendation for anyone aiming at help desk or service management work.
Seven learning outcomes, weighted by the marks each one carries out of 40. Outcome 7 alone is worth 17 marks, so the seven practices in detail deserve the biggest share of your study time. Click any outcome for what it covers.
Worth 5 of the 40 marks. You recall the definitions of service, utility, warranty, customer, user, service management and sponsor, and you describe how services create value through cost, value, organization, outcome, output, risk, utility and warranty. It also covers service relationships, meaning service offerings, service relationship management, service provision and service consumption.
Worth 6 marks. You explain how the seven guiding principles work and interact. They are focus on value, start where you are, progress iteratively with feedback, collaborate and promote visibility, think and work holistically, keep it simple and practical, and optimize and automate. Five of the six marks are about how the principles are used, so knowing their names alone won't carry you.
Worth 2 marks. Organizations and people, information and technology, partners and suppliers, and value streams and processes. Small on the exam, but the four dimensions show up again in Version 5, so the study time carries forward.
Worth a single mark. You describe the service value system and how its parts (guiding principles, governance, the service value chain, practices and continual improvement) turn opportunity and demand into value.
Worth 2 marks. You describe how the value chain activities connect and support value streams, and the purpose of each of the six activities: plan, improve, engage, design and transition, obtain/build, and deliver and support. This is the part of ITIL 4 that Version 5 replaces with a product and service lifecycle.
Worth 7 marks. You recall the purpose of 15 practices, from information security management, relationship management and supplier management to IT asset management, monitoring and event management, release management, service configuration management and deployment management. You also recall seven definitions: IT asset, event, configuration item, change, incident, problem and known error.
Worth 17 marks, the biggest single block on the exam. You explain continual improvement (including the continual improvement model), change enablement, incident management, problem management, service request management, service desk and service level management in detail. If your study time is short, spend most of it here.
Weights are the marks per learning outcome in the ITIL 4 Foundation Candidate Syllabus (version 1.4). Confirm the current published syllabus with PeopleCert before scheduling.
The questions candidates ask most often about ITIL 4 Foundation and the move to Version 5.
ITIL 4 Foundation is PeopleCert's entry-level certification for ITIL 4, the IT service management framework built around the service value system, the seven guiding principles and the four dimensions of service management. It launched in 2019 and tests whether you can recall and explain the framework's key concepts and practices. It opens the higher ITIL 4 modules, and PeopleCert also accepts it as the prerequisite for the higher Version 5 modules.
Yes. As of October 2026, PeopleCert still sells the ITIL 4 Foundation exam, and it runs in parallel with ITIL Foundation (Version 5), which launched in February 2026. PeopleCert's current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on December 31, 2027, and it hasn't yet announced how long ITIL 4 exam vouchers will stay valid.
PeopleCert's ITIL FAQ says the current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules, Foundation included, on December 31, 2027. It calls that a plan, and says exam voucher validity dates for ITIL 4 will be announced in due course. The ITIL Foundation Bridge (Version 5) is scheduled to retire on the same date, so ITIL 4 holders who want the Version 5 certificate through the Bridge should also finish by then.
No. PeopleCert recognizes ITIL 4 qualifications as prerequisites for all higher-level ITIL (Version 5) certifications, so you don't need to retake Foundation to move up. Upgrading is optional. The ITIL Foundation Bridge (Version 5) covers only what changed and leads to the ITIL Foundation (Version 5) certificate through a 20-question, 30-minute exam. The one date to watch is your three-year renewal.
If you're new to ITIL and nobody has asked for ITIL 4 by name, take Version 5. It's the current version, PeopleCert lists both exam bundles at the same US$690, and ITIL 4 is due to sunset at the end of 2027. ITIL 4 Foundation still makes sense when an employer, contract or internal program specifies it, or when you plan to take ITIL 4 Specialist modules before they retire.
ITIL 4 is an IT service management framework organized around the service value system and a six-activity service value chain. Version 5 reframes ITIL around digital product and service management, adds guidance for AI-enabled environments, and replaces the service value chain with a product and service lifecycle. PeopleCert calls it an evolution rather than a revolution, and the guiding principles and four dimensions carry over. Our breakdown of what changed goes deeper.
The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions, each worth one mark, and you have 60 minutes. It's closed book, there's no negative marking, and you need 26 correct answers (65%) to pass. Candidates testing in a language that isn't their native or working language may get 25% extra time, for 75 minutes in total. PeopleCert offers the exam in 12 languages.
As of October 2026, PeopleCert's own store lists the ITIL 4 Foundation exam bundle (exam voucher, official eBook and Learning Resource Kit) at US$690. Bundles with official eLearning cost US$1,029, or US$1,338 with a free exam retake and an official mock exam added. Prices vary by country and by training partner, and a training course may include the voucher, as ours does.
No. Foundation is the entry point into ITIL and has no prerequisites. Training isn't mandatory either, since PeopleCert sells a self-study exam bundle you can book directly. Foundation is one of the accepted prerequisites for the ITIL 4 Specialist and Strategist modules, and those modules do require accredited training or ITIL Official eLearning.
PeopleCert's renewal rules say ITIL 4 certifications need renewing every three years from the original certification date. You can renew by logging 60 CPD points (20 a year) as a PeopleCert Plus member, by passing another exam in the same product suite, or by retaking the same exam. PeopleCert says passing any ITIL (Version 5) certification also renews your ITIL 4 certifications. If you don't renew, you stay on the Successful Candidates Register with a note that the certification needs renewal.
You have two routes. While they're on sale, the ITIL 4 Specialist and Strategist modules lead to ITIL 4 Managing Professional (Create, Deliver and Support, Drive Stakeholder Value, High-velocity IT, and Direct, Plan and Improve) and ITIL 4 Strategic Leader (Direct, Plan and Improve plus Digital and IT Strategy). Or you can go straight to the Version 5 modules, which accept ITIL 4 Foundation as the prerequisite.
PeopleCert's Take2 option gives you a second attempt at the same exam after a failed result, and it works with online proctored exams. Training Camp's boot camp includes a Take2 re-sit, so a first attempt that doesn't go your way isn't the end of it. Take2 is a re-sit arrangement only. You still have to pass the second attempt.
It depends on why you want it. If an employer or contract asks for ITIL 4 Foundation, or you're finishing an ITIL 4 track, it's worth it, and the concepts carry into Version 5. If you're starting fresh with a free choice, Version 5 costs the same at PeopleCert and has no announced sunset. Either way, ITIL is a service management credential, so it does less for purely technical or security roles.
Tell us what you need ITIL for (a contract that names ITIL 4, a choice between ITIL 4 and Version 5, or training for a team before the 2027 sunset) and we'll help you pick the right exam and class date.