Cheat sheet
ITIL Foundation V5 Cheat Sheet
Key Terms
- 30% of exam
- Co-creation + value Utility + warranty Outcomes + costs + risks Service relationships Experience + sustainability Goods + offerings
Dimensions + Lifecycle
- 20% of exam
- 4 dimensions Org + people Info + tech Partners + suppliers 8 lifecycle activities PESTLE external
ITIL Value System
- 40% of exam
- Guiding principles Governance Value chain Management practices Continual improvement Metrics + CSFs
Value Streams
- 5% of exam
- Core vs enabling Value stream mapping Value stream management Complexity thinking Workflow optimization
AI + Frameworks
- 5% of exam
- AI maturity GenAI + Agentic AI AI governance AI Capability Model DevOps + PRINCE2
Quick Facts
- Exam ITIL Foundation V5
- Credential ITIL Foundation V5
- Time 60 min
- Pass 65% (26/40)
- Questions 40 MCQ
- Fee from $690
- Blueprint Feb 2026
Utility vs Warranty KE
Utility
- Supported by service
- Meets needs
- What it does
Warranty
- Performance + security
- Fit for use
- How well
- What vs how well
Value Co-creation KE
- Value Outcomes + costs + risks
- Outcome Stakeholder result
- Output Deliverable artifact
- Cost What consumer gives
- Risk Possible negative
- Co-creation Joint value work
Outcome vs Output KE
Outcome
- Stakeholder result
- Value realized
- Disruptive change
Output
- Deliverable artifact
- Tangible thing
- No value alone
- Result vs deliverable
Service Offerings KE
- Goods Ownership transfer
- Access Grant use rights
- Service actions Performed on demand
- Offering Goods + access + actions
- Customer Defines requirements
- User Uses service
- Sponsor Authorizes budget
Provider vs Consumer KE
Provider
- Offers service
- Co-creates value
- Bears risk
Consumer
- Receives service
- Defines needs
- Pays cost
- Supply vs demand
Experience + Quality KE
- UX User experience
- CX Customer experience
- DX Digital experience
- SLA Service-level agreement
- ELA Experience-level agreement
- Trust Confidence in provider
- Sustainability Long-term impact
4 Dimensions DI
- Org/People | Partners | Info/Tech | Streams
- OP: org + people PS: partners + suppliers IT: info + tech VP: streams + processes
Lifecycle Activity Picker DI
- Understand needs → Discover
- Define spec → Design
- Obtain resources → Acquire
- Create solution → Build
- Move to live → Transition
- Run in prod → Operate
- Provide to users → Deliver
- Help users → Support
Four Dimensions DI
- Org + people Roles + skills + culture
- Info + tech Data + knowledge + tech
- Partners + suppliers Sourcing + suppliers
- Streams + processes Workflow + activities
- PESTLE External factors
- Holistic All four together
8 Lifecycle Activities DI
- Discover | Design | Acquire | Build | Transition | Operate | Deliver | Support
- Discover: needs Design: spec Acquire: resources Build: create Transition: go live Operate: run Deliver: provide Support: help
Lifecycle Activities DI
- Discover Needs analysis
- Design Spec + architecture
- Acquire Obtain resources
- Build Create + test
- Transition Move to live
- Operate Run in production
- Deliver Provide to users
- Support User assistance
7 Guiding Principles VA
- Focus | Start | Progress | Collaborate | Holistic | Simple | Optimize
- FV: focus on value SA: start where IF: iterate + feedback CV: collaborate + visible HW: think holistic SP: simple + practical OA: optimize + automate
Incident vs Problem VA
Incident
- Unplanned disruption
- Restore fast
- Reactive
Problem
- Root cause
- Prevent recurrence
- Known error
- Event vs cause
SVS Component Picker VA
- Set direction → Governance
- Decide ethically → Guiding principles
- Convert demand → Value chain
- Do the work → Practices
- Improve over time → Continual improvement
- Measure success → Metrics + CSFs
Guiding Principles VA
- Focus on value Every action adds value
- Start where you are Use existing first
- Progress + feedback Iterate small steps
- Collaborate + visibility Work + transparent
- Think holistically All dimensions
- Keep it simple Practical + minimal
- Optimize + automate Improve then automate
6 Value Chain Activities VA
- Plan | Improve | Engage | D+T | O/B | D+S
- Plan: vision + strategy Improve: continual Engage: stakeholders D+T: design + transition O/B: obtain + build D+S: deliver + support
Practice Picker VA
- Unplanned disruption → Incident mgmt
- Find root cause → Problem mgmt
- Deploy a change → Change enablement
- User standard ask → Service request
- Single point contact → Service desk
- Track system health → Monitoring
Value Chain Activities VA
- Plan Strategy + vision
- Improve Continual improvement
- Engage Stakeholder relations
- Design + Transition Spec to live
- Obtain/Build Acquire + create
- Deliver + Support Provide + help
7 Improvement Steps VA
- Vision | Now | Target | Path | Action | Check | Momentum
- 1: what is vision 2: where are we 3: where to be 4: how to get 5: take action 6: did we get 7: keep momentum
Management Practices VA
- Incident mgmt Restore service fast
- Problem mgmt Find root cause
- Change enablement Control changes
- Release mgmt Deploy to live
- Service request Standard asks
- Service desk Single contact
- Monitoring Track health
- Continual improve Ongoing betterment
Continual Improvement VA
- Vision What is the vision
- Now Where are we now
- Target Where to be
- Path How to get there
- Action Take action
- Check Did we get there
- Momentum Keep going
Core vs Enabling Stream VA
Core
- Primary value path
- Customer-facing
- Direct value
Enabling
- Supports core
- Behind the scenes
- Indirect value
- Primary vs support
Value Streams VA
- Value stream Steps to value
- Core Primary value path
- Enabling Supports core
- Mapping Visualize workflow
- Management Govern streams
- Complexity Non-linear thinking
ITIL vs DevOps AI
ITIL
- Service mgmt framework
- Lifecycle focus
- Governance heavy
DevOps
- Dev + Ops culture
- Fast flow
- Continuous delivery
- Framework vs culture
ITIL + AI AI
- AI Machine intelligence
- AI maturity Capability levels
- GenAI Generative AI
- Agentic AI Autonomous agents
- AI governance Rules for AI
- AI Capability Model AI capability framework
Complementary Frameworks AI
- DevOps Dev + Ops culture
- PRINCE2 Project mgmt
- Complementary Work alongside ITIL
- ITIL Service mgmt
Common Traps
Utility vs Warranty
- Utility = functionality ≠ Warranty = performance
Outcome vs Output
- Outcome = result ≠ Output = artifact
Incident vs Problem
- Incident = disruption ≠ Problem = cause
Lifecycle is Iterative
- Not linear phases ≠ Activities repeat + overlap
Provider vs Consumer
- Provider co-creates ≠ Consumer receives value
AI is Governance Too
- Not just automation ≠ AI governance + maturity
V5 Practice Wording
- General + product practices ≠ Not ITIL 4 grouping
Last Minute
- 1. Weights: 30/20/40/5/5
- 2. Pass = 26/40 (65%)
- 3. 7 guiding principles memorized
- 4. 6 value chain activities
- 5. 8 lifecycle activities
- 6. 4 dimensions
- 7. 7 improvement steps
- 8. Utility = what; Warranty = well
- 9. Outcome = result; Output = artifact
- 10. Closed book, 60 min
- 11. Answer all, no negative marking
ITIL Foundation (Version 5)
- Practice Questions 100 questions Study Guide 20 topics Cheat Sheet 78 facts Flashcards 50 cards Shorts 1 short Videos 3 videos Blogs 4 blogs Free CE Podcast