The ITIL v3 Certification Track - I Think...

After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, I think I've finally figured out the convoluted certification track for ITIL v3.

It begins with the Foundation exam. According to Exin's website you can take the v3 test without any prereq's. The exam is 1 hour, contains 40 questions, with a passing score of 65% or higher.

Exin's site does not go into a great deal of information on the Intermediate exams, except to say that you can take a v3 Manager's Bridge exam. It's prereq is a current ITIL v2 Manager's certification. The test is 90 minutes long, contains 20 complex multiple choice questions, and requires 80% or better to pass.

Which leads to the question, what does it take to obtain a v2 Manager's certification? I'm glad I asked...

The two Management certifications, if I'm reading this correctly, are listed as IT Service Management Service Support and IT Service Management Service Delivery. Both require accredited training, meaning you have to take a class, a ITIL Foundation certificate, and two years of professional experience as an IT Management professional or consultant.

It is estimated that it will require approximately 320 hours of study to complete this path.

Of course, the "official" v3 track is supposed to operated a little differently:

Foundation

Pretty much the same thing as v2, except it's based on the v3 changes. You receive 2 "credits" towards an "ITIL Diploma" The ITIL Diploma actually takes 22 credits overall.

Intermediate (Thanks to Learning Tree International for this information)
There are basic areas for intermediate: Capability and Lifecycle

Capability is based on the following areas: Service Design and Optimization, Service Monitoring and Controlling, Service Operation and Support, and finally, Server Portfolio and Realationship Management. Each section earn the student 4 credits towards their diploma.

Lifecycle is based on ITIL's five core books: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement. Each section earn the student 3 credits towards their diploma.

There is also a 5 credit course called "Managing Across the Lifecycle", for you extra-credit geeks out there.

Advanced

Finally, there is supposed to be an "ITIL Super Hero" certification, or rather the "Advanced" diploma, but I haven't been able to find a whole lot on this, because apparently it's still under development.

How much does all of this cost?

Well, given that you have to go to class to Manager Certifications for ITIL v2, and you have to take a bridge exam to translate over to v3, it can break down to something like this...

The Foundation test for v3 is $160. The ITSM Service Support and ITSM Service Delivery tests are $250 each, classes, depending on where you go, will probably run around $800-$2500

If you want to go all ITIL v2 Super Hero, You'll also want to take the following:

ITSM - Practitioner Release and Control: $225
ITSM - Practitioner Support and Restore: $225
ITSM - Practitioner Agree and Define: $225
ITSM - Practitioner Plan and Improve: $225
ITSM - Practitioner Security Management: $185

All told, it cost between $3345-$6745 to get all of this done. But you can do quite well as an ITIL consultant, so it's an investment that reaps potentially huge rewards!

If you're realy serious about this, as I am, you'll also want to join the ITSMF (http://www.itsmfusa.org/mc/page.do) They're sort of like PMI to the whole ITSM/ITIL world.