the world of ITIL V3 certification and training

[updated February 2009]

Most readers of this blog know this stuff but certainly not all so here's the IT Skeptic's shaky understanding of the world of ITIL V3 certification. I welcome corrections and elaborations.

Your certification for ITIL version 2 was either issued by EXIN or by ISEB - there were two competing schemes. EXIN are a commercial Dutch-based operation with deep roots in ITIL's past. ISEB are run by the British Computer Society.

Both seem well-meaning but V2 certification was a mess and needed cleaning up.

V3 certification is managed by APMG, a commercial British operation who [updated: are contracted to the OGC to provide services for] ITIL (and Prince2) accreditation and certification (beating out EXIN and itSMF and others? in a tender). Now ISEB and EXIN have to pay tithe to APMG, and APMG are bringing them all into line on a single certification scheme.

APMG are somehow advised and assisted in policy by the murky ITIL Qualifications Board. Don't be fooled by the word "Board" which implies some sort of independence: the Board is closed to all but the vested-interest training industry.

Under APMG there are now six or seven Examination Institutes (I can't keep up) not just the two, but they now all deliver the same exams and theorertically the same syllabus to the same (I think low) standards.

Those Examination Institutes in turn accredit Accredited Training Organisations, ATOs, who have to pay tithe to the EIs.

The ATOs deliver training to the masses. The exams are delivered online by APMG via their website.

Foundation exams are also available via Prometric (and EXIN? and ISEB?) without an associated (official) training course. Unfortunately APMG have decided that only V3 Foundation will be available this way.

The fact that there are a number of providers of unaccedited training materials or online courses who rely on Prometric to deliver the final certification may have something to do with this.

Comments

APMG Group and APMG

Just to add to the confusion as well...

there is APM Group - the accreditor
and APMG - an Examination Institute in their own right - so akin to ISEB, EXIN, Loyalist College etc

It's no wonder we're all confused!

There's been a lot of good work done around the V3 accreditation scheme so far, but there is lots of work that still needs to be done. Hopefully groups like the QB will listen to the feedback that's coming from the market around issues like making exams available on Prometric, particularly to developing markets.

Claire

current decision

I think you will find that the current decision is very clearly NOT to put the exams on Prometric and to hell with the Developing Nations. if they are put on Prometric then that will be because APMG and IQB changed their minds. No matter who or where you are, right now the plan is that you will pay for training first.

I hope you are right and that they will listen and find a way to accomodate those who don't see a consulting career ahead to pay the training fees, or can't get their boss to fund it, or come from an economy where that kind of money is unthinkable.

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