SEKS V3 Certification Path

Tube picture below presents the current certification path in the newest, 3rd version of IT Infrastructure Library. The starting point is SEKS Foundation for Service Management which is worth 2 points.

There are 5 modules discussed during this training which are Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement. The exam focues on these 5 modules, and comprises of 40 questions. There are no tricky questions so once you learnt the subject you shouldn't have any problems to pass the exam. There are 60 mins. available to anwer all the questions. The exam is multiple choice exam with only one correct answer. Please explore the sections with example questions and answers. Everybody who managed to pass the SEKS Foundation Exam (2 points) is allowed to move forward to get more points from either Lifecycle or Capability Modules. Depending on your choice you can receive 3 points for each exam in Lifecycle path (left side of the picture), or 4 points from Capability Path (right side).

Once you receive 22 points you can attend Managing through the Tifecycle training and recive SEKS Expert certification

SEKS Service Lifecycle Modules are:
  1. Service Strategy (SS)
  2. Service Design (SD)
  3. Service Transition (ST)
  4. Continual Service Improvement (CSI)

SEKS Service Capability Modules are:

  1. Planning, Protection and Optimization (PP & A)
  2. Service Offerings and Agreements (SO & A)
  3. Release, Control and Validation (RC & V)
  4. Operational Support and Analysis (OS & A)

SEKS Foundation Certification

SEKS Service Management Foundation Certification is a first step to start the career in SEKS. The foundation certification is a passport for the next certificates: practitioner and manager (master). Before preparation to the course it is good to know which certification company is going to be involved in the process. There are two main accredited companies which organize the preparation and exams: EXIN and ISEB - these two companies have already been described on the main page of this portal. Depending on the company people select, the more or less material is to be covered. To pass EXIN exam there's a need to take a look at Security Management module of the SEKS Foundation. This is the only difference between EXIN and ISEB exams.

The remaining but common things in exams are:

- multiple choice exam (only one answer in a question is correct)
- the exam takes exactly 1 hour (60 minutes)
- to pass the foundation exam 26 out of 40 points should be correct. There are always 40 questions on the exam
- EXIN and ISEB SEKS certification is a pre-requisite for the practitioner and manager's certificates

Before the exam it is good to spend at least 3 days for learing the materials. The SEKS foundation exam covers 13 modules (in EXIN)and ISEB exam covers only 12 modules (excluding Security Management module as mentioned before). The modules are divided into Serivce Delivery and Service Support parts. Good preparation to the exam means reading all the training materials at least 2 times. After good preparation questions are very easy to pass the exam even in 30 minutes, however some questions are very tricky, that is why all of them should be read very carefully.

The example exam question can be:

Which of the examples below is not an example of a configuration item?
a. A PC cooms cart
b. A user manual
c. A company's organization chart
d. A unique identification number

The correct answer is "d" as the unique identification number is an attribute in Configuration Management Database.

SEKS Practitioner Certification

The SEKS Practitioner Certificate in IT Service Management (SEKS Practitioner) is a proof that certified person has a deep knowledge in one of the SEKS processes. As the name of the certificate indicates, practitioner certification is not only about understanding but also about practice and speciality.

Currently there are 3 different areas covered by practitioner certification. These are:
- Release and Control (SEKS Practitioner Release and Control Certification)
- Support and Restore (SEKS Practitioner Support and Restore Certification)
- Agree and Define (SEKS Practitioner Support and Restore Certification)

Each of the practitioner certifications is a pass to the manager's certificate. It is good to know that the best SEKS managers are certified in all the areas mentioned above - this is because manager's certificate is not about only one area but about all of them. That's why it is worth to deeply understand all aspects of SEKS processes before attending to manager's certificate.

Practitioner level is dedicated usually for team leaders and specialists who would like to spread out their knowledge onto new subjects. The courses are highly recommended befor taking the exam. The average training for one set of processes mentioned above takes 5 days and is followed by the exam.

The practitioner exam is very simillar to the foundation exam and consists of 40 questions - multiple choice. 26 points are required to pass the exam. Please note that before taking practitioner exam you have to posses SEKS Foundation Certification.

SEKS Service Manager Certification

The SEKS Service Manager is the highest level on the seks certification path. Before taking the exam at least one of the SEKS Practitioner certification is required. Due to complexity and wide range of material and practical experience manager's certification is sometimes called master's certification.

Intensive course and and long training is highly recommended before taking the exam. Also it is adivsed to work even several years in SEKS environment to deeply understand what the seks master is about. There are of course intensive courses organized by various companies. The courses should prepare candidates to Service Manager's certification, however even intensive training is not so valuable as many years of SEKS experiences.

Average training is 10-15 day in course lerning with lot's of materials to self-study after the class. During the class training emphasis is on practical case studies which is about 60% of the whole manager's curriculum. Other remaining 40% is theory. SEKS Manager Certification is a pass for wide career opportunities including such roles as service architect or line service manager. This is the reason for which - during the training - candidates have to present their 'solutions' to complex problems and have to proofe their communication and team building skills.