The ITIL Foundation certification is really very similar to the PMP test -- only simpler. There are two generally recognized approaches to certification at the Foundational level.

• Find a training provider and go to a class. Some of these classes are two days of test prep and then you take the test. This is a fast way to get certified and requires little if any retention. Personally, I dislike any process that can hand you a certificate without requiring that you get involved in the process. No pain, no gain. But, a lot of companies just want wall paper and this is a way to mass produce certifications. If your employer offers this type of training then you might as well take advantage of it. Later, come back to the materials and learn at your leisure.
• My preferred approach is to spend some time and absorb the material. While the PMP test is often described as “an inch deep and a mile wide”, the ITIL Foundation test is about half an inch deep and 2 miles wide. If you want to learn the material, here's what I recommend:

I also have a set of materials on my web site. Look under "Operations" for the ITIL Foundation study lessons. Those presentations can give you a quick overview of all ten ITIL disciplines.

The test is very similar to the PMP test and offered through Prometrics, just like the PMP. The difference is that you just go to the Prometrics web site and sign yourself up. No application, no paperwork. Compared to the PMP test, this one is easier. And it only has 40 questions and the questions seemed easier to me than the PMP questions were.

And that is the ITIL Foundation Certificate. It is a useful certificate and it has value when you know the material.

Now, if you want the ITIL Service Manager certification that is different. Right now there are 180,000 PMPs and only about 5,500 ITIL-SMs. Hence, if you focus on the ITIL-SM -- you have a wide open job market. If you have the talent and dedication to do it, here is my advice on how to start:

• Pass the ITIL Foundation as it is a pre-requisite.
• Read both Best Practices books multiple times.
• Read everything I have on my web site regarding ITIL
• Memorize my brain dump sheets or, even better, build your own.
• Find a vendor. My favorite is www.itsmi.biz in San Diageo. Ian is an expert at this.
• Classes start at about $9,000 for a 2-week on site class. Class attendance is mandatory.
• The test consists of two hand written essay tests -- each of which is harder than the PMP.
• I suggest you ignore the pass rates you see posted on the training vendors web sties -- they are deceptive at best. While PMI wants 80% of the first time test takers to pass, my assessment on the ITIL-SM is that only about 25% pass on the first try and not many more than that ever pass. You really have to want it.

Recommended reading materials

Title	ISBN	Comments
Introduction to ITIL	0-11-330973-2	Easy to read overview
IT Service Management Pocket Guide	0-9524706-4-0	Pocket sized highlights.
A Dictionary of Service Management Terms, Acronyms and Abbreviations	0-9524706-6-7	Pocket sized glossary.
Best Practices for Service Support	0-11-330015-8	These two books are the official books that the certification exams are based on.
Best Practices for Service Delivery	0-11-330017-4