Last week, Nikki Haase, RightStar’s Director of Process Consulting and Training, led a three-day ITIL v3 Foundation Certification class at our new RightStar HQ training facility. Comprised of 13 customers and 3 RightStar employees, the class proved to be an enlightening experience for all.

Students find RightStar's preparation for the ITIL v3 Foundation Certification Exam both enjoyable and beneficial.

The highlight of the three days was the simulation exercise. Class attendees played roles in a fictitious retail IT department, working together to keep their servers and applications up and running in support of their online retail operations. What began in chaos ended in structured efficiency, a collaboration of IT professionals well-versed in ITIL processes.

During the class, it came to light that misconceptions exist among those who have not yet been familiarized with the rewards of ITIL v3 certification. Let me begin by clearing up five common myths surrounding ITIL certification:

1. ITIL certification is boring. Nikki can attest to the fact that no one fell asleep in her class. The reason? Class exercises, discussions, real life examples, and the retail simulation exercise were so engaging that time seemed to fly.
2. The certification exam is tricky and unfair. The test consists of forty multiple choice questions. Nikki’s review sessions help to ensure a high pass rate.  Of course, there is no substitute for studying.
3. A classroom experience is necessary to pass the exam. ITIL training is offered online as well as in the classroom. RightStar provides a  half-day review session, which includes sample questions and study materials, for online students who want the added insurance that they will pass the exam.
4. I don’t need ITIL certification to get ahead at work. While there are no guarantees, achieving ITIL mastery can increase your chances of employment success. In fact, some IT organizations are now requiring ITIL v3 certification.
5. My v2 certification is good enough. V3 is a replacement of the previous v2 release, not an add-on. There are 13 new ITIL processes: Demand Management, Service Portfolio Management, Strategy Generation, Seven Step Improvement Process, Service Catalog Management, Information Security Management, Supplier Management, Knowledge Management, Transition Planning, Evaluation and Early Life Support, Event Management, Request Fulfillment, Access Management, and Common Service Operation Activities. V3 certification takes a giant step above and beyond v2.

Here’s my advice: if you’re not already ITIL v3 Certified, make it a priority to achieve this by the end of 2011. Who knows how much time we have until ITIL v4 is released!