Itil Csi Sample Paper1 v6 1

ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle Stream:
CONTINUAL SERVICE IMPROVEMENT (CSI) CERTIFICATE
Sample Paper 1, version 6.1

Gradient Style, Complex Multiple Choice
QUESTION BOOKLET
Gradient Style Multiple Choice
90 minute paper
8 questions, Closed Book
Instructions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
All 8 questions should be attempted.

You should refer to the accompanying Scenario Booklet to answer each question.
All answers are to be marked on the answer grid provided.
You have 90 minutes to complete this paper.
You must achieve 28 or more out of a possible 40 marks (70%) to pass this
examination.
The Official ITIL Accreditor 2012. The Swirl logo is a trade mark of the Cabinet Office.
ITIL is a registered trade mark of the Cabinet Office. ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle CSISample1 QUESTION BOOKLET v6.1.
This document must not be reproduced without express permission from The Accreditor.
Page 1 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Owner The Official ITIL Accreditor
Question One
Refer to Scenario One
Which one of the following statements about the SWOT analysis BEST reveals its usefulness in
identifying the current gaps in the ability of IT to support the corporate objectives?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The SWOT analysis indicates that IT is committed to better integration with the business by
considering:
o The implementation of knowledge management
o Better monitoring and reporting tools
The training and coaching of staff which will go a long way towards business and IT
alignment.
The SWOT analysis does not reveal useful information in its current state as it was
conducted before a desired end-state for IT was defined and agreed
IT opportunities have been confused with IT strategies
The SWOT analysis should be repeated once the IT objectives have been aligned with the
new business strategy.
The SWOT analysis is not helpful because it does not describe an end-state for IT
There are no actions defined in the SWOT analysis
The SWOT analysis should be repeated in two months time once the business strategies
have been accepted.
The SWOT analysis indicates that, with significant investment in an integrated service
management and monitoring toolset, IT could address its weaknesses
The training and coaching of staff will go a long way towards business and IT alignment.
The Official ITIL Accreditor 2012. ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle CSISample1 QUESTION BOOKLET v6.1.
Page 2 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Question Two
Refer to Scenario One
Which one of the following sets of critical success factors will BEST demonstrate that the companys
management is committed to continual service improvement (CSI) and will help overcome the
weaknesses identified?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Appointing a CSI manager and having people dedicated to the improvement effort
Adopting the service lifecycle approach throughout IT
Visible management participation in the CSI launch
Establishing a CSI register to list all possible improvement opportunities
Defining clear criteria for the prioritization of improvement projects as listed in the CSI
register
Appropriate resource allocation for the CSI improvement projects throughout the service
lifecycle
Adapting service management processes to suit the IT vision
Embedding CSI into everyones job description
Prioritizing improvement initiatives and placing them appropriately within the service lifecycle
Demonstrating management commitment through ongoing, visible participation in CSI

activities
Providing sufficient and ongoing funding for CSI activities
Adopting the service lifecycle approach throughout IT
Page 3 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Question Three
Refer to Scenario Two
Which one of the following options gives the MOST suitable next steps for CSI activities?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Review the IT operations function
Audit the team for compliance against procedures to ascertain if the evidence of them not
performing routine operational activities on time is true. If it is, take actions to correct this
Review the component measurement activities of the technical and application management
functions to identify if the data can be used more widely
Discount the service quality information. As there is no accurate information on the service
delivery, the issues with the service are only the perception of the business
The lack of information needs to be rectified so there should be a concentrated effort to

identify and procure the appropriate monitoring tools to deliver accurate information
requirements
When the monitoring tools are in place, the resulting information can be analysed to identify
why the critical service is failing
Identify if the service actually meets business needs. It is highly likely that the reason the
business is unhappy with the service is that it does not meet their requirements as service
strategy is not effective
Looking into the deficiencies in the service lifecycle would be a good starting point for CSI to
find out what is wrong and to avoid a similar situation in any future services
By monitoring the outputs of the service lifecycle stages any issues can be identified and
improvements implemented
As the service is critical it should be selected as a good starting point for the implementation
of CSI activities to help gain credibility
Although accurate service information is not available, some evidence of what might be
causing the failure may be obtained by enlisting the assistance of problem management and
change management to look at incident and change trends
The technical and application teams may also be able to help by consolidating all of the
component information and using the CMS to identify which components are used to deliver
the service; it may then be possible to identify any unreliable components
Page 4 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Question Four
Refer to Scenario Three
Which one of the following options is the BEST approach for you, as the change manager, to make
improvements to the change management process in this organization?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The starting point is to understand the needs of the business and IT in relation to the change
management process. Gather stakeholder feedback on the process while gathering the
information
Carry out an unbiased snapshot of how the process is currently performing and show any
non-conformance
Understand and agree on the priorities for improvement, for example a gap analysis will
identify improvement opportunities which should be classified and prioritized for
implementation in a manageable timeframe
Detail the plan to achieve a more effective change management process. For example,
identify an acceptable rate of emergency change.
The starting point is to understand the needs of the business and IT in relation to the change
management process. You can also gauge the customers and ITs perception of the
process while gathering the information
Compare the information to the current process documentation and prioritize the differences
Understand and agree on the priorities to improve the change management process. For
example, looking at Table 1, people may not have the same understanding of the change
categorizations so include business impact and urgency to help set priority
Educate people on the reasons for compliance with the process and implement some quick
wins.
Apply the continual service improvement approach and understand Where are we now?
Prioritize improvements to the change management process. The level of emergency

changes needs to be reduced to 5% from its current position of 20% as these changes
increase the risk to the organization
Clearly define what constitutes an emergency change and publish it within the process
documentation
Once any improvements have been made, measure the level of emergency changes to see
if the objectives have been met. Once they have been met then further improvement can be
considered.
As you are new in the post, it would not be a good idea to rush immediately into
improvements
The level of emergency changes will settle, as it has been coming down over the last five
periods
The tool used to log changes has been built in-house and is probably not sufficient for a
change management process that will be aligned to ITIL best practice. Look for a
replacement so that you are working with quality data
Simply changing the tool will not guarantee its use, so talk with everyone to ensure that they
will record every change.
Page 5 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Question Five
Refer to Scenario Four
Which one of the following are the MOST suitable actions to avoid the issues identified?
A.
B.
C.
D.
In conjunction with the business, produce a reporting policy which will clarify the target
audiences, the report contents and reporting schedules, and ensure it is presented in an
understandable format
Content will include historical performance, exceptions, and estimates of future performance
Consideration should be given to:

o Inviting the process owner to future service review meetings in addition to the service
owner.
o Automating the reporting activities to reduce the people resource requirement
In conjunction with the business, produce a reporting policy to generate a service-focused

reporting framework. Individual reports can then be tailored to show adherence to the
relevant service levels
Content will include historical performance, exceptions, actions needed and estimates of
future performance

o The type of media used for the delivery of the reports, to ensure it is suitable for the
audience
o Ensuring the appropriate language is used to aid business understanding
In conjunction with the business, produce a reporting policy to generate a business-focused

reporting framework. Individual reports can then be tailored to meet the individual needs of
the different audiences
Content will include historical performance, exceptions, actions needed for rectification and
future avoidance of similar issues

o Moving the data processing activities to the functional areas which have the relevant
skills
o Introducing internal review meetings prior to the customer review meetings in order
to discuss the content of the reports and identify improvement opportunities
In conjunction with the business, produce a reporting policy which will clarify the target
audiences, the report contents and reporting schedules, and the technology, process and
service metrics to be reported
Content will include historical performance, future performance and what was done to rectify
any exceptions that occurred

o Adding detailed explanations to all of the IT terms used in the reports to avoid future
business misunderstanding
o Reviewing the availability management process to identify why availability levels
have been allowed to drop
Page 6 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Question Six
Refer to Scenario Five
You recognise that not all of the suggested ideas are appropriate. You understand that all of Kotters
eight steps are important but believe some steps should be emphasised in this situation.
Which one of the following options would be the BEST approach to take to address the situation
described in the scenario?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Use the Kotter Eight-step approach to transforming your organization

o Creating a sense of urgency can help motivate staff and convince the sceptics to
change
o Consolidating and institutionalizing the organizational change can assist in avoiding
regression and demonstrate success
Ensure the Deming cycle is a key tool utilized in the activities. The check and act stages of
the cycle will assist in ensuring quality is maintained

o Forming a guiding coalition will create a group with sufficient power to lead the
change initiative to success
o Implementing quick wins will show the sceptics that this initiative is not difficult and
therefore will succeed
Use the CSI Seven-step improvement process as the basis of implementing a quality
framework around the improvement initiative. This will ensure that improvements are
continually reviewed in order to meet business requirements

o Forming a guiding coalition will create a group with sufficient power to make the
sceptics change their mind
o Empowering others to act on the vision will boost the confidence of staff, including
the sceptics
Ensure suitable rewards are given to the staff members involved in these improvements.
This will ensure that other staff members can see the rewards for good work and will then
help maintain the level of quality

o Creating a vision will deliver a statement which should clarify direction and motivate
people
o Communicating the vision will create the necessary energy and commitment for the
success of the project
Working towards ISO/IEC 20000 accreditation will mean that the organization is moving
towards the required level of quality, and the regular audits that are required by this
accreditation will ensure regression does not take place
Page 7 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Question Seven
Refer to Scenario Six
Having reviewed the CSI register entry you decide to consult with some of the stakeholders to clarify
points and gather further information prior to deciding whether to accept the improvement request.
Which one of the following options is the BEST set of stakeholders to consult?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The originator - to discuss:

o The KPI and justifications are not business-focused
o The service desk manager is not the correct person to be assigned the action
Problem process owner to ask them to own the improvement
Incident process manager to discuss issues with the incident management process so that
incidents can be escalated without service level breaches

o The KPI and justifications are not business-focused
o The service desk manager is not the correct person to be assigned the action
Service owner to obtain more evidence and find out why this issue has not been identified
at service review meetings
Problem process manager to discuss the relevance of raising a further improvement. If KE

information is poor then the problem process may need improvement

o A large-sized improvement with a short timescale is more likely to be an urgent
priority than a high
o Allocate the incident process manager as the person to action the request instead of
the service desk manager
Service level manager to ensure the targets in the SLA referring to incident resolution are
fit for purpose
Availability management process owner - to consider why the service is failing so often
The originator to:

o Point out that the KPI is not a KPI but a metric
o Identify the baseline from which we wish to improve
Head of application support - to ask why analysts are being allowed to raise improvements
Service desk manager to identify if there are sufficient resources available to complete the
improvement within requested timescales
Page 8 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Question Eight
Refer to Scenario Seven
Which of the following options BEST aligns the correct roles with the responsibilities?
A.
Responsibility
Service
owner
Process
manager
1
3
Process
owner
CSI
manager
7
8
B.
Responsibility
Service
owner
Process
manager
Process
owner
3
5
7
9
CSI
manager
Question continues overleaf
Page 9 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)
Question continued
C.
Responsibility
2
3
Service
owner
Process
manager
Process
owner
CSI
manager
1
8
9
D.
Responsibility
2
3
Service
owner
Process
manager
Process
owner
4
6
8
9
CSI
manager
Page 10 of 10
Version 6.1 (Live)


SCENARIO BOOKLET
This booklet contains the scenarios upon which the 8 examination questions will be based. All
questions are contained within the Question Booklet and each question will clearly state the scenario
to which the question relates. In order to answer each of the 8 questions, you will need to read the
related scenario carefully.
On the basis of the information provided in the scenario, you will be required to select which of the
four answer options provided (A, B, C or D) you believe to be the optimum answer. You may choose
ONE answer only, and the Gradient Scoring system works as follows:
If you select the CORRECT answer, you will be awarded 5 marks for the question
If you select the SECOND BEST answer, you will be awarded 3 marks for the question
If you select the THIRD BEST answer, you will be awarded 1 mark for the question
If you select the DISTRACTER (the incorrect answer), you will receive no marks for the
question.
In order to pass this examination, you must achieve a total of 28 marks or more out of a maximum of
40 marks (70%).
ITIL is a registered trade mark of the Cabinet Office. ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle CSISample1 SCENARIO BOOKLET v6.1.
Page 1 of 8
Version 6.1 (Live)
Scenario One
A medium-sized company specializing in educational products was started seven years ago and has
a great reputation. The company is now looking for further expansion.
The company currently has one manufacturing plant which employs 200 people and which has
recently experienced difficulty keeping production in line with demand. The company now aims to
expand both locally and abroad, and so has recently announced the following business strategies:
Streamline business operations to reduce the bottlenecks impeding the launch of new
products
Concentrate on increasing the market share of key products by eliminating the manufacturing
of products that are not selling well
Improve production capacity and capabilities by moving to new production sites in different
territories.
The chief information officer (CIO) is now considering the IT departments strategic response to these
requirements. One consideration is to increase the awareness and acceptance of a continual service
improvement (CSI) approach among IT staff. The CIO believes that the CSI programme will lead to
closer integration between IT and the business. You have recently taken over as the CSI manager
and have been given the task of considering the goals and objectives for CSI.
You have been given the results of a SWOT analysis that was conducted by IT staff a few months
before the business strategies were agreed and published, and before your appointment.
The results of the SWOT analysis are shown below:
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
IT management demonstrates
commitment to CSI
The IT department is predominantly

reactive in its CSI initiatives
A CSI manager is in place
People in the company have the right

attitude, values and commitment
The IT department has somewhat

stagnant processes which have not been
reviewed for improvement for some time
IT processes are based on ITIL and at

maturity level three
A lack of monitoring and reporting tools

means that service management data is
insufficient to provide insight into CSI
opportunities
The ITIL processes are poorly integrated
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Invest in an integrated IT service

management tool to remove IT
bottlenecks
Competition is already in existence
New regulatory requirements will require

additional effort
Implement a new reporting mechanism

and tools for knowledge management in
order to streamline IT operations
New technology resulting from business

expansion plans will need to be
supported
Institute knowledge transfer and

coaching for staff to make them more
productive
Lack of trained staff creates bottlenecks

in support activities
Lack of use of formal knowledge

management
The Official ITIL Accreditor 2012. ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle CSISample1 SCENARIO BOOKLET v6.1.
Page 2 of 8
Version 6.1 (Live)
Scenario Two
During an internal review meeting the service owner of a critical service reported that the business
regularly complains at service review meetings about the deterioration in the quality of the service.
Within the IT organization service management is at a mixed level of maturity. The change, incident,
problem, service asset and configuration, and supplier management processes are between maturity
levels three and four. The remaining processes are generally between maturity levels two and three,
with availability management only at level two.
Evidence shows that most elements of the service lifecycle are in place but are not formally
recognized. The most obvious missing element is the lack of strategic thinking taking place from a
service perspective.
Service reporting is carried out but, owing to of the immaturity of some parts of the process, the
results are not considered accurate. Component measurement is carried out by the technical and
application teams but the results are only used within their own teams. There is also evidence that IT
operations is not carrying out routine maintenance tasks on time.
You are the newly appointed CSI manager and, as yet, little has been done on the introduction of CSI
into the organization. You have a policy which has been signed off by senior management, a vision
statement that you are communicating, and you are now starting to formulate a plan of action. You
want your plan to include some quick wins to show the effectiveness of CSI and win over some
sceptics from IT and the business.
Page 3 of 8
Version 6.1 (Live)
Scenario Three
You have just started a new job as a change manager. You are committed to ensuring that the
change management process is aligned to the business needs of your company. Initial investigations
show that the only documentation available within the company is a change management process
flowchart showing how the process is currently carried out. Currently, no reports on process
performance are produced.
Changes are logged into a tool that has been designed and implemented in-house. Although the
database structure is sound and the information is useful, you suspect that more changes are made
than are actually recorded.
You extract some data for analysis that raises some concerns about emergency changes (see table 1
below).
Your initial observation is that there are a high percentage of emergency changes compared with
what you have experienced in other companies. Emergency changes are, by their nature, risky and
error-prone.
Table 1 Extract from the change management database
Change Priority:
Low
Medium
High
Emergency
Total
Emergency %
Period_1
11
25
25
21
82
25.69
Period_2
15
34
24
23
96
23.95
Period_3
39
28
18
94
19.14
Period_4
12
33
21
17
83
20.48
Period_5
16
27
19
71
12.67
You believe that improving the change management process is important in order to address the
concerns you have after reviewing this information.
Page 4 of 8
Version 6.1 (Live)
Scenario Four
Your companys IT organization is proud of their achievements in delivering IT services. A single
report covering all services is issued regularly but, despite this, the business customers are not fully
aware of what is achieved.
Regular service reviews are carried out with the customers, however these meetings are becoming
more and more confrontational. At a recent meeting one of the internal customers was very annoyed
at results published in the service level agreement (SLA) report that showed availability levels had
dropped from an average of 99% to an actual 98% for this period. The SLA target for availability is
98% and the report showed a change from green to amber on the SLA monitoring report. The
customer demanded to know what this actually means and what action the IT organization will to take
to resolve the issue. Unfortunately the service owner was not prepared for the question and did not
provide an adequate answer.
The customer took his complaint to the chief information officer (CIO) and asked for action to be
taken. During the meeting the customer suggested that the current report, though comprehensive, is
difficult to understand. This opinion is shared by other internal customers who receive the same
report.
Within the IT organization there is enough suitable data to generate the report but the activity is very
resource-intensive. The generation of the report is undertaken within the service level management
(SLM) team where there is little capacity to take on more work due to the high level of data processing
activities undertaken.
Page 5 of 8
Version 6.1 (Live)
Scenario Five
A major overhaul of the problem management process of a multi-national company is about to take
place. A series of workshops is planned to identify a suitable solution. Currently there are several
problem groups working in different company regions all with differing levels of success. The
process overhaul will create a large amount of organizational change.
In the past similar initiatives have been successful in delivering the required improvements but
subsequently the old ways of working have returned and the level of quality has regressed. This has
caused concern for both the business and IT management, and a sceptical outlook on future
improvements from most of the IT staff. Recent attempts at arranging meetings have met with
resistance, resulting in staff not accepting meeting invitations or not turning up when required.
As the problem manager and process owner you wish to avoid this situation and are looking for ideas
and techniques that will help. Your first meeting was with the CSI manager who gave you some ideas
derived from the ITIL best practice guidance. These include;
Kotters Eight-step approach to transforming your organization

The Deming cycle
The seven-step improvement process
ISO/IEC 20000 accreditation
Reward schemes.
Page 6 of 8
Version 6.1 (Live)
Scenario Six
As CSI manager you are reviewing and prioritizing new entries in the CSI register. The next entry to
be considered is shown below:
Opportunity number:
Date raised:
Size:
Timescale:
Description:
Priority
KPI
Justification
Raised by
To be actioned by
Date required by
21
<todays date>
Large
Short
A high number of service level breaches have occurred on the email
service because incidents have not been resolved within agreed
timescales. Investigation has shown that the information in the known
error database is of poor quality and unusable. This means that all email
incidents are currently escalated to second line as they cannot be
resolved at first line by the service desk.
High
75% decrease in email incidents escalated to second line
Increase in cost of resolving incidents because second line resource is
more expensive than first line
Application support analyst
Service desk manager
<one week from today>
Page 7 of 8
Version 6.1 (Live)
Scenario Seven
As the CSI manager for an organization you have been asked to deliver an awareness campaign to
describe clearly who should do what from a CSI and related activities perspective. This initiative has
been started owing to organizational changes that have been made to align the IT department with
good practice guidelines as described in the ITIL framework.
Your initial session is to a group of service owners, process owners and process managers who want
to know what they may be accountable and responsible for, and what other interactions they may
have with CSI. They are also interested in your role and where your accountabilities lie in order to try
to avoid the duplication of effort that has occurred frequently in the past.
The group has given you the following list:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Managing resources assigned to the process.

Identifying improvement opportunities for inclusion in the CSI register.
Reviewing and prioritizing improvement opportunities.
Building an improvement plan.
Reviewing the analysed data.
Monitoring and reporting on process performance.
Producing trends and providing feedback on trends.
Making improvements to processes and process implementation.
Ensuring the process is fit for purpose.
Page 8 of 8
Version 6.1 (Live)


ANSWERS AND RATIONALES
ITIL is a registered trade mark of the Cabinet Office. ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle CSISample1 ANSWERSandRATIONALES v6.1.
Page 1 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
Answer Key:
Question
Correct:
5 Marks
2nd Best:
3 Marks
3rd Best:
1 Mark
Distracter:
0 Marks
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Scenario
One
The Official ITIL Accreditor 2012. ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle CSISample1 ANSWERSandRATIONALES v6.1.
Page 2 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
QUESTION
One
Question Rationale
SWOT analysis is an important tool used in CSI. It is important for someone involved
in CSI to ensure that the corporate goals are kept in mind at all times. The question
looks at the results of a SWOT analysis that was carried out before the business
strategy was set and asks about its usefulness.
A SWOT analysis is a technique that can be used to help an organization set its
strategy. By assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, an
organization can decide what strategies and tactics should be adopted to further their
business objectives and address the factors identified by the SWOT analysis. It is
important that the overall objectives of the organization are set first so that the SWOT
is appropriately focused. In this case the correct sequence is:
1. Set the business objectives and strategy
2. IT department aligns IT objectives with the business objectives
3. IT department performs a SWOT of IT service provision
4. IT department sets the IT service strategy
The answer requires the candidate to have knowledge of what each of the elements
of a SWOT analysis is looking at (see section 5.5.9.2) and also the common pitfalls
of carrying out a SWOT analysis (see section 5.5.9.4).
B
This is the correct answer. The SWOT analysis contains errors. It was also
conducted before the recent strategy was set.
Bullet 1 Correct. The SWOT analysis was conducted before the business
strategy was set and hence before the IT objectives were aligned with the
business strategy. This goes against the principle of knowing the required end
state before you carry out the SWOT analysis.
Bullet 2 Correct. The opportunities box in the SWOT analysis contains
strategic activities - this is incorrect. It should contain statements of external
factors that could be exploited by IT as opportunities.
Bullet 3 Correct. The next step would be to repeat the SWOT analysis after
the IT objectives have been aligned with the new business strategy.
This answer is partially correct.
C
Bullet 1 Partially correct. The SWOT is not useful in its current state.
However this is not because it does not describe an end-state for IT, but
because it was performed before that end-state was identified.
Bullet 2 Partially correct. A SWOT analysis provides information about the
current situation; it should not include actions or activities. The actions are
usually defined after the SWOT is performed. The answer statement is true,
however it would be incorrect to expect to find actions defined in the SWOT
analysis.
Bullet 3 Partially correct. The SWOT should be repeated but there is no
reason to wait for two months.
D
This is only marginally correct. It misses the point of the limited usefulness of
an SWOT analysis. Investing in IT technology at this time will only be a
temporary solution that may address some weaknesses but will certainly not
support the corporate objectives in the end.
A
This answer is incorrect. It misses the point of the limited usefulness of a
SWOT analysis. Also, with the exception of the CIO, there are no indications
that IT is committed to better integration with the business. Their opportunities
are all IT wishes and reflect the fact that they have a reactive and tool-focused
mentality.
ITIL SL: CSI04 Continual service improvement methods and techniques
MOST CORRECT (5)
SECOND BEST (3)
THIRD BEST (1)
DISTRACTER (0)
Syllabus
Unit
/
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy
Testing Level
Scenario
One
Level 4 Analysis - The ability to use the practices and concepts in a situation or
unprompted use of an abstraction. Can apply what is learned in the classroom in
workplace situations. Can separate concepts into component parts to understand
structure and can distinguish between facts and inferences.
Application This question requires the delegate to compare the results of the
SWOT analysis against corporate objectives and come up with a gap analysis. The
candidate will be able to describe the importance of properly defining metrics and
Page 3 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
Subjects covered
Book Section Refs
Difficulty
measurements, demonstrate setting targets, and describe, use and interpret metrics,
scorecards and reports, including balanced scorecard and SWOT analysis.
Categories Covered:
Metrics SWOT analysis.
CSI 5.5.9 Continual service improvement methods and techniques Metrics
SWOT analysis
Easy
Page 4 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
QUESTION
Two
Question Rationale
Critical success factors need to be selected for the goals identified. This question
tests the understanding of appropriate grouping of CSFs around management
commitment.
Bullet 1 Correct. Stagnant processes and a reactive approach to CSI
D
suggest that commitment to CSI is not at the level it should be. It may have
had some commitment in the past but this does not seem to be ongoing
Bullet 2 Correct. The lack of monitoring and reporting tools will limit the
maturity of CSI. Funding needs to be gained to rectify these issues and hence
allow better identification of CSI opportunities. This will also help introduce
more proactive CSI.
Bullet 3 Correct. Adopting the service lifecycle approach will definitely help to
integrate the processes and may also assist in increasing maturity where one
process may be holding back the maturity of another
Bullet 1 - Incorrect. The CSI manager is already in place.
A
Bullet 2 - Correct. See bullet 3 explanation above.
Bullet 3 - Partially correct. This would only demonstrate an initial commitment
to CSI: for sustainability there would need to be an indication of visible,
ongoing management participation.
Bullet 1 - Incorrect. A CSI register is very important for helping to log, prioritize
B
and track improvement initiatives. However it is not critical to the success of
CSI.
Bullet 2 - Correct. This is a CSI critical success factor but management
commitment is a more important CSF
Bullet 3 - Incorrect. This statement treats CSI more like a project, rather than a
long term commitment
This answer is weak as it is too internally-focused and does not show longC
term commitment.
Bullet 1 - Incorrect. Adapting ITSM processes to suit the IT vision is not a CSF.
It is also too internally-focused.
Bullet 2 - Incorrect. Making CSI part of everyones job description is not a
critical success factor. CSI needs dedicated people, not a piece of everybody.
Bullet 3 - Incorrect. This does not reflect management commitment and is not
a true CSF of CSI.
ITIL SL: CSI08 Challenges, critical success factors and risks
MOST CORRECT (5)
SECOND BEST (3)
THIRD BEST (1)
DISTRACTER (0)
Syllabus
Unit
/
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy
Testing Level
Subjects covered
Book Section Refs
Difficulty
Scenario
One
Level 3 Applying Use ideas, principles and theories in new, particular and concrete
situations. Behavioural tasks at this level involve both knowing and comprehension
and might include choosing appropriate procedures, applying principles, using an
approach or identifying the selection of options.
Application Although the inspiration for this question is the list of CSFs found in
section 9.2 in the CSI book, the delegate does not have to remember the list from
memory to be able to answer this question. The question can be answered by
looking at the facts presented in the scenario and logically selecting the appropriate
answer.
Categories Covered:
Critical success factors for continual service improvement
CSI 9.2 Challenges, risks and critical success factors Critical success factors
Easy
Page 5 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
QUESTION
Three
Question Rationale
This question is primarily based on implementing CSI and follows the information
given in section 8.1, critical considerations and 8.2, Where do I start?
The question also requires the delegate to have a working knowledge of process
maturity levels in order that they only rely on information from suitably mature
processes.
The three approaches to implementing CSI (service, lifecycle, and functional group)
are provided in the answer and the delegate has to work out which one is most
suitable in this case.
Service approach
D
The service is critical so this should be a major pointer for immediate
action to be taken
Using the problem and change processes is a good idea as they are at an
acceptable level of maturity and will have good information that can be
relied upon
The technical teams also have information that will be useful. It is only
used internally at the moment but a mature CMS can assist in identifying
which components are used in which service and help identify any issues
in the components used to deliver this service.
Functional approach
A
IT operations will increase the risk of poor service delivery by not following
procedures. It is something that needs to be investigated and may produce
some quick wins in terms of service improvement. However, there may
also be no impact on the service in question
It is certainly one of the first things that should be carried out but not
before the actions noted in the previous answer.
Lifecycle approach
C
It is unlikely that the lack of strategic thinking is causing the issues in the
service. The service quality is deteriorating; if requirements were not being
met then satisfaction would never have been high
This is also a longer-term activity and not therefore a suitable starting point
where quick wins are required.
Non-specific approach
B
It is not acceptable to suggest that the issue is discounted until further
information is available. There is reliable information around and this
should be used
Again the service seems to be deteriorating and the delay this answer will
cause to investigation will be unacceptable to the business, as it is a
critical service
There is no evidence in the scenario that tools are the issue with the
accuracy of the information available; it may be due to the lack of mature
processes, especially availability management. This needs to be further
investigated before tools are considered.
ITIL SL: CSI07 Implementing continual service improvement
ITIL SL: CSI04 How problem management supports the activities of CSI
MOST CORRECT (5)
SECOND BEST (3)
THIRD BEST (1)
DISTRACTER (0)
Syllabus
Unit
/
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy
Testing Level
Scenario
Two
Subjects covered
Analysis This question requires the delegate to analyse the information in the case
study and make a decision on the best way forward based on this analysis.
Categories Covered:
Implementing continual service improvement
How other processes support CSI
Page 6 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
Book Section Refs

Difficulty
CSI 8.1 Critical considerations for implementing CSI

CSI 8.2 Implementing continual service improvement Where do I start
Moderate
Page 7 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
QUESTION
Four
Question Rationale
The question is looking for a logical and sensible approach to using the continual
service improvement (CSI) approach. Candidates will need to know the order of the
model and what each stage is for.
In the rationale the step numbers of the approach are used to shorten the text. The
steps have been numbered as follows:
Step 1 What is the vision?
Step 2 Where are we now?
Step 3 Where do we want to be?
Step 4 How do we get there?
Step 5 Did we get there?
Step 6 How do we keep the momentum going?
Bullet 1 Steps 1 and 2. The first sentence is about aligning the process to the
A
business needs and helps to set a vision of what the future position should be
step1. The second sentence collects data on the customers perception and
hence feeds step 2.
Bullet 2 Step 2. The unbiased snapshot will also be useful information for
step 2.
Bullet 3 Step 3 A gap analysis will detail what should be done and can then
be prioritized for implementation in a manageable timeframe.
Bullet 4 Step 4. Detailing the plan involves actionable elements to improve
the process. The example is to set a target for emergency changes. The
example provided is based on the change managers experience which
suggests that the current levels are too high.
Bullet 1 as bullet 1 above.
B
Bullet 2 Step 2. In the scenario it states that the only documentation is the
process flowchart. You also have suspicions that some changes are not being
recorded. The information gained would not be a true reflection of the current
position.
Bullet 3 Step 3. If perceptions differ then some people may be incorrectly
prioritizing changes as emergency when, in reality, they are not. However this
option misses the detail of agreeing on whats to be done in a manageable
time frame, as in option A.
Bullet 4 Step 4. Perhaps a fair action that needs to be carried out in order to
get to where we want to be. However, step 4 is about detailing a plan based on
what is understood and agreed and this does not necessarily take many of the
other steps into consideration.
Bullet 1 Step 2. Incorrect as a first step as it misses out any consideration of
C
forming a vision to work to.
Bullet 2 Step 3. Makes an assumption that the target for emergency changes
should be below 5% of the total changes. There is no evidence to support this.
Bullet 3 Step 4. There may be changes that are incorrectly prioritized as staff
may not understand the rules about the types of changes that can be deemed
emergency. It may also be that no rules have been set. Either way the detail
plan needs to be based on whats understood and agreed in step three, which
hasnt been made clear here.
Bullet 4 Steps 5 and 6. Correct, it is a good idea to see that improvements
have had the desired impact and then look to see how to improve further.
Bullet 1 Incorrect. If evidence of the need for improvement can be identified
D
and the improvement justified and approved there is no reason to wait before
proceeding.
Bullet 2 Incorrect. There is a downward trend over the periods shown but it
cannot be assumed that this will continue. This is especially true of the last
drop as it is significant and may not be a true reflection of the trend.
Bullet 3 Incorrect. Implementation of technology/tools before a process is in
a suitable condition and the requirements are known is not the recommended
approach.
Bullet 4 Partially correct. Awareness of the issues related to unrecorded
changes being implemented needs to be made, however this should be a
formal campaign rather than just talking to people.
MOST CORRECT (5)
SECOND BEST (3)
THIRD BEST (1)
DISTRACTER (0)
Scenario
Three
Page 8 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
Syllabus
Unit
/
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy
Testing Level
Subjects covered
Book Section Refs
Difficulty
ITIL SL: CSI01 Introduction to continual service improvement

Level 2 Comprehending - Understand or grasp the meaning of what is being
communicated and make use of the idea. Tasks include illustrating, inferring,
summarizing and interpreting.
This question requires the delegate to use their knowledge of the CSI approach and
explain the correct approach.
Categories Covered:
CSI approach
CSI 3.1 Continual service improvement principles CSI approach
Moderate
Page 9 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
QUESTION
Five
Scenario
Four
Question Rationale
This question is based on the need for suitable and targeted reporting for both IT and
the customers. It is based around the need for reporting policies but also checks
understanding of:
Role of the service / process owner
The value of internal review meetings
Data analysis not enough information is given to assume there is an
availability issue
Processing data fits better with technical and process teams functions rather
than in the SLM team
Within the scenario there are several issues that can be identified:
Business does not understand the report produced
There is only one report for all audiences
Service owner does not seem suitably prepared for the meeting
Data processing is all in the SLM team
Little or no spare capacity in the SLM team
MOST CORRECT (5)
SECOND BEST (3)
THIRD BEST (1)
DISTRACTER (0)
Syllabus
Unit
Module supported
Availability is within targets and, although the drop should be investigated by

availability management to avoid breaching the target, it looks like this is more of an
excuse to get the reporting situation resolved.
This answer proposes a policy that allows individual reports to be created for
C
each customer if required.
Bullet 1 - The reporting policy is correctly business-focused and will help
ensure that reports are aligned to individual customer needs.
Bullet 2 - The contents of the reports will include historical information and will
provide the customer with details of any actions that will be taken to improve
service quality.
Bullet 3 - This answer recognizes that the IT areas with the skills for data
processing are not the ones currently carrying it out. The final point suggests
that the service owners lack of preparedness could be improved by
introducing internal review meetings.
This answer proposes a policy that allows individual reports to be created for
B
each customer if required, but it is flawed in other areas.
Bullet 1 - Partially correct. This answer suggests that the reporting policy
should be service-focused rather than business-focused.
Bullet 2 - Partially correct. The future view given in the answer is towards
estimating future service performance rather than looking at avoidance of
issues, though it does include the tracking of actions needed.
Bullet 3 - Correct. These are both acceptable considerations.
Bullet 1 - Incorrect. Suggests that the policy will retain the single report
A
approach instead of producing reports tailored to individual business area
need.
Bullet 2 - Incorrect. The future view given in the answer is towards estimating
future service performance rather than looking at avoidance of issues.
Bullet 3 - Partially correct. The process owner should not be invited to service
review meetings. The service owner is the right person but obviously was not
fully conversant with the content of the report (Incorrect). Automation would be
advantageous to relieve some of the manual activity (Correct).
Bullet 1 - Incorrect. Suggests that the policy will retain the single report
D
approach instead of producing reports tailored to individual business area
need. Further, it is very unusual to include technology metrics in a businessfocused report and it is not recommended.
Bullet 2 - Incorrect. The future view given in the answer is towards estimating
future service performance rather than looking at avoidance of issues.
Bullet 3 - Incorrect. IT terms should not be used in a business-focused report.
There is insufficient evidence to suggest that the availability management
process is ineffective.
ITIL SL: CSI04 Continual service improvement methods and techniques
Page 10 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
Blooms Taxonomy
Testing Level
Level 4 Analysis The ability to use the practices and concepts in a situation or
Subjects covered
Book Section Refs
Difficulty
Application This question requires the delegate to use their knowledge of reporting
policies, and to process and analyse the situation in order to make a
recommendation for action based on the details of the case study.
Categories Covered:
Reporting policies
Roles associated with CSI and their responsibilities
CSI 5.7 Continual service improvement methods and techniques Service
reporting
CSI 5.7.1 Continual service improvement methods and techniques Service
reporting Reporting policy and rules
Hard
Page 11 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
QUESTION
Six
Scenario
Five
Question Rationale
This question looks at a situation where organizational change has failed in the past.
It focuses on the use of Kotters eight steps to avoid the situation in the future and is
testing an understanding of each of the steps.
It also refers to other techniques to support the organizational change and requires
knowledge of the following to be considered to determine if they can supplement
Kotter in this situation:
The Deming cycle
ISO/IEC20000
The CSI seven-step improvement process
MOST CORRECT (5)
The issues in the case study are:

Falling back into old ways of working
Sceptical view on future initiatives from business and IT
Lack of motivation of staff
Three of Kotters eight steps are mentioned in this answer.
A
Creating a sense of urgency will motivate people and demonstrate that the
old ways of working are no longer acceptable
Consolidating and institutionalizing the change will mean that the old ways
of working are no longer acceptable
The first will help win over the sceptics; the remainder should avoid regression
and may also help with the sceptics.
The Deming cycle is a very useful tool in this type of situation as the check and
act stages can assist in monitoring and measure the process against policies
and objectives, reporting results and taking actions to maintain quality.
SECOND BEST (3)
THIRD BEST (1)
DISTRACTER (0)
Two of Kotters eight steps are mentioned in this answer, however the answer
is not as strong as A.
Forming the guiding coalition will be necessary; you as the problem
manager will not be able to achieve success on your own. The coalition
will be a powerful tool to help overcome resistance but not as powerful as
the tools described in answer A.
Implementing quick wins is a good way to convince some of the sceptics
of the benefits, however it is not as comprehensive as institutionalizing the
change described in A. This is unlikely to address the issue of staff falling
back to their old ways.
The CSI seven-step process will be a useful tool in this situation due to its
overlap with the Deming model. However, given the choice of the seven-step
process and the Deming cycle, it is the Deming cycle that provides an overall
approach, whereas the seven-step process is designed around the Deming
cycle and is more focused on measurement.
Two of Kotters eight steps are mentioned in this answer but one will not
directly address the issues described in the scenario.
Forming the guiding coalition will be necessary; you as the problem
manager will not be able to achieve success on your own. The coalition
will be a powerful tool to help overcome resistance but not as powerful as
the tools described in answer A.
The statement on empowerment is not true. It may have no effect on the
sceptics until they understand exactly why the improvement is necessary.
Giving rewards can create the opposite results to what was expected. By
rewarding staff they may feel the objectives have been achieved and that can
be a trigger for regression. Further, in an organization that has a poor culture,
rewarding some staff can de-motivate others.
Two of Kotters eight steps are mentioned in this answer but neither will
directly address the issues described in the scenario. Creating a vision will
clarify direction and motivate people but may not be enough to motivate
Page 12 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
Syllabus
Unit
/
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy
Testing Level
the sceptics.
Communicating the vision will motivate people who have bought into the
concept but again may have little or no impact on the sceptics.
Working towards ISO/IEC 20000 is nonsensical in this case. Compared with

the issues in the organization, aiming to achieve an internal standard might
appear a remote target. ISO/IEC 20000 could be looked upon as a suitable
standard to work towards in some situations but this is wider than the scope of
the improvement in question. ISO/IEC 20000 requires all processes to be
within scope not just problem management. It is also a huge commitment to
avoid regression. ISO/IEC 20000 does not fix issues.
ITIL SL: CSI03 Continual service improvement principles
ITIL SL: CSI07 Implementing continual service improvement
Subjects covered
Book Section Refs
Difficulty
Application This question requires the delegate to have understood the use of
Kotters steps and the Deming cycle within CSI and to analyse the situation in order
to make a recommendation for action based on the details of the scenario.
Categories Covered:
Kotters Eight steps to transforming your organization
Deming cycle
ISO/IEC 20000
CSI 8.4 Implementing continual service improvement CSI and organizational
change
CSI 3.8 Continual service improvement principles The Deming cycle
Appendix A6 ISO/IEC 20000
Hard
Page 13 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
QUESTION
Seven
Question Rationale
This question is about information in a CSI register. It is a practical question involving

looking at entries to test if they are correct.
It does, however, require knowledge of other processes to test the validity of entries
and also of generic roles.
The points to discuss with the originator are valid. The ITIL guidance suggests
B
good business justifications are given for making improvements; the service
desk manager is not the right person to own this improvement, it should be
owned by problem management.
A key point for this answer being the best is that it looks to the service owner
to provide more evidence and find out why this has not been identified through
the normal route of service review meetings. Without this evidence it may turn
out that this improvement is the result of an internal IT dispute rather than a
genuine business need.
The problem manager gets involved because, if there is poor KE information, it
points to an issue that the entries in the KEDB are not being correctly policed,
which is another improvement that needs to be made.
The first part of this answer is the same as B above and correct.
A
The second part suggests passing ownership to problem management, which
is correct.
The third part suggests there may be a further improvement opportunity within
the incident process that can be recognized. Again this is a good point but is
not as good as the points raised in answer B because they are taking the
improvement on face value and not looking for more evidence.
The discussions with the originator are poor. The first is re-prioritizing the
C
improvement; as we have not been given the criteria for the different levels of
priority we cannot assume this is correct. The re-allocation of the improvement
is not correct. Incident management may be working correctly; it seems to be
the KEDB that is at fault.
The SLM element is questioning targets. It may be wise to review them as part
of any improvement but it is not necessary prior to acceptance.
The improvement is around the handling of the incidents not the availability of
the service so the third bullet is not relevant.
The KPI is actually a KPI. It is not business-focussed and therefore not a good
D
KPI.
The baseline statement is something that will be required but not this early in
the activity.
Anyone should be able to identify improvements, but this is not a relevant
question at this time. Organizations may, however, define clear procedures for
identifying, agreeing and submitting improvements in the same way they do
with changes.
Talking to the SDM at this point is accepting everything at face value and just
getting on with the improvement, which is not acceptable.
ITIL SL: CSI02 CSI principles
MOST CORRECT (5)
SECOND BEST (3)
THIRD BEST (1)
DISTRACTER (0)
Syllabus
Unit
/
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy
Testing Level
Subjects covered
Book Section Refs
Scenario
Six
unprompted use of an abstraction. Can apply what is learned in the classroom, in
Application This question requires the delegate to analyse a situation and make a
correct judgement on how to proceed. It relies on the consideration that the situation
is a little suspicious and further evidence would be required before proceeding.
Categories Covered:
How the CSI register supports the principles of CSI
How CSI is influenced by:
o Service level management
o Problem management
o Knowledge management (KEDB)
CSI 3.4 Continual service improvement principle - CSI register
Page 14 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
Difficulty
CSI Appendix B CSI register contents

Easy
Page 15 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
QUESTION
Eight
Scenario
Question Rationale
The question requires the candidates to know and understand the roles associated
with CSI.
Responsibility
1. Managing resources assigned
to the process.
2. Identifying improvement
opportunities for inclusion in the
CSI register.
3. Reviewing and prioritizing
improvement opportunities.
4. Building an improvement plan.
Seven
Service
owner
Process
manager
Process
owner
5. Reviewing analysed data.

6. Monitoring and reporting on
process performance.
7. Producing trends and
providing feedback on trends.
8. Making improvements to
processes and process
implementation.
9. Ensuring process is fit for
purpose.
CSI
manager
NOTE #7 Producing trends and providing feedback on trends in the responsibility of

the reporting analyst which is not part of the grid or scenario.
MOST CORRECT (5)
SECOND BEST (3)
THIRD BEST (1)
DISTRACTER (0)
This is the most correct answer as it correctly assigns the correct role to
each responsibility.
The errors on this matrix are as follows:
Managing resources assigned to the process is the responsibility of the
process manager; it has been incorrectly assigned to the process owner
Making improvements to processes and process implementation lies with
both the process manager and process owner. It is only partially correct as
it is assigned just to the process owner.
Incorrectly assigns the responsibility for producing and providing feedback
on trends to the process manager. This is a responsibility of a reporting
analyst, which is not included in the scenario or the matrix
Incorrectly assigns monitoring and reporting on process performance to
the process owner whereas this is a responsibility of the process manager
Managing resources assigned to the process is the responsibility of the
process manager; it has been incorrectly assigned to the process owner
Partially correct; making improvements to processes and process
implementation lies with both the process manager and process owner. It
is only partially correctly as it is assigned just to the process manager.
Incorrectly assigns managing resources assigned to the process to the
process owner; this is the responsibility of the process manager
Incorrectly assigns identifying improvement opportunities to the CSI
manager only; this is a shared responsibility across all roles listed
Incorrectly assigns monitoring and reporting on process performance to
the process owner; this is the responsibility of the process manager
Incorrectly assigns producing and analysing trends to the CSI manager;
this is the responsibility of a reporting analyst and is not included in the
scenario
Page 16 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)
Syllabus
Unit
/
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy
Testing Level
Subjects covered
Book Section Refs
Difficulty
Incorrectly assigns ensuring the process is fit for purpose to the service
owner as well as the process owner; this responsibility lies only with the
process owner.
ITIL SL: CSI05 Organizing for continual service improvement
Application The candidate must apply their knowledge of the roles associated with
CSI. This includes the generic roles of service owner, process owner and process
manager that are applicable across the whole lifecycle and those associated with CSI
(CSI manager and reporting analyst). The activities carried out by these roles need to
be translated into a RACI matrix as part of an organizational improvement initiative.
Categories Covered:
CSI and generic roles and responsibilities
CSI 6.3 Roles
Moderate
Page 17 of 17
Version 6.1 (Live)

Itil Csi Sample Paper1 v6 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Itil Csi Sample Paper1 v6 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle Stream:

CONTINUAL SERVICE IMPROVEMENT (CSI) CERTIFICATE

Sample Paper 1, version 6.1

All 8 questions should be attempted.

IT opportunities have been confused with IT strategies

There are no actions defined in the SWOT analysis

Adopting the service lifecycle approach throughout IT

Visible management participation in the CSI launch

Establishing a CSI register to list all possible improvement opportunities

Adapting service management processes to suit the IT vision

Embedding CSI into everyones job description

Demonstrating management commitment through ongoing, visible participation in CSI

Providing sufficient and ongoing funding for CSI activities

Adopting the service lifecycle approach throughout IT

Review the IT operations function

The lack of information needs to be rectified so there should be a concentrated effort to

Prioritize improvements to the change management process. The level of emergency

Consideration should be given to:

In conjunction with the business, produce a reporting policy to generate a service-focused

Consideration should be given to:

In conjunction with the business, produce a reporting policy to generate a business-focused

Consideration should be given to:

Consideration should be given to:

Use the Kotter Eight-step approach to transforming your organization

Use the Kotter Eight-step approach to transforming your organization

Use the Kotter Eight-step approach to transforming your organization

Use the Kotter Eight-step approach to transforming your organization

The originator - to discuss:

Problem process owner to ask them to own the improvement

The originator - to discuss:

Problem process manager to discuss the relevance of raising a further improvement. If KE

The originator - to discuss:

The originator to:

Question continues overleaf

ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle Stream:

Sample Paper 1, version 6.1

The IT department is predominantly

A CSI manager is in place

People in the company have the right

The IT department has somewhat

IT processes are based on ITIL and at

A lack of monitoring and reporting tools

The ITIL processes are poorly integrated

Invest in an integrated IT service

Competition is already in existence

New regulatory requirements will require

Implement a new reporting mechanism

New technology resulting from business

Institute knowledge transfer and

Lack of trained staff creates bottlenecks

Lack of use of formal knowledge

Kotters Eight-step approach to transforming your organization

Managing resources assigned to the process.

ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle Stream:

Sample Paper 1, version 6.1

ANSWERS AND RATIONALES

MOST CORRECT (5)

SECOND BEST (3)

THIRD BEST (1)

MOST CORRECT (5)

SECOND BEST (3)

THIRD BEST (1)

MOST CORRECT (5)

SECOND BEST (3)