ITIL Service Operations Example Exam

ITIL® Intermediate Capability Stream:
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND ANALYSIS (OSA)

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. All 8 questions should be attempted.

2. You should refer to the accompanying Scenario Booklet to answer each question.
3. All answers are to be marked on the answer grid provided.
4. You have 90 minutes to complete this paper.
5. 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 Capability OSASample1 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 sets of metrics can BEST be used to determine the cause of poor support
levels and plan improvements?
A.
Metric Description of usage

• Percentage of changes responded to within To identify which requests take the longest to
the target time. handle, particularly TravelBook.
• Incident first-line support fix rate per IT To identify whether service desk agents have
service. appropriate technical knowledge.
• Breakdown of telephone calls by travel type, To identify which systems cause the most
e.g. flight, accommodation, package. problems.
To identify if user training is required for voicemail
• Number of voicemail messages received.
usage.
B.

• Volume of telephone calls per IT service, per To identify patterns in call volume, staff numbers
hour of the day, by day. and shift patterns.
• Average duration of telephone calls broken To indicate time spent on each call, possibly
down by IT service and service desk agent. indicating weak areas.
• Number of incidents logged by IT service, To identify trends by incident type and source of
type and by user department. call to establish issues with TravelBook.
• Incident first-line support fix rate per IT To identify whether service desk agents have
service. appropriate technical knowledge and information.
C.

• Number of telephone calls to the service
To indicate if target number of calls is achieved.
desk.
• Number of incidents closed. To indicate trends in call closure.
• Number of changes raised. To identify which requests take longest to handle.
• Number of telephone calls not answered. This may indicate errors in the telephone system.
Question continues overleaf
© The Official ITIL Accreditor 2012. ITIL Intermediate Capability OSASample1 QUESTION BOOKLET v6.1.
Page 2 of 11
Question continued
D.

• Percentage of telephone calls answered
This may indicate staff or shift pattern problems.
within target time.
• Percentage of changes responded to within To identify which requests take longest to
target time. handle, particularly TravelBook
• Number of TravelBook calls as a percentage To identify increases in TravelBook calls during
of all calls by day. deployment.
• Number of telephone calls received within
To identify if service desk hours are well-known,
service desk hours compared with calls
or if longer support hours are required.
received outside service desk hours.
Page 3 of 11
Question Two
Refer to Scenario Two

Which one of the following options is the BEST set of access management-related activities that must be
undertaken to accommodate the telecommuter programme?
A. • Create a service request model for use in authorizing or revoking telecommuter status
• Identify managers authorized to grant telecommuter access requests
• Identify any potential role conflicts and determine how they will be resolved
• Establish access monitoring and control to ensure rights are being properly used
• Work with incident management to resolve incidents caused by incorrect telecommuter access
settings
B. • Update the information security policy to include programme rules and regulations
• Add the telecommuter programme to the service catalogue and create service level agreements
• Create a user profile for each employee participating in the telecommuter pilot
• Use a request for change to grant pilot participants access to the TOffice application
• Ensure building security is notified immediately when a telecommuter’s employment is
terminated
C. • Create a service request model for use in authorizing or revoking telecommuter status
• Create a telecommuter group and reflect associated rights in the directory of services
• Establish access monitoring and control to ensure rights are being properly used
• Measure telecommuter access requests, instances of access granted, and related incidents
• Work with incident management to resolve incidents caused by incorrect telecommuter access
settings
D. • Create a service request model for use in authorizing or revoking telecommuter status
• Identify any potential role conflicts and determine how they will be resolved
• Use a request for change to grant pilot participants access to the TOffice application
• Use the directory of services to grant and manage TOffice access and rights
• Revoke access immediately when a telecommuter’s employment is terminated
Page 4 of 11
Question Three
Refer to Scenario Three

Which one of the following options BEST reflects how ITIL best practices and problem management can
be used to resolve this problem?
A. Log the problem and record the results of the brainstorming session in the description field.
Categorize the problem using the problem management coding system. Work with the desktop
support team to recreate the problem in the lab and establish all possible causes. Verify that only the
hard drive and memory failures recur, and conduct tests to determine whether the fan is the most
probable cause. Use the configuration management system (CMS) to identify all affected PCs and
initiate a project to proactively replace the fans. Raise a known error record with step-by-step
procedures on how to replace the fan.
B. Log the problem and cross-reference it to related incidents. Record all available details including the
results of the brainstorming session. Categorize the problem in the same way as the incidents. Raise
a known error record for information purposes. Use the CMS to understand fully how extensive the
problem is and assign an appropriate priority. Engage the desktop support team and proceed to
define and describe the problem, establish all possible causes, and begin testing the most probable
cause.
C. Record and publish the minutes of your meeting with the service desk team. As senior management
is involved, log a known error and, in it, direct the service desk to assign all desktop incidents a high
priority. Meet with the desktop support team and use a Pareto chart to determine the most likely
cause of the PC failures. Target the most likely cause first, formulate a plan aimed at proactively
repairing the sales team’s laptops, and record that plan in the known error database.
D. Log and categorize the problem and cross-reference it to all related incidents. Assign a high priority to
it. Raise a known error record that provides a diagnostic script for handling similar incidents. Work
with the desktop support group to define and describe the problem, including its identity, location,
time and scope. Use incident data to determine the specific model of PC which is failing and the
cause of those failures. Install that same model in the lab so the failure can be recreated without
affecting users, and begin testing the most probable cause.
Page 5 of 11
Question Four
Refer to Scenario Four

As the data centre manager, which one of the following options BEST describes your requirements of the
service desk software?
A. The service desk provides coverage for full business hours, so there are no specific data centre
requirements for the service desk tool capability. The only general ongoing requirement linked to the
service desk is the requirement to ensure that the tool permits the reporting and management of any
infrastructure incidents, as does the current tool today.
B. The service desk provides coverage for full business hours, so there are no specific data centre
requirements for the service desk tool capability. Although it would be good to have an automated link
to the new software, it is not essential. The only requirement is to ensure that the tool permits the
reporting and management of any infrastructure incidents, as does the current tool today.
C. The data centre’s main requirement from the service desk software is to be able to automate event
management; since often it will relate to ongoing incident management which the data centre is also
accountable for. Furthermore, as the data centre team takes the service desk calls after hours, it will
need to be able to support the same requirements as the service desk.
D. The data centre’s main requirement from the service desk software is to be able to automate the
operational processes and infrastructure management functions, enabling much-needed reductions in
personnel numbers to be made. Since data centre staff provide the service desk after-hours, these
savings could be made by offering personnel the chance to remain as second line support, thereby
keeping valuable years of experience.
Page 6 of 11
Question Five
Refer to Scenario Five

Which one of the following approaches is BEST for implementing a new tool that addresses the needs of
this organization?
A. • To gain buy-in, examine the existing commercially-developed system and determine if it can
support existing procedures enterprise-wide. Decide to either continue using it or prove that it
fails to satisfy the requirements of the new shared services unit
• Determine how many additional dedicated licences would be needed to use the existing system
and produce a budget for their procurement. Compare that with the cost of acquiring a new
system
• Launch an awareness campaign and encourage senior management to show visible support for
a common system
• Raise a request for change (RFC) and assess the impact of deploying a common system
enterprise wide
B. • Raise an RFC for the change and ensure all stakeholders are involved in assessing its impact
and in scheduling the change
• Examine existing procedures and update as needed to reflect ITIL best practices
• Create a statement of requirements for an integrated ITSM tool that enables the centralization of
key processes and interfaces with other tools (for example, the existing knowledgebase)
• Select the solution, determine how many dedicated licences will be needed to deploy the new
system enterprise-wide, and produce a budget for their procurement
C. • Establish a project. Raise an RFC for the new system and begin promoting awareness of the
project
• Use ITIL guidance to examine and formalize each process that the toolset will support and
establish a common way of working across all organizations
• Create a statement of requirements for an integrated ITSM toolset that enables the centralization
of key processes and interfaces with other tools (for example, the existing knowledgebase)
• Select the solution and create a licensing structure for the new system. Secure funding for its
procurement, upgrade, deployment and ongoing maintenance
D. • Raise an RFC and schedule the change for the forthcoming holiday weekend
• Create a statement of requirements for an integrated ITSM toolset which reflects all of the
mandatory requirements that the tool must satisfy along with the number of dedicated licences
required
• Conduct a capacity check to ensure existing laptops, desktops and the network can handle the
new system. Raise additional RFCs as needed
• Ask senior management to communicate the importance of the new system and encourage its
use
Page 7 of 11
Question Six
Refer to Scenario Six

You are an ITIL Expert hired to help with the improvement effort. Based on the issues identified in the
scenario which one of the following recommendations BEST addresses the improvement needs at this
point in time?
A. • Ensure that technical and application management staff are responsible for maintaining system
documentation
• Document escalation paths to ensure that failures detected by technical or application
management functions are escalated to IT operations in a timely manner for resolution
• Ensure that application management resources are involved in the design and correction of
application-related error messages
B. • Ensure that IT operations resources are actively involved in the definition of problem
classification and coding and in the validation and maintenance of the known error database
(KEDB)
• Ensure that IT operations is accountable for flaws in the design and testing of new IT services
• Ensure that IT operations monitors and manages specialized external vendors
C. • Restructure the IT organization’s technical resources based on their skill set in IT operations in
order to optimize resource utilization
• Ensure that technical and application management are involved in the design and support of IT
services
• Ensure that the technical and applications management functions design and deliver
documentation and user training in a timely manner
D. • Ensure that technical and application management staff are responsible for maintaining system
documentation
• Ensure that technical management resources are actively involved in the definition of problem
classification, coding, and in the validation and maintenance of the KEDB
• Ensure that IT operations delivers user training in a timely manner
Page 8 of 11
Question Seven
Refer to Scenario Seven

To ensure the process is followed correctly the service desk manager wants the list not only to be in the
correct sequence but also to have an accurate description for each of the steps.
Which of the following options gives the correct steps to service request fulfilment?
A. Authorization - No work should take place to fulfil any of the requests until they have been properly
authorized. Service requests that cannot be properly authorized should be closed and returned to the
requestor.
Review - Determine the proper function to fulfil the requests.
Execution - The appropriate request model should be chosen for each of the requests, based on the
type of request being fulfilled. The process steps and activities indicated in the model are then
executed by the function to fulfil the request.
Close - Service desk checks that the requests have been fulfilled and closes the requests.
B. Authorization – Fulfil the requests, as service requests are pre-authorized requests.
Execution – The pre-authorized, pre-determined model for service requests should be followed
while the function is fulfilling the requests, to ensure a consistent set of actions are always
undertaken and to minimize the risk of delays or failures.
Review - A review is carried out to determine what was done correctly, what was done incorrectly
and what can be done better in the future.
Close - Service Desk checks that the requests have been fulfilled and closes the requests.
C. Authorization – No work should take place to fulfil any of the requests until they have been properly
authorized. Service requests that cannot be properly authorized should be updated and returned to
the requestor.
Review - Determine the proper functions that will fulfil the requests.
Execution – The appropriate request model should be chosen for each of the requests, based on
the type of request being fulfilled. The process steps and activities indicated in the model are then
executed by the function to fulfil the request.
Close – Service desk checks that the requests have been fulfilled, and that the users are satisfied
and willing to agree that the requests can be closed.
Question continues overleaf
Page 9 of 11
Question continued
D. Authorization – Fulfil the requests, if the requestors are authorized to make the request. If not, the
requests should be updated as rejected and returned to the requestors.
Execution - The appropriate request model should be chosen for each request, based on the type of
requests being fulfilled. The process steps and activities indicated in the model are then executed by
the function to fulfil the request.
Review – Review the fulfilment to ensure the requests have been carried out correctly and the
proper procedures were followed.
Close - Service desk checks that the requests have been fulfilled and closes the requests.
Page 10 of 11
Question Eight
Refer to Scenario Eight

Which one of the following sequences of activities BEST describes what this organization should do in
support of the business goals?
A. • Centralize the service desk in the head office and train staff
• Implement a new service desk tool enabling incidents to be appropriately recorded
• Define the incident management process.
Although the emphasis is on the incident management process, it is essential that request fulfilment,
problem management, event management and change management are fully implemented at the
same time, as they all have significant interfaces into incident management.
B. • Centralize the service desk in the head office

• Assess the incident management processes of the three other companies
• Define a new incident management process based on ITIL.
Once the incident management process has been agreed, documented and approved, a service
management tool can be implemented and the staff trained to use the product. Integration with event
management, request fulfilment, service level management and problem management can then be
implemented so that the interfaces can be fully utilized.
C. • Implement a central service desk in the head office with local service desks at three other
locations, all utilizing the same tool
• Share information between the service desks via an integrated configuration management
system (CMS)
• Define the incident management process.
Once the incident management process has been documented and approved, a service
management tool can be implemented in all locations and the staff and customers trained to use the
product. It is intended that the tool will be used for several other processes. Full integration with
event management, request fulfilment, service level management and problem management should
be planned for even though these processes will not be implemented immediately.
D. • Centralize the service desk in the head office

• Assess the incident management processes and service desk functions of the three other
companies
• Revise the process based on ITIL and existing processes, tailoring it to fit the four separate
elements of the business.
Once the incident management process and service desk function have been agreed, documented
and approved, a service management tool can be selected and implemented and the staff and
customers trained to use the product. As the company plans on implementing the ITIL framework, full
process integration should be planned even though each of the processes will not be implemented
immediately.
Page 11 of 11

CERTIFICATE
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 Capability OSASample1 SCENARIO BOOKLET v6.1.
Page 1 of 9
Scenario One
A large travel agency has several locations delivering travel services which include flights,
accommodation, and special package deals. In addition to visiting the agency branch locations,
customers can book travel online or by telephone.
Both branch and call centre staff rely on IT services for booking flights and accommodation, and
printing tickets, itineraries and invoices. The head office deals with corporate and administrative
activities.
A year ago, in an attempt to improve IT services, the IT department introduced ITIL service
management processes and practices. Most of the service management processes have been in
place for six months and there have been some perceived improvements in the level of service.
During the last two months, however, some complaints have been received regarding poor levels of
service from the service desk. These include telephone calls not being answered quickly enough and
service desk agents taking too long to provide first-line support. The number of complaints seems to
increase whenever a new release of the main booking system, TravelBook, is deployed.
A major release of TravelBook is planned for next month. The service desk manager is working with
the release and deployment manager to improve the support from the service desk during this
deployment.
In order to plan this support, the release and deployment manager has suggested that the service
desk manager review reports of the relevant metrics used by the service desk.
© The Official ITIL Accreditor 2012. ITIL Intermediate Capability OSASample1 SCENARIO BOOKLET v6.1.
Page 2 of 9
Scenario Two
In an effort to reduce costs and avoid having to expand its corporate headquarters, a large company
has made the decision to launch a telecommuting programme. Participants in this programme will
work at home using corporate laptops and will access corporate systems via the Internet. Participants
will commute to the corporate headquarters no more than once a month and will utilize designated
work areas which will be reserved in advance, much like a hotel room.
An initial pilot of the programme is in the planning stage and will involve 100 senior employees. No
more than five employees per department may participate in the programme and participants must
have at least five years of service with the company. It is expected that, in time, the programme will be
expanded considerably and may grow to include thousands of employees.
The corporate headquarters comprises three large buildings. Open work areas are available in each
of these buildings. Optimally, telecommuters will reserve a work area in the building where the
telecommuter’s supervisor and team members reside. At times, however, telecommuters may have to
walk from one building to another to attend meetings, participate in training classes, and other
activities. Telecommuters will scan their corporate badge to gain access to the buildings. They will
proceed to the reserved cubicle and “check-in” using an online reservation system called “TOffice.”
You represent the service desk and are participating on a team that is determining what changes
must be made to the access management process to accommodate this new programme. The access
management process is working well and is based on ITIL best practices. The organization adopted
ITIL more than ten years ago and its IT service management practices are, in general, quite mature.
The team working on this project includes representatives from human resources, information security
management, and all of the service operation functions. Following a revision of the new information
security policy and an initial brainstorming session, the team is preparing to present a
recommendation to management.
Page 3 of 9
Scenario Three
During a weekly staff meeting, members of the service desk mention that they have recently noticed
an increase in the number of incidents affecting laptops used by the sales team. The sales team has
an expensive marketing campaign underway and complaints have found their way to senior
management.
You are the problem manager and have been asked to join the meeting. You ask the analysts to
participate in a quick brainstorming session so that you can better understand the problem. The
analysts agree that the problem seems to be hardware-related as the incidents include hard drive and
memory failures, and broken fans. The analysts also notice that, in some cases, the PCs are repaired
only to fail again. The analysts speculate that the hard drive and memory failures are the most
frequently recurring issues.
You agree to raise a problem record and leave the meeting to begin assembling a problem-solving
group to investigate and diagnose the root cause.
Page 4 of 9
Scenario Four
A service desk manager has advised the operations support management team that a feasibility study
on replacing the current service desk software is being conducted. The aim is to replace the current
software with a newer, more sophisticated tool. The service desk manager is looking to establish the
team’s requirements and is asking for your input.
The service desk operates on weekdays from 08:00 through to 18:00, although the actual business
hours of the administration centre are 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday. When the service desk is
closed, the service desk telephones divert to the data centre operations staff.
You are the data centre manager and your team actively monitors the entire infrastructure, batch
scheduling, tape handling requirements, storage capacity and availability levels. You have some
software tools in place but all of the systems are fragmented and there is no centralized database
holding this information to enable trends to be established against the patterns of business activity.
Page 5 of 9
Scenario Five
A successful company has grown through a series of acquisitions and now consists of several
business units worldwide, each with its own IT organization. The company has made the decision to
consolidate its IT organizations into a single, shared services unit and adopt ITIL best practices.
Each IT organization handles incidents and service requests through a series of loosely defined
procedures. Change management procedures are enforced only for significant changes and existing
service management tools range from simple, in-house-developed databases to, in the case of one IT
organization, a commercially-developed incident tracking system. Most of the organizations have
some form of configuration management database (CMDB) and a shared knowledgebase, and both
are working well within some of the IT organizations.
A decision has been made to eliminate all in-house-developed systems. The team using the
commercially-developed system believes its tool will work enterprise-wide if it is upgraded to the
current release and customized with some additional capacity.
Management has made it clear that whichever tool is selected, it must enable:
• Process integration and automation capabilities

• Implementation of a configuration management system (CMS)
• Self-help for users.
Several managers have seen other commercial tools that will also meet the organization’s needs. As
there is a long holiday weekend in two months’ time, there is growing pressure to make a decision
quickly and use the forthcoming holiday weekend to deploy the new system.
You have been asked to lead the IT service management programme. During a staff meeting with
service operation managers, you are asked to recommend the best way to proceed with selecting a
service management tool.
Page 6 of 9
Scenario Six
IT services offered by an organization’s IT department are designed, developed and operated

internally by a team of IT professionals with various skill sets and skill levels. Some specialized
services were designed by external vendors that still provide second and third-level support. The IT
department is currently organized into application and technical management silos, with little
interaction between teams.
A recent baseline assessment uncovered the following issues:
• New systems are being commissioned but without adequate training to support either
personnel or users
• Some senior technical staff are performing entry level tasks while expensive contractors, who
lack the business knowledge, are hired to work on the design of technical architecture and
performance standards for new services, or to perform applications-sizing and modelling
activities
• Application error codes are not always traceable to the correct errors and some application
error messages are not clearly worded
• System and user documentation are out of date
• Ineffective performance and availability reporting due to inaccurate data
• There is confusion within IT regarding who is responsible for managing the technical vendors.
A recent customer satisfaction survey highlighted similar training errors and documentation-related
issues.
As a result of the assessment, management decided that an improvement programme needs to be

launched to streamline its IT operations, reduce costs and improve its IT resource utilization.
Page 7 of 9
Scenario Seven
The IT service management tool suite within a small IT organization is currently down and unusable.
While the response team works on restoring service the service desk manager has a slowly growing
list of service requests.
The following requests have already been logged, categorized and prioritized:
# Request Requestor
A new toner cartridge is needed for the shared office

001 User
printer.
Please advise if there will be any service downtime
002 User
over the weekend.
003 Where do I find process documentation? Manager
Give user access permissions to the HR time-tracking

004 Manager
application.
Without the tool to drive the process the service desk manager needs to process the requests within
the parameters of the request fulfilment process. The list will need to be extended to record the
subsequent steps.
Page 8 of 9
Scenario Eight
A computer games retailer has had a very aggressive business growth pattern. This growth has been
achieved by opening many new outlets and, most significantly, by purchasing three other companies
in the computer games market. It has also expanded its head office premises where a number of
administrative and support services will be centralized.
The IT systems that the original company used were basic and were not managed or supported by
clearly defined processes. The three new companies are similar, although one specializes in internet
sales which have now become a significant part of overall business revenue.
The IT director (an employee for many years) has decided that the quality of IT service delivery is
essential in ensuring IT services support the business’s ambitious plans for further growth. The
internet sales company has some expertise in ITIL and the IT director is now convinced that ITIL is a
trusted framework which will enable the company to achieve its goals.
An external assessment has concluded that the current incident management process of the original
company is lacking maturity and that a good starting point would be to review the service desk
function and ensure commonality across the organization.
Page 9 of 9

CERTIFICATE
ANSWERS AND RATIONALES
ITIL® is a registered trade mark of the Cabinet Office. ITIL Intermediate Capability OSASample1 ANSWERSandRATIONALES v6.1.
Page 1 of 13
Answer Key:
Scenario Question Correct: 2nd Best: 3rd Best: Distracter:

5 Marks 3 Marks 1 Mark 0 Marks
One 1 B D C A
Two 2 C A D B
Three 3 B A D C
Four 4 C D B A
Five 5 C B A D
Six 6 C A D B
Seven 7 C A D B
Eight 8 D B C A
© The Official ITIL Accreditor 2012. ITIL Intermediate Capability OSASample1 ANSWERSandRATIONALES v6.1.
Page 2 of 13
QUESTION One Scenario One
Question Rationale This question focuses on the different service desk metrics that may be used to
measure its effectiveness.
MOST CORRECT (5) B These are all well-described objective metrics with plausible rationales. They
allow the service desk manager to extract the right information to address the
complaints of fix time, fix rates and unanswered calls to the service desk.
SECOND BEST (3) D This answer option is missing some obvious metrics which link in with the
current complaints, and those that are accurate are not well-described. Also
time to respond to changes is not something over which the service desk has
control.
THIRD BEST (1) C The metrics are in the right area but are very subjective, that is they are not
broken down in a way that allows information to be extracted. Also the
rationales are vague and in some cases wrong.
DISTRACTER (0) A Most of these metrics indicate nothing of use to the service desk manager in
identifying poor support levels.
Syllabus Unit / ITIL SC: OSA07 - Service desk
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy Level 3 Applying – Use ideas, principles and theories in new, particular and concrete
Testing Level 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 – The candidate must apply their knowledge of service desk metrics to
determine which of them can identify the issues described in the scenario.
Subjects covered Categories Covered:
• Service desk metrics that can be used to measure its effectiveness and
efficiency.
Book Section Refs SO 6.3.5 – Measuring service desk performance
Difficulty Moderate
Page 3 of 13
QUESTION Two Scenario Two
Question Rationale This question assesses the candidate’s understanding of access management
activities, concepts and interfaces.
MOST CORRECT (5) C This answer best describes activities that must be undertaken to
accommodate the telecommuter programme. Note that a new information
security policy is referred to in the scenario and so it is not necessary to refer
to it again here. Note also that access management is working well and so
there is no need to design or redesign the process. This question looks simply
at how to introduce a new service.
• Creating a service request model is an appropriate trigger given the
maturity of this organization
• As all telecommuters will be granted the same set of access and rights,
adding a group is an effective way to grant and manage these privileges
• Monitoring and control mechanisms and measures are both extremely
important
• Working with incident management to resolve incidents caused by
incorrect telecommuter access settings ensures those incidents are being
tracked and resolved as quickly as possible.
SECOND BEST (3) A This answer is good and each bullet is technically correct. It is not the BEST
answer as it does NOT refer to:
• Creating a telecommuter group
• Using the directory of services to grant and manage access to that group
• Producing measures
THIRD BEST (1) D This answer has some merit, however it is missing many important
considerations. For example, it does NOT refer to:
• Creating a telecommuter group (bullet 4) and granting access to all of the
applications and services telecommuters will need in addition to TOffice.
For example, they may need to be granted the right to dial in or use virtual
private network (VPN) connections
• Producing measures
• Working with incident management to resolve incidents caused by
incorrect telecommuter access settings.
Bullet 3 - While it is appropriate to use a request for change as a trigger,
particularly for large-scale service introductions, it is unlikely that TOffice is the
only application or service telecommuters will need to access.
Bullet 5 – While revoking access when a telecommuter’s employment is
terminated is important, it is likely, given the maturity of this organization, that
all access to any and all services is revoked immediately. There are also other
conditions that may warrant revocation of telecommuter status (transfers,
promotions, retirement) and so this answer is too specific.
DISTRACTER (0) B This answer is wrong.
• Bullet 1 - The scenario indicates the information security policy has been
updated. Furthermore, this activity would not be the responsibility of
access management
• Bullet 2 – Access management grants access to services in the service
catalogue and so it would already have been updated and SLAs would
already be in place. Furthermore, these activities would not be the
responsibility of access management
• Bullet 3 - As only existing employees can participate in the programme, a
user profile is not needed. Employees would only need to be granted
access to the applications and services required by the telecommuter
programme
• Bullet 4 - While it is appropriate to use a request for change as a trigger,
particularly for large-scale service introductions, it is unlikely that TOffice is
the only application or service telecommuters will need to access
Page 4 of 13
• Bullet 5 – This answer recommends only notifying building security and so
really has no value. Furthermore, given the maturity of this organization, it
is likely that access to any and all services (including building access) is
revoked immediately upon termination.
Syllabus Unit / ITIL SC: OSA06 – Access management
Module supported
Application – The candidate must apply their knowledge of the access management
process and in particular the triggers and activities which will create the desired
outcome to address the new telecommuter programme.
• Access management, triggers, activities
Book Section Refs SO 4.5.5.6 - Service operation processes – Access management – Process
activities, methods and techniques – Remove or restrict rights
SO 4.5.6 - Service operation processes – Access management – Triggers, Input
outputs and interfaces
SO 4.5.7.2 - Service operation processes – Access management – Information
management – Users, groups, roles and service groups
SO 4.5.8 - Service operation processes – Access management – Critical success
factors and key performance indicators.
Difficulty Hard
Page 5 of 13
QUESTION Three Scenario Three
Question Rationale This question focuses on problem management activities, methods and techniques. It
contains a subtle reference to problem management’s relationship with incident and
service asset and configuration management (SACM).
MOST CORRECT (5) B This answer correctly reflects problem management best practices including
logging the problem, linking it to related incidents and recording the results of
the brainstorming session. The best practice of categorizing the problem in the
same way as incidents is described, along with using the CMS to determine
the impact of the problem and assist in diagnosing it. The reference to
assigning an “appropriate” priority is fine, as the fact that senior management
is hearing about complaints does not necessarily warrant the immediate
assignment of a high priority. The reference to raising a known error record for
information purposes is appropriate guidance and the Kepner and Tregoe
stages are accurately described.
SECOND BEST (3) A This answer has some merit but incorrectly references using “the problem
management coding system.” Best practice states that “problems must be
categorized in the same way as incidents.” Prioritizing the problem is not
referenced and this answer also fails to reference the first two Kepner and
Tregoe stages (define and describe the problem). The references to using the
CMS and raising a known error record are both appropriate.
THIRD BEST (1) D This answer is good but the scenario does not provide sufficient information to
warrant a high priority. The answer does not mention recording the results of
the brainstorming session, nor does it mention using the CMS to determine the
impact of the problem and assist in diagnosing it. The reference to raising a
known error record that provides a diagnostic script is appropriate guidance
and the Kepner and Tregoe stages are accurately described.
DISTRACTER (0) C This answer is wrong. It does not mention logging, categorizing or prioritizing
the problem. The scenario does not provide sufficient information to warrant
the guidance regarding assigning a high priority to incidents. Other omissions
include recording the results of the brainstorming session, using the CMS and
the Kepner and Tregoe stages.
Syllabus Unit / ITIL SC: OSA05 – Problem management
Module supported
Application – The candidate must apply their knowledge of the problem management
process flow and activities and identify how this can be best used to resolve the
issues described in the scenario.
• Problem management
Book Section Refs SO 4.4.5.1 - Service operation processes – Problem management – Process
activities, methods and techniques – Problem detection
SO 4.4.5.2 - Service operation processes – Problem management – Process
activities, methods and techniques – Problem logging
activities, methods and techniques – Problem categorization
activities, methods and techniques – Problem prioritization
activities, methods and techniques – Problem investigation and diagnosis
activities, methods and techniques - Raising a known error record
Difficulty Moderate
Page 6 of 13
QUESTION Four Scenario Four
Question Rationale To be able to understand the importance of event management and to recognize
that, although service operations processes will not always be performed by the
service desk, the requirements of the process are the same regardless of who is
performing the function.
MOST CORRECT (5) C You have recognized that event management is a significant requirement of
the data centre operations team and that normal operation events need to be
monitored and recorded, as well as exception conditions. Furthermore, you
have recognized that the operations team are undertaking the service desk
function out of hours, and therefore need to be able to provide the same
process responsibilities as the service desk in order to ensure that all business
services are maintained.
SECOND BEST (3) D You have recognized that the monitoring tools already in place are valuable
and that the functionality needs to continue, to be improved and even replaced
if possible. However, you have not looked at all the services that the
operations team provide in terms of a pseudo-service desk but have
concentrated on cost savings, which may not prove beneficial to the business.
THIRD BEST (1) B You have recognized that the monitoring tools already in place are valuable
and that the functionality needs to remain, but you have only looked at the
possibility of integrating what is already there rather than replacing or
enhancing the functionality as a requirement.
DISTRACTER (0) A It is not appropriate to dismiss the benefits the tool may be able to offer to the
operations team, particularly as the operations team provide out-of-hours
service desk support. It is also stated that the operations team have some
event management tools in place and therefore these requirements should be
considered.
Syllabus Unit / ITIL SC: OSA02 - Event management
Module supported
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 – The candidate must apply their knowledge of event management, the
service desk function, and the role of the data centre in operational support. The
candidate must then distinguish between the specific and general requirements to
also use the service desk tool after hours, and the linkage to the software for incident
management which the data centre is also accountable for.
• Event management
Book Section Refs SO 4.1 – Service operation processes - Event management
Difficulty Moderate
Page 7 of 13
QUESTION Five Scenario Five
Question Rationale This question assesses the candidate’s understanding of best practices relating to
technology selection and implementation.
MOST CORRECT (5) C • This answer best addresses both best practice guidance and the needs of
this organization.
• Despite the pressure, two months is entirely too short a period of time for
implementing a change of this magnitude. What is needed is a formal
project that will ensure requirements are determined and that the needs of
all stakeholders are considered.
• This is the only answer that stresses examining and formalizing processes
(versus. procedures) and touches on establishing a common way of
working (a phrase that is used in 8.5.4 multiple times). It also suggests
using ITIL guidance to examine and formalize the processes.
• A statement of requirements is a critical first step when evaluating and
selecting technology.
• A licensing structure can be used to determine the best combination of
licences (dedicated, shared, web) needed to deploy the system in a cost-
effective way.
• Funding considers not only procuring the licences but also deployment
and ongoing maintenance.
SECOND BEST (3) B • This answer is good but lacks a few specifics.
• It fails to recommend using a formal project management approach (as
prescribed in 8.2) and promoting awareness.
• While it mentions updating procedures, it fails to address the need to
examine and formalize processes before selecting a tool and establishing
a common way of working. It also mentions updating the procedures to
reflect ITIL best practice without first examining the procedures to ensure
that all best practices are appropriate to the needs of the organization.
• It mentions determining how many dedicated licences are needed, but fails
to consider other types of licences (for example, shared, web, etc.) that
may enable a more cost-effective solution.
• It also fails to recommend budgeting for deployment and ongoing
maintenance activities.
THIRD BEST (1) A • This answer has some merit but is generally off the mark.
• Examining the existing system without first determining requirements is a
waste of time and effort. This answer also mentions ensuring the system
can support existing procedures rather than more formalized common
processes developed using ITIL guidance.
• This answer mentions determining how many dedicated licences are
needed but fails to consider other types of licences (for example, shared,
web) that may enable a more cost-effective solution. It also fails to
recommend budgeting for deployment and ongoing maintenance activities
• Encouraging senior management to show visible support for a common
system (as opposed to common processes) is too weak a
recommendation for a change of this magnitude. Senior management
must communicate policies and expectations regarding process
compliance in clear and meaningful ways. While this answer may be
viewed as having merit, it is off the mark in terms of its technology-centric
approach.
• Launching an awareness campaign and raising an RFC are both valid
steps. The answer fails, however, to recommend using a formal project
management approach.
DISTRACTER (0) D • This answer is wrong.
• It is missing altogether too many of the elements of the 5-mark answer.
For example, it does not mention establishing a project or promoting
Page 8 of 13
awareness of the project. It also does not mention examining processes
prior to selecting the tools, nor does it mention establishing a common way
of working.
• Regarding scheduling the change for the holiday weekend; despite the
pressure, two months is entirely too short a period of time for implementing
a change of this magnitude. A formal project management approach is
needed to fully understand the magnitude of the change and plan
accordingly.
• The reference to a statement of requirements refers only to mandatory
requirements and dedicated licences.
• While the capacity check is needed, it is only one of the requirements that
must be considered while planning a change of this magnitude. The
answer also implies this capacity check is being done before the system is
actually selected and so is a bit premature. While this answer may be
viewed as having merit, it cannot compensate for the missing elements in
this answer.
• Asking senior management to “encourage” use of the system (as opposed
to the processes) is too weak a recommendation for a change of this
magnitude. Senior management must communicate policies and
expectations regarding process compliance in clear and meaningful ways.
While this answer may be viewed as having merit, it is off the mark in
terms of its technology-centric approach. It also cannot compensate for the
other missing elements in this answer.
Syllabus Unit / ITIL SC: OSA09 Technology and implementation considerations
Module supported
Application – The candidate must apply their knowledge of technology considerations

for service operation and the appropriate requirements to address the needs
described in the scenario. The candidate must recognize that the magnitude of the
change needed will require a formalized approach, and that understanding the
requirements fully and planning the effort must not be sacrificed for speed of
implementation.
• Technology considerations
• Implementing service operation
Book Section Refs SD 7.2 – Technology considerations - Service management tools
SO 8.1.2 – Implementing service operation - Managing change in service operation -
Change assessment
SO 8.2 – Implementing service operation - Service operation and project
management
SO 8.4 – Implementing service operation - Operational staff in service design and
transition
SO 8.5.1 – Implementing service operation - Planning and implementing service
management technologies - Licences
management technologies - Capacity checks
management technologies - Timing of technology deployment
management technologies - Type of introduction
Difficulty Easy
Page 9 of 13
QUESTION Six Scenario Six
Question Rationale This question assesses the candidate’s understanding of technical and application
management’s dual role of custodian of the technical knowledge and expertise, as
well as their role in providing resources to support the service lifecycle including
service operations.
MOST CORRECT (5) C This answer provides the correct initiatives to address the baseline
assessment findings.
• The 1st bullet point refers to the need to restructure the IT organization to
ensure the optimization of IT resources.
• 2nd bullet point refers to ensuring involvement as early as possible with the
design of services.
• 3rd bullet point emphasizes the importance of having technical and
application management staff design and deliver user training.
SECOND BEST (3) A Second best answer with only one out of the 3 answers being incorrect.
• The 1st bullet point is correct as it addresses a weakness identified in the
scenario as part of the assessment findings and reinforces that it is the
responsibility of technical and application management to update system
documentation.
• The 2nd bullet point is incorrect as it refers to roles within IT operations
management.
• The 3rd bullet point is correct; application management is best positioned
to correct the error messages which were identified as an issue in both the
baseline assessment and in the customer satisfaction surveys.
THIRD BEST (1) D This option is worth 1 mark. Only one answer in this option is correct.
• The 1st bullet point is correct as it addresses a weakness identified in the
scenario as part of the assessment findings and reinforces that it is the
responsibility of technical and application management to update system
documentation. The 2nd and 3rd bullet points are not targeted to the
objectives of the organization and may not necessarily be accurate.
DISTRACTER (0) B This option is incorrect. All answers/bullet points within it are either incorrect or
do not support the objectives of the organization.
Syllabus Unit / ITIL SC: OSA08 Common OSA functions
Module supported
Blooms Taxonomy Level 4 Analysis - The ability to use the practices and concepts in a situation or
Testing Level 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 – The candidate must apply their knowledge of the roles of application
and technical management and analyse how to organize these based on the issues
identified in the baseline assessment.
• Functions
• Technical management
• IT operations management
• Application management
Book Section Refs SO 6.4.1 – Organizing for service operation – Technical management – Technical
management role
SO 6.4.3 – Organizing for service operation – Technical management – Generic
technical management activities
SO 6.5.1 – Organizing for service operation – IT operations management – IT
operations management role
SO 6..6.1 – Organizing for service operation – Application management – Application
management role
SO 6.6.5 – Organizing for service operation – Application management – Generic
Page 10 of 13
application management activities
Difficulty Moderate
Page 11 of 13
QUESTION Seven Scenario Seven
Question Rationale This question tests the candidate’s knowledge of the request fulfilment process. It
breaks down the process that would typically be automated by a service
management tool suite.
MOST CORRECT (5) C This is the most correct answer option. Every service request requires
authorization, even simple authorization via the service desk or as pre-
authorized requests based on the request type. Prior to execution the request
is reviewed to ensure the proper function for fulfilment. Request models should
be used that document the standard process flow, and the roles and
responsibilities for fulfilling it. Closure is by the service desk in accordance with
customer satisfaction.
SECOND BEST (3) A Most of this answer is correct. However, service requests that cannot be
properly authorized should be returned to the requestor and updated with their
rejection status, not closed. In addition, the service desk needs to make sure
the user agrees that the service request can be closed.
THIRD BEST (1) D Proper authorization of service requests goes deeper than simply the
requestor being authorized to make the request. The review step is done out of
sequence and the description is not accurate. This type of review is not
required for service request. The service desk must check with the user that
they are satisfied and agree that the request can be closed.
DISTRACTER (0) B This is the distracter. Not all service requests are pre-authorized requests.
While it is true that a consistent approach is necessary there is not one single
approach for all service requests. Models are based on the type of request
being fulfilled. The review step is done out of sequence and the description is
more likely something to be carried out as a major problem review. This type of
review is not required for a service request. The service desk must check with
the user that they are satisfied and agree that the request can be closed.
Syllabus Unit / ITIL SC: OSA04 Request fulfilment
Module supported
Application – This question requires the candidate to correctly apply the request
fulfilment process, which would typically be automatically driven by a tool. They are
required to pick up the process mid-stream and apply the correct procedures.
• Request Fulfilment - Process activities methods and techniques
Book Section Refs SO 4.3.5 - Service operation processes – Request fulfilment
SO 4.3.5.5 – Request authorization
SO 4.3.5.6 – Request review
SO 4.3.5.7 – Request model execution
SO 4.5.5.8 – Request closure
Difficulty Easy
Page 12 of 13
QUESTION Eight Scenario Eight
Question Rationale This question focuses on the service desk and incident management process as well
as implementation.
MOST CORRECT (5) D This is the best solution: a centralized service desk, specifically designed to
take into account local requirements, is implemented, and an assessment is
made of the incident management processes used within the companies to
ensure a good process. Conducting training and planning, the ultimate
integration with other processes in the future, is also a very good idea.
SECOND BEST (3) B This answer is not entirely incorrect; however it omits the assessment of the
service desk functions and limits process integration to only event
management, request fulfilment, service level management and problem
management as opposed to all processes.
THIRD BEST (1) C A reasonable solution even though it utilizes multiple service desks. The
incident management process is also defined without consideration of the
processes currently used within the other 3 companies and there is no review
carried out of the service desk function. Also, much like option B, this option
limits the process integration to only event management, request fulfilment,
service level management and problem management.
DISTRACTER (0) A Incorrect. The tool is procured before considering the process, and it also
states that it is essential that other processes are implemented at the same
time. While they will need to be considered, they can be implemented later as
the organization’s maturity is improved.
Syllabus Unit / ITIL SC: OSA03 Incident management
Module supported ITIL SC: OSA07 Service desk
ITIL SC: OSA09 Technology and implementation considerations
Application – The candidate must apply their knowledge of the service operation
processes relevant to the scenario and analyse which of the answer options correctly
sequences the right activities to meet the organization’s objectives as stated.
Subjects covered • Distinguish and explain the different service desk organizational structures
• Show the process activities, methods and techniques for this process and how
they relate to the service lifecycle
• Demonstrate the triggers, inputs and outputs, and the process interfaces
• Describe the generic requirements for technology on implementing process
capability
• Demonstrate how to plan and implement service management technologies
Book Section Refs SO 6.3.3 – Organizing for service operation - Service desk - Service desk
organizational structure
SO 4.2.5 – Service Operation processes - Incident management - Process activities,
methods and techniques
SO 4.2.6 – Service Operation processes - Incident management - Triggers, inputs
outputs and interfaces
SO 7.1 – Technology considerations - Generic requirements
SO 8.5 – Implementing service operation - Planning and implementing service
management technologies
Difficulty Easy
Page 13 of 13

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ITIL® Intermediate Capability Stream:

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND ANALYSIS (OSA)

Sample Paper 1, version 6.1

Gradient Style, Complex Multiple Choice

Gradient Style Multiple Choice

1. All 8 questions should be attempted.

Refer to Scenario One

Metric Description of usage

Metric Description of usage

Metric Description of usage

Question continues overleaf

Metric Description of usage

Refer to Scenario Two

Refer to Scenario Three

Refer to Scenario Four

Refer to Scenario Five

Refer to Scenario Six

Refer to Scenario Seven

Review - Determine the proper function to fulfil the requests.

B. Authorization – Fulfil the requests, as service requests are pre-authorized requests.

Question continues overleaf

Refer to Scenario Eight

B. • Centralize the service desk in the head office

D. • Centralize the service desk in the head office

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND ANALYSIS (OSA)

Sample Paper 1, version 6.1

Gradient Style, Complex Multiple Choice

• Process integration and automation capabilities

IT services offered by an organization’s IT department are designed, developed and operated

A recent baseline assessment uncovered the following issues:

As a result of the assessment, management decided that an improvement programme needs to be

A new toner cartridge is needed for the shared office

003 Where do I find process documentation? Manager

Give user access permissions to the HR time-tracking

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND ANALYSIS (OSA)

Sample Paper 1, version 6.1

Gradient Style, Complex Multiple Choice

ANSWERS AND RATIONALES

Scenario Question Correct: 2nd Best: 3rd Best: Distracter:

Application – The candidate must apply their knowledge of technology considerations

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