ITIL Manager's Certificate: Preparing for Examinations

"The biggest mistake anybody can make when preparing for the ITIL Manager's exam is to think it is going to be easy". ...Michelle Ellis, Senior Consultant based in Auckland, describes her journey to achieving certification.

When I first started the Manager's programme, it wasn't until I got the results back from a couple of example questions during training to realise it was actually going to be damn hard.

I had forgotten how to sit an exam. You can know your subject matter but if you can't transfer that onto paper and answer the questions asked, you will fail.

No matter how many times you are told this, you have to realise it yourself!

Here are some tips and tricks that I believe could be the formula to success:

1. Study plan. No matter what, you need to know the subject matter. What may have worked for you in the past when studying, may not now. Your circumstances are different - work, kids, partner, or many other commitments you need to work around.

Have a plan on when you are going to study: outline what you want to achieve during each study session and stick to it. Communicate to those around you what you are doing and gain their support.

And importantly, don't forget to factor in time to review the case study once you receive it.

2. Exam techniques. It has probably been a long time since you have completed an essay exam so you need to find some techniques that work for you. Here are some that might help:

• It might sound ridiculous, but learn to read the question. A lot of people fail by missing the point of the question, missing a critical component, or answering a different question altogether. I found underlining or highlighting important points within the question helped to focus.
• Educate yourself on how to approach the question. Understand what the examiner is looking for based on the wording of the question. For example, list, describe, present may be words used and each require different answers.
• You are writing, not using a word processor, so structure your answer on some scrap paper before tackling it properly. It doesn't need to be detailed, just some points so you don't lose track of what you want to say. Mindmapping may also be a technique that helps.
• When was the last time you wrote for three hours straight? Practice writing for extended periods, and perhaps even consider having different size pens for the exam to help with hand cramps.
• Make sure you leave white space within your answer, start each answer on a new page. If you have time at the end of the exam to go back and review your answers, you could find additional points you wish to make but you need the space to do so.

3. Exam time management. You have five questions to answer in each exam and it is very easy to lose track on the first few questions if you are not careful. Realising too late you have not left enough time for the other questions is a good way to throw away marks. Have a time plan and stick to it, even if it means going to the next question before finishing the one you are on. If you have time, go back to it.

Within each question, take into account how many marks you get for each part, ensuring that you spend the appropriate time mix based on the marks assigned. Try your time plan during your practice questions. And whatever you do, remember to include in your plan reading time for both the question and your answer.

All of this might sound simple, and it is, but being simple it is very easy to overlook. When your exam comes around, remain positive! You have the experience, attended the training and studied, so stay focussed and prove you can do it.

Good luck!