ITIL Version 5 replaces ITIL 4: what it means for your certification

What PeopleCert has announced about ITIL Version 5

ITIL Version 5 is the next edition of the ITIL service management framework, owned and examined by PeopleCert. According to the official ITIL site, it is being introduced through a gradual, phased release, with new modules arriving over time. ITIL Foundation (Version 5) is already listed for sale on PeopleCert's store.

PeopleCert's ITIL FAQ sets out the transition:

• The current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on 31 December 2027.
• ITIL 4 and ITIL (Version 5) will run in parallel for a period.
• Validity dates for ITIL 4 exam vouchers will be announced later.
• ITIL 4 certificates are valid prerequisites for higher-level Version 5 certifications.
• ITIL v3 Foundation and v3 Intermediate certificates are not accepted as prerequisites.

Neither PeopleCert's FAQ nor the ITIL site gives a single launch date for Version 5, because modules are being released in stages. Localised versions are also being released progressively.

What is new in ITIL Version 5

The official ITIL site describes Version 5 as building on ITIL 4 rather than replacing its ideas. It keeps the value system and the guiding principles. The main changes it lists:

• AI-native guidance. The framework includes guidance on adapting and governing AI-enabled work, and there is a separate ITIL AI Governance (Version 5) extension module with no prerequisite.
• Digital products and services. End-to-end lifecycle guidance for digital products and services, with digital experience as a core focus.
• Practices regrouped. The 34 management practices are now grouped as Product and Service management practices and General management practices. All 34 are available through PeopleCert Plus membership.
• A simpler scheme. Designations are Practice Manager, Managing Professional and Strategic Leader, built from Foundation, a shared Transformation module and role-specific modules, with ITIL Master on top. ITIL 4 extension modules are no longer part of the scheme.

The Version 5 Foundation syllabus, as PeopleCert lists it, covers digital product and service management concepts, value co-creation, the four dimensions, the ITIL value system, the guiding principles, the product and service lifecycle, ITIL management practices, continual improvement, and value stream mapping.

ITIL 4 Foundation vs ITIL Foundation (Version 5)

For most candidates the Foundation exam is the only ITIL exam that matters, and it has barely changed in form. The key table below sets them side by side. Both are 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, closed book, with a 65% pass mark, which is 26 correct answers. PeopleCert lists the same three package prices for both in euros including VAT: EUR 649 for the exam bundle, EUR 1,369 for eLearning and EUR 1,617 for eLearning+. Your price may differ by country and by training provider.

Higher-level Version 5 modules change more. PeopleCert lists Product, Service, Experience, Strategy and Transformation as open-book exams that require training through an accredited training organisation or official eLearning. Practice Manager exam formats are still being finalised.

What it means for you

• You are new to ITIL: we recommend ITIL Foundation (Version 5). It will outlast ITIL 4, which is planned to retire at the end of 2027, and the official ITIL site points newcomers to it.
• A job ad or contract asks for "ITIL 4 Foundation": ITIL 4 is still on sale, so you can meet the requirement exactly. Check your voucher's validity date before you buy, since PeopleCert has not yet published those dates.
• You are mid-way through ITIL 4 study with an exam booked: finish it. Your certificate stays valid and counts towards Version 5 designations.
• You already hold ITIL 4 Foundation: you do not need to retake Foundation. The optional ITIL Foundation Bridge (Version 5) is a one-day course with a closed-book assessment that awards ITIL Foundation (Version 5). The Bridge itself is scheduled to retire on 31 December 2027.
• You hold ITIL 4 Managing Professional: PeopleCert offers a Managing Professional Transition (Version 5) module, with no planned end date.
• You hold only ITIL v3 Foundation: start again with Foundation (Version 5), because v3 Foundation is not accepted as a prerequisite.

Renewal also bridges the versions. Version 5 certificates carry a three-year renewal date, and PeopleCert says ITIL 4 holders can renew by passing any Version 5 certification. This is our reading of PeopleCert's published rules, not PeopleCert advice, and the rules are still being filled in, so check the FAQ again before you buy.

What is still unknown

PeopleCert's transition is not fully mapped out yet. Still to be announced, according to its FAQ: validity dates for ITIL 4 exam vouchers, the exam format for the Practice Manager modules, and the release timing for some localised Version 5 exams. PeopleCert also calls 31 December 2027 the current plan rather than a fixed date. If you are buying an ITIL 4 voucher in 2027, read the FAQ again first.

How to prepare for ITIL Foundation

ITIL Foundation is a definitions exam. Most wrong answers come from mixing up similar terms, so short daily review works better than one long read. Use the official syllabus for your version as your checklist, make flashcards for each practice and principle, and space your reviews over two weeks; our guide to spaced repetition explains why. Then sit timed sets of 40 questions in 60 minutes until you score well above 26.

For the full cost breakdown, the exam format and a two-week study plan, read our ITIL 4 Foundation guide. If ITIL is part of a wider plan, our list of the best IT certifications shows where it fits. We do not have an ITIL practice test yet; to see what it is like to sit a timed certification test, try our free PRINCE2 practice test, another PeopleCert exam.