FAQs about the ISEB Manager’s Exam given by HP

Upon completion of the 10-day ITIL Service Manager’s Training, you may elect to sit for the examination. There are two Examination Institutes for ITIL exams: Information Systems Exam Board (ISEB) in the UK and Examin Institute (EXIN) in the Netherlands. HP Education currently offers the EXIN based exams as of May, 2007. HP Education is the only training provider who is able to offer candidates the option of typing their exam responses instead of having to hand-write their responses.

1. Is there a sample letter I can send to my boss explaining the level of commitment required?
2. Is there a guide that tells me exactly what to expect for the training and exam?
3. What courses do I need to take to become ITSM Managers Certified?
4. What is the exam like?
5. Are there any "hints" you can give me to help me pass the exams?
6. I have a lot of experience in this area – could I take the exam without taking the class?
7. How long after I take the training do I have to sit for the exam?
8. How often is the exam held?
9. I have taken my Service Manager courses with a different Training Provider. What do I need to do in order to take the exam through HP?
10. The courses I took were accredited by ISEB, not EXIN. Can I still take the EXIN exams? What do I need to provide?
11. When and how do I register for the exam?
12. Where can I take the exam?
13. Do you ever offer computer exams?
14. I have rheumatoid arthritis and cannot write 3 hours – what can I do?
15. My first language is Spanish -- do you allow extra time for this?
16. How should I prepare for the exam?
17. Will I receive confirmation that I am registered?
18. Are there different Case Studies for each exam session – or will I always use the same one no matter how many times I take the exam?
19. What if my plans change and I need to cancel my exam session?
20. What can I take with me to the exam site?
21. What happens when I get there?
22. May I write on the Case Study?
23. Do I get any extra time to read the Case Study?
24. What if I arrive late?
25. Do I have to take both parts of the exam?
26. How are the exams graded?
27. How long will it take to get my results?
28. What score do I have to earn to pass?
29. What is the expected pass rate?
30. What is a distinguished score?
31. What if I want to dispute my exam results?
32. Is there a maximum number of times I am allowed to take the exam?
33. What if I don’t pass the second exam within 13 months of notification that I passed one part? Do I have to take all the training over, or just the exams?
34. When will I get my certificate?
35. What are the differences between the Service Manager certifications offered by ISEB and the one offered by EXIN? Is one better than the other?
36. How do I get a lapel pin?
37. Whom do I contact if I did not get my exam results or pin in the timeframe expected?
38. Are there any professional groups I can join?
39. Are there any renewals or updates I will need to do once I am certified to make my certification stays current?
40. Where can I find more information?

1. Is there a sample letter I can send to my boss explaining the level of commitment required?

• You can read some important information about the IT Service Manager’s courses in Service Delivery and Service Support here

2. Is there a guide that tells me exactly what to expect for the training and exam?

• Download a brief Candidates Guide here

3. What courses do I need to take to become ITSM Managers Certified?

• We are pleased you are considering further ITSM Education from HP Education. Our Manager's Certificate in IT Service Management Program is an intense training program, unlike any you've experienced before. In order to be successful with this program, it is important that you are prepared, in terms of resources, time, and management commitment to this program
• Your journey towards IT Masters Certification includes the following courses from HP Education:
  • U8687S 5 days - Service Support - ITIL Manager in ITSM
  • U8688S 5 days - Service Delivery - ITIL Manager in ITSM
  • H8990S 2 days - ITIL SM exam preparation workshop
  • U3269S 3 hours - ITIL Service Support Exam
  • U3270S 3 hours - ITIL Service Delivery Exam
• Here is what you will need to do:
  • Make sure you have earned your ITIL Foundation Certification
  • Get access to current ITIL reference books (or CD's) and familiarize yourself with them prior to class
  • HP Education strongly recommends that students bring a copy of ISBN #0113300174 ITIL Service Delivery book and ISBN #0113300158 ITIL Service Support Book and the ISBN #0-9254706-40 pocket guide with them to the class. These books are available from a number of sources, including:
    www.itsmf.org
    www.itsmf.com
    www.amazon.com
    
    These books are also available on CD for those students who will be bringing laptops to class.
  • Attend two 5-day courses: U8687S Service Support + U8688S Service Delivery - ITIL Manager in ITSM
  • Plan on spending at least 2 hours per night after class to complete group homework
  • Study the ITIL reference books thoroughly before attending the 2 day H8990S Online Exam Preparation Workshop. (The study time required depends heavily on competence and experience. ISEB suggests an average of 80 hours of class time and 240 hours of study and preparation.)
  • Dedicate at least 10 hours of time between the exam prep workshop and the exams to prepare your analysis of the case study
  • Take the two exams, titled ITIL Service Delivery and ITIL Service Support, each of which is a written essay based exam taking three hours
• Once you have completed the exams, your results will be scored during a scheduled exam grading session. Your exam results will be mailed directly to you usually within 8 weeks of your exam date. You have 13 months from the time you pass your first exam to successfully pass your second exam in order to be certified. When you are done, you will be a Certified IT Service Manager. Best of luck on your journey!

4. What is the exam like?

• Tough
• The exams are taken over 2-days and are essay-style examinations. The exam paper for each area – Service Support and Service Delivery -- is 3 hours long. Over 60% of your exam score is based on a Case Study which you will be sent approximately 2 weeks prior to the exam

5. Are there any "hints" you can give me to help me pass the exams?

• We strongly encourage you to put in the appropriate amount of study time, to register for and attend the Exam Prep and Review session (H8990S) scheduled the week prior to the exams. Even though HP currently offers EXIN based Service Manager exams in the US, you may also refer to ISEB's Guidance for Service Manager Certification candidates

6. I have a lot of experience in this area – could I take the exam without taking the class?

• NO. The Examination Institute requires that you actively participate in the 10-day training. You must take part in the class discussions, presentations and team exercises
• The Instructor will give you a registration form to complete – which you must sign. This form along with an In Class Assessment form must also be signed by the instructor who will then work with an exam coordinator and submit this to the exam institute for candidate registration

• It is recommended that you sit for the exam within one year of participating in the training

• The ITIL Service Manager’s Examination is typically offered four times each year. The 2–day essay exam is usually held on the last Wednesday & Thursday of January, April, July and October
• Wednesday – 1–4 pm: Paper #1: Service Support
• Thursday – 10 am – 1 pm: Paper #2: Service Delivery
• Check the schedule link for U3269S and U3270S for exact dates and times

9. I have taken my Service Manager courses with a different Training Provider. What do I need to do in order to take the exam through HP?

• As soon as possible, notify HP of your request. Since HP currently offers the EXIN based Service Manager exam in the US, you will need to provide a copy of the Intake form and the EXIN ICA form, both signed by your Training Provider and the yourself. The HP Exam coordinator will forward your request and form to the exam institute for review. PLEASE NOTE that it is your responsibility to secure both of these signed documents from your Training Provider before HP can register you for the exams. Only training provided by accredited course providers will be eligible for consideration If you took your training from a Training Provider that utilizes ISEB based exams and you have an IT2A form signed by that Training Provider, please see the answer to the following question

• ISEB & EXIN are both bound by the regulations of APM Group and are obliged to accommodate each others candidates providing they fulfill the necessary requirements. Notify HP of your desire as soon as possible. You must provide the ISEB IT2A form completed and signed by your Instructor. The HP Exam Coordinator will submit them and request that you be allowed to sit for the EXIN exam at one of the HP locations. You may be asked to provide additional information and there is no guarantee you will be allowed to sit for the EXIN exam, however, we will do our best to help you

• Registration for the IT Service Management Exam is required by the Examination Institute approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the exam dates
• Please go to www.education.hp.com/curr-itsm.htm, enter your country then look for ITSM Managers listings; look for items u3269s and u3270s

• The Course Provider (HP) will determine the venues for the exam
• You must pre-register for a specific location

• Yes! Currently, HP Education offers EXIN based Service Manager exams. HP has worked closely with EXIN and is the only training provider able to offer exam candidates the ability to type their exam answers instead of handwriting their answers

• Candidates who have disabilities or special needs and require ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ must inform their instructor and make a notation on their IT2A form. ISEB request that all Candidates with Reasonable Adjustments read the documentation available on the ISEB website and complete the form attached to the document. This should then be submitted to ISEB with the relevant documentation for consideration. A timely request and replies to any inquiries will help us so we can help you

• YES. If English is your Second Language, you will be allowed 30 minutes extra for each portion of the exam providing the request is made prior to the examination sitting. You must indicate this on the exam registration form the instructor will ask you to complete. The exam coordinator will formally request extended time
• Candidates with English as a Second Language may take translating dictionaries, not electronic, into the exam room. These are NOT dictionaries of IT terms or IT Service Management terms and must be presented to the Invigilator (Proctor) for inspection prior to the exam

• Successful candidates usually do these things:
• Enroll in the 2-day exam preparation class offered by HP
• Plan to take off time to study for the exam
• Make a Study Plan and/or Form study teams
• Allow 2-4 weeks to prepare

17. Will I receive confirmation that I am registered?

• YES. You will receive an email confirmation from the HP exam manager.
• He or she will send an electronic version of the Case Study about 2-3 weeks before the exam
• That letter should include a hard copy of the Case Study

• ISEB and EXIN have developed a collection of Case Studies. They may re-use them through several exam cycles and then discontinue their usage. HP has no control over which Case Study is used

• Notify the HP exam manager immediately. Depending on when you notify him/her, you could forfeit your exam fee(s). In some cases, you may be allowed by HP to apply the fee to a later exam

• Take along:
• 2 forms of identification; one must have a photo
• Your Foundation certificate/candidate # or Foundation certificate to prove you have earned your Foundations certification
• Black ink pens
• Leave at home: papers, books, case study, notes, calculators, laptops


• HP Education strongly recommends that students bring a copy of ISBN #0113300174 ITIL Service Delivery book and ISBN #0113300158 ITIL Service Support Book and the ISBN #0-9254706-40 pocket guide with them to the class. These books are available from a number of sources, including:
  www.itsmf.org
  www.itsmf.com
  www.amazon.com
  
  These books are also available on CD for those students who will be bringing laptops to class. This course involves an average of 2-3 hours "homework" per night outside of normal class time.

21. What happens when I get there?

• The proctor/invigilator will greet you and verify that you are registered for the exam
• Each day you will be given an exam packet that includes a cover sheet, the exam (Service Support or Service Delivery), a new copy of the Case Study and writing paper
• When the proctor has gone over the instructions he/she will call time and you may start
• You will be asked to mark your candidate number on all papers
• The proctor will announce the time throughout the exam
• At the end of the exam you will return ALL materials to the exam proctor

• YES. You may write on the case study, on the exam and on the writing pad. However, only the information on the writing pad will be scored

• NO. You get a full three hours to read and write your exam

• If you arrive more than 15 minutes late you will NOT be allowed to sit for the exam

• If this is the first time for you to sit for the exam, you must sit for both the Service Support and the Service Delivery papers
• If you fail one paper, you must pass the other portion within 13 months of notification of your results to earn your certificate
• If you fail both papers, you may choose to re-sit for only one portion if you like and then re-sit the other paper later

• All exams are returned to the exam institute. They are photocopied and distributed to two pairs of Examiners who will mark the papers. Therefore, if you sit both Service Support & Service Delivery you will have four Examiners marking your scripts. The scripts are marked and then the two Examiners reconcile their marks, giving particular attention to borderline marks. If the pair of Examiners cannot reconcile the complete paper they may involve a 3rd Examiner and then ask the Chair of the Examiners Panel for his opinion. They will see only your candidate number, not your name. The exam institutes take great care to assure that your scores are marked as objectively as possible

• It will take approximately 8 weeks – just enough time for you to decide to re-sit the next exam, if needed

• You must earn at least 50 points on a paper to pass
• To earn the Manager’s Certificate in IT Service Management, you must score 50 points on both papers

• Internationally, for the pass rate is currently around 62%

• If you earn 65 or more points on a paper, you will have passed that paper with distinction
• To earn your Manager’s Certificate in IT Service Management with Distinction, you must earn more than 65 points on both papers at the same sitting

• Before you commence this, it is recommended you contact your instructor for guidance.
  EXIN allows you to review your exam results (in a proctored session which will be at your own expense). If you wish to appeal the actual scores, you should work directly with EXIN to utilize their exam review process. Please note that EXIN does have specific requirements as to what exams are eligible for review

• You may take the exam indefinitely if you wish. However, you will be required to pay for each exam. As well, the Examination Institute may issue version updates in the curricula from time to time; your training may no longer be current

• The ICMB regulations state that a candidate must re-take any failed papers within 13 months of the results being issued. If a candidate does not they will be required to re-sit the entire exam. However, there may have been extenuating circumstances for the candidate and these should be discussed as soon as possible to determine what, if any, options you may have. Work with the HP Exam Coordinator on this

• Certificates will be mailed, by EXIN, 2-4 weeks after notification of results

• Both ISEB and Exin are governed by the ICMB who meet regularly to ensure that the quality and consistency of the examinations are comparable. Therefore, the certificates are equivalent

• With your notification from the exam institute that you have earned the Manager’s Certificate in IT Service Management, they will send you a pin within 2-4 weeks. There will be a form to complete to request a RED lapel pin, this should be completed and returned to:- itSMF, Webbs Court, 8 Holmes Road, Reading, RG6 7BH

• You should contact the HP Exam Coordinator who will contact the exam institute on your behalf

• The IT Service Management Forum (itSMF) hosts conferences and other educational events for IT vendors, users and practitioners so you may network with other IT professionals. Please go to www.itsmfusa.org or www.itsmf.com
• The Institute of IT Service Management (IOSM) is a professional society dedicated to promoting professionalism and ethical conduct within the IT Service Management community. Please go to www.iosm.com

• Currently, there are no requirements for re-certification

• Please go to www.iseb.org.uk or www.exin-exams.org