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CISA Practice Question: Is implementing a new IT service management…
An organization is implementing a new IT service management system based on ITIL 4. Which TWO of the following are guiding principles of ITIL 4?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISA often tests whether candidates can distinguish ITIL 4 guiding principles from COBIT governance domains and tasks, since both frameworks use similar-sounding management terminology.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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Focus on value
Option A, 'Focus on value,' is correct because it is one of the seven ITIL 4 guiding principles, directing that every activity and decision should map directly or indirectly to value for stakeholders. Option E, 'Start where you are,' is also correct as an ITIL 4 guiding principle, meaning organizations should not discard existing services, processes, or tools but build on what already works. The other options are not guiding principles: 'Responsibility, strategy, acquisition' and 'Align, plan, organize' are governance/management-practice or organizational constructs, and 'Evaluate, direct, monitor' is the set of governance activities from ISO/IEC 38500, not an ITIL 4 guiding principle.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Focus on value
Why this is correct
Focus on value is one of the seven ITIL 4 guiding principles, directing decisions towards what genuinely benefits the customer and the organisation. It satisfies the stem's requirement by being a foundational recommendation shaping service management behaviour, rather than a practice, process or management dimension.
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Responsibility, strategy, acquisition
Why it's wrong here
These are ITIL 4 management practices or governance activities, not guiding principles. The principles are universal recommendations such as focus on value, start where you are, and progress iteratively. Responsibility, strategy and acquisition describe organisational roles and processes, so they would fit a governance or sourcing discussion instead.
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Evaluate, direct, monitor
Why it's wrong here
These are governance activities from frameworks such as COBIT, not ITIL 4 guiding principles. The principles are recommendations such as focus on value, keep it simple and practical, and optimise and automate. Evaluate, direct and monitor describe a governance board's duties, so they would be correct in a governance-domain question.
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Align, plan, organize
Why it's wrong here
These are planning and organisational activities, not ITIL 4 guiding principles. The principles are statements like collaborate and promote visibility, think and work holistically, and optimise and automate. Align, plan and organise belong to governance or management-practice contexts, so they would suit a process-design question rather than this principles question.
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Start where you are
Why this is correct
"Start where you are" is one of ITIL 4's seven guiding principles, directing organisations to assess existing processes and services before designing the new ITSM system rather than building from scratch. This satisfies the stem's requirement to identify genuine ITIL 4 principles, distinguishing them from practices, the four dimensions, or the service value chain.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISACA exam blueprint
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CISA exam.