ITIL4-DPI Direct, Plan and Improve Practice Question
Which DPI guiding principle suggests that you should investigate the current state before making changes?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'Start where you are' with 'Collaborate and promote visibility' or 'Keep it simple and practical,' failing to realize that investigating the current state is the defining characteristic of this principle.
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
✓
Start where you are.
Starting where you are is a fundamental principle that prevents the mistake of discarding valuable existing assets. In DPI, understanding the current state provides a baseline, ensuring that improvements build upon what already exists rather than reinventing it. This approach saves time, reduces risk, and ensures that the transition to the future state is smooth, sustainable, and grounded in the reality of the existing organization.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Focus on value.
Why it's wrong here
Focus on value is about ensuring that everything an organization does is connected to the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. While valuable, it does not specifically mandate assessing the current state before initiating change. That specific instruction is found in the 'Start where you are' principle.
- ✓
Start where you are.
Why this is correct
This principle explicitly instructs teams to assess current state before making changes. It avoids the waste associated with discarding existing processes or tools that may still have value, thereby optimizing the transition process and ensuring improvements are built on a solid understanding of current organizational assets.
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Collaborate and promote visibility.
Why it's wrong here
This principle emphasizes the importance of communication, transparency, and working together across silos. While it encourages understanding the environment, it does not specifically define the requirement to assess the current state prior to change; that instruction is the core of the 'Start where you are' principle.
- ✗
Keep it simple and practical.
Why it's wrong here
Keeping things simple is about avoiding unnecessary complexity. While evaluating the current state can help simplify processes, the principle itself focuses on the design and execution of solutions rather than the specific preparatory step of assessing the current state before beginning a new improvement initiative.
About these practice questions
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert/AXELOS exam blueprint
This ITIL4-DPI practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert/AXELOS 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 ITIL4-DPI exam.