ITIL4F Key Concepts of IT Service Management Practice Question
A company is experiencing a high number of recurring incidents due to a known error in a software application. Which ITIL practice should be used to permanently fix the underlying problem?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse incident management (restoring service quickly) with problem management (permanently fixing the root cause), especially when the question mentions 'recurring incidents' and 'known error' — the latter is a direct trigger for problem management, not incident management.
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
✓
Problem management
Problem management is the ITIL practice responsible for identifying the root cause of incidents and implementing permanent fixes to prevent recurrence. Since the question describes a known error causing recurring incidents, problem management's role is to analyze the underlying problem and coordinate a permanent resolution, such as a code fix or configuration change.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Problem management
Why this is correct
A high number of recurring incidents is a clear indicator of an underlying systemic issue that needs to be addressed beyond immediate restoration. Problem management is the practice specifically designed to diagnose the root causes of these recurring incidents, reduce their likelihood and impact, and initiate permanent fixes through error control. This proactive approach prevents future service disruptions, moving beyond temporary incident resolution to achieve lasting stability.
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Incident management
Why it's wrong here
While incident management is critical for restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible following a service interruption, its primary focus is on immediate resolution and minimizing business impact, not on investigating the underlying cause. It addresses the symptoms of service degradation or failure to get services back up, but it does not prevent the recurrence of incidents stemming from the same root cause. Therefore, it would not effectively address a high number of recurring incidents in the long term.
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Service request management
Why it's wrong here
Service request management is the practice of fulfilling pre-defined, routine requests from users, such as requests for information, access to services, or standard changes to IT components. It operates within established parameters and does not involve diagnosing complex issues, performing root cause analysis, or investigating the underlying reasons for recurring service failures. Its scope is entirely separate from addressing systemic problems indicated by frequent incidents.
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Change enablement
Why it's wrong here
Change enablement is the practice of ensuring that changes are implemented smoothly and successfully, minimizing risk and impact to services. While it is an essential practice for implementing the permanent fixes identified by problem management, its role is not to diagnose why incidents are recurring or to identify the underlying problem itself. It acts as the controlled mechanism for deploying solutions, not for initial problem identification or root cause analysis.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This ITIL4F practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert 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 ITIL4F exam.