ITIL4F Key Concepts of ITIL 4 Practice Question
A company is reviewing its service management practices and identifies that it lacks a consistent approach to handling known errors. Which practice should be improved to manage known errors effectively?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse incident management with problem management, assuming that handling known errors is part of restoring service quickly, but ITIL 4 explicitly assigns known error management to 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
Known errors are documented in the Known Error Database (KEDB) and are a key output of problem management. Problem management is responsible for identifying the root cause of incidents and documenting workarounds or permanent fixes as known errors, making option D correct.
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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Service level management
Why it's wrong here
Service level management (SLM) focuses on defining, documenting, monitoring, and reporting on service levels with customers. Its primary concern is ensuring that agreed-upon service targets, often documented in Service Level Agreements (SLAs), are met. While SLM might be impacted by underlying problems and known errors, it does not directly manage the lifecycle of known errors; that falls under a different practice.
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Incident management
Why it's wrong here
Incident management's core purpose is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible and minimize the business impact of incidents. It is a reactive practice, dealing with unplanned interruptions or reductions in service quality. While incidents might reveal underlying problems, incident management itself does not involve the structured identification, documentation, or management of known errors for future prevention or resolution.
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Configuration management
Why it's wrong here
Configuration management, as part of the service configuration management practice, is responsible for maintaining accurate and verified information about all configuration items (CIs) and their relationships throughout their lifecycle. This includes hardware, software, documentation, and services. While CIs might be associated with problems or known errors, configuration management's scope is the data about the components, not the management of the known errors themselves.
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Problem management
Why this is correct
Problem management is the practice responsible for reducing the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes of incidents, and managing workarounds and known errors. A known error is a problem that has been analyzed and has a documented root cause and a workaround. Problem management systematically tracks these known errors, facilitating their resolution and preventing recurring incidents.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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