ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
This ITIL4F practice question tests your understanding of itil management practices. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user requests a new laptop because their current one is failing frequently. The service desk analyst determines that the user is eligible for a replacement under the existing policy. What type of record should the analyst create?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Service request
The user is requesting a standard, pre-approved service (a laptop replacement under an existing policy), which is a classic service request. Service requests are defined in ITIL 4 as the formal request from a user for something to be provided – such as a new device – and follow a standard, low-risk procedure. This is not an incident (a failure) or a problem (a root cause), and it does not require a change request because the replacement is already authorized by policy.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 record
Why it's wrong here
A problem is the underlying cause of incidents. No incidents are being investigated.
✓
Service request
Why this is correct
A service request is a pre-defined, standardized request that follows an established procedure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Incident record
Why it's wrong here
An incident is an unplanned interruption. The laptop is not currently failing; the request is proactive.
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Change request
Why it's wrong here
A change request is for modifying infrastructure. A standard laptop replacement is a service request.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse a 'failing laptop' with an 'incident,' but the question explicitly states the user is eligible for a replacement under an existing policy, making it a service request, not an incident record.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ITIL 4, service requests are typically fulfilled through a service request management process that uses predefined workflows and approvals, often automated via a service catalog. The key distinction is that service requests are for standard, low-risk, pre-approved items (like a laptop refresh), whereas incidents are unplanned and changes require formal assessment and authorization. A real-world scenario: if a user's laptop is failing but the policy allows replacement every 3 years, the analyst creates a service request; if the laptop suddenly crashes and data is lost, that would be an incident.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the ITIL4F exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
ITIL Management Practices — This question tests ITIL Management Practices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Service request — The user is requesting a standard, pre-approved service (a laptop replacement under an existing policy), which is a classic service request. Service requests are defined in ITIL 4 as the formal request from a user for something to be provided – such as a new device – and follow a standard, low-risk procedure. This is not an incident (a failure) or a problem (a root cause), and it does not require a change request because the replacement is already authorized by policy.
What should I do if I get this ITIL4F question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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