ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
A user requests a new laptop for a new employee. According to ITIL 4, how should this request be classified?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse a 'Standard Change' with a 'Service Request,' but ITIL 4 explicitly separates them: a Service Request is for requesting something (e.g., a laptop), while a Standard Change is a pre-approved change to an existing service (e.g., modifying a configuration), and the question's phrasing ('requests a new laptop') clearly fits the Service Request definition.
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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Service request
The request for a new laptop for a new employee is a pre-defined, standardized request for a service or service component, which ITIL 4 classifies as a Service Request. This is because it follows an established procedure (e.g., ordering, provisioning, and configuring hardware) and does not involve restoring an unexpected outage or fixing a failure. The ITIL 4 Service Request Practice specifically covers such routine, low-risk, and low-cost requests that are part of normal service delivery.
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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Problem
Why it's wrong here
A Problem, in ITIL 4, is defined as a cause, or potential cause, of one or more Incidents. Its management focuses on identifying the root cause of recurring or significant incidents to prevent future occurrences. Requesting a new laptop for a new employee is a standard, planned operational activity, not an investigation into an underlying cause of service disruption or degradation.
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Service request
Why this is correct
A Service Request is a formal request from a user for something standard that is part of normal service delivery, such as information, advice, a standard change, or access to a service. Provisioning a new laptop for a new employee is a classic example of a pre-defined, low-risk, and often automated service request, following established procedures for fulfillment.
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Emergency change
Why it's wrong here
An Emergency Change is a type of Change that must be implemented as soon as possible, typically to resolve an Incident or implement a security fix. These changes bypass some normal change assessment and authorization steps due to their critical nature. Requesting a new laptop for a new employee is a planned activity with no inherent urgency or immediate impact on service restoration, thus not qualifying as an emergency change.
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Incident
Why it's wrong here
An Incident is defined as an unplanned interruption to a service or a reduction in the quality of a service. Its primary objective is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible. Requesting a new laptop for a new employee is a proactive, planned activity to enable service for a new user, not a reaction to an unexpected service disruption or failure.
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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.