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?
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
✓
Service request, because it is a pre-defined and pre-approved request
New laptop provisioning is a standard, pre-approved request, thus a service request.
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, because it may indicate a recurring issue
Why it's wrong here
A Problem in ITIL 4 refers to the unknown cause of one or more Incidents, requiring investigation to prevent recurrence. A user requesting a new laptop for a new employee is a planned, standard request for a service, not an indication of an underlying issue or defect causing service interruption. Therefore, classifying it as a Problem would be incorrect, as there is no service failure or recurring issue to investigate.
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Incident, because the user has a need
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. The user's request for a new laptop for a new employee is a planned, standard request for a new service provision, not an unexpected disruption or degradation of an existing service. It represents a normal business need being fulfilled, rather than an unplanned event requiring immediate restoration.
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Service request, because it is a pre-defined and pre-approved 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, often pre-defined, pre-approved, and fulfilled through a standard process. Providing a new laptop for a new employee is a classic example of a standard, repeatable service offering that fits within established workflows and policies. This type of request is typically handled efficiently through automated or semi-automated fulfillment processes.
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Change request, because it involves procuring hardware
Why it's wrong here
A Change Request (or Request for Change - RFC) is a formal proposal for an alteration of a service, product, or system, typically for non-standard or higher-risk modifications requiring assessment and authorization. While procuring and configuring a new laptop involves underlying 'changes' to the IT environment, the user's initial request for a standard item is managed as a Service Request. The Service Request practice is designed to streamline these common requests, which then trigger the necessary internal changes through predefined workflows, rather than requiring the user to submit an RFC.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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