ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
A user requests a new laptop for an employee who has just joined the company. 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
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A service request
A new laptop request for a new employee is a standardized, pre-approved service request because it follows predefined procedures (e.g., provisioning a standard device). It is not an incident (unplanned interruption), a problem (root cause analysis), or an emergency change (urgent, high-risk alteration). In ITIL 4, service requests are the correct classification for such common, low-risk requests.
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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An emergency change
Why it's wrong here
An emergency change in ITIL 4 is a specific type of change, typically reserved for urgent actions required to restore service or mitigate a critical security risk, bypassing some normal change authorization processes due to extreme time sensitivity. Requesting a new laptop for a new employee is a planned, routine operational activity, not an urgent service restoration or risk mitigation effort, and therefore does not qualify as an emergency change.
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A problem
Why it's wrong here
In ITIL 4, a problem is defined as a cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents. Problem management focuses on identifying the root causes of incidents and preventing their recurrence, often through structured analysis and resolution. A user's request for a new laptop is a demand for a new service or resource, not an underlying cause of service disruption or a defect in the IT infrastructure.
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A service request
Why this is correct
A service request, according to ITIL 4, 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. Providing a new laptop for an employee falls squarely into this category as it is a predefined, often pre-approved, and routine fulfillment action for a standard item of equipment. These requests typically follow a streamlined, automated workflow.
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An incident
Why it's wrong here
An incident, in ITIL 4, is an unplanned interruption to a service or a reduction in the quality of a service. The primary objective of incident management is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible. A request for a new laptop is a deliberate, planned action to provision a new asset, not an unexpected disruption or degradation of an existing service, making it distinct from an incident.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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