ITIL4F Four Dimensions of IT Service Management Practice Question
An IT service desk analyst receives a call that users cannot access the CRM system. What should they do FIRST according to ITIL 4?
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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Log an incident and attempt to restore service
The first step is to log an incident to restore service as quickly as possible.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Log an incident and attempt to restore service
Why this is correct
An incident, as defined by ITIL, is an unplanned interruption to a service or a reduction in the quality of a service. The primary objective of the incident management practice is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible, thereby minimizing the business impact. Therefore, logging an incident is the correct initial step to formally record the disruption and initiate the process of service restoration. The service desk analyst should immediately begin troubleshooting to resolve the issue and restore functionality.
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Submit a change request to modify the system
Why it's wrong here
A change request, under ITIL's change enablement practice, is a formal proposal to add, modify, or remove anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services. Submitting one as the first response to an unplanned service disruption is incorrect because it implies a planned modification, not an urgent restoration of an existing service. Introducing a change without proper assessment and authorization could further destabilize the system or introduce new risks, rather than resolving the immediate outage.
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Create a problem record to investigate the root cause
Why it's wrong here
Problem management aims to reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying and resolving the root causes of actual and potential incidents. While crucial for long-term stability and service improvement, creating a problem record is typically initiated after an incident has occurred and often after service has been restored, or when recurring incidents indicate an underlying issue. The immediate priority during an active service disruption is restoring service, not deep root cause analysis.
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Escalate to the vendor as a service request
Why it's wrong here
A service request is a formal request from a user for something standard that is part of normal service delivery, such as a password reset, access to an application, or information. An unplanned service outage, where users cannot access a critical system, clearly constitutes an incident, not a routine service request. Escalating it incorrectly as a service request would miscategorize the issue, potentially delaying the urgent incident response and restoration efforts due to incorrect routing and prioritization.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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