The correct answer is an incident record. In ITIL 4, an incident is defined as any unplanned interruption to a service or a reduction in its quality, and because users are unable to log in after the maintenance window, this represents a clear loss of service functionality. This scenario tests your ability to distinguish between an incident, which is the immediate service disruption, and a problem, which is the underlying root cause that would be investigated later after incidents are logged. On the ITIL 4 Foundation exam, this is a classic trap: candidates often confuse a post-maintenance issue with a change or problem, but the key is that the service is currently broken, not being modified or awaiting a root cause analysis. A helpful memory tip is to think of an incident as the “symptom” you see first—like a fever—while a problem is the “disease” you diagnose later.
ITIL4F Four Dimensions of IT Service Management Practice Question
This ITIL4F practice question tests your understanding of four dimensions of it service management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An organisation's IT service desk is receiving a high volume of calls about users being unable to log in to the payroll system following a scheduled maintenance window. According to ITIL 4, what type of record should be raised?
Why wrong: A problem record is raised to find the root cause of incidents. The first step is to raise an incident to restore service.
B
An incident record
An unplanned interruption or degradation of an IT service is an incident. The immediate goal is service restoration.
C
A service request
Why wrong: Service requests are for pre-approved, routine requests (password resets, new software). An unplanned login failure is an incident, not a service request.
D
A change request
Why wrong: A change request is used to modify infrastructure. Reversing a change may be the solution, but the disruption itself must first be logged as an incident.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An incident record
Option B is correct because an unplanned interruption to a service is an incident. Even though it occurred after maintenance, users are now unable to access the service, which constitutes a loss of service — the definition of an incident. Option A is wrong because a problem is the underlying cause of incidents, which is investigated after incidents are logged. Option C is wrong because a change request is used to modify IT infrastructure, not to record service disruptions. Option D is wrong because a service request is for pre-approved, routine fulfilments.
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.
✗
A problem record
Why it's wrong here
A problem record is raised to find the root cause of incidents. The first step is to raise an incident to restore service.
✓
An incident record
Why this is correct
An unplanned interruption or degradation of an IT service is an incident. The immediate goal is service restoration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A service request
Why it's wrong here
Service requests are for pre-approved, routine requests (password resets, new software). An unplanned login failure is an incident, not a service request.
✗
A change request
Why it's wrong here
A change request is used to modify infrastructure. Reversing a change may be the solution, but the disruption itself must first be logged as an incident.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 ITIL4F exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Four Dimensions of IT Service Management — This question tests Four Dimensions of IT Service Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: An incident record — Option B is correct because an unplanned interruption to a service is an incident. Even though it occurred after maintenance, users are now unable to access the service, which constitutes a loss of service — the definition of an incident. Option A is wrong because a problem is the underlying cause of incidents, which is investigated after incidents are logged. Option C is wrong because a change request is used to modify IT infrastructure, not to record service disruptions. Option D is wrong because a service request is for pre-approved, routine fulfilments.
What should I do if I get this ITIL4F question wrong?
Identify which ITIL4F exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A service desk analyst receives a call about a user unable to print. The printer is known to have recurring issues. What should the analyst do FIRST?
hard
A.Inform the user that the printer is known to be faulty
B.Submit a change request to replace the printer
✓ C.Log an incident and attempt to restore printing
D.Create a problem record for the recurring issue
Why C: Option A is correct because the first step is to log an incident to restore service. Root cause analysis comes later.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
Question Discussion
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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.
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