ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
An organization has identified that a recurring incident is caused by a specific software bug. The bug has been documented, and a workaround is known. What phase of Problem Management is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse Problem Control (which includes diagnosing the root cause and finding a workaround) with Error Control (which manages the known error after the workaround is known), leading them to select B when the question explicitly states the bug is already documented and a workaround is known.
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
✓
Error Control
Error Control. In ITIL 4, once a problem has been identified and analyzed (Problem Control), and a known error (the documented bug with a workaround) is created, the lifecycle moves to Error Control. This phase manages known errors through their lifecycle, focusing on finding a permanent resolution (e.g., a software patch) while the workaround is used in the interim. The question explicitly states the bug is documented and a workaround exists, which are the hallmarks of a known error under Error Control.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Problem Identification
Why it's wrong here
Problem Identification is the initial stage within the Problem Management practice, focusing on detecting and logging potential problems. This involves recognizing patterns from various sources, such as recurring incidents, service desk trends, or monitoring alerts, to initiate an investigation into their underlying causes. While a recurring incident would trigger this, the question implies a stage beyond just the initial detection and logging of the potential problem.
- ✗
Problem Control
Why it's wrong here
Problem Control is the second phase of the Problem Management practice, primarily dedicated to analyzing identified problems to determine their root causes. This phase involves activities like data analysis, diagnostic testing, and collaboration with technical teams to understand the underlying issues. While a recurring incident would certainly be subject to root cause analysis here, the question's context of managing a *known* recurring issue points to a later stage where the error is already identified.
- ✓
Error Control
Why this is correct
Error Control is the final phase of the Problem Management practice, specifically focused on managing known errors and their associated workarounds. Once a problem's root cause is identified and documented as a known error, Error Control ensures its impact is minimized through effective workarounds and that permanent solutions are developed and implemented via change enablement. For a recurring incident, this practice manages the ongoing response until the underlying known error is permanently resolved.
- ✗
Incident Management
Why it's wrong here
Incident Management is a distinct ITIL practice focused on restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible, minimizing the business impact of service interruptions. While a recurring incident is handled by Incident Management each time it occurs, this practice primarily addresses the immediate restoration, not the investigation or long-term resolution of the underlying cause of its recurrence. The question implies a strategic approach to the *recurrence* itself, which falls under Problem Management.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every ITIL4F question from scratch — 805 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.