ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
During a major incident, a temporary workaround is implemented to restore service. Which ITIL 4 practice is responsible for documenting this workaround and managing it until a permanent solution is available?
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
✓
Problem Management
Problem Management includes the error control phase, which manages known errors and workarounds. Incident Management resolves incidents but does not formally manage workarounds for known errors. Change Enablement and Service Level Management are not responsible for workarounds.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Service Level Management
Why it's wrong here
Service Level Management (SLM) focuses on defining, monitoring, and reporting on the agreed-upon quality and performance of services, as documented in Service Level Agreements (SLAs). While service availability and performance might be impacted by incidents, SLM does not directly manage the technical implementation or documentation of temporary workarounds for underlying problems. Its role is about ensuring service delivery meets targets, not managing the lifecycle of problem resolution tactics.
- ✓
Problem Management
Why this is correct
Problem Management is the ITIL practice responsible for reducing the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying and resolving their root causes. When a temporary workaround is implemented during a major incident, Problem Management formally documents this solution, often within a Known Error Record, making it accessible for future incident resolution. This practice ensures that temporary fixes are tracked and systematically addressed for permanent resolution, preventing recurrence.
- ✗
Change Enablement
Why it's wrong here
Change Enablement is primarily concerned with maximizing successful service and product changes by ensuring risks are properly assessed, authorized, and managed. While a permanent fix to a problem might eventually be implemented as a change, the initial implementation and ongoing management of a temporary workaround during an incident does not fall under Change Enablement's scope. Its focus is on the authorization and coordination of planned modifications, not the tactical application or documentation of interim solutions.
- ✗
Incident Management
Why it's wrong here
Incident Management's core objective is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible, minimizing the business impact of service disruptions. Although Incident Management teams frequently apply workarounds to achieve rapid service restoration, they are not typically responsible for the formal documentation, analysis, or long-term management of these workarounds as known errors. Its focus is immediate resolution and service restoration, not the systematic investigation of root causes or the lifecycle management of temporary fixes.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on ITIL4F
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. During a major incident, a workaround is implemented to restore service. Later, the service desk continues to use the workaround to help users. According to ITIL 4, where should this workaround be documented?
medium- A.In a change request
- ✓ B.In a known error record in the KEDB
- C.In the configuration management system (CMS)
- D.In the incident record only
Why B: According to ITIL 4, a workaround that is used repeatedly after a major incident should be documented in a known error record within the Known Error Database (KEDB). This ensures that the workaround is formally captured, linked to the underlying problem, and available for future incidents, rather than being lost in a single incident record or change request.
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.