Quick Answer
The answer is Problem Management. This practice is correct because its primary purpose is to perform root cause analysis on incidents to identify underlying causes and implement permanent fixes that prevent recurrence. In ITIL 4, Problem Management focuses on diagnosing the root cause of one or more incidents, whereas Incident Management is concerned only with restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible. On the ITIL 4 Foundation exam, this distinction is a common trap—many candidates mistakenly select Incident Management because the question mentions a major incident, but the key action is analyzing the root cause to prevent recurrence, which is the exclusive domain of Problem Management. A useful memory tip is to think of the “P” in Problem Management as standing for “Permanent fix,” while the “I” in Incident Management stands for “Immediate restoration.”
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.
After a major incident, an IT team decides to analyze the root cause to prevent recurrence. Which practice is being applied?
Change Management
Why wrong: Change Management controls modifications, not root cause analysis.
Service Desk
Why wrong: Service Desk handles user communication and initial incident logging, not root cause analysis.
Incident Management
Why wrong: Incident Management focuses on restoring service quickly, not root cause analysis.
Problem Management
Problem Management investigates the root cause of incidents to find permanent solutions.
Answer choices
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 (D) is correct because its primary purpose is to analyze the root cause of incidents and prevent recurrence. After a major incident, the team performs root cause analysis (RCA) to identify underlying issues and implement permanent fixes, which is a core activity of Problem Management, not Incident Management.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Change Management
Why it's wrong here
Change Management controls modifications, not root cause analysis.
Service Desk
Why it's wrong here
Service Desk handles user communication and initial incident logging, not root cause analysis.
Incident Management
Why it's wrong here
Incident Management focuses on restoring service quickly, not root cause analysis.
Problem Management
Why this is correct
Problem Management investigates the root cause of incidents to find permanent solutions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing Incident Management (restoring service quickly) with Problem Management (preventing recurrence), as both deal with incidents but have distinct objectives and processes.
Detailed technical explanation
In ITIL 4, Problem Management includes both reactive and proactive activities. Reactive Problem Management investigates incidents that have already occurred, using techniques like 5 Whys or Kepner-Tregoe to identify root causes. Proactive Problem Management analyzes trends and data (e.g., from monitoring tools) to prevent incidents before they happen. A real-world example: after a database crash caused by a memory leak, Problem Management would analyze the leak's source, create a known error record, and submit a change request to patch the code, while Incident Management would have simply restored the database from backup.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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Four Dimensions of IT Service Management — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Four Dimensions of IT Service Management — This question tests Four Dimensions of IT Service Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Problem Management — Problem Management (D) is correct because its primary purpose is to analyze the root cause of incidents and prevent recurrence. After a major incident, the team performs root cause analysis (RCA) to identify underlying issues and implement permanent fixes, which is a core activity of Problem Management, not Incident Management.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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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