The correct choice is to analyze the incident from March 15 to identify the root cause of slow transactions. This is the proper application of ITIL problem management, which focuses on diagnosing the underlying technical reason for a failure rather than simply restoring service. When a response time target is missed despite meeting availability, the degradation points to a specific performance bottleneck—such as database contention or network latency—that requires root cause analysis to resolve permanently. On the ITIL 4 Foundation exam, this scenario tests your understanding that problem management is distinct from incident management; a common trap is to adjust service level targets (options B or C) instead of fixing the actual performance issue. Remember the memory tip: “Availability is up, but response is down—don’t adjust the crown, dig for the root.”
ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
This ITIL4F practice question tests your understanding of itil management practices. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Service Level Agreement (SLA) excerpt:
Service: Online Banking
Availability Target: 99.9% uptime per month
Response Time: 95% of transactions under 2 seconds
Monthly Report:
Uptime: 99.95%
Transactions under 2 seconds: 93%
Incident Record: INC-456
Description: Slow transaction processing on March 15
Priority: Medium
Status: Closed
Refer to the exhibit. The monthly report shows that the availability target was met but the response time target was not. What should the service provider do to improve response time?
Refer to the exhibit.
Service Level Agreement (SLA) excerpt:
Service: Online Banking
Availability Target: 99.9% uptime per month
Response Time: 95% of transactions under 2 seconds
Monthly Report:
Uptime: 99.95%
Transactions under 2 seconds: 93%
Incident Record: INC-456
Description: Slow transaction processing on March 15
Priority: Medium
Status: Closed
A
Close the incident as it is resolved and focus on other issues
Why wrong: Closing the incident without analysis would miss the opportunity to prevent recurrence.
B
Increase the response time target to 99%
Why wrong: Increasing the target would not improve actual performance; it would make the target harder to achieve.
C
Adjust the availability target to 99.95%
Why wrong: Availability is already above target; adjusting it does not address response time.
D
Analyze the incident from March 15 to identify the root cause of slow transactions
Analyzing the incident can reveal performance bottlenecks and help improve response time.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Analyze the incident from March 15 to identify the root cause of slow transactions
Option D is correct because the incident from March 15 is the only event where response time degraded (slow transactions), and analyzing its root cause is the proper ITIL problem management practice. Simply closing the incident (A) ignores the underlying issue, while adjusting targets (B, C) does not fix the actual performance problem. Root cause analysis (D) enables the service provider to identify and resolve the specific technical bottleneck, such as database contention or network latency, that caused the slow response.
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.
✗
Close the incident as it is resolved and focus on other issues
Why it's wrong here
Closing the incident without analysis would miss the opportunity to prevent recurrence.
✗
Increase the response time target to 99%
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the target would not improve actual performance; it would make the target harder to achieve.
✗
Adjust the availability target to 99.95%
Why it's wrong here
Availability is already above target; adjusting it does not address response time.
✓
Analyze the incident from March 15 to identify the root cause of slow transactions
Why this is correct
Analyzing the incident can reveal performance bottlenecks and help improve response time.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse adjusting service level targets (a reactive, non-solution) with performing root cause analysis (the correct ITIL problem management action), thinking that changing a metric can fix a performance issue.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ITIL 4, the incident from March 15 represents a 'known error' that requires root cause analysis (RCA) under problem management. Slow transaction response times often stem from database query inefficiencies, insufficient CPU/memory resources, or network congestion—issues that cannot be resolved by altering service level targets. Real-world scenarios might involve a misconfigured load balancer or a deadlock in a SQL database, where only a detailed analysis of logs and metrics (e.g., response time percentiles, thread dumps) can pinpoint the fix.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
ITIL Management Practices — This question tests ITIL Management Practices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Analyze the incident from March 15 to identify the root cause of slow transactions — Option D is correct because the incident from March 15 is the only event where response time degraded (slow transactions), and analyzing its root cause is the proper ITIL problem management practice. Simply closing the incident (A) ignores the underlying issue, while adjusting targets (B, C) does not fix the actual performance problem. Root cause analysis (D) enables the service provider to identify and resolve the specific technical bottleneck, such as database contention or network latency, that caused the slow response.
What should I do if I get this ITIL4F question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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