This ITIL4F practice question tests your understanding of four dimensions of it service management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which of the following is an example of a standard change?
Implementing a new customer relationship management system
Why wrong: This is a normal change requiring approval.
Applying a routine security patch to a server
Correct. Standard changes are pre-approved and routine.
Replacing a failed hard drive in a critical database server
Why wrong: This may be an emergency change if urgent.
Migrating the company's email system to a new platform
Why wrong: This is a major change requiring authorization.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Applying a routine security patch to a server
A standard change is a pre-approved, low-risk, well-known procedure that follows a defined workflow without requiring additional authorization. Applying a routine security patch to a server fits this definition because it is a common, documented activity with a known risk profile and a pre-established change model, such as a monthly patch cycle governed by an organizational patch management policy.
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.
Implementing a new customer relationship management system
Why it's wrong here
This is a normal change requiring approval.
Applying a routine security patch to a server
Why this is correct
Correct. Standard changes are pre-approved and routine.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Replacing a failed hard drive in a critical database server
Why it's wrong here
This may be an emergency change if urgent.
Migrating the company's email system to a new platform
Why it's wrong here
This is a major change requiring authorization.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'routine' or 'common' activities with 'standard change,' failing to recognize that a standard change must be pre-approved and low-risk, whereas an unplanned repair (like replacing a failed hard drive) is an emergency change, and a large-scale migration or new implementation is a normal change requiring CAB authorization.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, a standard change is defined by a pre-authorized change model that includes a trigger (e.g., a scheduled patch Tuesday), a documented procedure (e.g., using WSUS or SCCM to deploy the patch), and a low-risk profile (e.g., a CVSS score below 7.0). The change is logged in the service management system (e.g., ServiceNow) using a standard change template, and it bypasses the CAB but still requires post-implementation review. In real-world scenarios, organizations often automate standard changes via CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure-as-code, where a routine security patch to a server is deployed using Ansible or Puppet without manual approval, but a failed hard drive replacement triggers an incident record and an emergency change to restore service within SLA.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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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: Applying a routine security patch to a server — A standard change is a pre-approved, low-risk, well-known procedure that follows a defined workflow without requiring additional authorization. Applying a routine security patch to a server fits this definition because it is a common, documented activity with a known risk profile and a pre-established change model, such as a monthly patch cycle governed by an organizational patch management policy.
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
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