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ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question

Which THREE of the following are activities of the Problem Management practice?

⚠ Common exam trap

ITIL4F often tests the boundary between Problem Management and other practices, tricking candidates into selecting activities that belong to Change Enablement or Monitoring and Event Management.

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

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Problem identification

Problem identification (A) is a core Problem Management activity because the practice must detect and log problems, often from recurring incidents or major incidents, so they can be investigated. Root cause analysis (B) is central to Problem Management, which seeks to determine the underlying cause of incidents and problems to prevent recurrence. Managing known errors (D) is also a Problem Management responsibility, as known errors are problems with a documented root cause and workaround that must be recorded, maintained, and made available to support teams. Managing changes (C) belongs to Change Enablement, which authorizes and schedules changes, not Problem Management. Monitoring services for events (E) is an activity of Service Desk or Monitoring and Event Management, since it focuses on detecting and correlating events rather than investigating problem root causes.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

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Problem identification
Why this is correct
Problem identification is a foundational activity within Problem Management, initiating the process by detecting and logging potential or actual problems. This involves analyzing incident trends, reviewing service desk data, and receiving direct input from various stakeholders to proactively identify recurring issues or single, high-impact events that warrant deeper investigation. The goal is to move beyond mere symptom treatment to understand underlying causes.
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Root cause analysis
Why this is correct
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a critical activity performed during the 'problem control' phase of Problem Management. It involves a systematic investigation to determine the fundamental cause of an identified problem, rather than just addressing its symptoms. Employing techniques such as '5 Whys', Ishikawa diagrams, or fault tree analysis, RCA aims to uncover the true origin of service disruptions, enabling the development of effective and lasting solutions to prevent recurrence.
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Managing changes
Why it's wrong here
Managing changes is primarily an activity of the Change Enablement practice, not Problem Management. Change Enablement focuses on ensuring that all changes to services and products are assessed, authorized, and implemented in a controlled manner to minimize risk and maximize value. While Problem Management may identify the need for a change to resolve a known error, the actual governance and execution of that change fall under the purview of Change Enablement.
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Managing known errors
Why this is correct
Managing known errors is a key activity within the 'error control' phase of Problem Management. A known error is a problem that has a documented root cause and a workaround, but no permanent solution has yet been implemented. Problem Management is responsible for documenting these known errors and their associated workarounds, making them accessible to Incident Management to facilitate faster incident resolution and minimize business impact until a permanent fix is deployed.
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Monitoring services for events
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring services for events is a core activity of the Monitoring and Event Management practice, not Problem Management. This practice systematically observes services and service components to record and report selected changes of state, known as events. While events can serve as indicators that trigger problem identification, the continuous process of detecting and logging these events is distinct from Problem Management's focus on investigating underlying causes and managing known errors.

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ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question

Why each option matters

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