This ITIL4F practice question tests your understanding of itil management practices. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 THREE of the following are considered events in the Monitoring and Event Management practice?
A user requesting a password reset
Why wrong: This is a service request, not an event.
A user reporting an application crash
Why wrong: This is an incident, not an event (though it may be triggered by an event).
A server CPU utilization exceeding a threshold
This is an event (warning).
A disk drive failure alert
This is an exception event.
A backup job completing successfully
This is an informational event.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
A server CPU utilization exceeding a threshold
In the Monitoring and Event Management practice, an event is any change of state that has significance for the management of a service or configuration item. Option C is correct because a server CPU utilization exceeding a threshold is a predefined condition that triggers an event, often an 'alert' or 'warning' event, which is automatically detected by monitoring tools (e.g., SNMP traps, Prometheus alerts) and requires attention or automated response.
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.
A user requesting a password reset
Why it's wrong here
This is a service request, not an event.
A user reporting an application crash
Why it's wrong here
This is an incident, not an event (though it may be triggered by an event).
A server CPU utilization exceeding a threshold
Why this is correct
This is an event (warning).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A disk drive failure alert
Why this is correct
This is an exception event.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A backup job completing successfully
Why this is correct
This is an informational event.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing user-initiated communications (requests, incident reports) with system-generated events, leading candidates to incorrectly select A or B because they think any 'notification' qualifies as an event.
Detailed technical explanation
Events are categorized as informational, warning, or exception. A CPU threshold breach (Option C) is typically a warning or exception event generated by an agent or SNMP trap when the utilization exceeds a configured percentage (e.g., 90% for 5 minutes). Disk drive failure alerts (Option D) are exception events from hardware sensors (e.g., S.M.A.R.T. data) or RAID controllers. Backup job completion (Option E) is an informational event logged by backup software (e.g., Veeam, rsync exit code 0) indicating a successful state change. These are all automatically detected, whereas user requests and reports are manual inputs.
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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FAQ
ITIL Management Practices — This question tests ITIL Management Practices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: A server CPU utilization exceeding a threshold — In the Monitoring and Event Management practice, an event is any change of state that has significance for the management of a service or configuration item. Option C is correct because a server CPU utilization exceeding a threshold is a predefined condition that triggers an event, often an 'alert' or 'warning' event, which is automatically detected by monitoring tools (e.g., SNMP traps, Prometheus alerts) and requires attention or automated response.
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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