ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are purposes or activities of the Problem Management practice?
⚠ Common exam trap
ITIL4F often tests the boundary between Problem Management and Incident Management — candidates pick 'restore normal service operation' because it sounds like problem resolution, but that is Incident Management's purpose.
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
✓
Identify the root cause of incidents
Problem Management is the ITIL practice whose core purpose is to reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying their actual and potential causes, so option A ('Identify the root cause of incidents') is correct because root cause analysis is the central investigative activity of the practice. Option B ('Document known errors and workarounds') is correct because once a root cause is understood and a permanent fix is not yet in place, Problem Management records the known error in the known error database and documents workarounds that can be used by Incident Management. Option C ('Proactively prevent incidents from occurring') is correct because Problem Management includes proactive problem management, which analyzes trends and identifies potential failures to eliminate or mitigate them before they cause incidents. Option D is incorrect because assessing and authorizing changes belongs to the Change Enablement practice, even when the change resolves a known error. Option E is incorrect because restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible is the purpose of the Incident Management practice, not Problem Management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Identify the root cause of incidents
Why this is correct
Problem Management's core purpose is to analyze recurring incidents or significant single incidents to determine their underlying causes. This activity, primarily conducted during the Problem Control phase, involves detailed investigation and diagnosis. By pinpointing the root cause, Problem Management aims to eliminate the source of disruption, preventing future recurrences and improving overall service stability.
- ✓
Document known errors and workarounds
Why this is correct
A critical activity within Problem Management, specifically during the Error Control phase, is the documentation of known errors. A known error is a problem for which the root cause has been identified but not yet resolved. Concurrently, Problem Management develops and documents temporary workarounds, which are crucial for Incident Management to restore service quickly while a permanent solution is being implemented.
- ✓
Proactively prevent incidents from occurring
Why this is correct
Proactive Problem Management is a key aspect, focusing on preventing incidents before they even occur. This involves analyzing trend data from past incidents, monitoring infrastructure components for potential weaknesses, and identifying risks that could lead to future service disruptions. By addressing these potential issues proactively, Problem Management significantly reduces the overall volume and impact of incidents.
- ✗
Assess and authorize changes to resolve known errors
Why it's wrong here
While Problem Management often initiates change requests to implement permanent solutions for known errors, it does not hold the responsibility for assessing or authorizing those changes. The formal assessment, prioritization, and authorization of changes are distinct activities performed by the Change Enablement practice. Problem Management's role concludes with proposing the necessary solution and submitting the request.
- ✗
Restore normal service operation as quickly as possible
Why it's wrong here
This statement precisely defines the primary objective of Incident Management, which is focused on minimizing the impact of service disruptions by restoring normal operations rapidly. Problem Management, in contrast, has a different scope; its goal is to understand and eliminate the underlying causes of incidents to prevent their recurrence, rather than just addressing their immediate impact.
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Same concept, more angles
8 more ways this is tested on ITIL4F
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which THREE of the following are key activities of the Problem Management practice?
hard- ✓ A.Problem identification
- ✓ B.Error control
- C.Change authorization
- ✓ D.Problem control
- E.Incident resolution
Why A: Problem identification (A) is a core Problem Management activity because it detects and logs problems — often by analyzing incident trends and recurring patterns — so their root causes can be investigated. Error control (B) is correct because it covers managing known errors throughout their lifecycle, including recording them in the known error database, assessing workarounds, and tracking them until a permanent fix is implemented. Problem control (D) is correct because it is the activity of investigating and analyzing problems to determine root causes and identify permanent solutions. Change authorization (C) belongs to Change Enablement (change control), which assesses and authorizes changes, not to Problem Management. Incident resolution (E) belongs to Incident Management, whose goal is to restore service quickly, whereas Problem Management focuses on eliminating the underlying causes of incidents.
Variation 2. Which THREE of the following are activities of the Problem Management practice?
hard- ✓ A.Problem identification
- ✓ B.Root cause analysis
- C.Managing changes
- ✓ D.Managing known errors
- E.Monitoring services for events
Why A: 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.
Variation 3. Which THREE of the following are key activities of the Problem Management practice?
hard- ✓ A.Problem identification
- ✓ B.Root cause analysis
- C.Restoring service as quickly as possible
- ✓ D.Managing known errors
- E.Fulfilling service requests
Why A: Problem Identification is a key activity of Problem Management, which involves detecting and logging problems through analysis of incidents, alerts, or proactive monitoring. This activity ensures that underlying issues are recognized before they cause widespread service disruption, aligning with the ITIL 4 Problem Management practice's focus on preventing incidents and minimizing their impact.
Variation 4. Which THREE of the following are key activities of Problem Management?
hard- A.Restoring service as quickly as possible
- ✓ B.Problem identification
- ✓ C.Creating known error records
- D.Authorizing changes
- ✓ E.Root cause analysis
Why B: Problem Management is the ITIL practice responsible for managing the lifecycle of problems, and its core activities include problem identification (option B), which involves detecting and logging problems from incident trends, monitoring alerts, or supplier notifications so they can be investigated. It also performs root cause analysis (option E), using techniques such as the 5 Whys, Kepner-Tregoe, or Ishikawa diagrams to determine the underlying cause of one or more incidents. Once the cause is understood, Problem Management creates known error records (option C) documenting the problem, its root cause, and any workaround, which are stored in the known error database to support faster future incident resolution. Option A, restoring service as quickly as possible, is an Incident Management objective, not a Problem Management activity. Option D, authorizing changes, belongs to Change Enablement (Change Management), which reviews and approves changes via the change authority, even though Problem Management may raise an RFC to implement a permanent fix.
Variation 5. Which TWO of the following are key activities of Problem Management?
medium- ✓ A.Conducting root cause analysis
- B.Authorizing changes to resolve incidents
- C.Restoring normal service as quickly as possible
- D.Managing service requests from users
- ✓ E.Identifying problems from incidents
Why A: Problem management includes problem identification and root cause analysis (problem control). Restoring service is incident management, and managing changes is change enablement.
Variation 6. Which practice in ITIL 4 includes the activities of problem identification, problem control, and error control?
hard- A.Incident Management
- B.Change Enablement
- C.Service Level Management
- ✓ D.Problem Management
Why D: Problem Management is the ITIL 4 practice specifically designed to manage the lifecycle of all problems. Its core activities are problem identification (detecting and logging problems), problem control (analyzing and documenting workarounds and root causes), and error control (managing known errors through the lifecycle until a permanent resolution is implemented).
Variation 7. Which TWO activities are part of the problem identification phase of Problem Management?
medium- A.Organizing workarounds into known-error records
- ✓ B.Trend analysis of incident records
- C.Root cause analysis
- ✓ D.Analyzing incident data for patterns
- E.Implementing a known error
Why B: Problem identification involves proactively identifying potential problems. The correct activities are trend analysis of incident records (option B) and analyzing incident data for patterns (option D). These help detect recurring issues. Option A (organizing workarounds into known-error records) is part of error control, not identification. Option C (root cause analysis) is part of problem control. Option E (implementing a known error) is also error control.
Variation 8. In the context of ITIL 4, which activity is part of Problem Management but NOT part of Incident Management?
hard- A.Applying workarounds to restore service
- ✓ B.Conducting root cause analysis
- C.Logging and categorizing issues
- D.Escalating issues to higher-level support
Why B: Root cause analysis is the defining activity of Problem Management: it seeks to identify and eliminate the underlying cause of one or more incidents. Incident Management focuses on restoring service quickly, often through workarounds, and does not own the deeper causal investigation. This makes root cause analysis the activity unique to Problem Management.
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert exam blueprint
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.