ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are types of changes in ITIL 4 Change Enablement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse ITIL practices (Incident, Problem, Service Request) with change types, because all are service management activities, but only Standard, Emergency, and Normal are valid change categories in Change Enablement.
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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Emergency change
In ITIL 4 Change Enablement, changes are categorized into three types: standard, emergency, and normal. Option A (Emergency change) is correct because it refers to a change that must be implemented as soon as possible, often to resolve a major incident or security vulnerability, and follows a specific expedited process with minimized authorization steps. Option B (Standard change) is correct as it is a pre-authorized, low-risk change that follows a defined procedure, such as a routine patch deployment or password reset.
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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Emergency change
Why this is correct
An emergency change is a type of change in ITIL 4 characterized by its high urgency and necessity to resolve an incident or implement a critical security fix with immediate impact. These changes bypass some steps of the normal change process due to their critical nature, requiring expedited authorization to restore service or mitigate severe risks quickly. Their primary goal is to minimize disruption or prevent catastrophic failure, often involving significant risk due to reduced assessment.
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Standard change
Why this is correct
A standard change is a pre-authorized, low-risk change that is frequently implemented and follows a well-defined procedure. These changes are typically initiated as service requests and do not require additional authorization once the procedure is established and approved, making them highly efficient. Examples include password resets or provisioning a standard virtual machine, streamlining common operational activities.
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Incident
Why it's wrong here
An incident represents an unplanned interruption to a service or a reduction in the quality of a service, as defined by ITIL 4. It is a reactive event that requires immediate resolution to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible, not a planned modification. Unlike a change, which is a deliberate activity to alter a service, an incident signifies a deviation from expected service delivery.
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Problem
Why it's wrong here
A problem, in ITIL 4, is the cause of one or more incidents, even if the causes are not yet known. Problem management focuses on identifying the root cause of incidents to prevent their recurrence, rather than being a change itself. While the resolution of a problem often leads to a change (e.g., a fix or improvement), the problem itself is a state of underlying cause, not the modification activity.
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Service request
Why it's wrong here
A service request is a formal request from a user for something standard, such as information, advice, a pre-defined service component, or access to a service. While some service requests might trigger a standard change (e.g., requesting a new laptop), the service request itself is the user's interaction point and demand for a service, not the underlying change activity. It represents a user's need for provisioned resources or information, distinct from a planned modification to the IT infrastructure.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.