ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
Which type of change is pre-approved and follows a defined procedure with minimal risk?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'standard change' with 'normal change' because both are routine, but standard change is the only one that is pre-approved and follows a low-risk, predefined procedure without requiring a new CAB decision each time.
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
✓
Standard change
A standard change is pre-approved by the change authority and follows a defined, low-risk procedure. It does not require a separate change advisory board (CAB) meeting for each occurrence, as its risk is well-understood and the implementation steps are documented and repeatable.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Normal change
Why it's wrong here
Normal changes are non-standard service changes that require a full assessment and authorization process before implementation. Unlike the pre-approved nature of standard changes, normal changes typically necessitate a comprehensive evaluation of risk and impact, often involving a change authority or Change Advisory Board (CAB) for approval. They are not pre-authorized and do not simply follow a pre-defined procedure without prior assessment, making them unsuitable for the description.
- ✗
Urgent change
Why it's wrong here
"Urgent change" is not a recognized or official change type within the ITIL 4 framework. While changes can certainly be urgent in nature, ITIL categorizes them based on their approval process and risk profile, such as Standard, Normal, or Emergency. The term "urgent" describes the priority or timing requirement of a change, rather than its classification as a distinct type with a specific, pre-approved procedural path.
- ✗
Emergency change
Why it's wrong here
Emergency changes are implemented to resolve an incident or implement a critical security patch with extreme urgency, often to restore service or prevent significant business impact. While they follow a defined, albeit highly expedited, process for assessment and authorization, they are explicitly not pre-approved in the routine sense. Approval for emergency changes is typically granted by a small number of authorized individuals, often retrospectively, due to the critical nature and high risk involved.
- ✓
Standard change
Why this is correct
Standard changes are low-risk, frequently occurring changes that are pre-authorized and do not require additional approval before implementation. They follow a well-documented, repeatable procedure that is already established and proven, making their execution efficient and predictable. This pre-approval and adherence to a defined process directly aligns with the question's description, as they are managed without needing a full assessment each time.
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