In ITIL, what is a change?
ITIL 4 Foundation, objective 7. Seven ITIL practices in detail easy
Draft — not checked yet. This question was written from the published exam objectives and cites the clause it comes from, but nobody has yet read it against that clause and signed for it.
It is kept out of search results and out of mock exams until they have. Read the source below before you take the answer as settled.
The options
Not correct Any modification to production infrastructure or application code
Too narrow. It excludes changes to documentation, processes and supplier relationships, all of which fall within the scope of change enablement.
Correct The addition, modification or removal of anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services
Correct. The definition is deliberately broad and outcome-based: what matters is potential effect on services, not whether the item is a server, a document or a supplier arrangement.
Not correct An unplanned interruption to a service, or a reduction in its quality
That is the definition of an incident. Incidents may prompt changes, but the two terms are distinct.
Not correct A request from a user for something normal to be provided, such as access or information
That is a service request. Some service requests are fulfilled by carrying out standard changes, but the request itself is not the definition of a change.
Why
The definition hinges on potential effect on services, direct or indirect. That is why change enablement's scope extends beyond code and hardware to documentation, processes and supplier relationships. Confusing it with 'incident' or 'service request' is the common error, because those adjacent terms are defined in the same part of the syllabus.
Where this comes from
- Cited
- ITIL 4 syllabus clause 7
- What it says
- A change is the addition, modification or removal of anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services.
Practise this
Reading one question is not practice. The trainer will draw a set from objective 7 and space the ones you get wrong.