ITIL v3 Release Control & Validation

The ITIL Intermediate Qualification: Release, Control and Validation (RCV) Certificate is a free-standing qualification, but is also part of the ITIL Intermediate Capability stream, and one of the modules that leads to the ITIL Expert in IT Service Management Certificate. The purpose of this training module and the associated exam and certificate is, respectively, to impart, test, and validate the knowledge of industry practices in Service Management as documented in the ITIL Service Lifecycle core publications.

The ITIL Certificate in Release, Control and Validation is intended to enable the holders of the certificate to apply the practices during the Service Management Lifecycle.

Target group

The target group of the ITIL Intermediate Qualification: Release, Control and Validation is:

• Individuals who have attained the v3 ITIL Foundation certificate in Service Management, or the v2 Foundation plus the v3 Foundation Bridge certificate and who wish to advance to higher level ITIL certifications
• Individuals who require a deep understanding of ITIL Certificate in Release, Control and Validation processes and how it may be used to enhance the quality of IT service support within an organisation
• IT professionals that are working within an organisation that has adopted and adapted ITIL who need to be informed about and thereafter contribute to an ongoing service improvement programme
• Operational staff involved in Change Management, Release and Deployment Management, Service Validation and Testing, Service Asset and Configuration Management, Request Fulfilment, Service Evaluation and Knowledge Management, who wish to enhance their role based capabilities

This may include but is not limited to, IT professionals, business managers and business process owners.

Learning objectives

Candidates can expect to gain competencies in the following upon successful completion of the education and examination components related to this certification:

• Service Management as a Practice
• Processes across the Service Lifecycle pertaining to the capability of Release, Control and Validation management
• Change management as a capability to realise successful service transition
• Service validation and testing as a capability to assure the integrity and the quality of service transition
• Service asset and configuration management as a capability to monitor the state of service transition
• Knowledge management as part of enhancing the on-going management decision support and service delivery capability
• Service request fulfilment and evaluation to assure meeting committed service level performance
• Release Control and Validation process roles and responsibilities
• Technology and Implementation Considerations
• Challenges, Critical Success Factors and risks

And specifically in the following key ITIL process and role areas:

• Change management
• Service release and deployment management
• Service validation and testing
• Service asset and configuration management
• Knowledge management
• Request fulfilment
• Service Evaluation

Prerequisite entry criteria

Candidates wishing to be trained and examined for this qualification must already hold the ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management (the v3 Foundation or v2 Foundation plus Bridge Certificate) which shall be presented as documentary evidence to gain admission.

It is also strongly recommended that candidates:

• Demonstrate familiarity with IT terminology and understand the context of Release, Control and Validation management in their own business environment
• Have some experience of working in a service management capacity within a service provider environment, with responsibility relating to at least one of the following service management processes:
  • Change management
  • Release management
  • Configuration management
  • Service evaluation and quality assurance
  • Knowledge management
  • Service validation and testing

It is strongly recommended that candidates read the ITIL Service Lifecycle core publications in advance of attending training for the certification, and in particular the Service Transition and Service Operation books.

Examination

• Eight (8) multiple choice, scenario-based, gradient scored questions over 90 minutes
• Each question will have 4 possible answer options, one of which is worth 5 marks, one which is worth 3 marks, one which is worth 1 mark, and one which is a distracter and achieves no marks