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100+ Free ITIL 4 Problem Mgmt Practice Questions

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Key Facts: ITIL 4 Problem Mgmt Exam

28/40

Passing Score

70% (PeopleCert)

60 min

Exam Duration

PeopleCert (75 min for non-native English)

40 Qs

Multiple Choice

Closed-book OTQ format

Foundation

Prerequisite

ITIL 4 Foundation required

$310

Exam Fee

PeopleCert voucher (USD)

3 Years

Cert Validity

Renewal via CPD or re-exam

The ITIL 4 Problem Management exam has 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes (75 minutes for non-native English speakers), closed-book, with a 70% pass mark. It covers the problem-management purpose, problem vs incident vs known error vs workaround terminology, the three activity groups (problem identification, problem control, error control), reactive and proactive identification sources, prioritization by impact/frequency/risk, RCA techniques (5 Whys, Fishbone, Pareto, Kepner-Tregoe, Apollo, TapRooT, 5Ws+H, CATWOE, FTA, ETA, Bow-Tie, Cynefin), KEDB content and lifecycle, workaround quality, residual risk acceptance, blameless postmortems, problem metrics (MTTI, recurrences avoided, incident-to-KE linkage), and integration with incident management, change enablement, service configuration management, supplier management, knowledge management, risk management, and continual improvement.

Sample ITIL 4 Problem Mgmt Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ITIL 4 Problem Mgmt exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1According to ITIL 4, what is the purpose of the problem management practice?
A.To restore normal service operation as quickly as possible after an incident
B.To reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes of incidents, and managing workarounds and known errors
C.To ensure that changes are recorded, evaluated, authorized, prioritized, planned, tested, implemented, documented, and reviewed in a controlled manner
D.To capture demand for incident resolution and service requests
Explanation: The official ITIL 4 purpose statement for problem management is to reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes of incidents and managing workarounds and known errors. Option A is the purpose of incident management. Option C is change enablement. Option D is service desk demand capture.
2In ITIL 4, what is the precise definition of a problem?
A.An unplanned interruption to a service or reduction in the quality of a service
B.A cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents
C.A problem that has been analyzed but has not been resolved
D.A solution that reduces or eliminates the impact of an incident
Explanation: ITIL 4 defines a problem as a cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents. Option A is the definition of an incident. Option C describes a known error. Option D describes a workaround. Distinguishing these four definitions is foundational to the practice.
3How does ITIL 4 define a known error?
A.Any defect found in production software during testing
B.A problem that has been analyzed but has not been resolved
C.A workaround documented in the service desk knowledge base
D.A configuration item that has been deprecated
Explanation: ITIL 4 defines a known error as a problem that has been analyzed but has not been resolved. The key is that analysis has identified a cause (often with a workaround) but a permanent fix has not yet been implemented. Known errors typically live in the Known Error Database (KEDB) until a permanent resolution is delivered.
4What is the ITIL 4 definition of a workaround?
A.A permanent fix delivered through a standard change
B.A solution that reduces or eliminates the impact of an incident or problem for which a full resolution is not yet available
C.A configuration baseline used during release management
D.A risk treatment plan signed off by the service owner
Explanation: A workaround is a solution that reduces or eliminates the impact of an incident or problem for which a full resolution is not yet available. Workarounds are documented, maintained, and refined over the lifetime of the related known error. They are not permanent fixes (those come via change enablement).
5Which three activities make up the ITIL 4 problem management practice?
A.Detection, diagnosis, recovery
B.Problem identification, problem control, error control
C.Logging, categorization, prioritization
D.Plan, do, check, act
Explanation: ITIL 4 organizes problem management into three activity groups: problem identification (detecting and logging problems), problem control (analyzing problems, documenting workarounds, and creating known errors), and error control (managing known errors over time, including raising changes for permanent fixes). Option A describes incident management phases.
6Which of the following is the clearest example of REACTIVE problem identification?
A.Reviewing automation alerts for capacity-trend warnings before any incidents occur
B.Analyzing a cluster of recurring incidents on the payroll service after the quarter close
C.Performing a design review on a new microservice before it goes live
D.Running a risk-assessment workshop for a planned cloud migration
Explanation: Reactive problem identification responds to incidents that have already occurred or are recurring. Analyzing recurring incidents to find an underlying cause is the textbook reactive trigger. Options A, C, and D are proactive — they aim to surface potential causes before incidents happen.
7Which scenario best illustrates PROACTIVE problem management?
A.Convening a major-incident war room after a payment outage
B.Using AIOps anomaly detection to flag a degrading database before users report errors
C.Documenting a workaround for a known error reported by the service desk
D.Restoring service from a backup after data corruption
Explanation: Proactive problem management seeks potential causes of future incidents before they occur. AIOps observability platforms (Datadog, Splunk, New Relic, Honeycomb) feeding anomaly signals into problem management is a modern proactive technique. The other options are reactive or operational responses to incidents that have already happened.
8A service desk receives 14 separate incidents over three days, all reporting the same login error after a recent SSO change. Under ITIL 4, what is the appropriate next step?
A.Reject the incidents because SSO is outside the team's scope
B.Raise a problem record so that root cause analysis can be performed and the underlying cause addressed
C.Close all 14 incidents as duplicates with no further action
D.Convert each incident into a change request
Explanation: Recurring incidents are a primary reactive trigger for problem identification. The correct response is to raise a problem record so that the problem management practice can perform root cause analysis, document a workaround if needed, and drive a permanent fix through change enablement. Closing duplicates or rejecting tickets leaves the underlying cause unmanaged.
9Which root cause analysis technique is described as iteratively asking 'why' until an underlying cause is reached?
A.Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram
B.Pareto analysis
C.5 Whys
D.Kepner-Tregoe
Explanation: The 5 Whys technique iteratively asks 'why' a problem occurred, drilling from surface symptoms toward an underlying cause. It is simple, fast, and well-suited to linear cause chains. Fishbone organizes possible causes by category; Pareto prioritizes by frequency or impact; Kepner-Tregoe is a structured decision-analysis method.
10Which RCA technique organizes possible causes by categories such as People, Process, Technology, and Environment?
A.Pareto analysis
B.Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram
C.Fault Tree Analysis
D.Event Tree Analysis
Explanation: The Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram visually groups potential causes under category 'bones' such as People, Process, Technology, and Environment — or the manufacturing-origin 6Ms (Method, Machine, Material, Measurement, Mother Nature, Manpower). It is used to brainstorm and structure causes, not to compute probabilities (FTA/ETA) or rank by frequency (Pareto).

About the ITIL 4 Problem Mgmt Exam

The ITIL 4 Practitioner: Problem Management certification validates a professional's ability to reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes of incidents, and managing workarounds and known errors. The 60-minute closed-book exam contains 40 multiple-choice (Objective Test Question) questions and requires 70% to pass. ITIL 4 Foundation is a mandatory prerequisite. The practice spans problem identification (reactive and proactive), problem control, and error control — with deep coverage of root cause analysis techniques and the Known Error Database (KEDB).

Questions

40 scored questions

Time Limit

60 minutes

Passing Score

70%

Exam Fee

$310 USD (PeopleCert (AXELOS))

ITIL 4 Problem Mgmt Exam Content Outline

15%

Purpose, Scope, and Key Concepts

Problem management purpose, problems vs incidents, known errors, workarounds, and how the practice contributes to value

20%

Problem Identification (Reactive and Proactive)

Reactive sources (major incidents, recurring patterns, supplier reports) and proactive sources (risk analysis, design reviews, observability/AIOps, threat intelligence, customer feedback)

15%

Problem Control and Categorization

Analysis, categorization, prioritization by impact/frequency/risk, documenting known errors, and the role of the KEDB

20%

Root Cause Analysis Techniques

5 Whys, Fishbone/Ishikawa, Pareto, Kepner-Tregoe, Apollo RCA, TapRooT, 5Ws+H, CATWOE, Fault Tree, Event Tree, Bow-Tie, and Cynefin

15%

Error Control and Resolution

Managing known errors over time, maintaining workarounds, raising changes for permanent fixes, residual risk acceptance, verification periods, and closure

15%

Roles, Metrics, and Integration

Problem manager/coordinator/analyst roles, MTTI, recurrence avoided, incident-to-KE linkage, and integration with incident, change, configuration, supplier, knowledge, risk, and continual improvement practices

How to Pass the ITIL 4 Problem Mgmt Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70%
  • Exam length: 40 questions
  • Time limit: 60 minutes
  • Exam fee: $310 USD

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ITIL 4 Problem Mgmt Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize the problem management purpose verbatim — reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes of incidents, and managing workarounds and known errors
2Master the four definitions: incident, problem, known error, workaround — and be able to spot which one a scenario describes
3Know the three activity groups cold: problem identification, problem control, error control — and which outputs belong to each
4Distinguish reactive identification (major incidents, recurring patterns, supplier reports) from proactive identification (risk analysis, design reviews, observability/AIOps, threat intelligence, customer feedback)
5Be ready to match RCA techniques to scenarios: 5 Whys for iterative questioning, Fishbone for categorical brainstorming, Pareto for 80/20, Kepner-Tregoe for structured analysis, Apollo for evidence-based chains, Cynefin for complexity categorization
6Understand KEDB content and the status lifecycle: Open / Workaround Available / Resolved / Closed
7Practice residual-risk scenarios — when a permanent fix is not viable, formal stakeholder acceptance is the right outcome (not silent closure)
8Complete full 40-question timed mocks at 60 minutes to build pacing for the real exam

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ITIL 4 Problem Management exam format?

The ITIL 4 Practitioner: Problem Management exam has 40 multiple-choice (Objective Test Question) items to be completed in 60 minutes. The pass mark is 70% — at least 28 correct answers out of 40. The exam is closed-book, with only provided materials permitted. Non-native English speakers receive 75 minutes (25% extra). The exam is delivered online through PeopleCert proctoring or at authorized test centers.

What are the prerequisites for ITIL 4 Problem Management?

ITIL 4 Foundation certification is a mandatory prerequisite. Foundation establishes the Service Value System, Four Dimensions, Service Value Chain, Guiding Principles, and the 34 ITIL practices that Problem Management builds on. Practical experience in service desk, incident response, operations, or SRE is recommended but not required.

What is the difference between a problem, an incident, a known error, and a workaround?

An incident is an unplanned interruption to a service or reduction in service quality. A problem is the cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents. A known error is a problem that has been analyzed but has not been resolved. A workaround is a solution that reduces or eliminates the impact of an incident or problem for which a full resolution is not yet available. These four definitions are foundational and heavily tested.

Which root cause analysis techniques are in scope for the exam?

The exam expects familiarity with 5 Whys (iterative why questioning), Fishbone/Ishikawa diagrams (cause categories such as People/Process/Technology/Environment or the 6Ms), Pareto analysis (80/20 prioritization), Kepner-Tregoe (structured problem and decision analysis), Apollo Root Cause Analysis (evidence-backed cause-and-effect chains), TapRooT (structured RCA used in regulated industries), 5Ws+H (What/Where/When/Why/Who/How), CATWOE (Customers/Actors/Transformation/Worldview/Owner/Environment), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Event Tree Analysis (ETA), Bow-Tie analysis, and the Cynefin framework for categorizing problems by complexity.

What is the Known Error Database (KEDB)?

The KEDB stores known error records: problems that have been analyzed but not permanently resolved. Each record typically captures symptoms, root cause where known, workaround steps, affected services and configuration items, status (Open / Workaround Available / Resolved / Closed), owner, and links to related incidents, changes, and risks. The KEDB enables fast incident resolution via workarounds and is a primary input to continual improvement.

How does ITIL 4 Problem Management relate to incident management and change enablement?

Incident management restores service to users — often by applying a workaround sourced from the KEDB. Problem management identifies and analyzes the underlying causes so incidents do not recur, and raises change requests to deliver permanent fixes. Change enablement evaluates, authorizes, and oversees those changes. Problem management produces workarounds and known errors; change enablement delivers permanent fixes; incident management consumes both.