EXIN BiSL Foundation study plan

Map the full BiSL framework structure from memory on a blank sheet: name the three process clusters (business information management / information management, and the connecting governance and strategy layers) and the process groups within each

Define in your own words what 'business information management' (BiSL's demand-side focus) covers versus traditional IT supply-side management, and list at least five activities that belong on the business side

Label every BiSL process area with its cluster and write a one-sentence purpose statement for each, flagging any you cannot yet explain confidently

Build a personal glossary of the 25 most important BiSL terms (English originals plus your working-language equivalents)

Explain the difference between the operational, managing and strategic levels within BiSL and give one concrete example activity for each level

Describe how the BiSL process areas relate to each other in terms of information flows (who supplies what to whom) and sketch those relationships as arrows on your framework map

Compare BiSL with ITIL at a conceptual level: state which problems each addresses and where they touch or overlap

Answer 20 self-written recall questions on framework structure without consulting notes, then correct them

Explain the purpose and key activities of the demand-side operational processes (day-to-day user support, change handling on the business side, and operational supplier coordination) in your own words

Describe the roles and responsibilities that BiSL assigns on the business side, distinguishing process owners, process managers and operational staff

Identify which processes own which products or information artifacts, and list at least two concrete outputs per process

Write a short comparison of how an incident or change request travels through business-side versus supplier-side processes

Explain the purpose of the managing-level processes: planning and prioritization of information provision, and management of the information provision itself

Describe how cost management and benefits management fit into the business information management cycle and who is accountable for each

Explain how the managing level connects strategy to operations, and trace one example decision from strategic intent down to an operational task

Complete a timed 40-question practice set covering weeks 1-3 content and review every wrong answer against the framework map

Explain the strategic-level processes: defining the information strategy, setting up and maintaining the information provision organization, and managing relationships with suppliers and the wider market

Describe how the information strategy is derived from and must align with the overall business strategy, and name the inputs and outputs of that alignment

Explain the concept of the information provisioning plan and what it should contain

Draft a one-page information strategy outline for a fictional mid-sized organization, applying the strategic processes explicitly

Explain the relationship between BiSL and other relevant frameworks and standards (ITIL, ASL, COBIT, ISO/IEC 20000) at the level of scope and division of responsibility, without conflating them

Describe typical implementation and adoption considerations for BiSL: maturity, sequencing, common pitfalls and success factors

Explain how outsourcing and multi-supplier environments change the business information management processes

Answer 40 mixed practice questions and classify each error as 'framework structure', 'process content', or 'terminology'

Reproduce the complete framework map and all process purposes from memory in under 15 minutes

Explain each process area aloud in 60-90 seconds as if briefing a non-specialist manager, recording yourself and reviewing for gaps

Work through at least 80 practice questions under exam timing and log every uncertain answer with the reason for the uncertainty

Re-study only the flagged weak areas, using your glossary and framework map rather than re-reading everything

Complete two full-length timed mock exams under realistic conditions and score both

Review every incorrect and guessed answer, mapping each to a specific process area on the framework map

Recite the purpose of every BiSL process area and the definition of every glossary term without notes

Confirm exam-day logistics and finalize a one-page last-review sheet containing only the facts you repeatedly missed