CIAN Basic Certificate study plan

Define the core IT service management vocabulary (service, value, outcome, output, utility, warranty) in your own words

Distinguish a process, a practice, a function, and a value stream with one original example each

Map the service value chain activities and explain how they connect demand to value

Compare the key guiding principles and match each to a realistic workplace scenario

Explain how the four dimensions (organizations and people, information and technology, partners and suppliers, value streams and processes) apply to one real service you use

Classify the main support practices by purpose and typical trigger

Differentiate incident, service request, and problem using three original scenarios

Trace how a support practice contributes to value creation

Outline the end-to-end incident lifecycle from detection to closure, naming the key decision points

Describe how major incidents are declared, escalated, and communicated

Draft a priority matrix combining impact and urgency and justify three sample rankings

Explain the purpose of a known error record and how it links problem management to incident resolution

Sequence the steps of a standard change request through assessment and authorization

List the inputs and outputs of release and deployment activities

Explain how service level agreements translate customer needs into measurable targets

Distinguish the goals of change enablement from those of release management

Explain how utility and warranty together produce value for a customer

Compare the main sourcing approaches and state one advantage and one risk of each

Describe how demand and capacity thinking shapes a service strategy

Connect service strategy decisions to financial and business outcomes

Describe how service design packages capture requirements before transition

Identify the roles and responsibilities involved in transitioning a service into live operation

Explain how acceptance criteria and early-life support reduce transition risk

Outline how knowledge and configuration information are handed over at transition

Distinguish leading from lagging indicators and give two original examples of each

Select a small set of critical success factors and key performance indicators for a support function

Apply a structured improvement approach (identify, define, measure, analyze, improve, control) to one problem

Explain how measurement can drive unintended behavior and how to mitigate it

Identify the main governance responsibilities of a service organization and who owns them

Distinguish risk, compliance, and control and give one example of each in a service context

Explain how a risk register is used to prioritize treatment actions

Consolidate the full syllabus into a personal revision sheet and self-test against weak areas