Where Is ITIL Heading? ITIL 4 and Version 5 Explained

Updated on 12 October 2026. What’s new: itil now has a Version 5 beside ITIL 4, and PeopleCert plans to retire the ITIL 4 modules on 31 December 2027

ITIL is heading from "service management" towards "digital product and service management", and the name of the new edition is Version 5, not ITIL 5 and not a reset. PeopleCert, the body that runs the ITIL exams, now sells ITIL Foundation (Version 5) beside ITIL 4 Foundation, and its current plan is to retire every ITIL 4 module on 31 December 2027. This article reads PeopleCert's own pages, checked in October 2026, and turns them into a plain answer for anyone choosing a version.

Older posts on this subject, including the first version of this one, treated ITIL 4 as the current and final edition. That is no longer true, and several things people still repeat follow from it. A candidate today has three decisions to make rather than one: which Foundation exam to sit, whether an existing ITIL 4 certificate needs any action, and how far ahead to plan, because the ITIL 4 end date is close enough to matter. We sell no Version 5 product, so every Version 5 fact below comes from PeopleCert and is attributed to it. Where PeopleCert has not published something, this article says so rather than guess.

Where is ITIL heading, and is Version 5 a replacement?

PeopleCert describes ITIL (Version 5) as an evolution built on ITIL 4, and its own wording is that "this is not a reset". The change of label from "ITIL 4" to "ITIL (Version 5)" is deliberate. PeopleCert's transition FAQ says the naming signals that ITIL evolves with the profession instead of being replaced. Version 5 keeps the service value system, the guiding principles and continual improvement that ITIL 4 introduced, and it widens the frame around them.

The widening is the real headline. PeopleCert says earlier editions focused mainly on service management, while Version 5 covers integrated products and services across an end-to-end lifecycle, from leadership and strategy down to daily operations. It also describes the new edition as "AI-native and practical by design" and aimed at digital-first, product-centric organisations. Whether that reads as marketing or as a genuine shift depends on your workplace, but it tells you the direction: ITIL is moving to speak to product teams and AI-assisted work as well as to the service desk.

The release itself is phased. PeopleCert says new modules and learning options are being added over time, and the page that explains Version 5 gives no release dates. That matters for planning, because the full Version 5 path is not yet all on sale in the way the ITIL 4 path was. Read PeopleCert's own explainer for ITIL certified professionals for its current wording.

What "heading" does not mean

It does not mean ITIL 4 stopped working overnight. PeopleCert states that the two editions overlap and run side by side for a stretch, that ITIL 4 remains available for people who want to continue their current path, and that existing ITIL knowledge and certificates continue to hold their value. The word "sunset" applies to modules and exam vouchers on a stated plan, not to the certificate you already hold.

What actually changed between ITIL 4 Foundation and the Version 5 Foundation?

PeopleCert's architects have published a "what's new" article for the Version 5 Foundation, and PeopleCert's product pages give the syllabus headings. Putting the two side by side shows a change in framing more than a new exam. The table lists only what those pages state.

Area	ITIL 4 Foundation	ITIL Foundation (Version 5)
Subject	Service management concepts	Digital product and service management concepts
Core model	Service value system and service value chain	ITIL value system with a simplified value chain and an eight-stage product and service lifecycle
Dimensions	Four dimensions of service management	The four dimensions of product and service management
Practices	ITIL practices, with Service Level Agreements and key metrics listed as topics	ITIL management practices, with value stream mapping and management added to the topic list
Improvement	Continuous improvement	Continual improvement, with a refined model
Languages	12 exam languages	9 exam languages

The eight-stage lifecycle

The most visible addition is a lifecycle model with eight stages: Discover, Design, Acquire, Build, Transition, Operate, Deliver and Support. According to the article by PeopleCert's ITIL architects, it shows how the same activities apply to every product and service. ITIL 4 Foundation had no lifecycle of this kind as a headline model; its organising picture was the service value chain.

A simpler value chain and a lighter practice load

The same authors say the ITIL 4 Foundation value chain contained activities that confused learners, and that its 34 practices overwhelmed some of them. The Version 5 Foundation therefore simplifies the value chain and concentrates on key terminology and definitions for practices such as incident, problem and change management, leaving full guidance to the separate ITIL Practice Guides. If you disliked memorising a long practice list for the ITIL 4 paper, this is the change aimed at you.

AI-native and complexity-native

The article names two overriding principles for the Version 5 Foundation: it is "AI-native" and "complexity-native". Neither phrase is a syllabus heading, and PeopleCert's product page does not list a separate AI topic. Treat them as the design stance of the course rather than as extra chapters.

Service journey moves into Foundation

The service journey model, which sat in the ITIL 4 Drive Stakeholder Value module, is now taught at Foundation level, with deeper use left to the advanced modules, particularly ITIL Experience. The authors also describe appendices that act as a practical toolkit and a running fictional story about a company going through AI-enabled transformation. That story recurs in the advanced modules, where it feeds scenario-based questions.

How do the two Foundation exams compare on PeopleCert's pages?

On format they are twins. PeopleCert lists 40 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes, a closed-book paper and a 65% pass mark for both, and the bundle, eLearning and eLearning+ prices on the two pages match. Because 65% of 40 is 26, a candidate needs 26 correct answers on either paper. For the ITIL 4 paper the figures we hold for the exam are below.

ITIL 4 Foundation detail	Figure
Exam	ITIL 4 Foundation (PeopleCert)
Questions	40
Duration	60 minutes
Passing score	65%
Exam fee	USD 463

The differences that matter sit outside the format. The Version 5 paper tests the newer framing described above. It is offered in nine languages where the ITIL 4 paper is offered in twelve, which matters if you plan to sit the exam in Dutch, Hungarian or Thai, because those three languages appear on the ITIL 4 page and not on the Version 5 page. And the ITIL 4 paper has a published end date while the Version 5 Foundation page shows none. Read both pages on the day you book, since PeopleCert edits fees and language lists.

The Bridge is a different, shorter exam

PeopleCert also sells ITIL Foundation Bridge (Version 5), described on its page as the route for people who already hold an ITIL 4 certification. The bridge exam has 20 multiple-choice questions, 30 minutes and the same 65% pass mark, is closed book and covers the Version 5 updates only. Any ITIL 4 certification qualifies except the Specialist modules on cloud services and on sustainability in digital and IT. PeopleCert's FAQ calls it a fast, low-cost way to update Foundation-level knowledge, and its page lists an exam bundle at a fraction of the full Foundation bundle, in pounds including VAT. See the Bridge page for the current price.

What happens to an ITIL 4 certificate you already hold?

Nothing is withdrawn from you. PeopleCert's FAQ says ITIL 4 certificates remain valid prerequisites for the Version 5 upper-level certifications, so a holder of ITIL 4 Foundation does not have to retake the Foundation to move up. Taking the Bridge is optional and exists to bring your Foundation-level knowledge up to date.

Renewal is the second half of the answer. PeopleCert states that existing ITIL 4 certificates are renewed by passing any ITIL (Version 5) certification, because every ITIL certificate sits within one product suite. Version 5 certificates carry a three-year renewal date, and the routes listed are joining PeopleCert Plus and logging 20 CPD points a year for three consecutive years, taking another certification from the same suite, or retaking the same one. In practice a future Version 5 exam can double as the renewal of an earlier ITIL 4 one.

Higher-level holders

The FAQ sets out transition routes by what you hold today. Three are worth knowing, because they show how the schemes join up.

• ITIL 4 Managing Professional: take the Managing Professional Transition, which PeopleCert says can be done in as little as five days against 8 to 12 days by the regular route. It has two exams, both required, and each allows one attempt, with an optional Take2 add-on for a resit.
• One module short of Managing Professional: finish the last ITIL 4 module, then take the Managing Professional Transition.
• ITIL 4 Master: take the Managing Professional Transition, which PeopleCert says leads to the Version 5 designations including ITIL Master.

The FAQ's answers for the Strategic Leader and Practice Manager routes read as though they contradict each other, so anyone holding those designations should ask PeopleCert before relying on either.

People who hold ITIL v3

The FAQ is blunt here. ITIL v3 Foundation and v3 Intermediate certificates are not accepted as prerequisites for Version 5 upper-level certifications, and a v3 holder starts again with ITIL Foundation (Version 5). Only the v3 Expert and Master holders have a transition route, through the Managing Professional Transition. If an old certificate on your CV says v3, assume it does not unlock anything new.

When does ITIL 4 stop being sold, and which dates are still unknown?

PeopleCert's FAQ gives two dates, and both are worded as plans. The current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on 31 December 2027. The final retirement date of the Foundation Bridge (Version 5) is also scheduled for 31 December 2027. The ITIL Managing Professional Transition has no sunset planned.

Item	What PeopleCert says
ITIL 4 modules	Current plan is to sunset all of them on 31 December 2027
ITIL Foundation Bridge (Version 5)	Final retirement date scheduled for 31 December 2027
Managing Professional Transition	No sunset planned
ITIL 4 and Version 5 together	Overlap for a stretch, with no end to it stated
Exam voucher validity dates	To be announced in due course
Version 5 release schedule	Phased; no dates given on the explainer page

Two unknowns deserve attention. The first is voucher validity: PeopleCert has not yet published how long an ITIL 4 or Bridge voucher bought now will remain usable, so buying a voucher far ahead of a planned exam date carries a risk that PeopleCert has not yet priced for you. The second is the wording itself. "Current plan" is not a guarantee, and a candidate whose timetable depends on 31 December 2027 should re-read the FAQ before committing to a date.

The Foundation Bridge also ends on the same date as the ITIL 4 modules, which means the cheap upgrade path for ITIL 4 holders has a deadline too. Someone who passes ITIL 4 Foundation this year and wants a Version 5 Foundation certificate has a window in which the short exam exists. After it closes, the route to a Version 5 Foundation would be the full exam, as far as PeopleCert's pages say.

Which route fits you if you are choosing today?

The right route depends more on the date you can sit the exam and on who has to approve it than on the content, because the formats match. These are reasonable readings of PeopleCert's published position, not PeopleCert's advice.

You are starting from nothing and need a credential soon

If a job application, a probation review or an employer's training budget sets a deadline within the coming months, either Foundation is available and recognised now, so the date you can pass matters most. Check what the target employer names. If the adverts say ITIL 4, the ITIL 4 Foundation is the safe match; if they name Version 5, take that. If they say only "ITIL Foundation", the safer instinct is to ask, because both exist.

You start next year or later

With 31 December 2027 as the planned end of ITIL 4 modules and the Version 5 line being added to over time, the longer your runway, the stronger the case for the Version 5 Foundation, because it is the one with no published end date. A candidate who plans to climb to higher ITIL levels is also better placed starting on the edition whose upper levels are being built.

You hold ITIL 4 Foundation already

Do not retake it. Use the Bridge only if you want the Version 5 Foundation certificate, and do so before the Bridge date in the table above. If your plan is to go on to higher modules, PeopleCert's FAQ says the Foundation you hold is a valid prerequisite, so the Bridge is not a gate.

You hold higher ITIL 4 certificates

Find your designation in PeopleCert's transition list rather than studying from scratch. The Managing Professional Transition is the common path, and it has no planned sunset.

You cannot tell what your employer wants

Ask a person, not a search engine. A manager, a recruiter or a training lead can tell you in one message whether internal training is built on ITIL 4 or on Version 5, and that answer overrides any general advice in this article.

What carries over from ITIL 4, so that studying it is not wasted?

A great deal. PeopleCert's own description of Version 5 is that it builds on the ITIL 4 guiding principles, service value system, governance, value chain, practices and continual improvement. A person who has learned the ITIL 4 Foundation has learned the shared vocabulary, which is why PeopleCert can offer a bridge exam of only 20 questions. Version 5 changes the arrangement and adds a product lens; it does not discard the base.

The guiding principles are a good example. They first appeared in ITIL v3 Practitioner in 2016 and passed into ITIL 4, which launched in 2019, and PeopleCert's architects say Version 5 builds on them. So the habits an ITIL 4 candidate drills, such as seeing which principle a scenario describes, still apply. What changes is the chart on the wall: a lifecycle of eight stages in place of the value chain's activities, and a lighter practice list.

The ITIL 4 syllabus is still the best guide to what that paper tests. Our ITIL 4 Foundation syllabus page lists its topics for anyone who wants to see the ground before choosing, and the topic list on PeopleCert's own ITIL 4 Foundation page is the vendor's version of the same thing.

How can you check all this yourself in ten minutes?

Because the end dates and voucher rules are still moving, treat this article as a guide to what to check, and check it. A short routine does the job.

1. Open PeopleCert's ITIL FAQ and find the sunset and retirement entries. Note the date and the words around it, particularly "current plan".
2. Open the ITIL Foundation (Version 5) page and the ITIL 4 Foundation page and compare the languages, the syllabus headings and the prices on the day.
3. If you hold an ITIL 4 certificate, find your designation in the transition list and note whether PeopleCert lists a sunset for your route.
4. Look at three job adverts for your target role and write down which version they name.
5. Only then choose the exam, and book a date well inside any voucher validity PeopleCert has announced by then.

Anyone settling on the ITIL 4 route can rehearse the paper on the ITIL 4 Foundation practice exam; it covers ITIL 4 only, as we have no Version 5 product, so those taking the Version 5 Foundation should treat it as practice for the shared ideas and use PeopleCert's own materials for what is new.

What to remember: ITIL is moving from managing services to managing products and services together, the Version 5 Foundation and the ITIL 4 Foundation share a format, the ITIL 4 modules and the Bridge both have a planned end on 31 December 2027, and a certificate you already hold keeps its value. The decision that remains is a practical one about timing and about what the person paying for the exam expects to see.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ITIL 4 still current, or has Version 5 replaced it?

PeopleCert now sells ITIL Foundation (Version 5) beside ITIL 4 Foundation and says the two editions overlap for a stretch. It describes Version 5 as an evolution of ITIL 4, not a reset. Its current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on 31 December 2027.

When will the ITIL 4 exams be retired?

PeopleCert's FAQ says the current plan is to sunset all ITIL 4 modules on 31 December 2027, and the Foundation Bridge (Version 5) is also scheduled to retire that day. The wording is a plan, and voucher validity dates are still to be announced, so re-read the FAQ before booking.

Do I have to retake ITIL Foundation if I hold ITIL 4 Foundation?

No. PeopleCert says ITIL 4 certificates remain valid prerequisites for Version 5 upper-level certifications. The Foundation Bridge (Version 5) is optional: 20 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes with a 65% pass mark, for ITIL 4 holders who want a Version 5 Foundation certificate.

What is different in ITIL Foundation Version 5?

PeopleCert's architects describe an eight-stage product and service lifecycle, a simplified value chain, an AI-native and complexity-native design, the service journey model moved into Foundation, and a refined continual improvement model. The exam format matches ITIL 4 Foundation: 40 questions, 60 minutes, 65% to pass.

Will my ITIL 4 certificate still be valid after 2027?

PeopleCert says existing ITIL 4 knowledge and certificates continue to hold their value and that ITIL 4 certificates are renewed by passing any ITIL (Version 5) certification. Only the sale of ITIL 4 modules is planned to end, so confirm renewal terms for your own certificate on PeopleCert's FAQ.

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