I decided to work my way towards the ITIL expert certification in July 2010 to advance my ITIL knowledge and further my career. I had previously used the foundation course from The Art of Service and due to the excellent materials, they were my first choice as a training
provider.
My initial plan was to take the Lifecycle pathway with my first purchase being the Service Transition course, I found this to be too theory based and voiced my concerns to Claire who suggested I try the Capability pathway instead as it was more practical. The course was promptly changed to Release, Control and Validation at no extra cost and after a quick review of the content I realised it was just what I was looking for. My study approach was to read the accompanying ebook, go through the online course, re-read the ebook, do the course again then take the sample exams. A month after purchasing the course I was ready to take the exam, the intermediate exams are some of the hardest I have taken but fortunately I passed with a good score. The course certificate received from the Art of Service has a voucher code for a 10% discount on the other intermediate courses which is a very nice touch.
Next up was the Planning, Protection and Optimisation, followed by Operational Support and Analysis, Service Offerings and Agreements and finally Managing across the Lifecycle. As with the RCV they were all a challenge but I was well prepared and passed them all and after 7 months I am now an ITIL expert.
I would not and do not hesitate to recommend TAOS, the courses are detailed, easy to follow and the support offered cannot be faulted.
Thanks to Claire, Ivanka, Velia,
Farrah and the rest of the team!
Brian Wilson