From Failure to ITIL Certification: An ITIL Journey Told Through Classic Literature
Gab Cahiwat
Contributor
2 min read
Key Takeaways
- ITIL exams test judgment and decision-making, not memorization. Studying the wrong way is the most common reason for failure.
- ITIL CDS, MSF, and Experience are not separate subjects. They are chapters of one continuous story and only make sense when read together.
- Failure is not the opposite of certification. It is often the only path to genuine understanding.
- Scenario-based questions reward candidates who think like someone inside the system, not someone observing it from outside.
- ITIL Experience is the most human module. It requires emotional intelligence, not just process knowledge.
- The study strategy that finally works: identify the tone, understand the intent, choose the answer that advances value.
I did not pass ITIL because I finally knew enough. I passed because I finally learned how to read the system like a story. Every failure was a revision — a re-reading of the same book at a deeper level. And that depth is something no shortcut could have given me.
— Gab Cahiwat — ITIL Coordinator | PassionIT Group
Not a Straight Path, But a Written One
If ITIL were a book, it would not be a textbook. It would not be linear, simple, or predictable.
It would be closer to The Odyssey by Homer, a long journey filled with repetition, setbacks, confusion, and moments where you question whether you are actually getting closer to your destination or simply drifting further into complexity.
And like Odysseus, I did not pass through ITIL certification in a straight line.
I failed. Then I failed again. And again.
Across ITIL CDS (Create, Deliver & Support), ITIL MSF (Monitor, Support & Fulfil), and ITIL Experience, I went through multiple attempts, until learning finally replaced frustration.
But the truth is this: I was not failing exams. I was learning how to think in a different language.
The Three Modules: Three Stories, One Journey
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