ITIL 4 CDS
Create, Deliver and Support (CDS) is the core technical module on the path to ITIL 4 Managing Professional — the credential most employers look for when promoting service managers and IT operations leads. It is closed book, scenario-heavy, and gated behind mandatory accredited training, so a failed sitting costs you both a re-exam fee and a delay to your MP designation. This page lays out exactly what CDS tests, how PeopleCert delivers it, and how to clear it on the first attempt.
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How the ITIL 4 CDS exam is built — at a glance
40
Each question has four options and one correct answer. Many are scenario or "best-answer" items that test applied judgement, not just recall. No marks are lost for wrong answers, so attempt all 40.
90
That is roughly 2 minutes 15 seconds per question. Non-native English speakers (or those sitting in a second language) usually receive 25% extra time on request.
28
70% is the pass mark. The result is reported as Pass or Fail — there is no graded percentile and no distinction levels on the certificate.
Unlike some higher-level ITIL modules, CDS does not allow the ITIL 4 guidance or any notes during the exam. You must recall the value streams, practices, metrics, and shift-left concepts without reference material, which raises the bar for genuine understanding over rote memorisation.
CDS is one of four ITIL 4 Specialist/Strategist modules. Combine it with Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV), High Velocity IT (HVIT), and Direct, Plan & Improve (DPI) to earn the ITIL 4 Managing Professional designation. CDS is widely treated as the technical anchor of that track.
The CDS module covers the end-to-end "build, ship, run" of IT-enabled services
Planning value streams across the service value chain, the role of design thinking, and how to organise teams to create new and changed services.
The value stream for delivering and supporting a live service, plus how supplier, deployment, and release practices keep delivery flowing.
Incident, problem, service desk, and request management — including shift-left, swarming, and self-service to resolve issues faster.
Measuring service performance and value, and how to use metrics, dashboards, and feedback to drive better outcomes.
Where automation, AI, integration, and emerging tech support creation, delivery, and support — and how to decide what to automate.
Workforce and talent management, team culture, customer/user experience, and continual improvement across the value stream.
AXELOS does not publish fixed per-topic question weightings for CDS, so the cards above reflect the official learning-outcome areas rather than a percentage split. Questions are distributed across these outcomes and most demand that you apply ITIL practices to a described situation rather than define a term.
How PeopleCert delivers the CDS exam — and what test day looks like
Most candidates take CDS online from a private room using the PeopleCert exam app. You run a system check in advance, then on the day a live proctor verifies your ID, scans the room, and monitors you by webcam for the full 90 minutes. You can usually book a slot 24/7 and start within minutes of check-in.
Many Accredited Training Organizations also run CDS as a paper or center-based exam at the end of a classroom or virtual course. The format, question count, time limit, and 70% pass mark are identical — only the venue and check-in process differ.
PeopleCert will not release a CDS result without proof you completed an accredited course or official eLearning. Book the exam through your training provider, not as a standalone sitting.
A valid government photo ID in English (or with a translation) and a clear desk are required. No phones, second screens, notes, or other people in the room during the exam.
Stay on camera and in frame; no breaks are scheduled in the 90 minutes. Talking aloud, looking off-screen repeatedly, or losing connection can flag or void the session.
CDS suits practitioners who build, ship, and run IT services
There is a hard gate — and the exam rewards applied judgement
Difficulty: CDS is widely regarded as the toughest of the ITIL 4 Specialist modules. It is closed book, the questions are dense and scenario-driven, and the 70% bar leaves little margin. Most candidates invest 20–30 hours beyond their accredited course — exactly the kind of pressure point our pay-after-you-pass help is designed to remove.
CDS is a closed-book, scenario-heavy exam standing between you and the ITIL 4 Managing Professional designation. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted ITIL specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.
Tell us your training provider, exam date, delivery method (online or center), and whether CDS is your final MP module. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.
We review your timeline and the PeopleCert setup and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.
Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with an ITIL specialist who maps the work around the CDS value streams, practices, and the closed-book PeopleCert environment — discreetly and confidentially.
You only pay once your passing result is confirmed on your official PeopleCert report. No verified pass, nothing owed.
Start with an honest feasibility answer and a pay-after-you-pass plan — no upfront fee.
Straight answers about the ITIL 4 Specialist CDS exam
Book help, and explore related ITIL and governance exams
Pair with a vetted ITIL specialist on a results-first arrangement. No upfront fee — settle only after a verified passing result.
Book your exam help ITIL 4 FNDThe entry-level certification and the prerequisite for CDS — covering the ITIL 4 service value system and key practices.
View exam ITIL 4 DSVA sibling Managing Professional module focused on customer journeys, engagement, and the demand-to-value relationship.
View exam ITIL 4 HVITThe third MP-track Specialist module, covering digital, Lean, Agile, and DevOps ways of working for fast-moving IT.
View exam PRINCE2Another PeopleCert/AXELOS certification — the project-management complement to ITIL's service-management focus.
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View catalogGet expert ITIL CDS help with no upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing result. Honest feasibility answer first, results-first arrangement always.