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Certification Categories IT Governance & Service Management ITIL Master (Version 5)

ITIL Master (Version 5):
The highest recognition in
the ITIL Qualification Scheme

The ITIL Master designation recognizes exceptional achievement across the ITIL qualification scheme, demonstrating advanced expertise in digital product and service management, strategic leadership, transformation, and continual improvement.
As an ITIL Master, you are among an elite group of professionals who do not simply apply ITIL guidance; you shape how organizations create, deliver, and improve value. You bridge strategy and execution, lead transformation, and help organizations thrive in complex, AI-enabled environments.
ITIL Master (Version 5) at a Glance
How You Get There
To become an ITIL Master (Version 5), you must successfully complete the full ITIL qualification pathway. Begin your journey with ITIL Foundation (Version 5) before achieving the three advanced designations: ITIL Practice Manager, ITIL Managing Professional, and ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5).
The Value You Gain
The ITIL Master (Version 5) designation distinguishes leaders who can connect strategy, execution, and organizational performance to deliver measurable value in complex and rapidly evolving environments.
The Skills You Acquire
Build the expertise to lead large-scale transformation initiatives, translate strategy into value, optimize digital products and services across their lifecycle, improve performance and design user-centric experiences, and across complex environments.
Career Opportunities for ITIL Masters:
Chief Information Officer
Chief Digital Officer
Chief Technology Officer
VP of Digital Transformation
Director of Service Management
Director of Digital Products
Enterprise Transformation Lead
Digital Strategy Director
Head of IT Governance
Executive Technology Advisor
Behind the ITIL Master (Version 5) Badge
Recognized Leadership
ITIL Masters represent a select group of professionals committed to continual development, operational excellence, and value creation.
Broad Organizational Impact
ITIL Masters are equipped to influence decisions across strategy, governance, operational practices, digital products, services, experience management, and transformation.
Trusted Across Industries
From technology and financial services to healthcare, government, telecommunications, and retail, ITIL Masters help organizations navigate complexity and deliver sustainable value.
Core Strengths of an ITIL Master (Version 5)
Strategic and Operational Integration
You connect long-term strategy with practical execution, ensuring products, services, practices, and transformation initiatives contribute to measurable outcomes.
Product and Service Leadership
You understand how digital products and services work together as integrated value streams, balancing innovation, performance, and resilience.
Operational Excellence and Practice Integration
You understand how practices work together across governance, assurance, support, fulfilment, implementation, control, and continual improvement to deliver reliable and sustainable outcomes.
Experience and Value Focus
You recognize that value is shaped not only by outcomes, but by how customers, users, and stakeholders experience products and services.
Transformation and Organizational Change
You lead sustainable change by balancing governance, adaptability, continual improvement, and organizational learning.
Data-Informed Decision-Making
You leverage evidence, metrics, experience insights, and AI-enabled capabilities to support effective decisions in complex environments.
Ready to become an ITIL Master?
Whether you’re new to ITIL or already hold an ITIL certification, there is a clear pathway to achieving the ITIL Master designation.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m new to ITIL. How can I become an ITIL Master (Version 5)?

Begin your ITIL (Version 5) journey by achieving ITIL Foundation (Version 5). You will then need to earn the following three designations:

- ITIL Practice Manager (Version 5)
- ITIL Managing Professional (Version 5)
- ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5)

Once all three designations have been achieved, you will be awarded the ITIL Master (Version 5) designation.

I’m an ITIL 4 Master. How can I upgrade to ITIL Master (Version 5)?

If you’re an ITIL 4 Master holder, you can upgrade to ITIL Master (Version 5) through the ITIL Managing Professional Transition (Version 5) module. 

This transition module introduces the core concepts of ITIL (Version 5) and expands them through guidance across the ITIL Experience, ITIL Product, ITIL Service, and ITIL Transformation domains. It enables experienced professionals to build on their existing expertise while gaining a clear understanding of the latest evolution of ITIL. 

Outcome: Successful completion of the ITIL Managing Professional Transition (Version 5) module grants the following designations:

- ITIL Managing Professional (Version 5)
- ITIL Practice Manager (Version 5)
- ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5)

As a result, you will also be awarded the ITIL Master (Version 5) designation.

I’m an ITIL v3 Master. How can I become an ITIL Master (Version 5)?

Holders of the ITIL v3 Master designation can begin by completing the ITIL Managing Professional Transition (Version 5) module. Successful completion awards the ITIL Managing Professional (Version 5) designation and the ITIL Transformation (Version 5) certification.

To achieve the ITIL Master (Version 5) designation, ITIL v3 Master holders must also obtain the ITIL Practice Manager and ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5) designations.