The advanced ITIL 4 module on building, running and supporting IT services. Covers value streams, integrating partners, technology choices and the people side of service delivery.
⏱Duration: 3 days / 24 hrs
💻Format: Instructor-Led + Service Sims
🌐Delivery: On-site · Virtual · Hybrid
✅Pass rate: 92%
📅Next intake: 19 May 2026
🔁
Value streams
Designing end-to-end value streams across product + service teams
📜
Service practices
Service desk, incident, problem, request, change, release
👥
People & culture
DevOps culture, team topologies, service-team integration
📱
Modern technology
AIOps, ChatOps, automation, AI-augmented service desk
What this course is
Where ITIL stops being tickets and queues.
ITIL 4 Specialist: Create, Deliver and Support (CDS) is the most-booked ITIL 4 module after Foundation. It covers the build-and-run side of services — value streams, integrating partners, the practices that matter (incident, problem, change, release), people, technology and culture.
At Nexperts, CDS is delivered as a 3-day intensive against MY-context case studies — a banking incident-management redesign, a telco service-desk modernisation and a GLC change-control transformation. By day 3 you've designed three end-to-end value streams.
ITIL 4 CDS is the cert that filters service operators from service designers. The exam tests whether you can read a service-delivery scenario and pick the right intervention.
The 2026 ITIL 4 update broadened the focus on AI-augmented service operations, modern observability, and platform-engineering integration. We cover all three with hands-on case-study work.
Who should take this course
🔐
Service-delivery managers
Already running services. CDS is the formal Specialist credential.
⚙️
Service operations leads
Owning incident, problem, change. CDS sharpens the design lens.
👨💼
ITSM consultants
Designing and selling service-management transformations.
🌟
ITIL 4 Foundation holders
Natural progression to Specialist tier.
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Platform engineering leads
Owning service interfaces. CDS gives the formal language.
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DevOps + SRE practitioners
Wanting structured service-design depth alongside their delivery skills.
Prerequisites
✓ ITIL 4 Foundation (mandatory)
✓ Working knowledge of IT service operations
✓ Comfortable with structured documentation and stakeholder communication
✓ Familiarity with at least one service-management tool (ServiceNow / Jira SM / BMC)
→ Don't have ITIL 4 Foundation? Ask about our Foundation → CDS bundle.
Course Curriculum
Five domains. One service-delivery toolkit.
ITIL 4 CDS covers Value Streams to Create / Deliver / Support, Information & Technology, People & Skills, Partners & Suppliers, and Practices for the build-and-run lifecycle. We deliver in case-study order — every concept anchored to a real MY scenario.
Hands-On Service Workshops
9 sprints. Real MY context.
CDS is delivered through case-study workshops. By day 3 you've worked through MY-context scenarios across banking, telco and GLC service operations.
01
Value Stream Mapping
Map a banking incident-resolution value stream end-to-end.
VSM
02
Service Desk Modernisation
Design a modern service desk with AI-assisted triage.
Practice
03
Observability Design
Design observability across logs, metrics, traces for a multi-tier service.
Tech
04
Team Topology
Design team topology for a 200-person delivery org.
People
05
SIAM Design
Design SIAM for a 4-vendor multi-cloud estate.
Sourcing
06
Change Enablement
Redesign change enablement for a regulated bank's release cadence.
Practice
07
Problem Management
Build a problem-management workflow with proactive identification.
Practice
08
Release Pipeline
Design a release pipeline integrating dev + ops + service-desk handoff.
Pipeline
09
Continual Improvement
Run a 7-step CSI cycle on a sample service.
CSI
+ 8 micro-tasks across value-stream maps, RACI charts and service blueprints.
Exam Information
One exam. Scenario-heavy.
ITIL 4 Specialist CDS is a 90-minute exam with 40 questions. Multiple-choice scenario items and case-study items. Most candidates fail on value-stream mapping scenarios.
ITIL 4 Specialist: CDS Exam
Questions40 (scenario + case study)
Duration90 minutes
Passing score70% (28/40)
FormatPeopleCert online proctored
Validity3 years (renewable with PDUs)
Industry avg pass rate~70% first attempt
Nexperts pass rate92% first attempt
Value-Stream Drill
Drill length3-hour structured drill
FormatWhiteboard — you map, peers challenge
Items practised12 value-stream scenarios
Common gotchasValue-stream vs process map
StrategyRead the consumer outcome first
OutcomeVSM-question uplift +20%
WalkthroughPast scenario archive provided
Our 3-Mock Programme
01
Diagnostic Mock
End of day 1. Sets the baseline. Average 60%.
02
Scenario-Heavy Mock
Mid-course. 60% scenarios. Average 73%.
03
Final Clearance
Full timed simulation. 80%+ before we book. Average 84%.
0%
Pass Rate
92% of our ITIL 4 CDS candidates pass on first attempt.
The PeopleCert global first-attempt rate for ITIL 4 CDS sits around 70%. We hit 92% by spending 70% of class time mapping real value streams and gating booking on a clearance mock.
MY case studiesValue-stream drill92% first attemptFree retake voucherModern ITIL content
Why our pass rate is 92%
Industry average: ~70%
Most candidates remember the practices but freeze on value-stream scenarios. The exam is heavy on multi-step mappings and they cannot trace consumer-to-outcome.
Nexperts: 92%
We map value streams every day. We drill scenario reading. By exam day, value-stream thinking is reflex.
Your ITIL 4 Path
CDS pairs with DSV and DPI.
CDS stacks naturally with DSV (Drive Stakeholder Value) for the customer-side and DPI (Direct, Plan and Improve) for strategy. The four together earn the Managing Professional designation.
Before this
ITIL 4 Foundation
Mandatory prerequisite for all Specialist modules.
