Pass the ITIL V3 Foundation exam in six easy and (almost) free steps

http://www.itskeptic.org/pass-itil-v3-foundation-exam-six-easy-and-free-ste

If you know something about IT operations (not just development) and your IQ is in triple figures then passing the ITIL V3 Foundation exam should be no big deal and no big investment. (If in doubt, read the testimonials in the comments below). Follow these six nine eight steps:
[updated 25/3/2011 ]

1. Read itSMF's An Introductory Overview of ITIL® V3. Free.
2. You might like to read the ITIL V3 Foundation syllabus. Free.
3. Then read Taruu's study guide. Free. [update: sadly no longer available]
4. If you like learning by video, watch these YouTube videos from Charles Sturt University. Free.
5. Read our brief guide on how to pass multi-choice exams. Free.
6. Do as many of these practice exams as you can stand. Free.
7. If you need to look something up, use Google Books to refer to the core ITIL books. Free.
8. If you need more, buy Passing Your ITIL Foundation Exam - The Official Study Aid (updated to 2009 syllabus) - not free of course, but not too expensive: $36+sh on Amazon (some sellers have it for $29 - hope this is not the old edition).
9. Register with Prometric or Pearson Vue to do your exam (On Prometric you won't find it under "ITIL", that would be too customer-friendly. Look under "Information Technology (IT)" then choose "EXIN' or "ISEB" - both offer ITIL via Prometric, I think - it keeps changing) (warning: Pearson Vue site has rotating shots of photogenic people staring meaningfully out at you). Not free - a couple of hundred dollars depending on where you are in the world. OK we lied about the free but there is no way to get around paying for this step, sorry.

There is a high probability you will pass, but if you fail, we accept no liability sorry. If you really want the certification (or you just don't believe us about doing it without training), the next step might be to do one of the online traning courses such as those from ITSMSolutions or ITIL Training Zone or Taruu (or countless others). Or for a cheaper option the Art of Service book-and-training seems to sell a lot on Amazon (and I hear good comments about it). It's a buyer's market out there right now - shop around.

If you want a comprehensive reference book of all the content in ITIL's five core books, buy Foundations of IT Service Management Based on ITIL V3. Not free but much less than the ITIL books: $53+sh second-hand on Amazon.

If your boss is paying, you'll want the complete set of the actual ITIL books: the ITIL Lifecycle Publication Suite, Version 3.