No, you don’t have to sit a full course to get the ITIL® 4 Foundation certification. If you have prior experience or knowledge in ITIL® 4, you can choose to prepare through self-study or targeted exam preparation (as offered by FTLS). However, you must pass the official ITIL® 4 Foundation exam to earn the certification.
It's important to note that for subsequent ITIL® certifications beyond Foundation (such as Specialist or Practitioner), you must have completed accredited training or official ITIL® 4 e-learning before you can sit the exam. View e-Learning options here >