Pass the ServiceNow Certified System Administrator CSA Questions and answers with CertsForce

In ServiceNow, theDictionaryis the component that definesevery table and fieldin the system.

Itstores metadataabout every table and field.

It contains details likedata type, field properties, default values, and relationships.

It is managed through thesys_dictionarytable.

If you navigate toSystem Definition > Dictionary, you can view and edit field properties for any table.

The Dictionary defineswhether a field is mandatory, read-only, or referenceable.

A. Data Atlas– Not a valid ServiceNow concept.

B. Table Class Manager– Managestable extensions and inheritance, but does not define individual fields.

C. Schema– Refers to theoverall structure of a database, but in ServiceNow, theDictionarymanages table and field definitions.

E. Field Map– Used fordata imports and transformations, not for defining tables and fields system-wide.

ServiceNow Dictionary Overview

ServiceNow CSA Training Module:"Understanding Tables and Fields"

What is the Dictionary in ServiceNow?Example:Why Other Answers Are Incorrect:References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:

InServiceNow Knowledge Management,User Criteriais used to control access toknowledge bases (KBs)andarticlesbased on user attributes such ascompany, department, group, and roles.

Understanding the Given Criteria:Criteria

Value

Companies

ACME North America

Department

HR

Groups

ACME Manager

Match All

Yes

TheMatch All: Yessetting means thatonly users who meet ALL the specified criteriawill have access.

Who Gets Access?Users must be:

Amember of the ACME Manager group

Part of the HR department

An employee of ACME North America

B. Employees of ACME North America, who are members of HR Department or the ACME Manager group →Incorrect

The"OR" conditionis incorrect becauseMatch All: Yesrequires users to meetALL conditions.

C. Users which are members of either ACME North America, or HR Department, or ACME Manager Group →Incorrect

Again,Match All: Yesmeans usersmust meet all criteria, not just one.

D. Member of the ACME Manager group, and HR department, regardless of geography →Incorrect

Company (ACME North America) is part of the criteria, so itcannot be ignored.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect?

User Criteria for Knowledge Bases

Managing Knowledge Base Access

Official ServiceNow Documentation Reference:

Performance Analytics (PA)in ServiceNow allows users tocreate dashboards with widgetsthatvisualize trends over timeto monitor and improve processes.

Key Features ofPerformance Analytics:

✔Data Visualization:Users can track KPIs, measure performance trends, and create meaningful insights.

✔Dashboards & Widgets:Custom dashboards with interactive widgets display real-time analytics.

✔Historical & Trend Analysis:Unlike standard reports, PAanalyzes trends over time, helping organizations improve their services.

✔Predictive Insights:Uses historical data toidentify patternsand drive informed decisions.

A. Analytics Reports

No such feature existsin ServiceNow under this name. The correct term isPerformance Analytics.

C. Scheduled Reports

Scheduled reports allow users toautomate report delivery, but they donotprovideinteractive dashboardsortrend analysis.

D. Reporting

Standard Reportingprovidessnapshot views of databut does not supporttrend analysisover time likePerformance Analytics.

In ServiceNow Access Control Lists (ACLs), the wildcards used to define rules follow a specific syntax: table_name.field_name.

1. The Wildcard (*):

The asterisk * represents "all" or "the rest."

incident.*: This is a field-level ACL. It applies to every field on the incident table that does not have a specific ACL defined for it. For example, if you have an ACL for incident.short_description and an ACL for incident.*, the .* rule covers everything else (Priority, State, Caller, etc.).

2. The Record Level (None):

incident.None (often displayed just as incident): This is a record-level ACL. It grants access to the row (the record itself). A user needs access to the record (incident.None) and the field (incident.*) to view or edit data.

3. Why other options are incorrect:

A & B: These use invalid syntax (<==>, .all) that does not exist in the ServiceNow ACL definitions.

C: This appears to be a syntactical error or a distractor. The pipe symbols (|) are not used in ACL name definitions.

✔Formattersin ServiceNow allow administrators toadd additional informationto a form that is not part of a table's field structure.

Common Formatters in ServiceNow:

Activity Formatter– Displays updates like comments, work notes, and system-generated logs.

Process Flow Formatter– Shows the workflow stages of a record (e.g., Change Request approval process).

Timeline Formatter– Displays a chronological view of activities related to the record.

Option A (Duplicating a form view)is incorrect because duplicating a form view only creates a newlayout for different users, but does not add additional information.

Option C (Modifying the layout to two columns)is incorrect because changing the layout does not addnew elements, just arranges existing fields differently.

Option D (Dragging fields from the form elements panel)is incorrect because fields already exist in the table, whereas formatters provideextra contextual data.

????Reference:ServiceNow Form Design & Formatters Documentation

ThePropertiessection in theReport Designeris used to:

Specify the report name

Select the table or data sourcefor the report

Allows renaming the reportfor better identification.

Defines the primary data source(table) for the report.

Sets report-level settingssuch as visibility, sharing options, and description.

B. Data →Incorrect

TheData sectionis used tofilter and refine the databut not to set the table or name the report.

C. Configure →Incorrect

No such section named"Configure"exists in the Report Designer.

D. Type →Incorrect

TheType sectionis used toselect the type of report(e.g., Pie Chart, Bar Chart, List, etc.).

E. Sources →Incorrect

No"Sources"section exists in the Report Designer.

Key Features of the Properties Section:Why Other Options Are Incorrect?

Report Designer Overview

Official ServiceNow Documentation Reference:

When an administrator sets apolicy(such asData Policies) that applies toall data entered into ServiceNow, it runs on theserver-side.

Why Data Policies Run on the Server?Data Policies apply to all data sources:

UI forms

Import Sets

Web Services (APIs, integrations)

Enforces field validation at the database level

Ensuresdata consistencyacrossall entry points.

Reducesclient-side dependencyfor validation.

Applies uniformly regardless of how the data is entered

UnlikeUI Policies(which only work on forms),Data Policiesensure field rules are enforcedeverywhere.

A. Network →Incorrect

Policies are not enforced at thenetwork level.

They operate within theServiceNow application.

C. Client →Incorrect

Client-side scripts (likeUI Policies or Client Scripts)onlyenforce validation within the browser.

Data Policies run at the server level, ensuring broader enforcement.

D. Browser →Incorrect

While UI Policies and Client Scripts run in the browser,Data Policies are applied on the server.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect?

Key Differences Between Client and Server Processing:Validation Type

Runs On

Applies To

Purpose

Data Policies

Server

UI, Import Sets, Web Services

Ensures global data consistency

UI Policies

Client (Browser)

Forms (User Interface)

Controls form behavior dynamically

Client Scripts

Client (Browser)

Forms, Fields

Runs JavaScript in the user's browser

Business Rules

Server

Database Transactions

Executes logic when records are inserted, updated, or deleted

Data Policies in ServiceNow

UI Policies vs. Data Policies

Official ServiceNow Documentation Reference:

✔Update Setsare the primary method formoving customizationsfrom one ServiceNow instance to another. An Update Set records changes made to an instance, including modifications to:

Forms, fields, and tables

Business rules, scripts, and workflows

UI policies and ACLs

How Update Sets Work:

When youmodify configurations, the changes arecapturedin an active Update Set.

The Update Set is thenexported from the development instanceandimported into the target instance(e.g.,from Dev to Test to Production).

Once imported, the Update Set iscommitted, applying the changes.

Option A (Table Templates)is incorrect because these definedefault field structuresfor tables but do not move customizations.

Option B (Application Files)is incorrect because individual application files exist within Update Sets but do not serve as a transport mechanism.

Option C (UI Script Includes)is incorrect because script includes are reusable scripts, not a method for transferring configurations.

????Reference:ServiceNow Administration – Update Sets & Instance Migration

When importingspreadsheet datainto ServiceNow, thefirst stepis toDefine a Data Source.

AData Sourcedefineswhere the data is coming from(e.g., Excel, CSV, JDBC connection).

It establishes theformatandstructureof the incoming data before it can be processed by anImport Set.

Without defining theData Source, the system does not know how to handle the incoming data.

Define Data Source– Identify where the data is coming from.

Create Import Set– Temporarily store the imported data.

Set Coalesce– Define unique identifiers to prevent duplicate records.

Transform Data– Map fields to the target table.

Run the Import– Move data into the actual ServiceNow tables.

A. Create Import Set– Import Sets store the data, but they are createdafterdefining the data source.

B. Run Data Scrubber– No such step exists in ServiceNow's import process.

C. Set Coalesce– Coalescing ensuresno duplicate records, but it happensafter data is loaded into the import set.

E. Select Import Set– The Import Set is selected after defining the data source and loading the data.

ServiceNow Data Import Process

ServiceNow CSA Training Module:"Importing Data into ServiceNow"

Why Defining a Data Source is the First Step?Steps in the Data Import Process:Why Other Answers Are Incorrect:References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:

InServiceNow, by default, the"Save" button is not displayedon the form header. Instead, users typically use the"Submit" or "Update" buttons.

To enable the"Save" buttonon the form header, you mustenable theglide.ui.advancedsystem property.

Enables the "Save" Button in the Form Header

Theglide.ui.advancedpropertyactivates additional UI options, including theSave button on forms.

Once enabled, users will see the"Save" button alongside "Submit" and "Update"in the form header.

Allows Partial Record Saves Without Submitting

Unlike "Submit" (which creates a new record) or "Update" (which modifies an existing record), "Save" allows users toretain changes without submitting the form.

Useful fordrafts or in-progress edits.

Controlled via System Properties

The"Save" buttonisnot a field or UI actionthat can be manually added through Form Design or Layout.

It is enabledat the system levelviaSystem Properties > UI Properties.

Why is "Turning onglide.ui.advanced" the Correct Answer?

Navigate toAll > System Properties > UI Properties

Find theglide.ui.advancedproperty

Set it to "true"

Save the changes

Refresh theIncident form→ The"Save" button will now appear

How to Enable the Save Button in ServiceNow?

B. Context Menu > Form Design > Add the "Save" buttonIncorrect– The "Save" button isnot a UI actionthat can be added via Form Design. It must beenabled through system properties.

C. All > System Properties > UI Properties > Turn on the "Save" buttonIncorrect– No suchspecific "Save" button settingexists in UI Properties. The correct setting isglide.ui.advanced.

D. Context Menu > Form Layout > Add the "Save" buttonIncorrect–Form Layout only controls fields, not form buttons. The "Save" button is controlled viaUI Properties.

Incorrect Answer Choices Analysis:

ServiceNow Docs – Enabling the Save Button????Configuring UI Properties

ServiceNow Docs – Using the glide.ui.advanced Property????Understanding glide.ui.advanced

Official ServiceNow Documentation References:

Conclusion:The correct answer is:

A. All > System Properties > UI Properties > Turn on theglide.ui.advancedproperty

Thisenables advanced UI options, including the "Save" button, allowing users tosave records without submitting them.

In ServiceNow,groupsare stored in thesys_user_grouptable. This table definesgroups of userswho share common responsibilities, such asIT support teams, HR teams, or security teams.

Groups are used toassign roles and permissionsto multiple users at once.

Common groups includeService Desk, IT Support, Change Advisory Board (CAB), and HR teams.

Thesys_user_grouptable is linked tosys_user(Users) andsys_user_role(Roles).

B. Group [sn_sys_user_group]– No such table prefix (sn_) exists for user groups in ServiceNow.

C. User Group [user_groups]– Incorrect table name; ServiceNow follows thesys_naming convention.

D. User Groups [sn_user_groups]– Not a valid ServiceNow table.

E. Groups [sys_user_groups]– Incorrect pluralization; ServiceNow tables typically usesingular names(e.g.,sys_user_group).

ServiceNow sys_user_group Table Documentation

ServiceNow CSA Training Module:"User and Group Administration"

Key Details about sys_user_group:Why Other Answers Are Incorrect:References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation: