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

InServiceNow Flow Designer, users can accessdetailed informationabout actions added to a flow via theHelp Panel. The Help Panel providescontextual guidanceand documentation about the available actions, conditions, and steps within the flow.

Displays Information About Actions:

When an action is selected in Flow Designer, theHelp Panelprovidesdescriptions and usage details.

Helps users understandwhat the action doesand how to configure it.

Accessing the Help Panel:

Inside Flow Designer, users can click theHelp icon ( ? )or expand the Help Panel from the side.

This providesinline documentationfor added actions.

Guidance for New Users:

The panel providesServiceNow documentation links and tipsto help users build flows effectively.

Key Features of the Help Panel:Why Option C (Help Panel) is Correct?TheHelp Panelprovides built-in documentation and details about actions added to the flow.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect?A. Virtual Agent Help→ Incorrect

Virtual Agent Help is related tochatbot and conversational assistance, not Flow Designer.

B. Local Action Help→ Incorrect

No such feature exists in ServiceNow; action details are found in theHelp Panel.

D. Flow Assistant→ Incorrect

Flow Assistanthelps withbuilding expressions and selecting data pillsbut does not provide action documentation.

ServiceNow Docs – Flow Designer Help Panelhttps://docs.servicenow.com

ServiceNow Learning – Flow Designer and Automation Best Practices

ServiceNow Developer Portal – Flow Designer Action Configuration

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

AConfiguration Item (CI)is any component thatneeds to be managed to deliver IT services. In ServiceNow, CIs are stored in theConfiguration Management Database (CMDB)and can include servers, applications, databases, network devices, and more.

Tracking & Management: Helps organizations track IT assets and their relationships.

Service Impact Analysis: Identifies how an issue with one component can affect related services.

Change Management Support: Ensures changes to IT assets are controlled and well-documented.

Incident & Problem Resolution: Provides insights into troubleshooting and root cause analysis.

Hardware: Servers, network devices, storage systems.

Software: Applications, databases, operating systems.

Services: Business services, IT services.

Documentation: Policies, SLAs, knowledge articles.

Why Are Configuration Items Important?Examples of Configuration Items (CIs):

Incorrect Answer Choices Explanation:A. CSDM Items– TheCommon Service Data Model (CSDM)is a framework for structuring CMDB data, but individual components in the CMDB are calledConfiguration Items (CIs).

B. CMDB– TheCMDB (Configuration Management Database)is thedatabasethat stores Configuration Items, but it is not a CI itself.

D. Service Offerings– AService Offeringrepresents a set of capabilities available to customers but is not the same as a CI.

E. Asset– AnIT Assetrefers to aphysical or virtual resourceowned by the organization, butnot all assets are CIs(e.g., a computer mouse may be an asset but not a CI).

ServiceNow CMDB Overview

Configuration Items (CIs)

Official CSA Documentation Reference:

TheServiceNow Virtual Agentis an AI-powered chatbot that assists userswithin a messaging interface(such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Service Portal). It helpsautomate resolutions and guide usersthrough common IT and HR issues.

Incident Auto-ResolutionallowsVirtual Agenttoautomatically detect, intercept, and resolve incidentsbefore they reach a human agent.

It appliesmachine learning (ML) and predefined rulesto determine whether a ticketcan be resolved through automation.

If an issuematches a known solution, the Virtual Agentprovides the resolution stepsto the user.

If self-resolution fails, the ticket isescalated to an agent.

It is anofficial feature in ServiceNow Virtual Agent.

It allows the chatbot tointercept incidentsand attempt resolution before escalation.

B. Ticket Resolver→Incorrect

"Ticket Resolver" isnot an official ServiceNow feature.

C. Virtual Agent Helper→Incorrect

No feature called "Virtual Agent Helper" exists in ServiceNow.

D. Web Intelligence→Incorrect

Web Intelligenceisnot related to ServiceNow Virtual Agent.

What is Incident Auto-Resolution?Why is "A. Incident Auto-Resolution" the Correct Answer?Why the Other Options Are Incorrect?

ServiceNow Docs: Virtual Agent & Incident Auto-Resolutionhttps://docs.servicenow.com/en-US/bundle/utah-virtual-agent/page/administer/virtual-agent/concept/incident-auto-resolution.html

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:This confirms that"Incident Auto-Resolution" is the correct answer, as it allowsVirtual Agent to intercept and resolve submitted incidents automatically.

ServiceNow allowsa single Catalog Itemto be published tomultiple service catalogs, avoiding duplication while ensuring accessibility for the right users.

Instead ofcreating duplicate catalog items(which would require managing two separate items with the same functionality), we createone Catalog Itemandpublish it in both catalogs (HR and Facilities).

This approach ensurescentralized managementwhile maintaining accessibility for both departments.

It simplifies updates—any changes to the form or workflow will apply toboth catalogs automatically.

Why is Option B Correct?

Why Are the Other Options Incorrect?A. Create one Catalog Item for HR Event Room Set Up and one for Facilities Event Room Set Up; then publish each to the appropriate Catalog.

Incorrectbecause it createsduplicate catalog itemswith thesame functionality, increasing maintenance effort.

C. Create one Catalog Item for Event Room Set Up; then publish to the Parent Catalog, which is accessible to both HR and Facilities.

Incorrectbecausethere is no "Parent Catalog" conceptin ServiceNow.

ServiceNow allowspublishing a single item to multiple catalogs, but there is no need for aparent catalog.

D. Create one Catalog Item for Event Room Set Up; then use ACLs to control access.

Incorrectbecause ACLsrestrict access at a field, table, or record level, but theydo not control where a Catalog Item appears.

Thecorrect approachis topublish the item to multiple catalogsrather than using ACLs.

ServiceNow Service Catalog Management - Publishing Items to Multiple Catalogs

ServiceNow ITSM - Best Practices for Catalog Item Reusability

ServiceNow CSA Guide - Managing Service Catalogs and Items

References to Official Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

Flow Designeris ano-code/low-codeautomation tool in ServiceNow that enables users toorchestrate business processes across different serviceswith minimal technical knowledge. It allowsnon-technical usersto build complex workflows using drag-and-drop functionality.

No-Code/Low-Code Automation

Users candesign, test, and managebusiness processeswithout coding skills.

Actions can be executedsequentially or conditionallybased on logic.

Integration with ServiceNow Applications

Flow Designer works withIntegrationHub, allowing ServiceNow to interact with external systems like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Jira.

Trigger-Based Execution

Flows can be triggeredby conditions, schedules, or user actions.

Prebuilt Spokes & Actions

ServiceNow providesprebuilt "Spokes"with reusable actions that simplify workflow automation.

A. Flow Manager(Incorrect)

No such module called "Flow Manager" exists in ServiceNow.

C. Flow Editor(Incorrect)

The term "Flow Editor" is not used in ServiceNow; the correct name isFlow Designer.

D. Workflow Editor(Incorrect)

Workflow Editoris part of the olderLegacy Workflow Engine, which requires scripting and is not recommended for no-code automation.

E. Workflow Designer(Incorrect)

This is not an official ServiceNow tool; Flow Designer has replaced older workflow tools for modern automation needs.

Flow Designer Overview:https://docs.servicenow.com/en-US/bundle/utah-automation/page/administer/flow-designer/concept/flow-designer.html

Building Flows in Flow Designer:https://docs.servicenow.com/en-US/bundle/utah-automation/page/administer/flow-designer/task/t_CreateFlow.html

Key Features of Flow Designer:Explanation of Incorrect Options:Official References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

InServiceNow, you can add additional fields to a form using either:

Form Layout(for quick field additions)

Form Designer(for a drag-and-drop UI approach)

Context Menu > Configure > Form Layout (B)

This allows administrators toadd or remove fieldsin a simplelist-based interface.

Used when only minor modifications are needed.

Context Menu > Configure > Form Design (C)

Opens theForm Designer, adrag-and-drop UI editorfor configuring forms.

Allows users torearrange fields, sections, and tabseasily.

A. Context Menu > Form > Layout(Incorrect)

The correct path isConfigure > Form Layout, not "Form > Layout."

D. Right-click on header > Add > Field(Incorrect)

Right-clicking the form headerdoes not provide an option to add fields directly.

E. Context Menu > Form > Designer(Incorrect)

The correct option isConfigure > Form Design, not "Form > Designer."

F. Right-click on header > Configure > UX Dashboard(Incorrect)

UX Dashboards areused for analytics and reporting, not form configuration.

Form Layout in ServiceNow:https://docs.servicenow.com/en-US/bundle/utah-platform-administration/page/administer/form-administration/task/t_ConfigureFormLayout.html

Form Designer Overview:https://docs.servicenow.com/en-US/bundle/utah-platform-administration/page/administer/form-administration/concept/c_FormDesigner.html

Correct Methods:Explanation of Incorrect Options:Official References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

Thethree-bar iconin theForm headerof ServiceNow is commonly referred to as theHamburger icon. It provides access toadditional form actionsthrough acontext menu.

Opens adrop-down menuwith options such as:

Configure Form Layout

Configure Form Design

Insert and Stay

View History

Export Options

Helps users accessquick actionswithout navigating away from the form.

The icon consists ofthree horizontal lines, resembling ahamburger(bun-patty-bun).

This naming convention is widely used in web and mobile UI design.

Functions of the Hamburger Icon in ServiceNow:Why is it Called a "Hamburger Icon"?

Incorrect Answer Choices Explanation:A. Pancake Icon– No such term exists in ServiceNow UI terminology.

B. Additional Actions or Context Menu– While the icondoesprovide additional actions, "Context Menu" refers to right-click options or three-dot menus, not the three-bar menu.

D. Cake Icon– No such UI term exists in ServiceNow or general UI design.

Understanding the ServiceNow Form Header

ServiceNow UI Overview

Official CSA Documentation Reference:

In ServiceNow, when applying filters, theFunnel iconopens the condition builder, allowing users to set criteria for displaying records.

Understanding the requirement:

The user wants to seeIncidents where the state is ClosedORIncidents where the Assignment Group is Network.

The key word here isOR, meaning records satisfyingeithercondition should be displayed.

Steps to apply this filter in ServiceNow:

Click theFunnel iconto open the condition builder.

Define thefirst condition→ SelectState = Closed.

Click theORbutton (since we want records meeting either condition).

Define thesecond condition→ SelectAssignment Group = Network.

PressEnterto apply the filter.

Since the user wantseither condition to be true,ORis the correct logical operator.

PressingEnterafter defining the second conditionexecutes the filter.

A. Define the first condition; click AND button; define second condition; click Run:Incorrect becauseANDwould requireboth conditions to be true simultaneously, which is not what the user wants.

B. Define the first condition; click AND button; define second condition; press enter:Same issue as option A—AND willnarrow the resultsinstead ofexpanding them.

D. Define the first condition; click > icon on breadcrumb, define second condition; click Run:Thebreadcrumb navigationis used to modify filtersafter applying them, not to create them initially.

E. Define the first condition; click > icon on breadcrumb, define second condition; press enter:Same issue as option D—breadcrumb navigation is for modifying, not for initial filter creation.

Using Filters and Condition Builder in ServiceNow:ServiceNow Docs

ServiceNow Querying and Filtering Best Practices

Why is the Correct Answer "C"?Why Not the Other Options?References from the Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:UsingORensures both conditions are considered independently, displaying incidents that are eitherClosedor assigned toNetwork.

In ServiceNow,User Criteriais thebest methodfor controllingwho can see or request catalog items. To ensure that onlyHR Department Managerscan view the service catalog item, we need to applyUser Criteriaby adding theDepartment Manager group.

Navigate toService Catalog > Catalog Items.

Open the specific catalog item.

Scroll down to theAvailable Forsection.

ClickEditand selectUser Criteria.

Add theDepartment Manager group.

Save the changes.

Steps to Restrict Catalog Item Visibility Using User Criteria:????Effect:Only users in theDepartment Manager groupwill be able to see and request this catalog item.

Incorrect Answer Choices Explanation:A. Specify the Dept_Mgr role on the catalog content block

Rolescontrol system permissions but are not used tofilter visibilityof catalog items.

C. Add the Department Manager group to the catalog item’s ACL

Access Control Lists (ACLs)restrict who canmodifya catalog item but do not control visibility.

D. Only publish the item in the HR service catalog

Publishing an item in a specificcatalogdoes not restrict access to a specificuser group.

E. Use a Dept_Mgr ACL on the HR service catalog

ACLs arenot the correct approachfor managing catalog item visibility;User Criteriais the best practice.

ServiceNow User Criteria for Service Catalog

Restricting Access to Service Catalog Items

Official CSA Documentation Reference:

When usingHigh Security Settingsin ServiceNow, administrators often gaintemporary elevated privileges. To revert to normal security levels, they mustlog out and back into refresh their session.

High Security Settingsprovide elevated security configurations and mayoverride standard role-based access controls.

Logging outclears any temporary security settingsand restores normal administrator privileges.

This is therecommended practiceafter making security changes.

Why is Option B Correct?

Why Are the Other Options Incorrect?A. Select Normal role

Incorrectbecausethere is no "Normal" rolein ServiceNow.

C. Use System Administration > Normal Security module

Incorrectbecausethere is no "Normal Security" modulein ServiceNow.

D. Select Global Update Set

Incorrectbecause Update Sets controlcustomizations and configurations,not security settings.

E. End Impersonation

Incorrectbecause ending impersonation onlyswitches back to the admin accountif you were impersonating a user.

Itdoes not resetsecurity settings from High Security Mode.

ServiceNow CSA Guide - High Security Settings

ServiceNow Best Practices - Managing Security Configurations

References to Official Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

InServiceNow,Visual Task Boards (VTBs)provide aKanban-style interfaceto manage and track work. There arethree main typesof Visual Task Boards, but "Feature"is notone of them.

Freeform Board (Valid Type)

Manually created boards wherecards can be moved freelywithout predefined conditions.

Users canadd and organize tasks as needed.

Example: Personal task management.

Guided Board (Valid Type)

Createdfrom a list viewandlinked to a ServiceNow table(e.g., Incident, Change, Task).

Cards on the boardautomatically updatebased on conditions.

Example: Managing Incidents or Change Requests.

Flexible Board (Valid Type)

Similar toGuided Boards, but allows users tomanually reordertasks within lanes.

Offers moreflexibilitywhile still being linked to a data source.

Example: Sprint Planning or ITSM Workflows.

"Feature" is NOT a Visual Task Board type in ServiceNow.

ServiceNow does use the term"Feature"in Agile Development (for tracking high-level product functionalities), but it is not related to VTBs.

Types of Visual Task Boards in ServiceNow:Why is "Feature" Incorrect?

Why Other Options Are Correct?Guided, Flexible, and Freeformare thethree valid typesof Visual Task Boards in ServiceNow.

Visual Task Boards Overview

ServiceNow Visual Task Boards

Types of Visual Task Boards

Creating and Using VTBs

References from ServiceNow CSA Documentation:

In ServiceNow, users can log into theService Portalusingcertificate-based authentication methods. The two commonly supported methods are:

ACACis a smart card issued by theU.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

It is used by military personnel, contractors, and government employees for secure authentication.

ServiceNow supportsCAC authenticationby integrating with external identity providers.

APIV cardis used byU.S. federal agenciesfor authentication.

It followsFederal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201for identity verification.

ServiceNow allows users to log in using PIV authentication, ensuringsecure accessto government and enterprise systems.

1. Common Access Card (CAC) – (Correct Answer)2. Personal Identity Verification (PIV) – (Correct Answer)

Both CAC and PIV are widely recognized certificate-based authentication methodsused in ServiceNow for secure user authentication.

They provide multi-factor authentication (MFA)and meet federal security standards.

Why "C. CAC" and "E. PIV" are the Correct Answers?

A. Extended Validation Access (EVA) – Incorrect

No such authentication method exists in ServiceNow.Extended Validation (EV) certificatesare used for website security, not user authentication.

B. Organization Verification Card (OVC) – Incorrect

Not a recognized ServiceNow authentication method.

D. Domain Authentication Card (DAC) – Incorrect

No such authentication method exists in ServiceNow.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

ServiceNow Docs: Common Access Card (CAC) Authentication

ServiceNow Docs: Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Authentication

ServiceNow CSA Study Guide – Authentication Methods in ServiceNow

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

In ServiceNow,Access Control Rules (ACLs)determine who cancreate, read, write, delete, or executerecords within a table. Each ACL rule evaluates three main permission requirements,all of which must be truefor the rule to apply. These requirements are:

TheConditions fieldin an ACL specifies predefined logic that must be met for the rule to apply.

Example: An ACL might specify that a record is only accessible if theStatefield is set to "Open".

Conditions areevaluated firstbefore checking roles or scripts.

ACLs can berestricted to users with specific roles.

If a user does not have the required role(s), the ACL denies access.

Example: Only users with the"itil"role can edit incidents.

If the ACL does not specify any role, all users may be eligible based on conditions and script evaluations.

ACL scripts provideadvanced conditional logicusingserver-side JavaScript.

Scripts allow complex rule evaluation, such as checking whether a user is the record’s creator.

Example: A script could restrict access to records wherecurrent.requested_for == gs.getUserID()(only allow users to see their own requests).

If a script is present in an ACL, it must returntruefor access to be granted.

Access control rules are only granted when all three evaluations return true.

Conditions act asfilters.

Roles definepermissions based on user roles.

Scripts allowadvanced access logic.

1. Conditions (A - Correct Answer)2. Roles (C - Correct Answer)3. Script (D - Correct Answer)Why "A. Conditions," "C. Roles," and "D. Script" are the Correct Answers?

B. Table – Incorrect

Access control appliesto specific tables, but defining a table itself is not one of the permission checks.

E. Table." – Incorrect

This is anincorrectly formatted optionand does not relate to access control evaluation.

F. Table.none – Incorrect

"Table.none" is not an evaluation factor in ACLs. Access control applies totable-level, field-level, and record-level, but "table.none" is not an access requirement.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

ServiceNow Docs: Access Control Rules (ACLs) Overview

ServiceNow CSA Study Guide – Security and Access Control

ServiceNow Product Documentation: Evaluating ACLs and Permissions

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

In ServiceNow, aroleis arecord stored in the sys_user_role tablethat defines a set ofpermissionsfor users. Roles determine what users cansee and dowithin the platform by granting access to applications, modules, and specific functionalities.

Stored in thesys_user_roletable.

Assignpermissionsto users and groups.

Define access toapplications, modules, and records.

Can beinheritedby users throughgroup membership.

Used inAccess Control Rules (ACLs)to restrict or allow access to records.

Key Features of Roles in ServiceNow:Common Roles in ServiceNow:Role Name

Description

admin

Full system access, including configuration and security settings.

itil

Allows access to IT Service Management (ITSM) modules like Incident, Change, and Problem.

catalog_admin

Manages the Service Catalog.

knowledge_manager

Manages the Knowledge Base.

Roles arestored as recordsin thesys_user_roletable.

Each role grantsspecific permissionsto users.

Users can have multiple roles assigned to them.

B. A role is one record in the Role [user_sys_role] table – Incorrect

The correct table name issys_user_role, not "user_sys_role".

C. A role is a persona used in Live Feed Chat – Incorrect

Live Feed is a collaboration tool, butroles are not personas for chat.

D. A role is a set of modules for a particular application – Incorrect

Rolesgrant accessto modules, but they arenotthe modules themselves.

ServiceNow Docs: User Roles & Permissions

ServiceNow CSA Study Guide – Role-Based Access Control

ServiceNow Product Documentation: sys_user_role Table

Why "A. A role is one record in the Role [sys_user_role] table" is the Correct Answer?Explanation of Incorrect Options:References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

Importing data into ServiceNow from a spreadsheet involves a structured process to ensure data integrity and proper mapping. The three main steps in the process are:

The first step in importing data into ServiceNow is to load the spreadsheet into an Import Set table.

This can be done through theSystem Import Sets > Load Datamodule.

The system will create a temporary table (Import Set) where the data will be staged before being transformed into target tables.

ATransform Mapis required to map fields from the Import Set table to the target table in ServiceNow.

Transform Maps define how data from the source (Import Set table) will be transferred and transformed into the destination table (e.g., Incident, User, CMDB, etc.).

The Transform Map allows for additional transformations such ascoalescing records(to avoid duplicates) and scripting for data manipulation.

After configuring the Transform Map, the final step is toRun Transform, which applies the mappings and moves the data from the Import Set table to the target table.

This process ensures that the imported data is correctly integrated into the ServiceNow instance and adheres to the configured rules.

Option A: "Select Data Source, Schedule Transform"– Incorrect because selecting a data source is part of data import, but "scheduling" a transform is not a required step in the standard import process.

Option C: "Define Data Source, Select Transform Map, Run Transform"– Incorrect because "Define Data Source" is more relevant when setting up external data imports. The process must begin with "Load Data" rather than defining the data source.

Option D: "Select Import Set, Select Transform Map, Run Transform"– Incorrect because an Import Set must first be created by loading data before it can be selected.

ServiceNow Docs: Importing Data Overview

ServiceNow Docs: Creating a Transform Map

ServiceNow Docs: Running a Transform Map

Step 1: Load DataStep 2: Create Transform MapStep 3: Run TransformWhy Other Options Are Incorrect?References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation: