ServiceNow CSA - ServiceNow Certified System Administrator

In ServiceNow, the"Service Desk > My Groups Work"module is designed to display tasks assigned to a groupbut not yet assigned to an individual user.This means that even if an IT manager oversees theNetworkandHardwareassignment groups, they will not see any tasks in this listif all tasks have already been assigned to specific individualswithin the group.

Let’s break down whyoption Ais the correct answer and why the other options are incorrect:

The"My Groups Work"list only shows tasks that are assigned to thegroupbut have not been assigned to a specificindividualwithin the group.

If all tasks are assigned to specificteam members, then the manager will not see any tasks in this list.

The IT manager can verify this by navigating to theTask List(e.g., Incidents, Changes, or Requests) and filtering by theNetworkandHardwareassignment groups.

Explanation for Correct Answer (A):

Theitil roleallows users toview, create, update, and resolve incidents, changes, problems, and other ITSM tasks.

However, not having this role wouldrestrict accessto various ITSM functionalities, but itdoes notimpact whether tasks appear inMy Groups Work.

If the manager lacks theitilrole, they might have trouble accessing or modifying tasks, but this wouldn't explain why they don’t see anything in the list.

TheService Desk groupis a separate entity in ServiceNow, typically associated with incident handling and user support.

TheMy Groups Workmodule isnot restricted to the Service Desk group—it displays work assigned toany groupthe user belongs to.

Since the manager is responsible for theNetwork and Hardwaregroups, being part of theService Deskgroup is irrelevant.

If the manager wasnot a memberof these groups, they wouldn't seeany group-related tasksat all.

However, the question states that the manager isresponsible for these groups, so it’s reasonable to assume they are either a member or at least agroup managerwith visibility.

Even if they were just a manager and not an officialgroup member, they would still be able to see the tasks assigned to the groups.

TheAssignment Group managerfield is an informational field that indicates who manages a group.

This fielddoes not controlwhat is displayed in theMy Groups Workmodule.

Even if this field were empty, it wouldn’t prevent a manager (who is a group member) from seeing unassigned tasks.

Explanation for Incorrect Answers:(B) The manager does not have the itil role.(C) The manager is not a member of the Service Desk group.(D) The manager is not a member of the Network and Hardware groups.(E) The Assignment Group manager field is empty.

ServiceNow CSA Guide - User Interface and Navigation

ServiceNow ITSM Fundamentals - Incident and Task Management

ServiceNow Role-Based Access Controls and Group Management

ServiceNow KB Articles - My Groups Work Module

References to Official Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

InServiceNow,System Import Setsis the primary application used toimport and transform datafrom external sources into the platform. It provides a structured way toload data into tableswhile allowingdata transformation and mappingbefore final insertion.

Data Loading from External Sources:

Supports imports fromCSV, Excel, XML, JSON, and JDBC databases.

Allows data fromexternal systemsto be brought into ServiceNow.

Staging Area for Data Processing:

Imported data first enters atemporary staging table(Import Set Table).

Data can then betransformedbefore being committed to the target table.

Data Mapping and Transformation:

UsesTransform Mapsto map fields from theImport Set Tableto theTarget Table.

Supportsautomatic field mappingandscripted transformations.

Data Cleansing and Validation:

Duplicate records can bedetected and removed.

Invalid or missing data can becorrected before insertion.

Navigate to System Import Sets(All → System Import Sets → Load Data).

Upload the data file(CSV, XML, JSON, etc.).

Create a Transform Mapto define how data is mapped to the target table.

Run the transformationto move data from the Import Set Table to the final table.

Verify the datain the target table.

A company importsemployee recordsfrom an externalHR system (CSV file).

TheSystem Import Setsmodule loads this data into astaging table.

ATransform Mapmoves the data into theUser [sys_user]table.

Key Features of System Import Sets:Steps to Load Data Using Import Sets:Example Use Case:

Why Option C (System Import Sets) is Correct?System Import Sets is the primary tool for loading data into ServiceNow from external sources.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect?A. Service Level Management→ Incorrect

Service Level Management (SLM)is used to trackService Level Agreements (SLAs), not to import data.

B. Configuration→ Incorrect

Configuration Management (CMDB)helps trackconfiguration items (CIs)but does not handle data imports.

D. System Update Sets→ Incorrect

Update Setsare used tomove configurations and customizationsbetween instances,not to import data.

ServiceNow Docs – Importing Data with System Import Setshttps://docs.servicenow.com

ServiceNow Learning – Data Import & Transformation Best Practices

ServiceNow Developer Portal – Using Import Sets Efficiently

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

TheCommon Services Data Model (CSDM)is a standardized framework within ServiceNow that provides a shared set of service-related definitions across ServiceNow products and the platform. It ensures consistency inservice reporting, CMDB structure, and configuration strategies, enabling organizations to achieve awell-structured, scalable, and maintainable Configuration Management Database (CMDB).

Why is the Answer A. Common Services Data Model (CSDM)?The statements in the question directly align with the objectives of CSDM:

"A standard and shared set of service-related definitions across ServiceNow products and platform that will enable and support true service level reporting."

CSDM provides a structured framework toalign services, applications, and infrastructurein a way that supports consistent reporting and governance.

It enablesaccurate service reportingby defining standardized relationships between services, applications, and technical components in the CMDB.

"A CMDB framework across our products and platform that will enable and support multiple configuration strategies."

CSDM provides astructured CMDB frameworkthat definesbest practices for data organization and relationships within the CMDB.

It supports multiple configuration strategies, such asapplication-centric, service-centric, and infrastructure-centric approaches.

B. Information Technology Service Management (ITSM):

ITSM refers toprocesses for managing IT services, such as Incident, Problem, Change, and Service Request Management.

While ITSM benefits from CSDM, itdoes not define a structured CMDB frameworklike CSDM does.

C. Configuration Management Database (CMDB):

CMDB is a database that stores configuration items (CIs) and their relationships.

CSDMprovides structure and best practicesfor CMDB but is not the same as CMDB itself.

D. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL):

ITIL is aset of best practicesfor IT service management.

It provides general guidance onservice management and CMDB usage, butit is not a ServiceNow-specific frameworklike CSDM.

ServiceNow Common Services Data Model (CSDM) Overview:ServiceNow Documentation

CSDM and CMDB Best Practices Guide(ServiceNow Community and Knowledge Base)

CMDB and ServiceNow Data Model Best Practices

Why Not the Other Options?References from the Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:CSDM is critical forensuring a structured and governed CMDB, enabling service visibility, and supporting ITSM and ITOM processes effectively.

In ServiceNow,Priorityis achoice field, meaning it has predefined values (e.g., 1 - Critical, 2 - High, etc.). If a customer wants to change the values to displayP1, P2, P3, P4consistently across all tasks, you must modify thechoice list valuesfor the Priority field.

Right-click on the Priority fieldin the Incident form.

Select“Show Choices”from the context menu.

In theChoice List Entriestable, modify theLabelvalues to match the internal terminology (P1, P2, P3, P4).

Ensure that the changes applyto all Task-related tables(such as Incident, Change, and Problem).

The“Show Choices”option displays the choice list for that specific field, allowing modifications to the values displayed in the dropdown.

This ensures consistency across all records using thePriorityfield.

A. Configure Lists:Configures list views,not choice field values.

B. Show Options:Not a valid option in ServiceNow for modifying choice fields.

C. Configure Task:Configures the task table settings,not choice list values.

E. Show Choice List:Not a valid ServiceNow menu option.

F. Configure Options:Not a valid option in ServiceNow for modifying choice fields.

Modifying Choice Lists in ServiceNow:ServiceNow Docs

How to Customize Dropdown Fields in ServiceNow

Steps to Modify the Priority Field Choices:Why is the Correct Answer "Show Choices"?Why Not the Other Options?References from the Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:Using“Show Choices”, administrators can updatechoice valueswhile preserving the existingbackend values, ensuring consistency in workflows and reports.

In ServiceNow, theApplication Navigatorallows users to browse and accessApplications and Modules. Toexpand or collapsethe Application Navigator, users interact with theApplication Menu icon (☰), commonly known as the "Hamburger" menu.

Locate thethree-line "Hamburger" icon (☰)at the top-left of theApplication Navigator.

Double-clickorsingle-clickto expand/collapse the list of applications and modules.

A. Star(Incorrect)

TheStar icon (⭐)representsFavorites, allowing users to mark frequently used modules for quick access.

B. Clock(Incorrect)

TheClock icon (⏱️)is forRecently Viewed Items, showing the user's most recent navigations.

D. Funnel(Incorrect)

TheFunnel icon (🔽)is afilterused to refine search results or application lists, not to expand/collapse the navigator.

Navigating the Application Menu:https://docs.servicenow.com/en-US/bundle/utah-platform-user-interface/page/administer/navigation-and-ui/concept/c_NavigationAndTheUserInterface.html

How to Expand/Collapse Applications & Modules:Explanation of Incorrect Options:Official References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

In ServiceNow, asys_idis aunique 32-character identifier(UUID - Universally Unique Identifier) that is automatically assigned to every record in the system.

It isa unique 32-character alphanumeric string(e.g.,5137153cc611227c000bbd1bd8cd2005).

Every record in every table in ServiceNow has asys_idfield.

Thesys_id remains the same across instances if the record is transferred via an Update Set.

It helpsuniquely identifyrecords and is used in scripting, APIs, and database relationships.

In theIncident [incident]table, an incident record might have:

Number:INC0012345

sys_id:9d72f6141b122200d37a85e15b2d6fe6

Key Characteristics of sys_id:Example:

Thesys_id is always 32 characters long.

It is acritical part of the ServiceNow database structure.

Used forrelationships, APIs, scripting, and querying records.

Why "A. Unique 32-character identifier that is assigned to every record" is Correct?

B. A client-side Business Rule – Incorrect

Business Rulesdo not generate sys_ids; they control logic execution.

C. A server-side Business Rule – Incorrect

Business Rules are used for automation, but sys_id is a system-generated field.

D. Unique 64-character identifier that is assigned to every record – Incorrect

The correct length of sys_id is32 characters, not 64.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

ServiceNow Docs: Understanding sys_id

ServiceNow CSA Study Guide – Database Architecture

ServiceNow Product Documentation: Unique Identifiers in ServiceNow

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

In ServiceNow, users can quickly generate a report from a list view without needing to navigate to the Reports module. The two main ways to do this are:

Steps:

Open any list view (e.g., Incident, Change, or any table-based list).

Click thethree-line (hamburger) context menuon the top-left of the list.

SelectCreate Reportto generate a basic report based on the current list view.

Modify report settings (e.g., visualization type, filters, groupings).

Save the report for future reference.

Steps:

Apply the necessary filters to refine the list view.

Right-click on acolumn header(e.g., Priority, State, Category).

SelectCreate Reportfrom the context menu.

Configure the report visualization and save it if needed.

1. Using the Context Menu (Option C)2. Right-click on a Column Header (Option E)

Incorrect Answer Choices Explanation:A. Click on filter breadcrumb, drag and drop on the Report > Create New module

There is no such drag-and-drop functionality for report creation in ServiceNow.

B. Click Funnel, define filter conditions, click Create Report

TheFunnel iconis used to filter list views but does not directly generate reports.

D. Apply filter, right-click on column header, select Bar Chart

There is no direct "Bar Chart" option available when right-clicking on a column header.

Creating Reports from List Views

ServiceNow KB Article: KB0014148

Official CSA Documentation Reference:

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: