CSA Exam Dumps - ServiceNow Certified System Administrator Questions and Answers

A Configuration Item (CI) is any component that needs to be managed to deliver IT services. In ServiceNow, CIs are stored in the Configuration 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 – The Common Service Data Model (CSDM) is a framework for structuring CMDB data, but individual components in the CMDB are called Configuration Items (CIs).

❌ B. CMDB – The CMDB (Configuration Management Database) is the database that stores Configuration Items, but it is not a CI itself.

❌ D. Service Offerings – A Service Offering represents a set of capabilities available to customers but is not the same as a CI.

❌ E. Asset – An IT Asset refers to a physical or virtual resource owned by the organization, but not 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:

Flow Designer is a no-code/low-code automation tool in ServiceNow that enables users to orchestrate business processes across different services with minimal technical knowledge. It allows non-technical users to build complex workflows using drag-and-drop functionality.

No-Code/Low-Code Automation

Users can design, test, and manage business processes without coding skills.

Actions can be executed sequentially or conditionally based on logic.

Integration with ServiceNow Applications

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

Trigger-Based Execution

Flows can be triggered by conditions, schedules, or user actions.

Prebuilt Spokes & Actions

ServiceNow provides prebuilt "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 is Flow Designer.

D. Workflow Editor ❌ (Incorrect)

Workflow Editor is part of the older Legacy 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:

In ServiceNow, Plugins are used to activate additional applications or functionalities within a development instance. A plugin is a package of features, configurations, and applications that extends the platform’s capabilities.

Plugins introduce new capabilities – They allow you to enable or disable specific functionalities, such as ITSM, CMDB, HR Service Delivery, and Performance Analytics.

Plugins can be installed or activated from the System Definition > Plugins module.

Some plugins are available by default, while others require activation by an administrator or ServiceNow support.

Plugins can depend on other plugins, meaning some functionality requires multiple plugins to be activated.

A. App Package: ❌ No such term in ServiceNow. Applications in ServiceNow are delivered via Plugins or App Engine Studio, not "App Package."

B. Updated Pack: ❌ Not a ServiceNow term. ServiceNow updates are delivered as patches or application updates, not an "Updated Pack."

C. Patch: ❌ A patch is a minor update or bug fix released by ServiceNow but does not introduce new functionality.

E. App Updated Set: ❌ Update Sets track changes in a development instance but are used for migrating configurations between instances, not for activating functionality.

ServiceNow Plugins Documentation: ServiceNow Docs

Managing and Activating Plugins in ServiceNow (Admin Guide)

Why is the Correct Answer "Plugin"?Why Not the Other Options?References from the Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:

When creating a custom table in ServiceNow, the platform automatically assigns a table name prefixed with "u_" to differentiate custom tables from out-of-the-box (OOB) tables.

The default prefix "u_" is applied to all custom global tables.

The table name follows the format: "u_" + [custom name].

Example:

If you create a table named "abc", the system assigns it the table name: u_abc.

All custom tables created by users automatically receive the "u_" prefix.

Prevents conflicts with ServiceNow’s internal tables.

Ensures custom tables are easy to identify.

Naming Convention for Custom Tables:Why "C. u_abc" is Correct?

A. snc_abc – Incorrect

"snc_" is not used for custom tables; it is reserved for internal ServiceNow functionality.

B. abc – Incorrect

Custom tables do not use raw names; they always include a prefix (u_).

D. sys_abc – Incorrect

"sys_" is reserved for system tables (e.g., sys_user, sys_db_object).

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

ServiceNow Docs: Creating Custom Tables

ServiceNow CSA Study Guide – Table Administration

ServiceNow Product Documentation: Understanding Table Naming Conventions

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

In ServiceNow, the Event Registry is a module that stores and defines all system events that can be triggered within the platform. Events in ServiceNow are used to trigger business rules, notifications, workflows, and integrations based on specific system activities.

The Event Registry [sysevent_register] table contains predefined and custom event definitions.

It allows developers and administrators to define new custom events.

Events can be triggered manually (via scripts) or automatically based on system actions.

Events are not tied to a specific timeframe but are available for use whenever triggered.

Triggering a Notification

When an incident is assigned, an event such as "incident.assigned" is triggered, which can send an email notification to the assigned user.

Initiating an Automated Workflow

When a new user is onboarded, an event like "user.onboarded" can trigger a workflow to create necessary accounts and permissions.

Logging Custom Events for Reporting

Custom events like "asset.verified" can be used to track when an asset verification process is completed.

Key Features of the Event Registry:Example Use Cases of the Event Registry:

The Event Registry is not a log of completed events but a repository of event definitions that can be triggered.

It defines both default and custom events that can be used across different system processes.

It is used for event-driven automation in ServiceNow.

Why "C. The Event Registry is a module that provides Event definitions" is the Correct Answer?

A. The Event Registry lists all Events that have successfully completed within a 24-hour period – Incorrect

This describes the Event Log [sysevent] table, not the Event Registry.

B. The Event Registry is a list of all Events that originate through an integration – Incorrect

The Event Registry is not specific to integrations; it applies to all events in the system.

D. The Event Registry is a list of all Events that have successfully completed after being Invoked by a script – Incorrect

Events triggered by scripts are logged in the Event Log, not the Event Registry.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

ServiceNow Docs: Understanding the Event Registry

ServiceNow CSA Study Guide – Event Management

ServiceNow Product Documentation: Creating and Managing Events

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

A Many-to-Many (M2M) relationship in ServiceNow allows two or more tables to be related bi-directionally, so that related records are visible in a related list on both tables.

Unlike a One-to-Many (1:M) relationship (where only one table references another), M2M relationships link records in both directions.

This is achieved through an intermediary table, known as a Many-to-Many table, which stores the relationships.

A Many-to-Many table contains:

A reference field for each of the tables being linked.

The relationship records, which connect records between the two tables.

Suppose you want to relate Incidents to Problems and vice versa.

Instead of adding a reference field in each table, you create an m2m_incident_problem table.

Now, an Incident can be linked to multiple Problems, and each Problem can be linked to multiple Incidents.

These relationships will be visible as related lists in both tables.

How Many-to-Many Relationships Work in ServiceNow:Example of a Many-to-Many Relationship:

Incorrect Answer Choices Explanation:❌ A. Database View – Used to combine data from multiple tables for reporting but does not establish a bi-directional relationship between tables.

❌ C. One to Many (1:M) – A single record in one table relates to multiple records in another, but the relationship is not bi-directional.

❌ D. Extended – Refers to table inheritance, where a table inherits fields from its parent table, not a Many-to-Many relationship.

Many-to-Many Relationships in ServiceNow

Understanding Table Relationships

Official CSA Documentation Reference:

Access Control rules in ServiceNow define who can create, read, write, or delete records in a table or specific fields. These rules are applied at the table or field level and follow a specific naming convention:

TableName.FieldName

Naming Convention for Access Control Rules:

If an Access Control rule applies to a specific table, its format is TableName (e.g., incident).

If it applies to a specific field, it follows TableName.FieldName (e.g., incident.major_incident).

Major Incident is a field in the Incident table:

The incident table represents the ITSM Incident Management module.

Major Incident is a specific field within the incident table.

To apply an Access Control Rule to this field, the rule name must be incident.major_incident.

A. Incident.Major_Incident: ❌ Incorrect because ServiceNow Access Control rules do not use uppercase table or field names—they are always lowercase.

B. incident=>major_incident: ❌ Incorrect syntax—ServiceNow does not use => in Access Control names.

C. incident<=>major_incident: ❌ Incorrect syntax—ServiceNow does not use <=> in rule naming conventions.

D. incident||major_incident: ❌ Incorrect syntax—ServiceNow does not use || (logical OR) in Access Control naming.

ServiceNow Access Control Rules Guide: ServiceNow Docs

How to Create and Manage Access Control Rules in ServiceNow

Why is the Correct Answer "incident.major_incident"?Why Not the Other Options?References from the Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:By using incident.major_incident, we correctly define field-level security for the Major Incident field in the Incident table.

In ServiceNow, an Update Set is a mechanism used to capture customizations made in an instance and move them to another instance (e.g., from development to production). However, certain elements are not included in an Update Set by default.

Homepages (A) – ✅ Correct

Homepages are stored as user-specific or global content, and they are not included in update sets by default.

To migrate them, you need to manually export/import them or use the sys_portal_page_set table.

Data (B) – ✅ Correct

Update Sets do not include actual data, such as incident records, user records, or CMDB data.

Only configuration changes (like fields, forms, and workflows) are captured.

Data migration must be handled separately using Data Export or Integration methods.

Published Workflows (C) – ✅ Correct

Once a workflow is published, it is stored as a runtime instance and not automatically included in an Update Set.

To capture it, you must manually update the workflow before moving it in an Update Set.

Report Definitions (H) – ✅ Correct

Reports and their configurations are not automatically included in Update Sets.

You must manually include them by marking them as "Captured in Update Set."

D. Business Rules ✅ (Captured in Update Sets)

E. Schedules ✅ (Captured in Update Sets)

F. Database changes ✅ (Captured in Update Sets)

G. Related Lists ✅ (Captured in Update Sets)

I. Scheduled Jobs ✅ (Captured in Update Sets)

J. Client Scripts ✅ (Captured in Update Sets)

K. Views ✅ (Captured in Update Sets)

ServiceNow Update Sets Overview: https://docs.servicenow.com/en-US/bundle/utah-application-development/page/build/system-update-sets/concept/c_UpdateSets.html

ServiceNow Update Set Best Practices: https://docs.servicenow.com/en-US/bundle/utah-application-development/page/build/system-update-sets/concept/update-set-best-practices.html

Items NOT Included in Update Sets (By Default):Items That ARE Included in Update Sets (By Default):Official References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

In ServiceNow, UI Actions are used to add buttons, links, and context menu items on forms and lists to enhance user interaction.

UI Actions provide interactive elements such as buttons, links, and context menu options on forms and lists.

UI Actions allow execution of server-side and client-side scripts, including GlideAjax and GlideRecord calls.

They can be configured to execute under specific conditions, such as user roles, field values, or record states.

Examples of UI Actions include:

Submit, Update, and Delete buttons on forms.

Custom action buttons such as "Escalate Incident" or "Resolve Task".

List context menu items such as "Approve" or "Reject" for workflow items.

A. UI Policies: ❌ Used for dynamically showing, hiding, or making fields mandatory, but not for adding buttons or links.

B. UI Settings: ❌ No such module in ServiceNow.

D. UI Config: ❌ Not a valid option; UI Actions, not "UI Config," control buttons and menus.

UI Actions Overview: ServiceNow Docs

Configuring UI Actions for Forms and Lists

Why is the Correct Answer "UI Actions"?Why Not the Other Options?References from the Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:By using UI Actions, developers can enhance the user experience by providing interactive buttons and menu options in ServiceNow.