ServiceNow is growing very fast across different industries, and since its inception after 14yrs also, the demand has been huge in the market. Even from startups to enterprises, ServiceNow is in high need.
What is ServiceNow? And what is its Future Scope?
ServiceNow allows companies to have their company process, users, and documents inbuilt into ServiceNow so that every step performed by their employees will be tracked on-screen, and customers can also see how things are going. ServiceNow came into the world as an ITSM tool, but today it is beyond ITSM and covers almost all aspects of data digitization. You can create multiple applications on ServiceNow for marketing, sales, finance, HR, etc.
The platform has made a significant impact and placed it in the market. The fascinating thing about ServiceNow is that you don’t have to worry about servers, infrastructure, security, data centers, and databases while implementing. So, the organization has to implement the business requirements only.
ServiceNow is not going to see any downturn in terms of revenue or profit in the future. If we talk about the products and services of ServiceNow, products such as ITSM, PPS, CSM, Facilities, HR service management, or ITOM are one of the market leaders in their domain.
Without knowing any code, you can create your own entirely new task-based fulfillment application in days instead of months or years. If you know how to code, then what you can make it do is functionally limitless.
If you are confused if it is worth it to pay the certification fee of ServiceNow rather than getting only work experience, then certifications are worth paying for because of the rapid growth of the ServiceNow platform and cloud computing. The certification will prove to recruiters that you are an expert in the ServiceNow Admin field. Not only that, once you earn the ServiceNow system admin certification, it makes you capable of aiming for higher-level certifications. So it opens the door to many lucrative opportunities and assures the recruiter that you can be more than just an Admin.
To get started with ServiceNow and to earn ServiceNow CSA certification, it is crucial to learn about the prerequisites and skills required.
What are the Prerequisites for ServiceNow CSA?
As such, there are ‘NO’ Prerequisites for ServiceNow, but if you have the below skills, you are good to start-
- Understanding of how web-applications works
- How web pages work and loads
- Basic knowledge of scripting, if it is JavaScript, then it is better
- Basic knowledge of SQL
- What are ITIL concepts
To prepare strategically for the ServiceNow CSA certification exam, you should know about the role and responsibilities of a ServiceNow system administrator.
What does a ServiceNow Admin do?
The ServiceNow admin role is to support and maintain the ServiceNow platform and its applications using different workflows effectively. They also need to monitor the health and usage of service applications. Being a ServiceNow admin, You will be working on Incidents(User Issues), Service Requests, data loads, and data cleanup activities. You will be the first point of contact for the platform.
There are mainly three paths for customers and partners to consider in the ServiceNow ecosystem. The credential includes:- ServiceNow Certified System Administrator, ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist, and ServiceNow Certified Application Developer.
The entry-level and foundational level certification of ServiceNow is the ServiceNow System Administrator. It is best for beginners and individuals who have a basic understanding of the ServiceNow platform. The price of registering for ServiceNow system admin certification is $150.
Besides the certification fee, the certified professionals also have to pay a certification maintenance fee. So the professionals pay the fee annually to maintain the bi-annual maintenance exams. There is a single fee per year per user, irrespective of the number of maintenance exams.
A Roadmap to a Successful Career as a ServiceNow System Admin
The ServiceNow admin is the first step towards learning and preparing for various ServiceNow certifications. Clearing the ServiceNow Admin exam proves that you have the desired knowledge and skills to work effectively on the ServiceNow platform. So, before you start preparing for the ServiceNow certification, explore some tips to obtain the certification as soon as possible:-
- Please go through at an eagle eye level from the website Product Documentation. (Make sure you read about the latest version of ServiceNow). After reading the documentation, go through the official study guide from ServiceNow. And please familiarize yourself with the overview of the exam and its format. It will help you find out what to expect on exam day.
- Study for the ServiceNow certification with a reliable source. Choose a platform for online training and mock exams to organize your preparation. The cert prep platform allows learners to prepare at their own pace and provides them with the best study material, 1:1 mentoring, practice exams, and more.
- Consider ServiceNow Fundamentals training. Each training module has tests to assist you in gaining experience in live industry projects. Completing these tasks will teach you how to solve scenario-based questions in the certification exam.
- After completing any online course or offline instructor-led course, it is essential to refer to practice questions as well. Practising mock tests increases your chances of passing the exam. Make sure to practice questions and read all explanations, and try-scoring above 85% in these questions before taking up the actual exam. With practice tests, you’ll understand how the examination scenarios would be, and also, you’ll get hands-on exercises.
- Give equal attention to gaining hands-on experience. Industry-related project experience is crucial for beginners because ServiceNow CSA is an entry-level certification exam. It will give you a broad overview of the platform, but it will not teach you enough about the functioning and other aspects of ITSM tools. The ServiceNow system admin certification is only a foundational level certification, and it doesn’t cover the platform’s functioning to its full capabilities. So, you’d be better off with a few months of experience, which will help you later.
- Learn basic administration and development on the platform, and attend free workshops/training by ServiceNow experts in the event/learning portal. Attend developer meetups. Build some projects on your personal ServiceNow instance.
- Join the ServiceNow slack community and other communities to discuss crucial concepts and interact with professionals and learners. The ServiceNow Slack community also has a jobs channel. So, joining the community and staying connected with professionals from the same ecosystem have several benefits.
Therefore, acquiring the prerequisites, such as industry knowledge and hands-on experience, and preparing with a trusted platform is the fastest and most reliable way to prepare for the ServiceNow certification exam.
Consider extra advice to build an attractive resume and professional profile:-
In addition to all the points mentioned above, consider taking your data analysis experience and learning about Performance Analytics. A hiring manager or partner company could see that combination and jump at it. Your experience and expertise could get your foot in the door.
How much time should you take to prepare for the ServiceNow System Admin Certification exam?
You will be surprised to know that two to three weeks should be enough to prepare for the ServiceNow CSA exam when you have the proper guidance and a few valuable suggestions and tips. Do not take practice exams lightly. With practice tests, you’ll understand how the examination scenarios would be, and also, you’ll get hands-on exams.
For beginners, it is easy to get lured by exam dumps. Avoid exam dumps at any cost if you don’t want your progress to be slow by wasting time searching for dumps.
There is no need for dumps; just check the blueprint/syllabus details from the ServiceNow website, practice those modules in the exam scope, and give as many practice exams as possible. Only when you are completely ready and confident are you suggested to write this exam. You will get confidence only when you write more practice exams.
When is the right time to appear for the certification exam?
One of the most common doubts among ServiceNow CSA aspirants is when to give the certification exam. Scheduling the certification exam is crucial because it comes with advantages if you are ambitious.
Set an exam date as per your preparation strategy so that you will prepare at a certain speed to meet the deadline. A targeted date will keep you motivated and consistent during the cert prep journey.
When you think you have practiced enough by giving mock exams and analyzing them, and when you can score above the average percentage, consider yourself cert ready.
It would be best if you keep the target to two to three weeks. Recap everything from the On-Demand content during these two weeks, especially the Additional ServiceNow Fundamentals content with the Data Schema, Import Sets, CMDB, Access Controls, etc.
Summing Up
The ServiceNow CSA certification exam is not as hard as it seems. Learners need the right guidance and resources to pass the exam on the first attempt. Ensure that whatever resource you choose, you have a handful of practice exams to test your readiness before you sit for the actual exam. Good Luck!
