ServiceNow continues to dominate the ITSM space and, having spent the last 9 months networking within the ServiceNow ecosystem, a certain topic seems to keep surfacing in conversation – certifications. And, with a level of uncertainty around certifications, I thought I would share the below information which may help you – or a fellow professional – looking to enter into the ServiceNow ecosystem choose the right path.

ServiceNow offers three certification paths for customers and partners who work with and use ServiceNow products or services – Certified Systems Administrator (CSA), Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) and Certified Application Developer (CAD). For those of you who want to take it even further, you can also earn product-specific certifications through courses offered on each different path.

Importantly, before you can register to take a certification exam, you’ll need to complete the required courses for that training path, which are offered through certified ServiceNow instructors in a variety of formats; with both in-person and virtual classes available depending on your circumstances. This flexibility has massively increased the accessibility of ServiceNow for a huge number of people, and I am pleased to see that ServiceNow is focusing on increasing accessibility through this. Third-party courses are also available through authorized ServiceNow training providers, which include exam vouchers along with training materials. Furthermore, ServiceNow courses are designed to let you tailor your certification path to your skills and career goals, which further increases their potential, and each path has individual courses and certifications that fall under the learning path, so you can choose the specific products that align with your career.

So, let’s take a look at these certifications in further detail:

Certified Systems Administrator (CSA)

If you’re looking to test your ability to manage, configure and implement the ServiceNow platform, then the ServiceNow Systems Administrator Certification Exam is the one for you. This also lays the foundation for everything you need to know about ServiceNow before continuing on to other courses or certifications paths. On the subject of increasing accessibility, this certification is relatively entry-level, so there are few prerequisites, but it’s recommended that you have experience working with ServiceNow products.

The 60-question CSA exam covers five specific learning domains that each account for a percentage of the exam. These include user interface and navigation (20%), collaboration (10%), database administration (30%), service automation (30%) and introduction to scripting and application tools (10%).

• Audience: ServiceNow customers, partners, sales engineers and others interested in becoming a ServiceNow Certified System Administrator
• Product certifications: CSM, HR, ITBM, ITOM, ITSM and Platform.
• Prerequisites: At least six months of hands-on experience with ServiceNow and experience with database concepts and system management, IT help desk processes and incident, problem and change workflows
• Required courses: ServiceNow Fundamentals
• Duration: 90-minute exam
• Cost: $150 per exam

Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS)

The Certified Implementation Specialist certification is part of the implementer path and it includes six specialized certifications that are each aligned with specific ServiceNow products. With each path requiring its own set of courses and training to earn the product-specific certifications, this path includes Service Mapping, Service Management, Financial Management, HR, Customer Service Management, Security and Vulnerability Response.

The CIS exam consists of multiple-choice and multiple-selection questions that cover five learning domains that each account for a certain percentage of the exam. These include engagement methodology and project planning (10%), core system setup (30%), security (10%), tuning and performance (20%) and configuration (30%).

• Audience: ServiceNow employee and ServiceNow partners
• Product certifications: CSM, HR, ITBM, ITOM, ITSM, Security Operations, Software Asset Management
• Prerequisites: ServiceNow Certified Systems Administrator certification, ITIL v3 Foundations certification and experience with at least two end-to-end ServiceNow deployment projects
• Required courses: ServiceNow System Administration, Advance System Administration, Implementation Bootcamp and Scripting.
• Duration: 90-minute exam
• Cost: $150 per exam

Certified Application Developer (CAD)

Finally, the Certified Application Developer (CAD) certification covers your ability to design applications, including the user interface, using business and database logic. To succeed in this exam, I recommend you’re able to understand how to write, test and debug client-side and server-side scripts, manage applications, implement application security and automate applications using multiple products.

The CAD exam consists of 60 questions that focus on six specific learning domains that each account for a certain percentage of the exam. These include design and creating an application (15%), application user interface (20%), security and restricting access (20%), application automation (20%), working with external data (10%) and managing applications (15%).

• Audience: ServiceNow customers, partners, sales engineers and anyone else interested in earning this level of certification
• Product certifications: All products
• Prerequisites: None are required, but it’s suggested you become a Certified ServiceNow System Administrator. It’s also recommended that you have hands-on experience with application development and systems administration.
• Recommended courses: Courses are not required, but it’s recommended you take ServiceNow Fundamentals, Scripting in ServiceNow and ServiceNow Application Creation.
• Duration: 90-minute exam
• Cost: $150

Having spoken to a large number of individuals in the ServiceNow space – including both candidates and clients – I have heard conflicting views regarding certifications. For instance, some have voiced their concerns over the lack of flexibility when it comes to actually taking a certification exam. I would be keen to hear your thoughts and views on the current climate of ServiceNow certifications!