Database Management and Platform Security
125 questions from the Database Management and Platform Security domain of the ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA) exam, each with its answer and an explanation. Read them through as revision, then sit the full practice exam to test yourself on them under multiple-choice conditions.
1.Task table is a "___" table. Fill in the blank with the right option.
Answer
- Base
Task [task] is one of the core tables provided with the base system. It provides a series of standard fields used on each of the tables that extend it, such as Incident [incident] and Problem [problem].
2.Which of the following is a best example of Contextual Security in ServiceNow?
Answer
- ACL
Contextual security secures data and records via create, read, write and delete permissions using Access Control Lists, giving control at every level.
3.Which one of the statement below describes the relationship between the incident table and task table?
Answer
- The incident table extends the task table
Task is the base/parent table holding common fields such as assignment, state and priority. Incident is a child table that extends Task, inheriting its fields and adding incident-specific ones.
4.Which table stores information about CI relationship existing on a ServiceNow instance?
Answer
- cmdb_rel_ci
The CI Relationship table in a ServiceNow instance is cmdb_rel_ci.
5.Does ServiceNow support table rotation?
Answer
- Yes
Table rotation protects instance performance when querying growing data sets by using the ECC Queue and the sys_created_on field to split data into multiple tables by date.
6.Which is the parent table for incident, problem, change in an ServiceNow instance?
Answer
- task
Incident, Problem and Change all extend Task. Task is the parent table, so most fields on those forms are derived from it.
7.What is the master table that contains a record for each table in the database?
Answer
- sys_db_object table
sys_db_object is the master table holding a record for every table in the database, including custom tables and extensions, along with metadata such as name, label and parent table. sys_master_db and sys_master_object do not exist.
8.How are users related to roles or groups in an ServiceNow instance?
Answer
- Many to many relationship
Users can hold multiple roles and belong to multiple groups, so the relationship is many to many.
9._______ is used to join two tables. Fill in the blank with the correct option.
Answer
- Database Views
A database view defines table joins for reporting purposes. Several useful views ship with the Database View and Database Views for Service Management plugins; for example, one can join Incident to Metric Definition and Metric Instance.
10.What CMDB table stores the basic attributes of all the configuration items?
Answer
- Configuration Item [cmdb_ci]
cmdb_ci stores the basic attributes of all configuration items. cmdb is the base CMDB table for non-IT CIs, cmdb_rel_ci holds CI relationship data, and cmdb_ci_config_file is one of the CI types.
11.Is it true that any user can have multiple roles but can only be part of a single assignment group on ServiceNow?
Answer
- FALSE
A user can hold multiple roles (itil, admin, catalog_admin) and can also belong to multiple assignment groups used to route tasks to the right team, so the single-group claim is false.
12.What information does the System Dictionary contain?
Answer
- The definition for each table and column
The system dictionary is the Dictionary Entry [sys_dictionary] table, holding details for each table and the definition of every column. Each row represents a table or a column, and admins use it to modify tables and fields, which in turn define lists and forms.
13.Any ServiceNow user can impersonate other user on ServiceNow?
Answer
- FALSE
Impersonation is restricted to users with the admin role or specific elevated privileges. It is a troubleshooting and testing capability, limited for security reasons.
14.You can limit Service Now instance access by IP ranges?
Answer
- TRUE
Instance access can be limited by IP ranges defined in whitelisted IP fields.
15.What do you use in CMDB Workspace to verify the existence of actual IT infrastructure and applications that you own, systematically and in bulk?
Answer
- CI Attestation
CI Attestation lets owners systematically confirm and validate CIs in bulk so the CMDB reflects reality. Multisource Report Builder is for reporting, Service Graph Connectors and IntegrationHub ETL bring in external data, and IRE reconciles data to avoid duplicates.
16.Which of the following operation is a record-type access control list that restricts access to reports based on a role?
Answer
- report_view
The report_view operation is a record-type ACL restricting report access to users with the required roles. There are two kinds: report_view table ACLs, which block report content based on the specified table, and report_view field ACLs, which block reports using the specified field in a group by, row, column or aggregation.
17.What will happen if you make the short description field on task table as mandatory at the dictionary level?
Answer
- Short description will be mandated on all the tables which are extending task table
Child classes derive fields from parent classes, so a dictionary-level change on Task applies to every table extending it, such as Incident.
18.Which of the following statements is true when a new table is created by extending another table?
Answer
- The new table inherits all of the fields of the parent table and can also contain new fields unique to itself
Adding a new field to a parent table means it is automatically inherited by all child tables.
19.What are the different Schema relationship types that are supported for tables? (Choose 4)
Answers
- Referenced by
- Referencing
- Extending
- Extended by
The four supported schema relationship types are Referenced by, Referencing, Extended by, and Extending.
20.There is a business requirement to restrict incident reporting to specific roles for better governance. The Development team decided to add a new access control (ACL), so only those roles can view the contents of the reports on the incident table. What access control operation should they use to allow this access on the incident table?
Answer
- report_view
report_view controls who can view reports on a table, matching the governance requirement. report_on governs creating reports, add_to_list governs adding records to a list, execute applies to scripts, and read covers records and fields rather than report viewing.
21.Which feature enables you to add related entries for Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE) identification rules?
Answer
- CI Class Manager
CI Class Manager lets administrators configure CI classes and manage identification rules, including adding related entries for IRE rules. IntegrationHub ETL and Service Graph connectors bring in external data, and CMDB Data Manager handles CI data lifecycle and governance.
22.What is contextual security in ServiceNow?
Answer
- Protects a record based on its contents and table location, data is acted upon based on the position of the information in the table hierarchy. Defines access control rules to any level.
Contextual security protects records based on their contents and table hierarchy, with access control rules definable at any level (table, field, or record), giving fine-grained, hierarchy-aware security enforcement.
23.Where would you go to see if an admin impersonated another user?
Answer
- System Log
Go to the syslog.list and set the source to "Impersonate" to find the details.
24.Which component of a table contains a piece of data for one record?
Answer
- Field
A field is the component of a table storing a single piece of data for one record; each record consists of multiple fields corresponding to columns, such as Number, Short Description, or Priority on an Incident table.
25.Which of the following roles cannot be delegated? (Select 2 answers)
Answers
- admin
- role_delegator
By default, admin, public, nobody, and role_delegator cannot be delegated; a user with the role_delegator role cannot delegate that role to other group members.
26.What are the different ways to bring users into the ServiceNow system?
Answer
- Through Single Sign-on, LDAP, using an import sets (importing users), both manually entering users and creating users.
Users can be brought into ServiceNow via SSO, LDAP, user authentication (manual or automatic), and import sets.
27.What is Single Sign-On (SSO)?
Answer
- A type of integration that enables a user to log in once and gain access to the resources of multiple software systems without being prompted to log in again.
Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication scheme letting a user log in once with a single ID and password to access several related, independent software systems.
28.In a typical ServiceNow instance, what types of users are in the system? (Choose one list that orders from 1=most seats to 4=least in amount of seats)
Answer
- 1) ESS user 2) ITIL User 3) Delegate Administrator 4) System Administrator.
ESS users (end-user employees) are the largest group, followed by ITIL fulfillers (IT/HR staff), then Delegate Administrators with elevated but limited privileges, and finally System Administrators, which should be the smallest group per least-privilege security practice.
29.Which of the following is a requirement for using the CMDB Data Manager?
Answer
- Ensuring there is an active life-cycle rule corresponding to each target class in a life-cycle policy.
CMDB Data Manager requires active life-cycle rules defined for the target classes so CIs follow proper governance and lifecycle transitions; without them, the tool cannot enforce or manage CI data properly. CSDM setup, migration activities, and the CSDM Activation plugin are not required prerequisites.
30.An IT user calls the service desk because they need to work on task records. All they can see is Self Service on their homepage when they login to the ServiceNow instance. What issue could explain this? (Choose 2)
Answers
- Their user account does not belong to any groups, which contain the ITIL role
- Their user account does not have ITIL role
The ITIL role grants Service Desk/technician access to open, update, and close incidents, problems, changes, and CIs. Without it directly or via group membership, a user only sees the Self Service view.
31.The ___________ is a user-friendly reference to a field and the ____________ is the backend reference to a field?
Answer
- label, name
The label is the user-friendly reference shown on forms and lists, while the name (system name) is the backend reference used in scripts and queries — e.g. label "Assigned To" with backend name assigned_to.
32.Any table in ServiceNow can be extended
Answer
- False
Not all tables can be extended; core system tables (like sys_user, sys_audit, sys_db_object) and certain non-extensible base tables are restricted from extension to preserve platform integrity. Only tables designed to be extensible (like Task, CMDB, Incident) can be extended.
33.If a table is extended but itself is not extending another table, it is called a ……….
Answer
- base table
A base table is the original table not extending any other table, though other tables can extend it; it serves as the starting point for extensions.
34.If you have the Impersonate role, what type of user are you not able to impersonate?
Answer
- Extended Security Admin
ServiceNow restricts impersonation of Extended Security Admin users, since these have elevated privileges tied to system security and impersonating them could compromise sensitive configurations or bypass safeguards. Even with the Impersonate role, this type cannot be impersonated.
35.Which ServiceNow resource can be used as a blueprint to map your IT Services to ServiceNow?
Answer
- Common Services Data Model (CSDM)
CSDM provides a standardized blueprint defining how services, applications, and infrastructure should be represented in the CMDB, ensuring consistency across ITSM, ITOM and other ServiceNow products. The CMDB is the repository, while CSDM is the model/blueprint for structuring it.
36.For a customer's inventory application, several inventory specifications fields are needed on an inventory ticket. These tickets will be assigned to inventory support team members. How would you start to implement this requirement?
Answer
- Create inventory table as an extended table from the Task Table. Then add the inventory specification fields, as needed.
Since tickets need to be assigned and tracked like tasks, best practice is to extend the Task table, inheriting assignment, SLA, and workflow functionality, and then add custom inventory specification fields.
37.Which type of field allows you to enter freely using letters, numbers, and special characters?
Answer
- String
The String field type allows free-form entry of letters, numbers and special characters; single-line and multi-line are presentation styles of a String field, not separate field types.
38.Which admin role is required to make changes to High Security Settings?
Answer
- security_admin
The security_admin role is an elevated privilege role provided with High Security Settings that lets users create and change access controls and modify High Security Settings.
39.Which of the following protects applications by identifying and restricting access to available files and data?
Answer
- Application Scope
Application Scope defines the boundaries of an application, restricting access to files, data and resources within that scope so only authorized components can interact with it, preventing unintended access from other applications.
40.Your customer requires that they be able to monitor which users are performing impersonations in their instance. What would you do to meet that requirement?
Answer
- Activate the glide.sys.log_impersonation script
Activating the glide.sys.log_impersonation property causes every impersonation event to be logged, capturing the impersonator and impersonated user, viewable in System Logs. Update sets are for moving configuration, not monitoring activity, and there is no role or right-click option for this purpose.
41.CMDB Data Manager is a wizard-like tool that provides a comprehensive solution for managing configuration items. Which of the following indicates how CMDB Data Manager operates? Select 2 Answers from the below options.
Answers
- It operates in bulk.
- It helps maintain the CMDB healthy and efficient.
CMDB Data Manager handles large volumes of data for bulk updates, imports, and reconciliations, and its primary purpose is ensuring data integrity, consistency and accuracy, keeping the CMDB healthy and efficient. It is designed to handle dynamic cloud environments and enterprise-sized CMDBs, not just small/medium ones.
42.What type of relationship is recommended between Incident and SLA tables to report on incidents resolved by SLA per incident category?
Answer
- Database Views
Database Views join data from multiple tables (like Incident and SLA) into a single reporting structure without altering the underlying schema, enabling reports like incidents resolved by SLA per category.
43.What is common way of testing functionality for different roles?
Answer
- Impersonate user
Administrators can impersonate other authenticated users for testing purposes and can view impersonation logs afterward.
44.What is the Task table name?
Answer
- task
The Task table's internal name is simply task, serving as the parent table for Incident, Problem, Change Request, and Service Catalog Task. sys_ prefixes are reserved for platform tables, not core application tables like this.
45.Which table is used to store groups data?
Answer
- sys_user_group
sys_user_group stores all group records including name, description, manager, type and roles, serving as the repository for group definitions used in assignment rules, notifications, and access control.
46.Which of the following can be useful if you want to restrict certain users from executing scripts on a tables?
Answer
- ACL
Access Control Lists (ACLs) are the mechanism for controlling access to data and functionality, including restricting which roles or users can execute scripts, query, or update records on a table.
47.Having an up-to-date CMDB (Configuration Management Database) has a lot of benefits. Which of the following is NOT a benefit?
Answer
- Automatically resolving incidents
A CMDB provides visibility, traceability, and impact analysis, but it does not automatically resolve incidents — that requires separate workflows or human intervention. Change impact analysis, correlating failed changes with incidents, and reducing downtime are all genuine CMDB benefits.
48.Which of the following statements is correct regarding fulfiller and approver users?
Answer
- Fulfiller users have the itil and approver_user roles
Fulfiller users are typically assigned both the itil role (for ITSM tasks) and the approver_user role (to approve requests or changes), letting them both fulfill and approve requests when required.
49.Which of the following statements is most accurate when it comes to how the system evaluates ACLs when a session requests accessing a record?
Answer
- A user must at least pass the table ACL rule to access the record
The table-level ACL is the minimum requirement for record access — if it fails, the user cannot access the record at all regardless of field ACLs. Once the table ACL passes, field ACLs may further restrict access to specific fields.
50.Which table is used to store users data?
Answer
- sys_user
sys_user is the table used to store users; there are no tables named system_user, user, or users.
51.Every record is identified by a 32-character, globally unique ID, which is called _______
Answer
- sys_id
Each record is identified by a unique 32-character GUID called the sys_id, guaranteeing every record in every table across every instance in the world has a unique identifier.
52.Which form of storage is used to store data in ServiceNow?
Answer
- Relational database
ServiceNow leverages a relational database management system (RDBMS), organizing data into tables with rows and columns to enable efficient querying and relationships.
53.If a session requests access to data in a certain table, what happens if the user passes the table ACL rule but fails the field rule?
Answer
- The user will be granted access to the table but won't see the field which he doesn't have access to
ServiceNow enforces a layered ACL evaluation: the table ACL grants access to the table itself, and field ACLs then control visibility of individual fields. Failing a field ACL only hides that field, not the whole table.
54.Roles can be assigned to groups but they cannot be assigned to individual users
Answer
- False
Roles can be assigned to groups or individual users, though best practice recommends assigning roles to groups rather than individual users.
55.What is a configuration Item?
Answer
- Any component that needs to be managed in order to deliver services
CIs are the building blocks of IT services — hardware, software, infrastructure, documentation, or processes — that need to be tracked and managed to deliver functionality, not just generic settings or every ServiceNow component.
56.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding configuration items
Answer
- CMDB consists of a static list of configuration items
The CMDB is NOT a static list — it tracks CIs within the platform and also tracks the relationships between them dynamically.
57.Which of the following features helps users see reasonable relationships between configuration items?
Answer
- CI Relationship Editor
The CI Relationship Editor provides a graphical way to view existing relationships between CIs and establish new ones, helping teams understand dependencies and interactions between components.
58.Which one of the following authentication methods is not supported in ServiceNow?
Answer
- All the listed methods are supported in ServiceNow
ServiceNow supports OAuth for API/third-party integrations, SAML for SSO, LDAP for directory authentication, and digest-based authentication for integrations — all listed methods are supported.
59.Which of the following is most suitable to apply governance rules to decide who can access certain fields in certain tables?
Answer
- ACL
ACLs enforce security and governance at the table, field, and record level, determining who can read, write, or execute specific fields based on roles and conditions — unlike UI Policies, Client Scripts, or Data Policies which are not true security mechanisms.
60.The impersonate feature is not recommended because there is no way to know what actions the impersonator took on behalf of the impersonated user.
Answer
- False
ServiceNow tracks actions performed while impersonating another user via audit logs, so the feature is traceable and safe to use for testing and troubleshooting.
61.Which of the following statements best describes the Dependency View?
Answer
- Dependency Views display the configuration items and the business services that it is part of and that it supports
A Dependency View graphically depicts CIs, the services they are part of, and the services they support, helping users understand potential impact via relationships rather than merely listing all CIs or incidents.
62.Which of the following are the 3 key attributes for a field?
Answers
- Label
- Name
- Value
The three key field attributes are Label (user-friendly display name), Name (internal system identifier), and Value (the actual stored data for a record).
63.Which table is used to store Roles?
Answer
- sys_role
Roles are stored in the sys_role table, controlling access to features and capabilities in applications and modules.
64.You need to create a new field in a table. What is the field type that you should use if your field needs to display records from another table?
Answer
- Reference
A reference field stores a reference to a record on another table, e.g. the Caller field on Incident referencing the User table.
65.Which prefix is used for custom tables in the global application?
Answer
- "u_"
The "u_" prefix is the standard used for custom tables created in the global scope, helping avoid naming conflicts with system tables.
66.Which of the following is a set of tables containing assets and business services controlled by a company?
Answer
- CMDB
The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is the core repository storing all configuration items — hardware, software, and business services — providing a comprehensive, centralized view.
67.Which of the following elements is used to store data in ServiceNow?
Answer
- Tables
Tables are the relational database structure storing data in rows and columns; lists and forms are interfaces for viewing/interacting with that data, not the storage mechanism itself.
68.Giving roles to groups considered best practices when it comes to assigning roles.
Answer
- TRUE
Assigning roles to groups rather than directly to individual users is a ServiceNow best practice. It simplifies administration, ensures consistency, and makes role management more scalable.
69.What is an access control?
Answer
- It is a security rule defined and set at the row level and the column level, and it is executed when attempting to access any ServiceNow table
Access Control Rules (ACLs) are security rules that determine whether a user can access a particular row (record) or column (field) in a table, evaluated whenever access is attempted.
70.Which of the following can be an example of Out Of The Box table?
Answer
- incident
Out-of-the-box tables come pre-configured with ServiceNow; 'incident' is a fundamental OOTB table. Tables starting with 'u_' or 'x_' indicate custom tables.
71.ACLs can be defined in how many ways?
Answer
- All of the above
ACLs can be defined using conditional expressions, scripts, and roles - all three methods combined.
72.To see the relationship between tables in a graphical view, what is used?
Answer
- Schema Map
A Schema Map is used to visualize relationships between different tables in the platform, showing tables, relationships, and relevant fields.
73.How to get security_admin role / elevated privilege for a user session?
Answer
- Select the security_admin option in the Elevate Roles section
The security_admin role is not permanently assigned; administrators must elevate roles during a session via the Elevate Roles dialog for temporary elevated privileges.
74.What is true about deleting tables?
Answer
- Only tables beginning with "u_" can be permanently deleted
Custom tables created by users (prefixed 'u_') can be permanently deleted; system/baseline tables cannot, to protect platform integrity. Deleting a table also deletes associated elements like views.
75.What does a dictionary override do?
Answer
- It provides the ability to override several aspects of a field in extended tables
A dictionary override allows customizing the behavior and appearance of fields within extended tables, including labels, behavior, choices, and validation rules.
76.If a row level and a field level rule are in conflict, both rules must be met before an operation is allowed.
Answer
- TRUE
Both row level rules and field level rules must be satisfied for an operation to succeed - if either restricts access, the operation is not allowed.
77.A group can contain a nested group.
Answer
- True
A group can contain a nested group, allowing hierarchical organization into smaller, more specific subgroups.
78.The problem_task table extends which table?
Answer
- Task
problem_task is a child table of the task table. Task is the base table for many process-specific tables such as incident, change_request, problem, and problem_task.
79.Who can access schema maps, tables, and column module?
Answer
- Administrator
Only Administrators have access to schema maps, tables, and column modules, as these are part of system configuration and the data model requiring elevated privileges.
80.Which of the following concepts are associated with the ServiceNow CMDB? (Choose four)
Answers
- Service Processes
- Tables and Fields
- A Database
- The Dependency View
CMDB powers ITSM processes, is built on a hierarchical table structure, is a centralized database storing CIs and relationships, and includes the Dependency View for visual mapping. User Permissions is an access control mechanism, not a core CMDB concept.
81.Access to tables and fields are governed by Access Control.
Answer
- TRUE
Access Control Rules (ACLs) govern access to tables, records, and fields, determining read/write/create/delete permissions based on roles, conditions, and scripts.
82.What related tables does the schema map show?
Answer
- Class extension or reference
The schema map visually shows how tables are related through class extensions (inheritance) and references (relationships), e.g., Task extended by Incident, Problem, Change tables.
83.ESS users have access to only self service portal.
Answer
- TRUE
ESS (Employee Self-Service) users are limited to the self-service portal and do not have access to administrative modules or advanced functionality.
84.A new group has been created to access service catalog requests however the group members are not able to access it. What is the BEST practice that should be followed to make sure the group members are able to access the requests?
Answer
- Assign catalog role to the group and then add users to the group
Best practice for granting catalog access to a team is to assign the role to the group itself, then add users to that group.
85.Each record in a table corresponds to:
Answer
- Row
In a database table, each individual record corresponds to one row.
86.A Schema Map displays which of the following? (Select three)
Answers
- Extended Tables
- Extending Tables
- Reference Table
The Schema Map shows a table's relationships via Extended Tables, Extending Tables, and Reference Tables.
87.Users cannot read, write, create, or delete data unless access controls are in place to explicitly allow those actions.
Answer
- TRUE
By default users have no access; explicit ACLs must grant read/write/create/delete permissions, so the statement is true.
88.A role cannot contain any other role?
Answer
- FALSE
Roles in ServiceNow can be nested — one role can contain (inherit) another role — so the statement that they cannot is false.
89.What is related to High Security Plugin in ServiceNow?
Answer
- security_admin role for elevated privilege
The security_admin role, created when the High Security Plugin is activated, grants elevated administrative privileges for security-sensitive tasks.
90.What's an example of a CI?
Answer
- Computer, Software Contract, Business Service (tangible and intangible)
Configuration Items (CIs) can be tangible (a computer) or intangible (a software contract, a business service).
91.After high security plugin is activated, a security_admin privilege is created. What is an elevated privilege?
Answer
- A role that has special permissions for the duration of the log in session
An elevated privilege grants a user temporary, extra permissions that apply only for the duration of that login session.
92.How does ServiceNow decide which application should be visible when a user login to ServiceNow?
Answer
- Defined on the basis of roles assigned to the user
Application visibility upon login is determined by the roles assigned to the logged-in user.
93.Which role is required for creating ACL?
Answer
- security_admin
Creating or modifying an ACL requires the security_admin role due to the sensitivity of access control configuration.
94.Which of the following modules should be used to create CI relationships?
Answer
- Configuration > Relationships > Suggested Relationships
CI relationships based on discovery data and CMDB logic are created via Configuration > Relationships > Suggested Relationships.
95.Which module can be used to access system dictionary?
Answer
- System Definition > Dictionary
The System Dictionary, which stores table/field/data-type definitions, is accessed via System Definition > Dictionary.
96.Which of the following modules can be used to build database views?
Answer
- System Definition > Database Views
Database Views, which join multiple tables into a virtual table for reporting, are built via System Definition > Database Views.
97.A Role is defined as what?
Answer
- A collection of permissions
A Role in ServiceNow is a collection of permissions that determines what a user can see and do; ACLs can reference roles, but a role is not itself an ACL or a persona.
98.What type of user (persona) has clearly defined paths and workflows in the platform and have one or more roles (ie itil and approver_user)?
Answer
- Process User
A Process User is defined as a persona with clearly defined paths and workflows in the platform, assigned one or more roles such as itil or approver_user.
99.In what order are Access Controls evaluated?
Answer
- Table-level - most specific to most general; then Field-level - most specific to most general
ACLs are evaluated first at the table level (most specific rule to most general), then at the field level, again from most specific to most general.
100.How can the abbreviation CSDM be expanded?
Answer
- Common Service Data Model
CSDM stands for Common Service Data Model, ServiceNow's standardized framework for structuring service-related data in the CMDB.
101.What is the name of the table relationship, where two or more tables are related in a bi-directional relationship, so that the related records are visible from both tables in a related list?
Answer
- Many to Many
A Many-to-Many relationship links records bi-directionally through a junction table, making related records visible from both sides in related lists.
102.Which ServiceNow products can be used to discover and populate the CMDB? Select 2 answers
Answers
- IntegrationHub ETL
- Discovery
The CMDB can be populated using Discovery (which scans the network for CIs) and IntegrationHub ETL/Import Sets (which bring in data from third-party sources).
103.What are the three key tables in an enterprise CMDB? Select 3 answers
Answers
- cmdb_rel_ci
- cmdb
- cmdb_ci
The three key CMDB tables are cmdb (base CI table for non-IT CIs), cmdb_ci (core CI table for IT CIs), and cmdb_rel_ci (defines relationships between CIs).
104.What is the definition of a group?
Answer
- A collection of users
A group is a set of users who share a common purpose. Members perform tasks like approving change requests, resolving incidents, or receiving notifications. Every user should be assigned to at least one group, and best practice is to assign roles to groups rather than individual users.
105.What is the most common role that has access to almost all platform features, functions, and data?
Answer
- System Administrator [admin]
The System Administrator (admin) role provides broad privileges including configuration, customization, and management of applications and modules across nearly all platform features. The other listed roles are either not standard ServiceNow roles or are more limited in scope (e.g., security_admin is specific to security features).
106.How would you distinguish between a Base Class table and a Parent Class table?
Answer
- Base Class table is not extended from another table, Parent class tables may be extended from another table.
A Base Class table (e.g., task, cmdb_ci) is the root of the hierarchy and is not extended from any other table. A Parent Class table is itself extended from another table but also serves as the parent for further extensions (e.g., incident extends task and can itself be extended further).
107.What resource can you use to view details of the tables and configuration items (CIs) associated with a particular use case?
Answer
- Common Service Data Model (CSDM) product view
The CSDM product view is the resource used to view details of the tables and CIs associated with a particular use case, providing a common framework/language for organizing and visualizing an organization's services and data.
108.Table Access Control rules are processed in the following order:
Answer
- table name, parent table name, any table name (wildcard)
Table ACL rules are processed by first matching the exact table name (e.g., incident), then the parent table name (e.g., task), then any table name using the wildcard (*).
109.How would you navigate to the Schema map for a table?
Answer
- System Definition > Tables; Select Table; Go to Related links and click Show Schema Map
The proper way to access the Schema Map is by navigating to System Definition > Tables, selecting the desired table, then using Related Links to click Show Schema Map. This gives a visual representation of relationships, extensions, and references for that table. It is not accessed from System Dictionary directly, from the Dictionary module, or via any direct 'Show Schema Map' option under System Definition.
110.What role enables someone to authorize a request, with no other permissions on the platform?
Answer
- Approver [approver_user]
The approver_user role is specifically designed for users who need to authorize requests without granting broader platform access, ideal for delegating approval authority without full ITIL functionality. 'authorize_user' is not a standard role; reviewers and verifiers don't have final authorization authority; approval groups route approvals but individual members still need the approver_user role to grant authorization.
111.Which are valid ServiceNow User Authentication Methods? (Select three correct answers)
Answers
- Local Database
- LDAP
- SSO
ServiceNow supports authentication against its internal user table (Local Database), integration with LDAP directories like Active Directory, and Single Sign-On (SSO) via protocols such as SAML/OAuth/OpenID Connect. XML feeds are used for data integration, not authentication, and FTP is a file transfer protocol, not an authentication mechanism in ServiceNow.
112.Which of the following is NOT a database setting on the Application Access section of a Table?
Answer
- Can write
Standard Application Access database settings are Can create, Can read, Can update, and Can delete. 'Can write' is not a standard ServiceNow setting — 'Can update' is the specific term used for modifying existing records.
113.When impersonating a user for testing purposes, what is the best way to return to your account?
Answer
- End Impersonation
ServiceNow provides a dedicated 'End Impersonation' option in the user menu/banner that immediately switches back to your own account without extra steps like logging out or restarting your computer.
114.Which modules can you use to create a new table? (Select 2 answers.)
Answers
- Tables
- Tables & Columns
Both the 'Tables' module and the 'Tables & Columns' module (an older naming) open the list of database tables (sys_db_object) where clicking New lets you create a new table. Schema Map visualizes existing table relationships rather than creating tables, Database isn't a ServiceNow module for this purpose, and Applications is a broader navigator category rather than the specific table-creation module.
115.Which of the following statement is TRUE for a field on an audited table?
Answer
- Add "no_audit = true" to attribute for exclude from auditing
To exclude a specific field from being audited, you add the attribute no_audit = true to that field's definition — 'no_audit = 0' is not the correct syntax.
116.What are the different types of table relationships in ServiceNow?
Answers
- Many to Many
- Extensions
- One to Many
Tables relate through extensions (a child table inherits the fields of its parent), one-to-many relationships (a reference field, such as many incidents pointing to one caller) and many-to-many relationships (a link table, such as the one between users and groups). A table can extend only one parent, so multiple inheritance is not supported.
117.Which of the following are ways to update the CMDB on a ServiceNow instance?
Answers
- Manual inputs
- External integrations
- Import sets
CIs can be entered or edited manually, loaded with import sets and transform maps, and kept up to date through external integrations such as Discovery, Service Graph Connectors or SCCM. UI Macros and UI policies change how pages and forms behave; they do not load CMDB data.
118.Which tables are not part of the base ServiceNow instance?
Answer
- Custom tables
Custom tables are created by administrators or developers after the instance is provisioned, and carry a u_ prefix in the global scope or the application's scope prefix. Base tables such as Task [task], and the tables that extend them such as Incident [incident], ship with the platform.
119.On a ServiceNow instance, where can you view information about system activity?
Answer
- System logs
System Logs record activity on the instance, such as errors, warnings, script log statements, events and transactions, which makes them the place to troubleshoot what happened. Stats shows build and node statistics, Upgrade History lists upgrades and the changes they made, and System Diagnostics reports on instance health rather than activity.
120.Task-related records extend the Task table. Can a task refer to one or more configuration items?
Answer
- TRUE
The Task table has a Configuration item field for the main CI, and the Affected CIs related list (the task_ci table) links a task to any number of additional CIs. Incidents, problems and changes inherit both, which supports impact analysis and root cause investigation.
121.Which field types display as a checkbox on a form?
Answers
- True/False
- Checkbox
A True/False field is shown as a single checkbox, checked for true and unchecked for false, and a Checkbox field is also shown as a single checkbox. Choice and Multiselect Choice fields are shown as lists of choices, and a checkbox list shows a group of options rather than one checkbox.
122.Tables that exist in the base system are called _____. Fill in the blank with the correct option.
Answer
- core tables
The tables provided with the base system, such as Task [task], User [sys_user] and Incident [incident], are called core tables, while custom tables are the ones you create. A base table is a different idea: a table that does not extend another table, whether it is core or custom.
123.Which of the following are examples of core tables in the ServiceNow platform?
Answer
- User, Task, Incident
User [sys_user], Task [task] and Incident [incident] ship with the base system and are core tables that many applications build on. The other options are not sets of tables provided with the platform.
124.When designing a relationship between two configuration items, which role does the base CI take?
Answer
- The base CI will be the child CI
When a relationship is added from the base CI, the base CI is recorded as the child and the related CI as the parent, so relationships are always recorded the same way in the CMDB.
125.What is an ACL defined and applied to?
Answer
- Specific Role or user
An ACL secures an object such as a table, record or field, and grants access to the users who meet its requirements, most often a role. It is not defined for a CI, and groups get access only through the roles assigned to them.