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08-11-2025 12:14 AM
Hi Experts,
I am new to CMDB and my current organization is asking to complete CIS - Data Foundation (Certified Implementation Specialist -Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM)). Can anyone help what I need to prepare to clear the exam ? What this exam mainly focus on ? What modules I need to prepare from product documentation ?
Appreciate your help on this
Regards,
Bhavani
Solved! Go to Solution.
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08-11-2025 07:44 AM
Hi @bhaavani ,
1 – What This Exam Is About
The Certified Implementation Specialist – Data Foundations (CIS-DF) exam is focused on:
* CMDB concepts & implementation best practices
* CSDM (Common Service Data Model) alignment
* Data governance, quality, and health
* Relationships between CIs and services
* Using ServiceNow tools to manage CMDB data
*
It’s not a deep-dive technical “Discovery” exam — instead, it’s more about data modeling, governance, and how CMDB fits into the overall ServiceNow platform.
2 – Official Exam Structure
From the ServiceNow blueprint, the exam usually covers these domains
| Domain | Weight |
| CMDB Fundamentals (concepts, classes, attributes, lifecycle) | ~25% |
| CSDM Concepts (domains, stages, mapping to CMDB) | ~20% |
| CMDB Data Management & Governance (Data Manager, Data Certification, policies) | ~25% |
| CMDB Health (completeness, correctness, compliance) | ~20% |
| Implementation Approach (phases, roles, data loading, maintenance) | ~10% |
3 – What You Need to Study from Product Docs
A. CMDB Core Concepts
* CMDB tables & hierarchy (cmdb, cmdb_ci, subclasses)
* CI attributes, identifiers, and discovery sources
* Relationship types (Depends on, Runs on, etc.)
* CI lifecycle (Installed, Retired, In Maintenance)
* CMDB Class Manager
B. CSDM
* Purpose and benefits of CSDM
* The 4 core CSDM domains (Design, Manage Technical Services, Sell/Consume, Manage Portfolio)
* How CSDM maps to CMDB classes
* Service Portfolio > Service Offerings > Service Instances
* Technical vs Business Services
C. CMDB Health & Data Quality
* CMDB Health dashboard metrics: Completeness, Correctness, Compliance
* How to configure health indicators
* Data Certification process
* CMDB Data Manager and cleanup policies
* Duplicate CI identification
D. Data Loading & Maintenance
* Import sets vs Discovery vs IntegrationHub ETL
* Identification & Reconciliation Engine (IRE)
* Data governance roles & processes
* Best practices for CMDB implementation
4 – Recommended Learning Path
1. Take ServiceNow’s “CMDB Fundamentals” training (free in Now Learning)
2. Complete “CSDM Fundamentals” training (also free)
3. If possible, attend the official CIS – Data Foundations course (paid, but very targeted for the exam)
4. Practice:
* Creating & relating CIs in Class Manager
* Setting up CMDB Health metrics
* Using Data Manager policies
* Mapping a simple CSDM service model
5. Go through exam practice questions from Now Learning (they follow the blueprint style closely)
5 – Key Exam Tips
* Know the CSDM diagram well — questions will test you on which table/class belongs to which stage/domain.
* Understand the difference between Business Service, Technical Service, Service Offering, and Service Instance.
* Remember: IRE enforces identification rules, not ACLs.
* CMDB Health → Completeness = mandatory fields, Correctness = valid data format, Compliance = policy adherence.
* Expect scenario-based questions like:
* “You have duplicate CIs from multiple sources — what do you configure?”
* “A service instance must be linked to X in CSDM — what is it?”
Reference links for that:-
Please appreciate the efforts of community contributors by marking appropriate response as Mark my Answer Helpful or Accept Solution this may help other community users to follow correct solution in future.
Thank You
AJ - TechTrek with AJ - ITOM Trainer
LinkedIn:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajay-kumar-66a91385/
YouTube:- https://www.youtube.com/@learnitomwithaj
Topmate:- https://topmate.io/aj_techtrekwithaj (Connect for 1-1 Session)
ServiceNow Community MVP 2025
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08-11-2025 12:18 AM
Hi @bhaavani
The CMDB/CSDM exam is relatively new in the ServiceNow platform, and you need to prepare carefully. As we always say, for any mainline exam, the official training course is the best source of truth. Here’s the exam blueprint — since the beta exam phase is over, the questions are now more refined. Follow the course content, and you’ll be well-prepared for the exam.
If my response proves useful, please indicate its helpfulness by selecting " Accept as Solution" and " Helpful." This action benefits both the community and me.
Regards
Dr. Atul G. - Learn N Grow Together
ServiceNow Techno - Functional Trainer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dratulgrover
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnNGrowTogetherwithAtulG
Topmate: https://topmate.io/atul_grover_lng [ Connect for 1-1 Session]
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08-11-2025 10:46 PM
Hi @bhaavani
Did you check the links which i provided, these has all details
If my response proves useful, please indicate its helpfulness by selecting " Accept as Solution" and " Helpful." This action benefits both the community and me.
Regards
Dr. Atul G. - Learn N Grow Together
ServiceNow Techno - Functional Trainer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dratulgrover
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnNGrowTogetherwithAtulG
Topmate: https://topmate.io/atul_grover_lng [ Connect for 1-1 Session]
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08-11-2025 12:19 AM
Did you go through exam blueprint that answers all your questions ?
If you are expected to work in ServiceNow CMDB or design data model using CSDM framework, this certification journey would help you to understand the basics of CMDB and CSDM.
Thanks,
Bhuvan
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08-11-2025 12:29 AM
You can refer learning contents from below link,
Thanks,
Bhuvan
