How to Copy Previous Assessment Answers by Default in the Smart Assessment Engine?

EdanR · 3 weeks ago

I’m working with the new Smart Assessment Engine in ServiceNow and looking to copy assessment responses if the same assessment template is sent for the same "assessed" record. In the previous Assessment Engine, there was a simple checkbox that allowed us to copy answers from previous assessments by default. This feature was extremely useful for our recurring evaluations and saved our users a lot of time.
However, I haven’t been able to find a similar option in the Smart Assessment Engine. Is there an equivalent way to pre-populate answers with previous responses, or a recommended approach to replicate this functionality? Any best practices or configuration tips would be appreciated!
Thanks!

pratikjagtap · 3 weeks ago

Hi @EdanR ,

ServiceNow provides a Workflow Studio action called “Copy smart assessment responses”, which allows you to reuse answers from a previous assessment instance.

How it works:

You need to use Flow Designer or have System Admin privileges.
The action requires:
- Source Assessment: The previous assessment instance you want to copy responses from.
- Target Assessment: The new assessment instance where responses should be copied.
Both assessments must be based on the same template, and the target assessment must be in an Open state.
Once configured, the responses from the source assessment are automatically available in the new one.

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/zurich-governance-risk-compliance/page/product/assessment-eng...

Best Practices:

Use this feature in recurring evaluations where templates remain consistent.
Consider adding this action to a subflow that triggers when a new assessment is created for the same record.
Ensure proper error handling in the flow in case the source assessment is missing or incomplete.

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Regards,
Pratik

Me Being Mustaq · 3 weeks ago

Hi @EdanR ,

In the new Smart Assessment Engine in ServiceNow, the straightforward checkbox to “copy previous answers by default” found in the classic Assessment Engine does not exist in the same form, but you can replicate—and even extend—this functionality using Smart Assessment’s “auto-copy” and combined assessment features.

How to Pre-Populate Assessment Responses in Smart Assessment Engine

1. Auto-Copy Feature on Combined Assessments

The Smart Assessment Engine introduces a feature called auto-copy that allows previous responses to be automatically replicated across applicable assessments or contexts.
When creating or sending assessments to the same "assessed" record (or multiple records with the same template/questions), you can combine assessments and enable auto-copy.
This feature will copy your answer to a question across all selected assessments, saving effort for recurring or similar evaluations.

How to Enable:

Select the relevant assessments and combine them, then enable the auto-copy option before sending or completing the assessment.
Once enabled, responses you provide on one context will automatically pre-populate on the others, and you can selectively override them if needed.

2. Automated Responses and Default Values

For individual recurring assessments, utilize automated responses in the template to set a default answer, or use calculated values based on prior assessment data from the related record.
This can be done by configuring a default value or using automation so responses pull from previous records where possible.

3. Custom Scripting and Flow Designer

If your use case is more advanced and not covered by auto-copy (e.g., single/standalone assessments where auto-copy cannot apply), you can use Flow Designer or Business Rules to fetch prior responses from previous assessments for the same template/record, and update the new assessment record accordingly.
This approach mirrors the scripting used in the classic engine, but requires custom logic with GlideRecord.

4. Template Duplication

Smart Assessment allows deep copy of templates so that you can quickly clone previous structures, although this does not copy response data, only the questions and layout.
Use this for year-on-year assessments when the template structure is the same and automation can then be set up for responses.

Best Practices

Use auto-copy whenever you have multiple assessments or recurring contexts to save user time and keep responses consistent.
For year-over-year or cyclic usage, explore custom scripting if responses need to be migrated to standalone new records.
Document these automations and configuration choices to assist users and maintain efficient recurring assessments.

In summary:
Smart Assessment Engine’s auto-copy and combined assessment features are built to replicate and even improve on the old “copy previous answers” workflow, allowing you to pre-populate responses for recurring evaluations. Custom scripting can further fine-tune this for complex or standalone situations.

You may find below thread helpful:

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Kind Regards,

Shaik Mohammed Mustaq