What's the Best Learning Path for a ServiceNow System Administrator?

[jimdejager]

Hello Community,

I'm focused on building a deep understanding of the ServiceNow System Administrator role over the coming months. I have a Personal Developer Instance (PDI) and a basic grasp of the platform, but I'm looking for a structured learning path to master all the essential knowledge and best practices.

What learning route do you recommend, with a strong focus on hands-on practice?

My specific questions are:

• What valuable free and paid resources are there, besides the official ServiceNow University content, that you'd recommend for building a solid foundation?

• Which specific modules and applications are most critical for an administrator to master first?

• Are there any popular YouTube channels, blogs, or other resources you can recommend for practical, hands-on tutorials?

I'm eager to hear your experiences and tips! Thank you in advance for your help.

Best regards,

[Nikhil Bajaj9]

Hi @jimdejager ,

Few examples are in Blueprint and you can find many in Flashcards and quizlets (Google for these).

[GlideFather]

@jimdejager I would discourage you from using non-ServiceNow sources as there are full of incorrect information or the questions that don't make sense...

Also, if you study from unofficial materials and you will fail, who is to blame then? If you study from the official materials (SN University, labs and classes) then you know that what you see is 100 % correct.

Last but not least, the quizlets sometimes have a question of "4 words" and then just an answer which is not good for learning purposes.

Example: "Final state of Incident" > "Closed" and if you follow the CSA eventually ServiceNOw Platform Implementation (SNPI) you will learn about all the states and it will be easier to remember in future

[Nikhil Bajaj9]

Hi @jimdejager ,

Welcome to Servicenow Ecosystem. First Resource is - Servicenow University where you need to cover- Welcoem to servcienow course + Welcoem to servicenow Micro certification+ Servicenow Admin fundamentals Course.

Other resource for Practice- Google for Flashcards and Quizlets

Free Youtube Channels - https://www.youtube.com/c/LearnGrowTogetherwithAtulG

https://youtube.com/@servicenow_india?si=Hf7cI62LJjVgWimJ

Specific Module- NOPE, you should prepare as per the blueprint of CSA - https://learning.servicenow.com/lxp/en/credentials/certified-system-administrator-mainline-exam-blue...

If my answer helped you, please mark it- solution accepted. 

Regards,

Nikhil Bajaj

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @jimdejager 

I am a ServiceNow trainer and happy to guide you on this. The CSA is the first and foremost learning domain and certification that everyone aims to achieve. But here’s the catch—it’s not as easy as it may seem. The CSA provides a solid foundation and understanding of the platform, its capabilities, core components, and much more in depth.

What learning route do you recommend, with a strong focus on hands-on practice?

Atul: 

The best place to start is Now Learning, where you can begin your Admin journey. You’ll get access to labs as well as content to read and understand:

🔗 Now Learning – Admin Journey

You can also explore the ServiceNow Developer site and complete the courses there:

🔗 ServiceNow Developer – Admin Learning Plan

My specific questions are:

• What valuable free and paid resources are there, besides the official ServiceNow University content, that you'd recommend for building a solid foundation?

Atul:I conduct ServiceNow training batches for CSA and upload all my videos on my channel. You can start with the Batch 17 playlist, which is freely available on my channel. Along with Now Learning, I recommend watching my playlist as it gives you a deeper dive and real-time experience.

• Which specific modules and applications are most critical for an administrator to master first?

Atul: Forms, Lists, Search, and Tables are the first areas you should master. Tables and Forms are especially important, as they will be useful everywhere in ServiceNow—so make sure your basics are clear. Along with these, all other topics are equally important and necessary for building strong expertise.

• Are there any popular YouTube channels, blogs, or other resources you can recommend for practical, hands-on tutorials?

Atul: I’ve added my channel in the signature, which you can follow. It also has a dedicated playlist for CSA.

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @jimdejager 

Any thoughts on this?