Working towards my Service-Now System Administrator Certification

[AhrenR]

Hey all, I am working towards my Service-Now System Administrator Certification. I have been managing our support desk and have pretty good experience navigating Service-Now. Does anyone have any advice as I continue studying?

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @AhrenR 

I’m a ServiceNow trainer and happy to share my thoughts on this. ServiceNow is becoming increasingly broad and deep these days, and the best way to kickstart your journey is by earning the CSA (Certified System Administrator) certification. The CSA provides a solid understanding of the platform, its terminology, and core modules. Once you get hands-on experience with the platform through CSA, you can decide on your next path.

Employers value professionals with experience across multiple modules, so it’s important to expand your knowledge and add more products to your portfolio. Consider focusing on areas like ITSM, GRC, HRSD, CSM, or SecOps.

Currently, the training is free, which is a fantastic opportunity. However, the real challenge is gaining hands-on experience. To overcome this, the ServiceNow community is an excellent resource. Dedicate at least 1-2 hours a day engaging with the community — read questions others are asking and contribute your own responses. Over time, this will improve your skills and boost your confidence.

Additionally, mastering scripting is essential if you want to become a developer. There are many courses and exercises available on developer.servicenow.com to help you practice and enhance your scripting skills, which will strengthen your portfolio.

Start with the CSA certification and then choose your next step based on your interests — whether that’s development, becoming a Business Analyst, Change Manager, or Project Manager. A solid foundation will give you the flexibility to pursue any domain you prefer.

[GlideFather]

Hi @AhrenR 

First of all, welcome! You just entered the Platform of platforms :)))

You should start with ServiceNow University (ex- Now Learning, if you'l see it, it's the same) : 

• https://www.servicenow.com/community/servicenow-university/ct-p/sn-university
• scroll down and select your path and you will have many courses suggested,
• most of it si free, but something (absolute minority) is paid
• Enrol to Welcome to ServiceNow training and get your first cert 
• it was very helpful even for me with years of experience when I took it

Then you can practice after creating your own PDI (Personal Developer Instance)

• You can have your own ServiceNow platform without a worry that you break something,
• except of AI and few more features you can try everything on your own for free!
• Also PDI shows you "how it should look like"
• Request your PDI here:
• https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do 
• And also here in the top there are tabs:
• Learning Path
• Courses
• Learn
• Certifications
• These will also help you understand and learn new things, you can get back to it when it's needed

At the ServiceNow University you collect points, badges and (micro-)certifications, on the Developer site is is just for you to learn without "reward", reward is what you will take from the self-learning.

The very first training/certificate that you should take is Certified System Administrator (CSA), it is a must. If you are preparing yourself you might need to invest some money here, but it is worthy.

Happy learning and ask question in this Community when you will face any issues, you will receive support and help.

Good luck!

[Nikhil Bajaj9]

Hi @AhrenR ,

There are multiple ways/resources to start your learning journey:-

a) developer.servicenow.com - Navigate to learn section and start learning from here.

b) Join ServiecNow university and start - Welcoem to ServiceNow course/ Welsome to ServiceNow Micro certification then move towards ServiceNow admin fundamentals training.

c) Explore few youtube channels ex:- Learn and grow by Atul Grover (Community Champ)

d) Join any proper training.

e) Most important- explore and do practice on the PDI.

If my answer helped you in anyways, pleas emark it- Solution accepted and helpful.

Regards,

Nikhil Bajaj

[Aniket Chavan]

Hello @AhrenR ,

First of all, it’s really great that you’ve already reached out here on the Community — that itself is a big win in your early stage. You’re absolutely on the right track, and trust me, this space will help you a lot.😉

Having answered similar questions before, here’s a step-by-step guide I usually share, along with a few practical tips:

1. Start with the Fundamentals

• Take the ServiceNow System Administrator Fundamentals course on Now Learning . This is the best starting point—it's well-structured and covers all the basics. The official CSA eBook is a great supplement.

2. Hands-On Practice is Critical

• Register for a free Personal Developer Instance (PDI) via the ServiceNow Developer Site. Use this sandbox to build catalog items, write client scripts, and experiment with workflows.

• Focus on tasks like:

  • UI Policies

  • Client Scripts

  • Business Rules

  • Script Includes

  • Flow Designer

  • Record Producers and Catalog Items

  • Scheduled Jobs

3. Master the Core ITSM Modules

• Start with ITSM modules—Incident, Problem, and Change management—as they’re central to most ServiceNow implementations.

• Practice real-world scenarios in your PDI.

4. Study Methodically for the CSA Exam

• Download and review the CSA eBook, so you know exactly what topics to cover.

• Use the official documentation as your primary reference.

• Avoid relying solely on "dump" sites. Instead:

  • Try reputable mock test platforms like Udemy (just to get used to question styles).

  • Use Quizlet for flashcards: CSA Flashcards on Quizlet.

• Stay current by reviewing release notes for the latest platform update; the exam blueprint does evolve, but changes are usually incremental.

5. Strengthen Your JavaScript

• Since ServiceNow scripting is JavaScript-based, brushing up on your JS basics and Glide API usage will definitely give you an edge.

6. Use Community and Documentation

• The ServiceNow Community is a fantastic place—keep asking questions and sharing experiences.

• The official ServiceNow Docs should become your go-to resource.

• Consider installing the SN Utils browser extension—it streamlines your day-to-day work inside the platform.

7. Practical Tips from Experience

• Start slow and take one concept at a time. Don’t feel pressured to rush through topics.

• Watching YouTube videos on specific ServiceNow topics can clarify and reinforce what you learn.

• Apply everything hands-on as much as possible.

8. Recommended Resources

• Where do I start my ServiceNow career?

• Six steps on how to start learning ServiceNow—a step by step

Wishing you all the best for your journey..................🙌

🔹 Please mark ✅ Correct if this solves your query, and 👍 Helpful if you found the response valuable.

Best regards,
Aniket Chavan
🏆 ServiceNow MVP 2025 | 🌟 ServiceNow Rising Star 2024