What expert program for me ?

[baekelal]

All,

At this moment i have the cad & csa certificates.

I'm looking into the expert programs and wondering what program is best for me. 

I'm more a technical person who likes to make things happen rather then the more social skills:

I wonder what the difference are betwee:

- Architecture Excellence (ArchX)

- Certified Technical Architect.

Thx in advance for your advises

[palanikumar]

Hi,

ArchX is a foundational program that covers the cornerstones of architectural excellence. It is designed for Architects early in their architect career, who have 1 -3 years of experience and are earlier in their architect career journeys than a CTA or CMA.

You can refer this KB for more details

https://learning.servicenow.com/lxp/en/expert-programs/architecture-excellence-archx-faq-s?id=kb_art...

[OlaN]

Hi,

One of the main differences is the prerequisites.

In order to enroll to the CTA course, you'll also need to have at least 2 CIS certifications passed, those are not required on the ArchX program, even though one is recommended.

[Nikhil Bajaj9]

Hi @baekelal ,

Please check this thread to get a fair idea about next certification:- 

https://www.servicenow.com/community/itsm-forum/please-suggest-me-the-next-certification/td-p/300391...

If my answer Helped you, please mark it- Solution accepted and Helpful.

Regards,

Nikhil Bajaj

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @baekelal 

As a ServiceNow Trainer, I’d like to share some honest thoughts.

I’m glad to see that you’re planning to take the next step in your career, but you didn’t mention how much experience you currently have with ServiceNow. Having CSA and CAD certifications is just a stepping stone toward CTA, but the journey is still ongoing.

If you’re just starting out and thinking about going for the CTA, I wouldn’t recommend it. In my personal opinion, you should have around 6–8 years of experience and have worked extensively in at least 20–30 modules before considering CTA as a good next step.

What are the prerequisites?

The prerequisites for the CTA program are as follows:

• At least three years of ServiceNow implementation experience
• Experience taking business requirements and converting them into ServiceNow platform capabilities
• Certified Administrator Certification (CSA)
• Certified Application Developer (CAD)
• Two Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) disciplines ( ITSM, CSM, HR, SecOps, ITOM etc.)
• Architecture Excellence (ArchX) accreditation (required for 2026 CTA program registration)
  
  • CTA cohorts beginning in 2025 will not require the ArchX prerequisite.
  • To learn more about the ArchX program, review our FAQ article here 

So, if you’re planning to go for the CTA in 2026, keep in mind that ArchitectX is going to be mandatory.

I recommend focusing on areas like ITSM, GRC, HRSD, CSM, or SecOps.

Right now, the training is free, which is a great opportunity. However, the real challenge lies in gaining hands-on experience. The ServiceNow community is a fantastic place to start—try to dedicate at least 1-2 hours daily to engage with the community by reading questions and providing answers. This will help you sharpen your skills and build confidence over time.

If you want to become a developer, mastering scripting is essential. Developer.servicenow.com offers plenty of courses and exercises to help you practice and strengthen your scripting skills, enabling you to build a strong portfolio.