Domain 1 · Platform Overview and Navigation
7% of the exam- ServiceNow Platform overview
- Platform capabilities and services
- The ServiceNow Instance
- Next Experience Unified Navigation
CSA exam blueprint, explained
Certified System Administrator
ServiceNow's blueprint lists what the exam tests and how much each area counts. This page restates it in plain language, with the domains ordered as published and every objective as a checklist.
Official source: KB0011554, updated January 2026. Open the official CSA blueprint
The original is a ServiceNow University knowledge article and may ask you to sign in to Now Learning. If anything here disagrees with it, the official blueprint wins.
At a glance
- Domains
- 6
- Heaviest domain
- Database Management and Platform Security (30%)
- Top two domains
- 50% of the exam
- Objectives listed
- 30
Where the marks are
Each domain's share of the exam, and what that means for every 10 hours you study.
| Domain | Weight | Of every 10 study hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Platform Overview and Navigation | 7% | 45 min |
| 2. Instance Configuration | 10% | 1 h |
| 3. Configuring Applications for Collaboration | 20% | 2 h |
| 4. Self Service & Automation | 20% | 2 h |
| 5. Database Management and Platform Security | 30% | 3 h |
| 6. Data Migration and Integration | 13% | 1 h 15 min |
Weights as published in KB0011554. The study-time column only applies the weight; spend more on domains you're weaker in.
What each domain covers
The blueprint's objectives for each domain. Tick them off as you can explain and do each one in a Personal Developer Instance.
Domain 2 · Instance Configuration
10% of the exam- Installing applications and plugins
- Personalizing/customizing the instance
- Common user interfaces in the Platform
Domain 3 · Configuring Applications for Collaboration
20% of the exam- Lists, Filters, and Tags
- List and Form anatomy
- Form Configuration
- Form templates and saving options
- Advanced Form Configuration
- Task Management
- Visual Task Boards (VTBs)
- Visualizations, Dashboards, and Platform Analytics
- Notifications
Domain 4 · Self Service & Automation
20% of the exam- Knowledge Management
- Service Catalog
- Workflow Studio
- Virtual Agent
Domain 5 · Database Management and Platform Security
30% of the exam- Data Schema
- Application/Access Control
- Importing Data
- CMDB and CSDM
- Security Center
- Shared Responsibility Model
Domain 6 · Data Migration and Integration
13% of the exam- UI Policies
- Business Rules
- System update sets
- Scripting in ServiceNow
Before you book
- Prerequisites: Our transcription of the blueprint lists no mandatory prerequisite certification. Check the exam registration page to confirm.
- Exam fee: $300.
- Passing score: ServiceNow does not publish the cut score, and the official exam blueprint says it is not always 70%.
- Booking, retake waits and exam format are covered on the CSA page.
Courses the blueprint points to
Recommended on the blueprint
The blueprint lists these as recommended preparation.
Courses without a link are named in the blueprint but we haven't recorded a course URL for them; search for them in Now Learning.
How to use this blueprint
- Go through the objectives above and mark each one: done for real, only read about, or new.
- Start where heavy weight meets the most “new” marks. Database Management and Platform Security alone is 30% of the exam.
- Build each objective in a Personal Developer Instance rather than only reading about it.
- Use practice questions to find weak domains, then go back to those objectives and their documentation.