CSA Premium Exam Questions

Update Setsin ServiceNow are used tocapture customizations and configurationsmade in an instance, allowing these changes to be moved between instances (e.g., from development to test or production). ServiceNow provides best practices to ensure smooth migration and avoid issues with missing or conflicting updates.

What is an Update Set?

AnUpdate Setis a collection of customizations (e.g., changes to forms, scripts, workflows, business rules) that can be moved from one instance to another.

Ittracks changesin a controlled way, preventing accidental loss of configurations.

Why Avoid Using the Default Update Set?

TheDefault Update Setis automatically used when no other update set is selected.

It captures changesbut should never be used for instance-to-instance migrationsbecause:

Itcannot be exported.

It contains system changes that arenot logically grouped.

It can causeinconsistencies and missing dependencieswhen moving updates.

Instead, administrators shouldcreate a named Update Setfor specific development work.

Understanding Update Sets in ServiceNow:

Why Answer "A" is Correct:✔️"Avoid using the Default Update Set as an Update Set for moving customizations from instance to instance."

This follows ServiceNow’sbest practicesfor managing Update Sets.

Using theDefault Update Setcan lead tomissing updates, conflicts, and untracked changes, making migrations unreliable.

Why the Other Answers Are Incorrect:B. "Before moving customizations from instance to instance with Update Sets, ensure that both instances are different versions."

Incorrectbecause ServiceNowrecommends that instances be on the same versionbefore applying Update Sets.

If instances are ondifferent versions, the Update Set may includeincompatible changes, causing failures.

C. "Use the Baseline Update Set to store the contents of items after they are changed the first time."

Incorrectbecause there is no such thing as a "Baseline Update Set" in ServiceNow.

ServiceNowdoes not automatically create a backup of original configurations—administrators should manually create an Update Set before making changes.

D. "Once an Update Set is closed as 'Complete,' change it back to 'In Progress' until it is applied to another instance."

Incorrectbecausea completed Update Set should not be reopened.

Once markedComplete, an Update Set isready for export and migration. Reopening it can causedata integrity issuesand confusion in version control.

ServiceNow CSA Study Guide – Update Sets & Configuration Management

ServiceNow Docs: Best Practices for Update Sets(ServiceNow Documentation)

ServiceNow Docs: Moving Customizations with Update Sets

References from the Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

InServiceNow, knowledge articles within aKnowledge Base (KB)aregrouped by categoriesto help users easily find and navigate relevant information.

Hierarchical Structure:

Categories can haveparent-child relationships, allowing forsubcategories.

Example:

Key Features of Knowledge Article Categorization:nginx

CopyEdit

ITSupport

├── Hardware

│ ├── Laptops

│ ├── Printers

├── Software

│ ├── Windows

│ ├── MacOS

Improved Search & Filtering:

Users can filter knowledge articlesby categoryin the Service Portal, Knowledge Management homepage, or in the Global Search.

Permissions & Visibility Control:

Categories can havespecific user criteriato restrict access to certain articles based on roles or groups.

Article Organization & Management:

Knowledge managers canreassign articlesto different categories if needed.

Knowledge Base (KB) articlesare always assigned to acategoryfor structured organization.

Without categories, articles would be unstructured and difficult to locate.

Knowledge Management Overview

Knowledge Management in ServiceNow

Creating and Managing Knowledge Categories

Knowledge Base Categories

Why the Answer is True?References from ServiceNow CSA Documentation:Final Verification:Answer is 100% correct and aligned with official ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA) documentation.

ADashboardin ServiceNow is an interface that allows users to display multiplePerformance Analytics (PA) widgets, reports, and other visual elementsin a single, consolidated view.

Provides asingle-screenview of critical data, improvingvisibilityinto key metrics.

Can includereports, Performance Analytics indicators, lists, and interactive filters.

Allows users tocustomize layoutsand adjust widgets based on roles and permissions.

Useful forexecutive summaries, ITSM performance tracking, and real-time operational monitoring.

A. Form–

A Form is used todisplay and input data for a single recordin a table (e.g., an incident, change request, or user record).

It does not provide a multi-widget interface.

B. List–

A List displaysmultiple records from a tablein a tabular format but does not support widgets or Performance Analytics.

D. Timeline–

The Timeline visualization is used for showingtime-based data, such as Change Requests over time, but does not provide multiple reporting widgets in a single interface.

ServiceNow Docs: Dashboards

ServiceNow CSA Official Training Guide (Reporting & Dashboards)

Key Features of a ServiceNow Dashboard:Why the Other Options Are Incorrect?References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

InServiceNow, aDictionary Overrideallows an administrator tocustomize the properties of a fieldin achild tablewithout modifying the field in the parent table.

This is particularly useful intable inheritance scenarios, where a child tableinherits fields from a parent tablebut needs different behavior for certain fields.

Modify field properties(e.g.,mandatory,read-only,default value) inextended tables.

Preserve inheritancewhile allowing exceptions for specific child tables.

Avoid modifying the original dictionary definitionof a field at the parent table level.

Key Functions of Dictionary Overrides:Example of Dictionary Override in Action:Consider theTask Table (task), which is aparent tablefor many modules likeIncident, Change, and Problem.

TheTask Tablehas apriorityfield.

If theIncident Table (incident)needs to override thepriorityfield tomake it mandatory, an administrator can create aDictionary Overridefor thepriorityfield in theincidenttable.

Thepriorityfield in other child tables (e.g.,change_request,problem) remainsunaffected.

(A) A Dictionary Override is an incoming customer update in an Update Set which applies to the same objects as a newer local customer update – Incorrect

This definition describesUpdate Set Collisions, not Dictionary Overrides.

Update Set Collisions occur whenan update set applies changes to an object that has been modified locally.

(B) A Dictionary Override is the addition, modification, or removal of anything that could have an effect on IT services – Incorrect

This describesChange Management in ITSM, which tracks changes to IT services.

Dictionary Overrides specificallymodify field propertiesin extended tables.

(C) A Dictionary Override is a task within a workflow that requests an action before the workflow can continue – Incorrect

This describesApproval Actions in Workflows, not Dictionary Overrides.

Workflow approvalspauseexecution until an action is completed, but Dictionary Overrides donotfunction this way.

(D) A Dictionary Override sets field properties in extended tables – Correct

This is the correct definition.

Dictionary Overrides allow admins tocustomize field behavior in child tableswhile maintaining inheritance from parent tables.

Explanation of Each Option:

Use Dictionary Overrides sparinglyto avoid unnecessary complexity.

Always test changes in a sub-production environmentbefore applying them in production.

Document overrides properlyto help future administrators understand why an override was applied.

Use the "Dictionary Entry" (sys_dictionary) tableto view and manage dictionary overrides.

Additional Notes & Best Practices:

ServiceNow Docs: Dictionary Overrides Overview

ServiceNow Community: Best Practices for Dictionary Overrides

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation: