CSA Questions Bank

When importingspreadsheet datainto ServiceNow, thefirst stepis toDefine a Data Source.

AData Sourcedefineswhere the data is coming from(e.g., Excel, CSV, JDBC connection).

It establishes theformatandstructureof the incoming data before it can be processed by anImport Set.

Without defining theData Source, the system does not know how to handle the incoming data.

Define Data Source– Identify where the data is coming from.

Create Import Set– Temporarily store the imported data.

Set Coalesce– Define unique identifiers to prevent duplicate records.

Transform Data– Map fields to the target table.

Run the Import– Move data into the actual ServiceNow tables.

A. Create Import Set– Import Sets store the data, but they are createdafterdefining the data source.

B. Run Data Scrubber– No such step exists in ServiceNow's import process.

C. Set Coalesce– Coalescing ensuresno duplicate records, but it happensafter data is loaded into the import set.

E. Select Import Set– The Import Set is selected after defining the data source and loading the data.

ServiceNow Data Import Process

ServiceNow CSA Training Module:"Importing Data into ServiceNow"

Why Defining a Data Source is the First Step?Steps in the Data Import Process:Why Other Answers Are Incorrect:References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Official Documentation:

AnUpdate Setin ServiceNow is a mechanism used tocapture configuration changes(such as UI policies, business rules, client scripts, and more) from one instance and move them to another. This ensures that customizations and modifications can be transferred across different ServiceNow instances efficiently.

The process ofretrieving an Update Setfrom another instance follows these key steps:

Verify Update Set is Complete

Before moving an Update Set, it must be marked asCompleteto ensure that all related changes are included.

Navigate toSystem Update Sets > Local Update Setsand confirm that the status is set toComplete.

If the status isIn Progress, the Update Set cannot be retrieved.

Retrieve Update Set

In thetarget instance, navigate toSystem Update Sets > Retrieved Update Sets.

Click"Retrieve Update Set"and provide the remote instance’s URL where the update set exists.

The system will fetch the Update Set from the source instance.

Preview Update Set

Before applying changes, ServiceNow provides apreview optionto check for potential errors or collisions with existing customizations.

Click"Preview Update Set"to initiate validation.

The preview will highlight any skipped records, collisions, or missing dependencies.

Commit Update Set

If the preview is successful (i.e., no critical errors), click"Commit Update Set"to apply the changes to the instance.

Once committed, the changes in the Update Set will be merged into the system's configuration.

"Commit" is the correct final step– after previewing, the Update Set must becommittedto take effect.

"Apply" is incorrect– ServiceNow does not use "Apply" in the Update Set process; instead, it uses "Commit."

"Test Connection" is not part of the Update Set retrieval process– it is relevant forMID Server connectivitybut not for Update Sets.

Why the Correct Answer is "D. Verify Update Set is Complete, Retrieve, Preview, Commit"Thus, the correct sequence is:

✔Verify Update Set is Complete → Retrieve → Preview → Commit

ServiceNow CSA Official Documentation– Update Set Management

ServiceNow Docs - Update Sets(Search for "Update Set Lifecycle")

ServiceNow Community Best Practices on Update Sets

ServiceNow Community(Search for "Best Practices for Update Sets")

ServiceNow Learning Portal - Admin Fundamentals

Available via ServiceNow Now Learning Platform(Look under "Instance Configuration" and "Update Sets")

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation:

InServiceNow (and databases in general), data is stored intables, which consist of:

Columns (Fields):Representindividual data attributes(e.g., Name, Email, Status).

Rows (Records):Representindividual entriesin the table (e.g., a specific Incident or User).

Key Concepts:Table

Columns (Fields)

Rows (Records)

Incident

Number, Caller, Priority, Description

Each unique incident entry

User

Name, Email, Role, Department

Each individual user record

A column represents a single field (data attribute), such as "Priority" or "Short Description."

A row represents a record (entry in the table), such as an individual incident or user.

A. A column is a field in the database and a record is one user→Incorrect

Records are not limited to users; a record could be an Incident, Change, or any other entry.

C. A column is one field and a record is one column→Incorrect

Arecord is not a single column; a record consists of multiple fields (columns).

D. A column contains data from one user and a record is one set of fields→Incorrect

Columns contain data for all users/records, not just one user.

A record is one row, not just a set of fields.

Why is "B. A column is one field and a record is one row" the Correct Answer?Why the Other Options Are Incorrect?

ServiceNow Docs: Understanding Tables and

References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation: