Certified Technical Architect (CTA) Exam Blueprint


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Updated November 2025

 

Introduction

The ServiceNow Certified Technical Architect Exam Specification document defines the purpose, audience, testing options, exam content coverage, test framework, and prerequisites for earning the Certified Technical Architect certification.

 

Exam Purpose

The Certified Technical Architect exam confirms you have demonstrated mastery in designing scalable and sustainable architecture solutions on the ServiceNow platform. This includes expertise in CMDB and CSDM, technical governance, testing leading practices, go-live preparation, security architecture, data strategies, platform data and integrations, release and instance strategy, and current and to-be architecture planning. 

 

Exam Audience

The ServiceNow Certified Technical Architect exam is available to ServiceNow customers, partners, employees, and others interested in becoming a ServiceNow Certified Technical Architect. Here is the recommended experience:

    • At least three years of ServiceNow Subject Matter Expertise (SME) experience
    • Experience taking business requirements and converting them into ServiceNow platform capabilities

Prerequisite Certification 

 

Exam Preparation

Exam questions are based on official ServiceNow training materials, the ServiceNow Product documentation site, and the ServiceNow Now Create site. Study materials posted elsewhere online are not official and should not be used to prepare for the examination.

 ServiceNow recommends completing these training course(s) in preparation for the Certified Technical Architect exam.  

    • Certified System Administrator Certification (CSA)
    • Certified Application Developer (CAD)
    • Any two Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) disciplines (ITSM, CSM, HR, SecOps, ITOM, etc.)
    • Certified Technical Architect program

 

Additional Resources

In addition to the above, these additional resources are valuable in preparation for the exam. 

    • Credentialing Program Guide – a resource to guide you through the entire certification process
    • Get Started with Now Create
    • System Administrator (path)
    • ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals On Demand
    • ServiceNow Administration Advanced On Demand
    • ServiceNow Platform Implementation On Demand
    • Troubleshoot the Now Platform
    • Configuration Management Database (CMDB) Fundamentals On Demand (path)
    • Common Service Data Model (CSDM) Fundamentals
    • Data Foundations Essentials
    • Introduction to Data Policies
    • Data Privacy: Introduction
    • Get Started with Encryption in ServiceNow (path)
    • Automated Test Framework (ATF) Essentials (path)
    • Test Management 2.0 Implementation
    • ServiceNow Security Center
    • Service Provider Implementer (path)
    • Integration Hub Fundamentals (path)
    • Introduction to ServiceNow HealthScan and Instance Scan
    • Retrieving Update Sets from Remote Instances

 

Exam Scope

This table shows the exam domains, weightings, sub-topics, and the percentage of questions represented in each domain. The listed sub-skills should NOT be considered an all-inclusive list of the exam content.  

Number of Domains

Exam Domain

Percent of Exam

1

CMDB and CSDM

15%

2

Technical Governance

6%

3

Testing Leading Practices

15%

4

Go-Live Preparation

6%

5

Security Architecture

15%

6

Data Strategies

11%

7

Current and To-Be Architecture

9%

8

Platform Data and Integrations

15%

9

Release and Instance Strategy

8%

Total

100%

 

Exam Registration

Step 1: Register for your exam 

  • Registration = payment. This step secures your exam attempt. Learning credits and credit card payments are accepted. Instructor-led training completion includes one free exam attempt. Discounted exam pricing may be available through associated company benefits.  
  • You can register at any time. Once registered, you have 90 days to schedule and complete your exam. 
  • Exam fees are non-refundable. Register only when you are prepared to schedule your exam. 

Step 2: Schedule your exam 

  • Click here to schedule the CTA exam. Note: ServiceNow provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities or English as a Second Language (ESL) while taking the certification exam. 
  • Schedule within 90 days. After registration, you must schedule your exam appointment and complete your exam within 90 days. 

Step 3: Choose your exam delivery method 

  • From the My Exams page, you will be directed to Pearson. 
  • Choose to take your exam at a Pearson test center or online with OnVUE, where proctors observe via a webcam. 

Step 4: Complete your exam  

  •  If you do not complete your exam within 90 days, your registration will expire, and you will need to register and pay the full exam fee again (start at step 1 again). 

 

Exam Structure

Exam Duration

The exam duration is 90 minutes.

Number of Items

The exam consists of 47 questions.

Multiple Choice (single answer)

For each multiple-choice question on the exam, there are at least three possible responses. Select the correct response. 

Multiple Select (select all that apply)

There are at least four possible responses for each multiple-select question on the exam. The question will state how many responses should be selected. Select ALL correct responses. Partial credit is not provided. 

 

Exam Result

An exam result notification is immediately displayed as a *conditional pass or fail after completing and submitting the exam.  

In addition, an exam result report is available and shows your exam result and the percentage of items in each section you answered correctly. Your exam result is conditional, meaning your results are preliminary and may be updated upon final review.  

*A conditional result means the exam can be audited and reviewed at any time, and the certification may be revoked after investigation if it is found that the ServiceNow Test Security Policies have been violated.   

 

 Understanding Your Results: 

 
Each question on the exam is worth one point. Your total score is compared to a predetermined cut score - this score is not publicly shared and is not always 70%  - to determine a pass or fail outcome. The section percentages on the exam result notification show how you performed in each domain, but they do not determine your overall result, should not be averaged, and do not indicate expertise. 

 

If You Pass: 

  • You will earn the Certified Technical Architect certification and receive a Credly digital badge to showcase your achievement. 
  • To maintain your certification, complete annual maintenance exams (deltas) and pay the yearly Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) fee. 

 

If You Do Not Pass: 

  • Review the exam blueprint and the recommended training before retaking the exam. 
  • The retake policy requires a waiting period between attempts and payment of the exam fee for each attempt. 

 

  

Sample Questions

Sample Item #1

What ensures that the CMDB remains healthy and trustworthy?

    1. Manual data entry
    2. Automated population of data
    3. Regular user audits
    4. Weekly system reboots

Correct Answer: B

 

Sample Item #2

What does data management, as defined by the Technical Governance Board, primarily focus on within ServiceNow?

    1. Customization and configuration of applications
    2. Access policies for users
    3. Determining data ownership and accountability
    4. Defining instance structure and support model

Answer: C

 

Sample Item #3

Which type of non-functional testing provides stakeholders with information about the speed, stability, and scalability of their application?

    1. Documentation testing
    2. Performance testing
    3. Localization testing
    4. Security testing

Correct Answer: B

 

Sample Item #4

Which stage of the go-live process focuses on reinforcing training and building competency in the new system?

    1. Pre go-live communication
    2. Go-live communication
    3. Post go-live communication
    4. Hyper Care support

Correct Answer: B

 

Sample Item #5

What is the purpose of the SNC Access Control plugin in ServiceNow?

    1. To enhance data encryption
    2. To manage access by Technical Support personnel
    3. To streamline application development
    4. To enable user activity monitoring

Correct Answer: B

 

Sample Item #6

What function does the Robust Transform Engine (RTE) serve in ServiceNow’s data import process?

    1. Managing the deletion of outdated data records to clean up the CMDB.
    2. Isolating transform and processing functions to enhance performance.
    3. Standardizing data formats across systems to industry standards.
    4. Integrating external databases without resorting to transformation.

Correct Answer: B

 

Sample Item #7

What is the purpose of an architecture blueprint in ServiceNow?

    1. To outline the integration methods for third-party applications
    2. To provide a visual representation of the solution and its capabilities
    3. To describe the user roles and permissions in the system
    4. To specify the technical specifications for hardware

Correct Answer: B

 

Sample Item #8

Which type of integration involves making different applications and systems work together, typically through a middle layer to provide transactional data?

    1. Point-to-point integrations
    2. Database integrations
    3. Enterprise Service Bus (ESB)
    4. Application connectors

Correct Answer: C

 

Sample Item #9

What is the primary advantage of having a dedicated training instance in a ServiceNow environment?

    1. Reduces overall development costs for the organization
    2. Prevents disruptions in the development cycle of the platform
    3. Improves the overall network security for all instances
    4. Reduces the total number of needed instances overall

Correct Answer: B

 

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