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Updated November 2025
Introduction
The ServiceNow Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) Exam Specification document defines the purpose, audience, testing options, exam content coverage, test framework, and prerequisites for earning the Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) certification.
Exam Purpose
The Certified Implementation Specialist – Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) (CIS-DF (CMDB and CSDM)) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to successfully design, implement, and operationalize a ServiceNow CMBD supporting the CSDM framework.
Exam Audience
The ServiceNow Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) exam is available to ServiceNow customers, partners, employees, and others interested in implementing and operationalizing a ServiceNow CMDB supporting the CSMD framework.
Intended Audiences (this is not a comprehensive list)
Job Roles
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Major Job Responsibilities
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Customer
- CMDB Administrator
- CMDB Librarian/Data Steward
- Configuration Manager
- CI Class Owner
- Platform Architect
- Platform Owner
- ServiceNow Developer
- ServiceNow Technical Consultant
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- Administer and govern CMDB data
- Implement processes for continuous improvement of the CMDB
- Configure and review data provided on the CMDB Workspace, CMDB Data Foundations Dashboard, and reports to remediate issues and improve the overall health of the CMDB data
- Perform regular audits and data validation to ensure CMDB data is accurate, complete, and up to date.
- Design, configure, and ensure the successful implementation of the CMDB
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Implementation Partner
- ServiceNow Technical Consultant
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- Design, configure, and ensure the successful implementation of the CMDB
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Here is the recommended experience:
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- General familiarity with industry standards, terminology, and acronyms
- Certified System Administrator Certification
- 2+ years of experience with the CMDB
- Foundational knowledge of the CSDM model
- Experience populating data in the CMDB
- Remediation of compliance audit failure
- Managing duplicate CIs
- Addressing CI lifecycle processes (retiring or archiving stale CIs)
- Familiarity with SN products that use CMDB
- Familiarity with multi-source/CMDB 360
Exam Preparation
Exam questions are based on official ServiceNow training materials, the ServiceNow Product documentation site, and the ServiceNow developer 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 Implementation Specialist -Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) Exam.
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- Welcome to ServiceNow
- ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals
- Get Started with Now Create
- ServiceNow Platform Implementation
- CMDB Fundamentals
- CMDB Health Micro-Certification Simulator
- Configure the CMDB Micro-Certification Simulator
- Common Service Data Model (CSDM Fundamentals)
- CMDB Health Deep Dive
Additional Resources
In addition to the above, these additional resources are valuable in preparation for the exam.
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- Introduction to CMDB Workspace
- Design a Successful Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
- Discovery Fundamentals
- Service Mapping (SM) Fundamentals On Demand
- Agent Client Collector Essentials
- Service Graph Connector Essentials
- MID Server Fundamentals
- Communities CMDB Forum, CSDM
- Now Create CMDB and CSDM Data Foundations
- Product specific training leveraging CMDB data (i.e., ITSM, CSM)
- Credentialing Program Guide – a resource to guide you through the entire certification process
- Official practice exams are available through our trusted partner, MeasureUp — please refer to Knowledge Article KB0013408 for more information on how to access them.
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.
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Number of Domains
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Exam Objectives
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Percent of Exam
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1
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Configuration
Given a scenario:
- Identify how and when to use CI Class Manager (table, class attributes, hierarchy)
- Identify when and how to use IRE
- Identify when and how to configure CMDB 360/multisource CMDB
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15%
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2
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Ingest
- Identify how relationships are auto or manually populated
- Identify the automation opportunities that are available to automate CMDB integration
Given a scenario:
- Identify which data ingestion method to use
- Identify how to minimize the risk of technical debt and ensure upgradeability
- Identify how to populate and maintain non-discoverable/manual CIs or non-discoverable attributes
- Identify how to track security and regulatory compliance identifiers against CSDM objects
- Identify how Asset and CI align
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19%
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3
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Govern
- Identify the characteristics of the six metrics that make up the CMDB health score
- Identify the purpose and/or requirements of Data Manager
- Identify the goals of good CMDB governance
Given a scenario:
- Identify what is needed to govern the CMDB
- Identify the key roles involved in implementing and managing a CMDB
- Identify how to configure and gain value from CMDB Health Dashboards to support Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and Critical Success Factors (CSF)
- Identify how or why duplication records are created and how to remediate them
- Identify when and how to remediate duplicate records using the deduplication wizard
- Identify how to operationalize the CMDB
- Identify when or why to use the CMDB workspace or what features are available
- Identify how to define principal classes
- Identify the policy feature in Data Manager that should be used to accomplish the goal of the scenario
- Identify how to validate data quality and/or data compliance in the CMDB Health Dashboard
- Identify how to configure Data Manager to manage the CMDB
- Identify how to improve data quality using the CMDB Data Foundation Dashboard
- Identify how to manage life cycle CI attributes between CIs
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35%
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4
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Insight
- Identify the business value of CMDB
- Identify how to use Natural Language Query
- Identify how to build custom reports using CMDB 360 data (CMDB Saved Queries)
Given a scenario:
- Identify how to build out complex relationships within a query and get a full set of results
- Identify the components and usage of Unified Map or dependency view map
- Identify the outcomes of using ServiceNow products leveraging CMDB data
- Identify the benefits of CMDB Foundation Dashboards
- Identify when to use the CMDB Foundation Dashboard Playbook or the benefits of using Playbook
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20%
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5
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CSDM Fundamentals
Given a scenario:
- Identify how to work with different stakeholders across industries to correctly map CIs with the correct CSDM domain
- Identify the approach to abide by CSDM
- Identify the benefits of implementing CSDM
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11%
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Total
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100%
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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.
- Click here to register for the CIS – Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) exam.
- 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 CIS – Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) 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 75 questions.
Item Types
Drag/Drop Item
Each drag and drop/matching question on the exam presents two lists of related terms, concepts, or statements. Candidates must correctly drag items from one list and drop them onto their corresponding matches in the other. There are 3 different types of drag and drop/matching items:
- Each list contains the same number of items and there is a one-to-one match for each.
- One list contains more options than the other, requiring candidates to drag and drop the correct matches without using all options.
- Items in the second list can match to more than one item from the first list.
However, each item in the first list has only one correct match in the second list. Partial credit is not awarded, ensuring that candidates must drag and drop all correct matches to receive full credit for the question.
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.
Scenario Based Item
A scenario-based exam question presents a real-world situation or problem that the candidate must address using their knowledge, skills, and understanding of the subject matter. These questions often require the candidate to analyze the scenario, identify relevant information, and apply appropriate solutions or steps. These questions may be formatted as either multiple choice or multiple select.
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.
- You will earn the Certified Implementation Specialist – Certified Implementation Specialist -Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) 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.
- 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 Question – #1
The Configuration Management team wants to identify which CIs have been created from an asset but have not been discovered. The team creates a report on the target CI Class.
How does the team identify these CIs in the report?
A. All CIs with a Discovery source value of 'SNAssetManagement'
B. All CIs with the Updated field older than a month
C. All CIs where the Last Discovered field is empty
D. All CIs with a Discovery source value of 'ServiceNow'
Sample Question – #2
A State field is updated on an Asset record. Which fields are automatically synchronized on the associated CI record? (choose two)
Sample Question – #3
In a discussion with a CIO, a CMDB admin mentions that ServiceNow provides Playbooks which are structured guidelines included in different Data Foundations Dashboards. The admin needs to explain the outline of a Playbook.
Put the structure of Playbooks in sequential order.
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Importance of addressing issue
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