Updated September 2023
Introduction
The ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist – Strategic Portfolio Management Exam Specification document defines the purpose, audience, testing options, exam content coverage, test framework, and prerequisites to earn the Certified Implementation Specialist – Strategic Portfolio Management certification.
Exam Purpose
The Certified Implementation Specialist – Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) exam certifies that a successful candidate has the skills and essential knowledge to contribute to the configuration, implementation, and maintenance of ServiceNow SPM applications.
Exam Audience
The ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist – Strategic Portfolio Management exam is available to ServiceNow customers, partners, employees, and others interested in becoming a ServiceNow SPM Certified Implementation Specialist.
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.
Prerequisite ServiceNow Training
ServiceNow recommends the completion of the following prerequisite training course(s) in preparation for the Certified Implementation Specialist – Strategic Portfolio Management exam. The following ServiceNow training course(s) contain the underlying foundational knowledge needed for the exam.
- Welcome to ServiceNow
- ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals
- Get Started with Now Create (On Demand)
- ServiceNow Platform Implementation
Required ServiceNow Training
ServiceNow requires completion of the following training course(s) and certification(s). The content in these courses covers the exam learning domains and will help you prepare for the exam.
- Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) Fundamentals
- Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) Implementation
- Performance Analytics (PA) Essentials
- Performance Analytics (PA) Simulator - Micro-Certification
Upon completion of the ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) Implementation course, the candidate will be eligible to obtain or purchase a nontransferable voucher code to register for the ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist – Strategic Portfolio Management exam.
Additional Recommended Resources
In addition to the above, the candidate may find the following additional resources valuable in preparation for the exam.
- Credentialing Program Guide – a resource to guide you through the entire certification process
Additional Recommended Experience
- General familiarity with general industry terminology, acronyms, and initialisms
- Six months of field experience participating in ServiceNow deployment projects or maintaining ServiceNow instances
Exam Scope
Learning domains are the key topics and specific objectives included in the exam. Exam content or exam items are divided into learning domains.
The following table shows the learning 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 |
Learning Domain |
Percent of Exam |
1 |
SPM Implementation Overview
|
2% |
2 |
SPM Applications Overview
|
20% |
3 |
Idea & Demand Configuration
|
21% |
4 |
Resource Management Configuration
|
17% |
5 |
Project Management Configuration
|
21% |
6 |
Timecard Management Configuration
|
5% |
7 |
SPM Financials Configuration
|
8% |
8 |
Portfolio Planning Workspace Configuration
|
3% |
9 |
Performance Analytics, Reporting & Dashboards
|
2% |
10 |
Release Management and Digital Portfolio Management for SPM
|
2% |
Total |
100% |
Exam Registration
ServiceNow partners with Kryterion using its Webassessor platform for exam registration. Our mainline exams are offered at Kryterion Test Centers or can be taken anywhere online while a Kryterion proctor monitors the exam appointment.
To register for an exam, you will need to create a Webassessor account and then link it to your Now Learning account.
For individuals with a disability or English as Second Language (ESL), ServiceNow does offer reasonable accommodation while taking the certification exam.
Exam Structure
Exam Duration
The exam duration is 90 minutes.
Number of Items
The exam consists of 60 questions.
Multiple Choice (single answer)
For each multiple-choice question on the exam, there are at least four possible responses. Select the one response that most accurately answers the question.
Multiple Select (select all that apply)
For each multiple-select question on the exam, there are at least four possible responses. The question will state how many responses should be selected. Select ALL responses that accurately answer the question. Partial credit is not provided.
Exam Result
The exam result is immediately displayed as a conditional pass or fail result after completing and submitting the exam. Additional scoring information can be found in the Obtain the Exam Result lesson in the Credentialing Program Guide.
Pass Result
A pass result indicates that the certification has been earned. The only information shared is the pass result. The pass result is conditional, meaning the exam at any time can be audited, reviewed, and the certification may be revoked after investigation if it is found that the ServiceNow Test Security Policies have been violated.
To maintain a ServiceNow Certification, you will need to pass delta exams and pay the annual Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) Fee.
Fail Result
A failed result indicates that the certification was not earned. The percent earned for each learning domain is shared. For the next exam attempt, focus on the learning domains with the lowest percentage scores.
Sample Questions
Sample Item #1:
Learning Domain 1 – SPM Implementation Overview
PPM Standard integrates which of the following applications?
A. Demand Management, Service Management, Test Management, Resource Management
B. Ideation, Agile Development, Change Management, Resource Management, Project Management
C. Demand Management, Project Management, Resource Management, Portfolio Management
D. Operations Management, Agile Development, Test Management, Resource Management
Answer: C
Learning Domain 2 – SPM Application Overview
Sample Item #2:
What action would ensure milestones close automatically?
A. Validate that the ‘glide.cost_mgmt.process_task_top_task” property is set to true
B. Set the 'com.snc.project.auto_close_milestones' property to true
C. Edit the ‘com.snc.project.rollup.cost’ property to add the creation of a task expense line to the top task
D. Override the Dictionary attributes for the Expense field to add the ‘Create a task expense line for top task’ attribute and set it to true
Answer: B
Learning Domain 3 – Idea and Demand Configuration
Sample Item #3:
What is the central location for idea collection, evaluation, and promotion?
A. Idea Portal
B. Demand Workbench
C. Project Workbench
D. Project Workspace
Answer: A
Learning Domain 4 – Resource Management Configuration
Sample Item #4:
When can a resource requester request a change for a plan that was already submitted for review?
A. They cannot request a change once the plan has been submitted for review
B. If the plan is in an Allocated state
C. If the plan is in a Requested or Confirmed state
D. Only a resource manager can change a plan
Answer: C
Learning Domain 5 – Project Management Configuration
Sample Item #5:
What displays projects as cards based on filter criteria?
A. Project Status Report
B. My Projects Space
C. Planning Console
D. Project Workbench
Answer: B
Learning Domain 6 – Timecard Management Configuration
Sample Item #6:
What do approved time cards generate, on a project level?
A. Change requests
B. Resource plans
C. Cost plans
D. Expense lines
Answer: D
Learning Domain 7 – SPM Financials Configuration
Sample Item #7:
What is functional currency (the system currency) sometimes referred to as?
A. Reference currency
B. FX currency
C. Exchange rates
D. Load exchange rates
Answer: A
Learning Domain 8 – Portfolio Planning Workspace Configuration
Sample Item #8:
Which is a pre-defined lens in Portfolio Planning?
A. Company
B. Business Unit
C. Organization
D. Planning Items
Answer: C
Learning Domain 9 – Performance Analytics, Reporting & Dashboards
Sample Item #9:
Which dashboard gives an overview of investments, provides a pipeline view of upcoming intake, and a calendar view of upcoming dates?
A. PMO Dashboard
B. Portfolio Dashboard
C. Time Sheet Dashboard
D. Idea Manager Dashboard
Answer: A
Learning Domain 10 – Release Management and Digital Portfolio Management for SPM
Sample Item #10:
Which application encompasses the planning, design, build, configuration, and testing of hardware and software releases to create a defined set of release components?
A. Digital Portfolio Management
B. Project Portfolio Management
C. Application Portfolio Management
D. Release Management
Answer: D