ServiceNow Courses and Certifications

People often ask me for recommendations on getting started in the ServiceNow world. Although it typically depends on what your career path looks like, there are a common group of objectives that I always recommend. As much as I dislike the idea of blasting through certifications just to say you have them, there are a few certs that hold a lot of weight in the industry. Hopefully this post will shed some light on the subject.At the time of this post, ServiceNow offers over 25 courses, however I'll only focus on the most common ones that are over general subjects, as opposed to courses over specific applications/areas like Discovery.First let's break down the general focus areas of ServiceNow.

ServiceNow Focus Areas

  1. Administration - This is typically the most common starting point. Administration courses will teach you the basics of ServiceNow and how to appropriately configure and customize the platform.

    • Courses:

      • ServiceNow Administration (official)

      • Advanced ServiceNow Administration (official)

      • ServiceNow 101: Administration (unofficial)

      • Certifications:

        • Certified System Administrator (official)

  2. Development - This focus area is generally for those who already have a programming background and understand the basics to application development. etc. etc....

    • Courses:

      • Scripting in ServiceNow (official)

      • Application Creation in ServiceNow (official)

      • ServiceNow 201: Development (unofficial)

      • Certifications:

        • Certified Application Developer (official)

  3. Implementation - This focus area is for those who have already been through a ServiceNow implementation and have hands-on training.

    • Courses:

      • None, although there is an official Implementation Bootcamp

      • Certifications:

        • Certified Implementation Specialist (official)

Official ServiceNow Courses

  1. ServiceNow Administration ($2,095) - This is the first and most common ServiceNow course. This course will teach you a number of common administration topics that are outlined in on the official website.

  2. Advanced ServiceNow Administration ($1,595) - This course teaches you more advanced administration subjects that are not found, nor required for the Certified System Administrator exam. I generally do not recommend this course.

  3. Scripting in ServiceNow ($2,095) - This course will teach you general scripting concepts on the ServiceNow platform.

  4. Application Creation in ServiceNow ($2,095) - This course will teach you how to create custom applications on the ServiceNow platform.

Official ServiceNow Certifications

  1. Certified System Administrator ($150) - This is the entry level certificate in the world of ServiceNow. Whether you are looking to become a ServiceNow administrator, implementation specialist, or a power user, having this certificate will definitely help your career. You can find the exam blueprint here.

  2. Certified Application Developer ($150) - This certificate is aimed at developers who are looking to get into application development on the ServiceNow platform. Out of these 3, this probably holds the least amount of weight. The blueprint can be found here.

  3. Certified Implementation Specialist ($200) - This certificate probably holds the most weight in the industry. With this, you are certified to implement ServiceNow. This is oftentimes a requirement to landing a good job as a ServiceNow consultant. You can find the exam blueprint here.

Unofficial ServiceNow Courses

  1. ServiceNow 101: Administration ($95) - This is my first Udemy course and is aimed as a second option to paying $2,095 for the ServiceNow Administration training. It retails for $95 but you can use the following promo code, VIENNA, to receive $25 off. I've had many students successfully pass the Certified System Administrator exam using this course as their only training. Given the nature of Udemy, it's self-paced and you have access to the course for life. You can also download the lectures to watch offline, take the practice quizzes, as well as the practice exam at the end of the course.

  2. ServiceNow 201: Development ($95) - This is my second Udemy course where I dive into development within the ServiceNow platform. You can use the following promo code, PRAGUE, to receive $25 off of this one as well.

 
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It's important to note that my ServiceNow 201: Development course is aimed as a replacement to the official course, Scripting in ServiceNow as opposed to a replacement of the official course, Application Creation in ServiceNow.If you are looking to become a ServiceNow administrator, having your Certified System Administrator certificate should be enough. However, if you are looking at becoming a consultant, you will most likely need your Certified Implementation Specialist certificate. Here are my recommended paths per desired career path:Key

  • Courses are shown in purple

  • Certifications are shown in blue

  • Bootcamps are shown in orange

 Do you have other recommendations or tips? Let me know what you think!