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With plenty of opportunities, ServiceNow has become a magnet for skilled developers. If you are also interested in joining this thriving industry, then the official ServiceNow Developer Certification can be your door to the ServiceNow ecosystem!
It is a competitive certification that examines your ability to develop solutions on the ServiceNow platform. A certification is proof of validation for your skills and gives you an edge in the job market. You could use it to display your skills and get a high-paying job as a ServiceNow Developer.
But what does the certification exam consist of? We have answered all your queries regarding the ServiceNow Application Developer Certification in this blog.
Read along to learn about the syllabus, exam structure, and preparation strategy.
What is ServiceNow Application Developer Certification?
The ServiceNow Certified Application Developer Certification is the official credential granted by ServiceNow to people who excel in development skills. To earn this certification, you must possess the knowledge to develop applications that solve business problems. Passing this certification exam assures employers and peers that you have the skills and expertise to perform the duties involved in ServiceNow Application Development.
Who Can Take the Certified Application Developer Exam?
The Certified Application Developer Exam is aimed at people who have the required experience in development on the ServiceNow Platform. You must have the right skills and coding knowledge to pass the examination.
If you want to work as a ServiceNow developer, then you must get the certification. While it is not a mandatory requirement, many employers choose candidates with a certification over others.
As the exam will test you on testing fundamentals as well as administration fundamentals, it is recommended to have hands-on experience. If you are interested in further opportunities, this certification will allow you to take on advanced credentials like ServiceNow Implementation Specialist.
Let’s move on to the prerequisites, ServiceNow CAD Exam Syllabus, and structure.

About the ServiceNow CAD Certification Exam
The ServiceNow CAD credential can be earned by passing a certification exam. The questions that you will face in the exam will be based on official ServiceNow training materials and their product documentation. The voucher for ServiceNow Developer Certification Costs $300 and is valid for a month. The retake fee for the exam is $100. See below for the exam structure:
Exam Structure
The Certified Application Developer exam consists of 60 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. These questions can be:
- 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, and then you can choose ALL responses that accurately answer the question.
Prerequisites of ServiceNow CAD certification
ServiceNow has officially mentioned the prerequisite for the CAD certification. You must complete the modules given on the Now Learning platform to be eligible for the exam. Besides these, you must be familiar with the ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals. This includes knowledge of platform capabilities, navigation, service modules, etc. ServiceNow requires the completion of the following training courses that cover the exam learning domains and will help you prepare for the exam.
- Scripting in ServiceNow Fundamentals
- Application Development Fundamentals
ServiceNow has also recommended some experience you may possess to take the certification:
- Six months of hands-on experience developing applications in ServiceNow.
- Candidates with application development and system administration roles are preferred.
- General familiarity with industry terminology, acronyms, and initialism.
ServiceNow CAD Exam Syllabus
Before you start your preparation, you must know about the ServiceNow CAD Exam Syllabus to successfully earn the certification. ServiceNow shares some learning domains for preparation and the key topics the certification exam covers. The following table lists these topics with subtopics that will be covered under each learning domain. It also showcases the percentage of questions represented in each domain. The listed sub-skills should not be considered an all-inclusive list of the exam content.

How to Register for the Exam?
To register for the Application Developer exam, you can create an account on Webassessor. The ServiceNow exams are offered at Kryterion Test Centers or can be taken anywhere online while a Kryterion proctor monitors the exam appointment. After creating your Webassessor account, you must link it to your Now Learning account. You can schedule your certification exam after completing all the steps mentioned on the Webassessor platform.
The exam result is immediately displayed as a conditional pass or fail result after completing and submitting the exam.
- Pass Result: A pass result indicates that the certification has been earned. The only information shared is the pass result.
- Fail Result: A failed result suggests that the certification was not earned. The percent earned for each learning domain is shared. For the next exam attempt, you can focus on the learning domains with the lowest percentage scores.
How to Prepare for ServiceNow Developer Certification?
To pass the ServiceNow Developer Certification exam, you will need an outstanding score. While no information is available from ServiceNow regarding passing scores and criteria, submitting at least 60% correct answers is recommended. Here are some tips to help you with the preparation. Follow the strategies below and get the best results:

1. Understand the Exam Structure
Before you begin your preparation, you must understand the structure of the exam. The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, which you must complete in 90 minutes. The topics covered are given above for your reference.
2. Enroll in the Official ServiceNow Training
The best way to prepare is through guided ServiceNow Training. You can enrol in a course that covers the fundamentals of ServiceNow Administration as well as development for a well-rounded certification preparation.
3. Master Admin Fundamentals and Scripting
ServiceNow developers indeed need to have thorough experience with the platform administration. Once you have that, you can move on to learning scripting and development in ServiceNow. So make sure you have the basics right!
4. Get Hands-on Practice
The exam will be based on the concepts of development that you will be performing practically once you get a job. So, it is recommended that you have some hands-on experience with the ServiceNow instance. Practice creating custom solutions for different use cases and developing applications to enhance your skills and ace the exam.
5. Study Exam Guides & Documentation
The documentation provided by ServiceNow on the Now Platform is helpful in preparation as you can find the topics covered in-depth. Make sure to review the exam blueprint and go through these documents for a better understanding.
6. Take Practice Tests
You can take practice tests to practice how the exam will be conducted and manage your time efficiently. These tests will help you identify your weak areas and allow you to improve accordingly. You can also join communities to get resources and mock tests.

Conclusion
The ServiceNow application developer certification is recommended to people who wish to get started in the ServiceNow ecosystem as a developer. Earning the credential becomes easy if you have complete knowledge of the structure and syllabus of the exam. The blog outlines the essential information to prepare and plan your exam strategy. Now that you know the exam structure and the method to succeed, you can book your certification exam. Good Luck!
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