Certified Implementation Specialist - Hardware Asset Management (CIS-HAM) Mainline Blueprint


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Updated January 2026


Introduction

The ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist – Hardware Asset Management Exam Specification document defines the purpose, audience, testing options, exam content coverage, test framework, and prerequisites for earning the Certified Implementation Specialist – Hardware Asset Management certification.

 

Exam Purpose

The Certified Implementation Specialist – Hardware Asset Management exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain the ServiceNow HAM application. This certification validates their ability to manage hardware lifecycles, ensure data integrity, automate asset processes, and integrate IT asset management with workflows. Certified individuals optimize asset tracking, inventory management, and financial oversight to enhance IT operations.  

 

Exam Audience

The ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist – Hardware Asset Management exam is available to ServiceNow customers, partners, employees, and others interested in becoming a ServiceNow HAM Certified Implementation Specialist. Here is the recommended experience:

    • Six months of field experience participating in ServiceNow deployment projects or maintaining ServiceNow instances 
    • Participation in at least two ServiceNow deployment projects, specifically ITSM Asset Management and Hardware Asset Management (HAM)  

Exam Prerequisites 

Prerequisite Certification 

  • Candidates must hold the Certified Implementation Specialist – Data Foundations (CMDB and CSDM) Certification before registering for this exam .

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 – Hardware Asset Management exam.

    • Welcome to ServiceNow
    • ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals
    • Get Started with Now Create 
    • ServiceNow Platform Implementation   
    • Hardware Asset Management (HAM) Fundamentals, OR
    • Hardware Asset Management (HAM) Fundamentals - On Demand

Additional Recommended 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
    • Hardware Asset Simulator  
    • Additional Recommended Courses for Hardware Asset Management (HAM) Implementers
    • 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. 

 

Number of Domains

Exam Domain

Percent of Exam

1

IT Asset Management Overview & Fundamentals 

A – IT Asset Management Basics 

  • Core IT asset management terminology, concepts, and goals 

B – Hardware Asset Lifecycle

  • Hardware asset lifecycle, stages, and components 

C – Application Introduction and Recommended Practices

  • Implementing hardware asset management (e.g., best practices, capability blueprint, Now Create implementation methodology)

 D – Implementing Hardware Asset Management in ServiceNow

  • IT asset management personas, roles, and groups
  • Implementing hardware asset management in ServiceNow - ITSM Asset Management and Hardware Asset Management (HAM) (e.g., resources, plugins, processes, capabilities, navigation)

20%

2

Data Integrity – Attributes and Data Sources

A – Trustworthy Data Fundamentals

  • Trustworthy data (e.g., what is it, why it is critical for ITAM) 

B – Creating Trustworthy Data

  • Assets vs. configuration items (CIs) (e.g., characteristics, relationships)
  • Creating hardware assets and CIs (e.g., processes, asset states, device details, hardware models, hardware model categories, CI classes)
  • Managing hardware assets and CIs (e.g., asset and CI data synchronization, enforcing CI verification, asset tracking, tracking strategies)

C – Hardware Discovery and Normalization

  • Using Discovery, CMDB, and Normalization Data Services (NDS) to provide trustworthy data

D – HAM Hardware Model Normalization

  • What it does and does not do
  • What data it provides (e.g., key fields, hardware model lifecycle data)
  • How it works (e.g., process, hardware model normalization tables, normalization statuses, manual normalization, resolving normalization issues, Hardware Model Normalization Overview dashboard)
  • ServiceNow hardware model Content Service (e.g., how it supports normalization, process)

27%

3

Practical Management of IT Assets 

A – Consumables 

  • Assets vs. consumables
  • Managing consumables (e.g., creating, tracking, consuming) 

B – Inventory and Stock 

  • Managing inventory and stock (e.g., tracking, transfer orders, stock rules)
  • Asset audits (e.g., process)

C – Automating Asset Management Lifecycle

  • Automating asset population into ServiceNow (e.g., import and update sets, process, transform maps, complex imports)
  • Automating asset inventory with HAM (e.g., Mobile Asset Inventory Audit, process, creating audits, scanning assets, reviewing assets, completing audits)
  • Managing asset retirement (e.g., asset states, process (manual and automated), workflows)
  • Automating hardware asset lifecycle with HAM (e.g., goals, asset flows and asset tasks, processes, standard flows, customizing flows, asset actions) 

D – Contract and Change Management

  • Managing hardware contracts (e.g., creating, adjusting, lifecycle)

30%

4

Operational Integration of IT Asset Management Processes

A – Reports and Dashboards 

  • Generating asset reports for IT Asset Management (e.g., available reports, process, customizing) 
  • Using IT Asset Management dashboards (e.g., Overview, My Assets, purpose, process, data available)
  • Using HAM Hardware Asset Manager dashboard (e.g., purpose, process, data available)
  • Using Hardware Asset Workspace (e.g., purpose, process, data available)

B – Requests and Procurement

  • Managing requests and procurement in ITSM Asset Management (e.g., catalogs, publishing, ordering, sourcing, receiving, purchase orders, using mobile ITAM apps)
  • Automating stock management in ITSM Asset Management and HAM (e.g., from warehouses, from vendors, configuring stock rules, bulk stock orders)

C – Extending Asset Management 

  • Asset management vs. configuration management 
  • Extending asset management and configuration management (e.g., extending asset/CI/product model classes, process, recommended practices)

D – Data Accuracy

  • Define data management and hygiene
  • Data certification (e.g., roles, process, filters, schedules)
  • Data hygiene

18%

5

Financial Management of IT Assets

A – Hardware Contract Financials

  • Key components of hardware contract financials (e.g., contract rate cards, expense lines, processing costs)

B – IT Cost Management

  • Understand IT Cost Management (e.g., depreciation, fixed assets, total cost of ownership)

5%

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 register for the CIS-HAM 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 60 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 Implementation Specialist – Hardware Asset Management 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. 

    • Refer to the Credentialing Program Guide for full retake details. 

 

 

Sample Questions

Sample Item #1

What is IT Asset Management (ITAM)? 

A. Management of applications 

B. Management of configuration items 

C. Management of IT assets 

D. Management of services 

Answer: C

 

Sample Item #2

Why is ServiceNow Discovery useful in a successful IT asset management program? 

A. It helps to ensure your IT asset data is trustworthy 

B. It identifies available attributes you should store for your assets  

C. It maps IT assets to services so you can store/manage both in the CMDB   

D. It serves as a repository to store your trustworthy CI data 

E. IT reorganizes data in the database so there is no redundancy in your asset data 

Answer: A

Sample Item #3

What item is typically considered a consumable rather than an asset?  (choose three)

A. CD 

B. Keyboard 

C. Laptop 

D. Mouse 

E. Workstation 

Answer: A, B, D

 

Sample Item #4

Which catalog would an end user order a new laptop from to enable automatic creation of an associated asset?  

A. Company Catalog 

B. Product Catalog 

C. Service Catalog 

D. Vendor Catalog 

Answer: C

 

Sample Item #5

What expenses are considered operational rather than part of the original cost? (choose three)

 

A. Delivery costs 

B. Installation costs 

C. Maintenance agreement costs 

D. Replacement parts 

E. Resource costs for support 

F. Storage costs 

G. Warranty costs 

Answer: C, D, E

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