Certified Implementation Specialist - Service Provider (CIS-SP) Mainline Exam Blueprint


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Updated January 2026


 ⚠️ EXAM RETIREMENT: CIS-SP retires 12/31/26. This is the last day to test. The certification itself retires 3/31/27. See the Credentialing Program Guide for full retirement and retake details. 

Introduction

The ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist – Service Provider Exam Specification document defines the purpose, audience, testing options, exam content coverage, test framework, and prerequisites to earn the Certified Implementation Specialist – Service Provider certification.

 

Exam Purpose

The Certified Implementation Specialist – Service Provider exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to administer a domain-separated ServiceNow instance. This certification validates their ability to configure domains, manage data and process separation, handle foundational data, and support domains across applications. Certified individuals ensure effective multi-domain operations and governance within ServiceNow.

 

Exam Audience

The Certified Implementation Specialist – Service Provider exam is available to ServiceNow customers, partners, employees, and others interested in becoming a ServiceNow administrator in a Domain Separated instance. This largely pertains to a technical audience working for Service Providers that leverage multi-tenancy to provide managed service offerings to multiple customers on a single instance of Service Now. That includes administrators, technical consultants, and architects who build configuration on an instance. Here is the recommended experience: 

    • Familiarity and experience with Service Provider business model – providing IT and other business services to external customers, facilitated by Service Now. 
    • Six months of hands-on implementation experience with a complex enterprise ServiceNow implementation.  

 

 

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 - Service Provider exam. 

    • Welcome to ServiceNow
    • ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals
    • Get Started with Now Create
    • ServiceNow Platform Implementation 
    • Scripting in ServiceNow Fundamentals
    • Domain Separation Basics
    • Domain Separation Implementation 
    • Service Provider Architecture

  

Additional Resources

In addition to the above, these additional resources are valuable in preparation for the exam. 

  

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

Initial Domain Setup and Service Provider Architecture

  • System Properties
  • Domain Map / Company relationships
  •  Architecture and non-domain scenarios – multi-instance
  • Integrations

9%

2

Data Separation/Visibility 

  • sys_domain field 
  • Data flow/ direction 
  • Contains relationship 
  • Visibility groups 
  • Special Considerations 

24%

3

Process Separation 

  • sys_overrides field  
  • Process/Automation 
  • UI Configuration 
  • Choice Lists 
  • Data-Driven Process 

36%

4

Foundational Data Management 

  • Imports & Transforms 

20%

5

Domain Support in Applications 

  • Domain Support Levels 
  • Service Catalog 
  • Knowledge Management  
  • Mobile  
  • Service Portal 
  • Emerging applications/Other (CSM, ITOM) 

11%

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.  
  • Because CIS-SP retires 12/31/26, your 90-day registration window cannot extend past that date. Registering close to the retirement date may leave you with less than the full 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 – SP 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). This restart option is also subject to the 12/31/26 retirement date — if your registration expires after CIS-SP has retired, you will not be able to register again. 

 

Exam Structure

Exam Duration 

The exam duration is 60 minutes. 

Number of Items

The exam consists of 45 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 – Service Provider certification and receive a Credly digital badge to showcase your achievement. 
  • The certification retires 3/31/27, no maintenance exam or CMP fee will be required to keep your CIS-SP certification current through its retirement date. 

If You Do Not Pass:

  • Review the exam blueprint and the recommended training before retaking the exam.
  • CIS-SP retires 12/31/26. Retakes are not permitted after this date.
  • The retake policy requires a waiting period between attempts and payment of the exam fee for each attempt — this waiting period may prevent a retake before 12/31/26, depending on when your prior attempt falls, so plan your attempts with enough runway. 

 

 

Sample Questions

Sample Item #1

Which are true of a domain record marked as Primary? (choose three)

A. It must be linked to the Service Provider company. 

B. There can only be one. 

C. It should have no parent reference set. 

D. It will be displayed at the top of the domain map. 

Answer: B, C, D 

 

Sample Item #2:  

In which domains can a user see an assignment group?  (choose three)

A. In their domain's parent domain. 

B. In their domain's child domains. 

C. In domains listed as visible, as defined by the user's group membership. 

D. In domains contained within their domain. 

Answer: B, C, D 

 

Sample Item #3:  

What role is required to use the expand domain scope feature? 

A. domain_admin 

B. domain_expand_scope 

C. user_admin 

D. itil 

Answer: B 

 

Sample Item #4:  

Which is a process-separated entity? 

A. Tasks 

B. Script Includes 

C. System Properties  

D. Email Notifications  

Answer: D 

 

Sample Item #5:   

What mechanism assigns records to the default domain?  

A. Workfllow 

B. Transform Maps 

C. Business Rules  

D. System Properties 

Answer: C 

 

Sample Item #6:   

What domain will a record be written to when applying an update set?  

A. The user's domain 

B. The record's domain from the source instance.  

C. The domain selected in the domain picker.   

D. Global 

Answer: B 

 

 

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