ServiceNow

ServiceNow Certified Application Developer (CAD) practice questions

Q: What is the rule for calling `current.update()` inside a Business Rule?

You should **never** call `current.update()` inside a *before* Business Rule, because doing so triggers a recursive loop that can degrade system performance and may also bypass script execution order. ServiceNow automatically commits any changes you make to the `current` object once the *before* rule finishes running. Reserve `current.update()` for *after* Business Rules or asynchronous flows where the record is being modified by a different process.

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Questions: 146
Exam length: 90 min
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

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Exam overview CAD

The ServiceNow Certified Application Developer (CAD) credential is the vendor-recognized certification that validates your ability to design, build, secure, and deploy custom applications on the ServiceNow Now Platform. Administered by ServiceNow through Pearson VUE and the Now Learning portal, the CAD exam is widely regarded as the gateway certification for developers, technical consultants, and platform engineers who build scoped applications for enterprise customers.

Candidates are expected to already be comfortable with core platform administration concepts and to have at least six months of hands-on development experience on a personal developer instance (PDI) or production environment. Before purchasing the exam voucher, you must complete the Welcome to ServiceNow, Scripting in ServiceNow Fundamentals, and Application Development Fundamentals (ADF) courses inside Now Learning, since these courses map directly to the blueprint tasks.

The CAD blueprint is organized into six weighted domains, with the heaviest emphasis on application design, the application user interface, security, and automation (20% each). The remaining weight is split between External Data Integration (10%) and Managing Applications (10%), which together test your ability to move data in and out of the platform and to ship code through modern source control and deployment frameworks. Because the exam uses multiple-select items with no partial credit, you must be able to read short script snippets, debug ACL evaluation order, and pick the most efficient Glide API approach for a given scenario.

For candidates preparing for the CAD exam, our practice materials cover all six weighted domains in the same proportions as the real test, with online practice questions, detailed answer explanations, and a downloadable PDF that mirrors the single-select and multiple-select format you will see on exam day.

Official Exam Domains & Weighting

To successfully pass the CAD exam, candidates must master the following core domains:

Domain 1: Designing and Creating an Application (20%)

Covers application viability assessment, data schema design with tables, fields and references, and application scope principles including Global vs. Scoped boundaries, cross-scope access settings, and Application Properties.

Domain 2: Application User Interface (20%)

Focuses on forms and layouts configuration, Client Scripts using the g_form API (onLoad, onChange, onSubmit), server-side UI scripting, and using Record Producers as a self-service record creation engine.

Domain 3: Security and Restricting Access (20%)

Tests contextual and role-based access control, creating and debugging row-level and field-level ACL rules and their evaluation order, GlideSystem-based security scripting, and protecting runtime assets across scope boundaries.

Domain 4: Application Automation (20%)

Validates skills in building and debugging Flow Designer / Workflow Studio flows, writing Scheduled Script Executions and Script Includes, and configuring system events, script triggers, and notifications.

Domain 5: External Data Integration (10%)

Covers Outbound REST messages, Scripted REST APIs, application-level variables, and integration security mechanisms such as Basic Auth and OAuth profiles.

Domain 6: Managing Applications (10%)

Focuses on source control with the ServiceNow Git framework, delegated development roles, publishing apps to the App Repository, and managing installation or upgrade lifecycles via Update Sets.

Domain coverage 6 domains

Designing and Creating an Application (20%)
Application User Interface (20%)
Security and Restricting Access (20%)
Application Automation (20%)
External Data Integration (10%)
Managing Applications (10%)

Sample questions 15 of 146 shown

Q1
What plugin enables the Guided Application Creator?
1. com.glide.sn-guided-app-creator
2. com.glide.service_creator
3. com.glide.snc.apps_creator
4. com.snc.apps_creator_template
The correct answer is A. com.glide.sn-guided-app-creator is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q2
Which one of the following is true for the Application Picker and Application Scope?
1. Global is a reserved application which does not appear in the Application Picker
2. Selecting an application from the Application Picker does not set the Application Scope
3. Selecting an application from the Application Picker sets the Application Scope
4. Selecting Global in the Application Picker sets the Application Scope to Incident
The correct answer is C. Selecting an application from the Application Picker sets the Application Scope is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q3
The Task table is an example of which of the following? (Choose two.)
1. Parent class
2. Legacy class
3. Child class
4. Base class
The correct answer is AD. Parent class and Base class are correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q4
What are three ServiceNow table creation methods? (Choose three.)
1. Using legacy Workflows
2. Upload and turn a spreadsheet into a custom table
3. Using Flow Designer
4. Use the Now Experience Table Creator
5. Extend a table
6. Create a custom table
The correct answer is BEF. Upload and turn a spreadsheet into a custom table and Extend a table and Create a custom table are correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q5
Which of the following GlideRecord methods run a query against a database table? (Choose three.)
1. _get()
2. runQuery()
3. query()
4. _query()
5. get(
The correct answer is CDE. query() and _query() and get( are correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q6
What Module Link type is used to access an Application Properties page?
1. Single Record
2. HTML (from Arguments)
3. URL (from Arguments)
4. Script (from Arguments)
The correct answer is C. URL (from Arguments) is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q7
Which of the following are true for reports in ServiceNow? (Choose three.)
1. Any user can see any report shared with them.
2. Can be a graphical representation of data.
3. All users can generate reports on any table.
4. Can be run on demand by authorized users.
5. Can be scheduled to be run and distributed by email.
The correct answer is BDE. these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q8
Why create Applications in ServiceNow? To replace outdated, inadequate, custom business applications and processes To extend service delivery and management to all enterprise departments To allow users full access to all ServiceNow tables, records, and fields To extend the value of ServiceNow
1. a, b, and d
2. a, b, c, and d
3. a, b, and c
4. b, c, and d
The correct answer is A. a, b, and d is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q9
Which of the following statements is true about Guided Application Creator?
1. The global scope option is turned on by default
2. Default access controls are automatically created
3. The welcome screen appears every time a new application is created
4. A scoped application user role is automatically created
The correct answer is B. Default access controls are automatically created is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q10
What are the ways to designate data tables when using Guided Application Creator (GAC)? (Choose three.)
1. Upload an existing PDF
2. Create a new table on the platform
3. Use a freeform database
4. Upload an existing spreadsheet
5. Use an existing table on the platform
6. Upload an existing word processing document
The correct answer is BDE. Create a new table on the platform and Upload an existing spreadsheet and Use an existing table on the platform are correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q11
Is it possible to change an application’s scope?
1. No, it’s not possible
2. Yes, it’s possible
3. Yes, but only from global scope to private scope
4. Yes, but only from private scope to global scope
The correct answer is A. No, it’s not possible is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q12
Modules must have a Link type. Which one of the following is a list of Link types?
1. List of Records, Separator, Catalog Type, Roles
2. Assessment, List of Records, Separator, Timeline Page
3. List of Records, Content Page, Order, URL (from arguments:)
4. Assessment, List of Records, Content Page, Roles
The correct answer is B. Assessment, List of Records, Separator, Timeline Page is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q13
When crafting a scoped application that contains flow actions, what is the application called?
1. Action
2. Spoke
3. Bundle
4. Flow
The correct answer is B. Spoke is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q14
When creating application tables, a user role is automatically added to the table record. Which other role does an application typically have?
1. Application Super User
2. Application Fulfiller
3. Application Admin
4. Application Manager
The correct answer is C. Application Admin is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.
Q15
When configuring a module, what does the Override application menu roles configuration option do?
1. Users with the module role but without access to the application menu access the module
2. Self-Service users can access the module even though they do not have roles
3. Admin is given access to the module even if Access Controls would ordinarily prevent access
4. Users with access to the application menu can see the module even if they don't have the module role
The correct answer is A. Users with the module role but without access to the application menu access the module is correct because these concepts relate to application design and development on the ServiceNow platform.

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Reader reviews 163 ratings

4.8 ★★★★★★ Based on 163 ratings

These ServiceNow exam dumps for CAD saved me weeks of study time. The questions cover every domain thoroughly.

★★★★★ Jessica W.
Worth every cent for the CAD certification prep. Detailed answers helped me understand concepts I was shaky on.

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The CAD certification opened up a promotion for me at work. These practice questions were a big part of that success.

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Covered all five domains of the CAD exam thoroughly. I especially appreciated the detailed breakdowns for the tricky questions.

★★★★★★ Natalie R.
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Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest technical hurdles tested on the CAD exam?

Two areas consistently trip up first-time candidates. The first is Application Scope — you must understand exactly how cross-scope access is checked when a Scoped App calls an asset from the Global scope, and which Application Properties control that behavior. The second is the ACL evaluation hierarchy — ServiceNow processes table-level ACLs before field-level ACLs, and a "None" condition short-circuits the rest of the evaluation. Drilling scripted scenarios on both topics is the single highest-ROI activity before exam day.

Does the CAD exam require me to write long strings of custom JavaScript code?

No. The exam is a multiple-choice and multiple-select test — you will not type free-form code. However, you must be able to read and reason about short code snippets. Expect items that show you a few lines of GlideRecord or GlideAggregate and ask which approach is the most efficient, which property to set next, or which object method is missing. Treat code literacy, not code production, as the core study goal.

What is the rule for calling `current.update()` inside a Business Rule?

You should never call current.update() inside a before Business Rule, because doing so triggers a recursive loop that can degrade system performance and may also bypass script execution order. ServiceNow automatically commits any changes you make to the current object once the before rule finishes running. Reserve current.update() for after Business Rules or asynchronous flows where the record is being modified by a different process.

How long is the CAD certification valid, and how is it kept active?

The credential does not expire on a fixed calendar — it stays valid as long as you complete the annual Mainline Maintenance (Delta) exams inside Now Learning when ServiceNow releases new platform versions. These delta exams are short, open-book, unproctored quizzes that confirm you are familiar with the latest release notes. Missing the maintenance window results in your certification being revoked until you complete the current delta exam.

How closely do the practice questions match the real ServiceNow CAD exam?

The practice questions are written to match the real exam's style, weight distribution, and difficulty level. They cover the same six blueprint domains in the same proportions, use the same single-select and multiple-select formats, and require the same code-reading and scenario-analysis skills you will need on exam day. Every item comes with a detailed answer explanation that walks through the reasoning and references the relevant ServiceNow API or documentation.

What is the difference between the online mock exam and the PDF download?

The online mock exam and the downloadable PDF contain the same question bank, so you can switch between formats based on context. Use the online format for timed practice runs that simulate the real exam environment, and use the PDF for offline review during commutes or in environments without a stable internet connection. Your study progress transfers between the two since the questions and explanations are identical.

What prerequisites do I need to meet before registering for the CAD exam?

You must complete three mandatory courses on the Now Learning portal — Welcome to ServiceNow, Scripting in ServiceNow Fundamentals, and Application Development Fundamentals (ADF) — before you can purchase the exam voucher. ServiceNow also recommends at least six months of hands-on development experience on a personal developer instance (PDI) or production environment, plus working familiarity with the official ServiceNow Developer Site for GlideRecord, GlideAggregate, and Script Includes reference documentation.