Certifications play a huge role in developing your ServiceNow career. They’re a great way to prove your experience, skills, and technical prowess, but staying up to date with the certification landscape can be… easier said than done.
Anyone who has taken a ServiceNow exam will know that the certification scene is constantly changing. As well as new mainline, expert, and micro certifications, there are also regular changes to prerequisites, costs, and other requirements. Some of these can affect certifications you already have – others will influence which ones you take in the future.
Either way, it’s helpful to understand what’s changing. Here, we discuss the most important recent and upcoming changes to the certification landscape to get you up to speed. This includes any changes that have taken effect or been announced in the last few months, as well as those that are planned in future. Here’s what you need to know.
1. New Expert Certification: CRM Architect
“If your day-to-day work already focuses heavily on CSM or FSM, this credential will eventually become your target. It’s the ‘I own customer workflows architecture’ badge in the ServiceNow world.”
Khyati Thadani, ServiceNow Consultant
This is the biggest update to the ServiceNow certification scene on the current horizon. Certified CRM Architect (CRMA) is a brand-new expert certification due to launch in the next few months. This is the first major certification update since Architecture Excellence (ArchX) was first announced, almost two years ago.
CRMA is designed to verify people’s skills and experience in CRM deployment. It’s no secret why the certification is coming out now: ServiceNow is increasingly becoming a major player in the CRM space, having officially launched the ‘ServiceNow CRM’ last year.
As such, the new expert certification is aimed toward implementers, architects, and consultants working on CRM projects. Applicants should have implementation experience on five or more CRM projects to qualify for the course. Additionally, the following certifications will also be required:
- Certified System Administrator (CSA)
- Architecture Excellence (ArchX)
- Certified Implementation Specialist in CSM/FSM (CIS-CSM, CIS-FSM)
Like all expert ServiceNow certifications, the cost for this one will be markedly higher than the standard ServiceNow mainline certifications, at $4,000.
ServiceNow has recently confirmed that registration for the certification will open on March 4, 2026, and the course will begin at the start of May. The first intake will be open to a maximum of 50 learners, with two further cohorts planned for later this year.
2. Data Foundations Becomes a Prerequisite for 7 Implementation Certifications
“Right now, Data Foundations is the hot topic in the ServiceNow ecosystem… But I believe ServiceNow has gone in the right direction by making this a requirement. To validate your expertise, you have to know what CMDB and CSDM do and how they’re combined – because then you understand the interoperability of the platform. Otherwise, it’s just a tool.”
Theocharis Rassias, ServiceNow Architect and SNUG Leader (Greece and Cyprus)
Of all the updates we’re discussing here, this has received the most attention over the last few months. Last year, ServiceNow announced that Certified Implementation Specialist – Data Foundations (CIS-DF) would be a prerequisite for seven additional Certified Implementation Specialist courses:
- CIS – Discovery (CIS-DISCO)
- CIS – Hardware Asset Management (CIS-HAM)
- CIS – IT Service Management (CIS-ITSM)
- CIS – Service Mapping (CIS-SM)
- CIS – Security Incident Response (CIS-SIR)
- CIS – Software Asset Management (CIS-SAM)
- CIS – Vulnerability Response (CIS-VR)
The Data Foundations course includes foundational concepts such as CMDB, CSDM, data governance, and more.
Initially, ServiceNow offered a grace period before the prerequisite came into effect, which recently ended on January 26. Therefore, the requirement is now fully in force. Anybody looking to take the course can do so for free until June this year, after which the usual costs will resume.
3. Certified Platform Owner Professional Beta is Released
“The Certified Platform Owner Professional (CPOP) Beta Exam confirms that you possess the knowledge and skills necessary to lead the strategic development, management, and growth of the Now Platform. It ensures you can independently prioritize the rollout of features and understand ServiceNow best practices for strategic alignment.”
ServiceNow, Credentialing Program Guide
Earlier this year, ServiceNow announced a new Beta Exam, the Certified Platform Owner Professional. This effectively acts as an additional tier to the platform owner career journey, sitting above the existing associate level. A further expert level is also in development.
In order to qualify for the upcoming qualification, ServiceNow advises you to have 5 to 8+ years of ServiceNow Platform Experience (or a related role) and an existing Certified System Administrator (CSA) certification.
Registration for the Beta exam opened in January and is due to close shortly, but ServiceNow will likely add CPOP to the official list of certifications in the near future.
4. ArchX Becomes a Requirement for Certified Technical Architect
“ArchX (Architecture Excellence) is now effectively the staging ground for expert-level architecture credentials. It’s designed for people already playing architect or senior developer roles and focuses on patterns, standards, and long-term platform health…
If your end goal is CTA or CRM Architect, plan your experience and certifications to be ready for ArchX – both technically and financially. Work with your employer to secure a spot in a cohort early.”
Khyati Thadani, ServiceNow Consultant
Architecture Excellence (ArchX) is the most recent addition to the mainstream ServiceNow landscape. It is particularly aimed at anybody already working as an architect or senior developer.
Since its launch, the program has effectively become the launchpad for other expert certifications. As of 2026, ServiceNow has formalized this relationship. This includes Certified Technical Architect (CTA) exams and the upcoming Certified CRM Architect (CRMA).
ArchX is generally designed for early/mid-level architects with around 1-3 years’ experience. Certified System Administrator (CSA) is a prerequisite for the course, and at least one Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) certification is recommended. The current cost of the course is $2,500.
5. ServiceNow Certifications Move to Pearson VUE
“There have been a few changes to the certification provider. Now, vouchers are no longer in place and everything is done through one platform on ServiceNow University.
Rather than having to create a new account elsewhere, you can now just use your ServiceNow account to move to Pearson VUE and book your exam.”
Ali Saghaeian, Product Owner and ServiceNow Implementation Specialist
This is a more recent change to the ServiceNow certifications process that you might not be aware of. As of November last year, all certifications are hosted and administered by Pearson VUE, where previously they were managed by Kryterion/Webassessor.
The change doesn’t make any difference to the content and exam structure, only to the process of signing up and scheduling the exam. However, there are a few subtle differences in how you take the exam, which seasoned ServiceNow experts may need to be aware of. Here are the main details:
- The platform integrates with your ServiceNow University account, with no additional login required.
- There are now a larger number of global test centers – around 5,500 in total.
- Certification records and exam history will be automatically transferred over, so nobody should lose certifications as part of this transition.
- The process of scheduling an exam is also more flexible. You will be able to schedule an exam at any point in a 90-day period when you feel ready.
In practice, this isn’t a huge shift, but it’s helpful to understand the details. From ServiceNow’s perspective, the shift is clearly designed to create a smoother end-to-end process and to more tightly integrate the exams with the study material in the ServiceNow University (SNU).
6. ServiceNow Learning Courses Are No Longer Compulsory
“For years, completing ServiceNow training was mandatory for taking the certification exams, ignoring self-study, on-the-job training, and experience. Now, it’s completely your choice.
My advice: Even if you’re an experienced professional or an expert in your domain, I highly recommend going through the training and refreshing your knowledge. You’ll be surprised how much things have changed!”
Ali Saghaeian, Product Owner and ServiceNow Implementation Specialist
In the past, you could only take a ServiceNow exam after completing the relevant learning course. When you’d done so, ServiceNow would issue a voucher that was valid for the relevant exams in the Kryterion/Webassessor platform.
This is now also changing, alongside the move to Pearson VUE. Now, it will no longer be a requirement to complete the relevant learning courses. To take an exam, you simply have to register and pay with your ServiceNow University login. You will then have 90 days to complete the exam.
Nonetheless, it is still highly recommended that you complete the relevant learning path. Even if you’re an expert, there’s no guarantee that your knowledge will overlap 100% with the course curriculum. And with a high pass rate of around 70%, there’s less room for error here than you might think.
You should also avoid purchasing the exam until you’re sure you’re ready, because you can’t get a refund if the 90 days pass before you take it. Conversely, you can study and prepare for as long as you need before parting with your cash, so it’s sensible to use the time wisely.
Final Thoughts: What’s Next for ServiceNow Certifications?
“Community roadmaps and expert discussions currently point toward emerging AI and GenAI tracks, as well as deeper specialization in Performance Analytics and other focused credentials. Architecture-centered leadership certifications like CTA, CMA, and CRMA will likely also become even more vital for strategic roles.”
Khyati Thadani, ServiceNow Consultant
The biggest update to the certification scene is clearly the brand new expert certification: CRMA, and the Data Foundations requirement. But what’s next?
While there’s no official confirmation of new mainline or expert certifications (after CRMA), there’s every reason to think that others could be announced in the coming months and quarters. Intriguingly, we still don’t have a dedicated mainline or expert certification for AI tools. Given the heavy emphasis that ServiceNow has placed on its AI products in recent years, this is a curious gap.
So, will there be new updates to add to the list before much longer? Only time will tell…