Skip to main content

First attempt at the Certified System Administrator (CSA) exam

Only three months after starting her studies, Amanda decided to have a go at the exam for Certified System Administrator (CSA). Even though she didn't feel entirely prepared, she reasoned that she had an honest chance att receiving a passing score. But more importantly, she needed to know what the exam questions really looked like - so she would know how to study more efficiently, if not passing the exam.

Unfortunately Amanda didn't reach a passing result, but I must say that I was very, very impressed of the result. She excelled in many areas, and missed out only slightly in the areas of Database Management and Integrations - two very technical areas, and two areas we haven't worked with so much.

CSA exam results

Even though failing the exam, Amanda still feel very optimistic - after all it was close, so the CSA exam feels reachable.

A chocking discovery when registering for the exam, was the exam fee. $300 + VAT which equals to $375. This seems extremely expensive for a single mother with a modest income. If ServiceNow really want to have more ServiceNow professionals, they should really lower the threshold for the very first level - Certified System Administrator. In my opinion, it should be more or less for free. Subsequent exams, like Certified Implementation Specialist, can be pricier - by then the candidate most probably already has landed a job as ServiceNow administrator with a higher income and probably sponsorship by the employer.

Luckily Axians (my employer) stepped in and sponsored the exam fee. This took away a lot of the pressure from Amanda, who could fully focus on the task ahead instead.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Live on Stage in Las Vegas

We did it! Today Amanda and I held our session on Knowledge 2024 on stage in Las Vegas. I'm very proud of both of us - we did a great show. Afterwards, we both received great feedback from the audience, and we were also interviewed by ServiceNow. We were both very exhausted afterwards - but it was a great feeling standing on that stage, sharing our story together.
Post a Comment
Read more

A sharp task! Amanda exceeds expectations...

 Last week I gave Amanda a sharp task to practice the new skills and test herself. The task focused on the Service Catalog and contained the following elements: Create a new category in the Service Catalog to order pizza. Create subcategories for different types of pizzas, for example Italian, American, etc. Each orderable pizza must contain: Description Price Image When you order a pizza, you should be able to choose extra ingredients - which should also affect the price. Price must be given in Swedish currency (kr). Certain pizzas in each category can only be ordered by VIP customers, and thus not be visible/selectable for "regular" customers. (Note that the instance was not pre-configured for Swedish currency - only US currency.)
Post a Comment
Read more

Status update

Several people have been asking me about Amanda, and how she progress in learning ServiceNow. Unfortunately, I must confess that we both have lost momentum a little bit. Since Amanda failed the second attempt at becoming a Certified System Administrator (CSA), back in January, I've had so much on my plate. I've been so busy at work that I haven't been able to support Amanda properly, and help her find new energy to progress. At the same time, Amanda has had a low period in both her jobs. Things have felt dull, and she has had a bit of a struggle finding the energy to pick up full speed again. But we will both do our very best. We haven't given up - we will come back, even stronger! I hope I can report back really soon.
Post a Comment
Read more