Question 215 of 481
SNOW-CAD Core Application Development Practice Question
A developer needs to capture the time when a field (assigned_to) was last changed. Which approach should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates choose calculated fields (Option A) thinking they can dynamically capture timestamps, but calculated fields are read-only and cannot persist a value when a field changes.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a business rule on 'after' update that sets a 'last_assigned' field when assigned_to changes.
A business rule running 'after' update can check if the 'assigned_to' field value changed (using previous()) and set a 'last_assigned' field to the current date/time (gs.nowDateTime()). This server-side, platform-native approach reliably captures the timestamp when the field changes. Option A (calculated field) is incorrect because calculated fields are read-only and derive values from other fields; they cannot set a timestamp when a field changes. Option C (database trigger) is not recommended as it bypasses the ServiceNow platform and could cause synchronization issues. Option D (dictionary override to enable auditing) is incorrect because auditing tracks all changes to the field in the audit table but does not store the last change timestamp in a separate field on the record; it would require querying the audit log to find the last change.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a calculated field using a formula.
Why it's wrong here
Calculated fields cannot reference previous values.
- ✓
Create a business rule on 'after' update that sets a 'last_assigned' field when assigned_to changes.
Why this is correct
An after business rule can set a field on the same record or related record.
- ✗
Create a database trigger to log the change.
Why it's wrong here
ServiceNow does not support direct database triggers.
- ✗
Use a dictionary override to enable auditing.
Why it's wrong here
Auditing logs changes but does not provide a field that can be queried directly.
Visual reference
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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