The correct answer is that if 'requires role' is checked and no roles are listed, only users with the 'admin' role can access. This is true because ServiceNow Access Control Lists (ACLs) enforce security by evaluating role requirements at multiple granularity levels—table, record, field, and script—and when a role condition is left empty, the system defaults to the admin role as a fail-safe to prevent unauthorized access. On the ServiceNow Certified System Administrator CSA exam, this concept tests your understanding of ACL definition levels and role requirements, often appearing in multiple-select questions where a common trap is assuming an empty role field allows everyone, when in fact it restricts to admins. A helpful memory tip: "No roles listed means only admins are enlisted."
SNOW-CSA Application Rules, ACL and Notifications Practice Question
This SNOW-CSA practice question tests your understanding of application rules, acl and notifications. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which THREE statements about Access Control Lists (ACLs) are true? (Choose THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ACLs can be defined for tables, records, fields, and scripts.
Option A is correct because in ServiceNow, Access Control Lists (ACLs) can be defined to control access at multiple granularity levels: tables (entire table operations), records (specific rows), fields (individual columns), and scripts (execution of business rules or script includes). This allows administrators to enforce security policies precisely where needed.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
ACLs can be defined for tables, records, fields, and scripts.
Why this is correct
ACL types include table, record, field, and script.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
ACLs can use condition scripts to grant or deny access.
Why this is correct
Condition scripts are evaluated to determine access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
If 'requires role' is checked and no roles are listed, only users with the 'admin' role can access.
Why this is correct
Empty role list with requires role checked means admin only.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An ACL can only have one role specified.
Why it's wrong here
Multiple roles can be listed.
✗
An ACL must have a script to evaluate conditions.
Why it's wrong here
Script is optional; condition can be simple.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ServiceNow often tests the misconception that ACLs must have a script to evaluate conditions, but in ServiceNow, conditions can be purely role-based or use simple field comparisons without any scripting.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, ServiceNow evaluates ACLs in a hierarchical order: table-level ACLs are checked first, then record-level, then field-level. If a condition script is used, it runs server-side in the GlideRecord context and can access the current record via 'current'. A common real-world scenario is granting read access to a sensitive field (e.g., SSN) only to users with the 'snc_internal' role and a specific condition, such as the record being in a 'closed' state, using a condition script to avoid exposing data prematurely.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Application Rules, ACL and Notifications — This question tests Application Rules, ACL and Notifications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: ACLs can be defined for tables, records, fields, and scripts. — Option A is correct because in ServiceNow, Access Control Lists (ACLs) can be defined to control access at multiple granularity levels: tables (entire table operations), records (specific rows), fields (individual columns), and scripts (execution of business rules or script includes). This allows administrators to enforce security policies precisely where needed.
What should I do if I get this SNOW-CSA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An administrator creates a new ACL for the 'incident' table with type 'record', operation 'read', condition script 'current.assignment_group == gs.getUser().getMyGroups()', and requires role 'snc_internal'. A user with role 'snc_internal' who is a member of group 'Service Desk' can view incidents assigned to 'Service Desk' but cannot view incidents assigned to 'Network Support'. What is the most likely reason?
hard
A.The condition script uses 'current.assignment_group' which returns a sys_id, but 'gs.getUser().getMyGroups()' returns a list of group names.
B.The condition script should use 'current.assignment_group.isOneOf(gs.getUser().getMyGroups())' instead.
C.The user does not have the 'snc_internal' role.
✓ D.Another ACL with higher order denies read access to all incidents not matching the condition.
Why D: Option D is correct because ACLs in ServiceNow are evaluated in order of their 'order' field, and the first matching ACL (either allowing or denying access) determines the outcome. If another ACL with a higher order (lower numeric value) denies read access to incidents not matching the condition, that deny rule will take precedence over the new ACL, preventing the user from viewing incidents assigned to 'Network Support' even though the new ACL would allow it. The user's role and group membership are satisfied, so the issue lies in ACL ordering and a conflicting deny rule.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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This SNOW-CSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ServiceNow certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SNOW-CSA exam.
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