Question 190 of 520

Application Rules, ACL and Notifications →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

ACL Script Condition: Missing Return Statement Causes False

This SNOW-CSA practice question tests your understanding of application rules, acl and notifications. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.

An ACL has a condition script that returns true if the user is a member of the 'service_desk' group and the record's 'state' is 'New'. The ACL type is 'read'. A user in the 'service_desk' group reports that they cannot see a record with state 'New'. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
The ACL is defined on a different table that extends 'incident'.
Why wrong: Wrong: ACLs on parent tables apply to child tables.
B
The script uses gs.hasRole('service_desk') which checks role, not group membership.
Why wrong: Wrong: group membership check would be different but the scenario says the user is in group.
C
The condition script does not have a default return false statement, so it returns undefined.
Correct: A missing explicit false return causes undefined, which is falsy.
D
Another read ACL exists that explicitly denies read access to the 'service_desk' group.
Why wrong: Wrong: No deny ACLs exist; they are only grant.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

The condition script does not have a default return false statement, so it returns undefined.

Option C is correct because in ServiceNow, ACL condition scripts that lack an explicit return statement will return undefined, which is a falsy value. When the condition script returns undefined, the ACL does not grant read access, effectively denying the user from seeing the record even though they meet the intended group and state criteria. This is a common pitfall where developers forget to add a default return true or return false at the end of the script.

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.

✗
The ACL is defined on a different table that extends 'incident'.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: ACLs on parent tables apply to child tables.
✗
The script uses gs.hasRole('service_desk') which checks role, not group membership.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: group membership check would be different but the scenario says the user is in group.
✓
The condition script does not have a default return false statement, so it returns undefined.
Why this is correct
Correct: A missing explicit false return causes undefined, which is falsy.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Another read ACL exists that explicitly denies read access to the 'service_desk' group.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: No deny ACLs exist; they are only grant.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates assume a condition script without a return statement will default to true or false, but ServiceNow treats undefined as false, causing the ACL to deny access unexpectedly.

Trap categories for this question

Scenario analysis trap
Wrong: group membership check would be different but the scenario says the user is in group.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

ServiceNow ACL condition scripts are evaluated in a sandboxed JavaScript environment, and if the script does not end with a return statement, the engine treats the result as undefined, which is coerced to false. This is different from a script that explicitly returns false, as undefined can cause unexpected behavior in complex conditions. In practice, always ensure condition scripts have a clear return true or return false at the end, and consider using gs.getUser().isMemberOf() for group checks instead of role checks to avoid confusion between roles and groups.

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.

Visual reference

Quick reference

Common DNS Record Types

Record	Purpose	Example
A	IPv4 address mapping	example.com → 93.184.216.34
AAAA	IPv6 address mapping	example.com → 2606:2800::1
CNAME	Alias to another hostname	www → example.com
MX	Mail server for domain	example.com → mail.example.com (priority 10)
TXT	Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification)	v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all
NS	Authoritative name servers	example.com NS ns1.example.com
PTR	Reverse DNS (IP → hostname)	34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa → example.com
SOA	Zone authority record	Primary NS, admin email, serial, TTL defaults

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SNOW-CSA question test?

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: The condition script does not have a default return false statement, so it returns undefined. — Option C is correct because in ServiceNow, ACL condition scripts that lack an explicit return statement will return undefined, which is a falsy value. When the condition script returns undefined, the ACL does not grant read access, effectively denying the user from seeing the record even though they meet the intended group and state criteria. This is a common pitfall where developers forget to add a default return true or return false at the end of the script.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

About these practice questions

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on SNOW-CSA

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 ACL on the Incident table has a script condition that returns true if the user is in the role 'incident_manager'. A user with the 'incident_manager' role still cannot update incidents. What could be the issue?

medium

A.The ACL is set to 'read' instead of 'write'.
B.The user also has a role that explicitly denies access.
✓ C.The script has a syntax error but is still returning false.
D.The ACL has a condition order that is not correct.

Why C: Option C is correct because if the script condition has a syntax error, it will not execute properly and will return false by default, even if the user has the 'incident_manager' role. In ServiceNow, ACL script conditions that fail due to syntax errors are treated as false, denying access. The user's role is irrelevant if the condition itself does not evaluate to true.

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Question Discussion

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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.