- A
The incidents have a state of 'Closed' and are no longer active
If incidents are closed, they are not active, so the condition fails. The condition should exclude closed states.
- B
The SLA definition is not set to active
Why wrong: The definition itself must be active; if it were inactive, no incidents would trigger the SLA.
- C
The SLA condition needs to also check that the incident state is not 'Closed'
Why wrong: This could be a cause, but the question states the condition is 'Active = true' which might be sufficient if incidents are active. However, if incidents become closed, the condition fails. This is a likely cause but not the only one.
- D
The incidents are assigned to a group that does not have the SLA
Why wrong: SLA conditions are not group-dependent.
SNOW-CSA Reporting, SLA and Imports Practice Question
This SNOW-CSA practice question tests your understanding of reporting, sla and imports. 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.
An SLA is defined with a condition 'Active = true' but some incidents that are active are not triggering the SLA. 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.
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The incidents have a state of 'Closed' and are no longer active
The SLA definition includes a condition 'Active = true', but if an incident's state is 'Closed', it is no longer considered active in the system. SLAs in ServiceNow are triggered only when all conditions in the SLA definition are met, and the 'Active = true' condition requires the incident to be in an active state (typically states like New, In Progress, On Hold). A closed incident has its 'Active' field set to false, so it will not trigger the SLA, even if it was previously active.
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 incidents have a state of 'Closed' and are no longer active
Why this is correct
If incidents are closed, they are not active, so the condition fails. The condition should exclude closed states.
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.
- ✗
The SLA definition is not set to active
Why it's wrong here
The definition itself must be active; if it were inactive, no incidents would trigger the SLA.
- ✗
The SLA condition needs to also check that the incident state is not 'Closed'
Why it's wrong here
This could be a cause, but the question states the condition is 'Active = true' which might be sufficient if incidents are active. However, if incidents become closed, the condition fails. This is a likely cause but not the only one.
- ✗
The incidents are assigned to a group that does not have the SLA
Why it's wrong here
SLA conditions are not group-dependent.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think the SLA definition itself needs to be active (Option B) or that an explicit state check is required (Option C), when in fact the 'Active = true' condition already handles the exclusion of closed incidents, and the issue is that the incidents are no longer active due to their state.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ServiceNow, the 'Active' field on a task record (like an incident) is a boolean that is automatically set to false when the state transitions to 'Closed' or 'Cancelled' (via business rules or workflow). The SLA condition 'Active = true' is evaluated against the current state of the record at the time of creation or update; if the incident is closed, the condition fails, and no SLA is started. This is a common pitfall when SLAs are expected to apply retroactively or when records are imported with a closed state.
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 practitioner preparing for the SNOW-CSA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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.
- →
Reporting, SLA and Imports — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SNOW-CSA question test?
Reporting, SLA and Imports — This question tests Reporting, SLA and Imports — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The incidents have a state of 'Closed' and are no longer active — The SLA definition includes a condition 'Active = true', but if an incident's state is 'Closed', it is no longer considered active in the system. SLAs in ServiceNow are triggered only when all conditions in the SLA definition are met, and the 'Active = true' condition requires the incident to be in an active state (typically states like New, In Progress, On Hold). A closed incident has its 'Active' field set to false, so it will not trigger the SLA, even if it was previously active.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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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