Platform Overview and Navigation
ServiceNow's architecture separates the instance (a single tenant with its own database) from the applications built on the Now Platform. Candidates should be fluent in the user interface layers: the Application Navigator (left pane, filter-based navigation), the list and form views that make up most record work, breadcrumbs, context menus (right-click or the form header), and the user menu where impersonation, preferences, and session options live. Understand the difference between the classic UI and workspace/agent workspace experiences, and know that impersonation requires the impersonator role and is logged.
Key vocabulary: records, tables, fields, sys_id (a 32-character GUID), scope (application namespacing), update sets (how customizations move between instances), and domain separation (data partitioning). Know the difference between a global application and a scoped application - scoped apps are protected and cannot casually cross into other scopes.
Traps to watch for: confusing impersonation with delegation; assuming the Application Navigator can be edited without the right roles; and mixing up update sets (configuration) with data (which does not travel in update sets). Another common trap is the claim that all users can see all modules - visibility is governed by roles and menu configuration.
Rule of thumb: if a question asks how configuration moves between instances, the answer is almost always an update set (or a scoped app repository), never a data export. If it asks how a user sees another user's view, the answer is impersonation, not delegation.