CIS-VR · ● Active · Professional · ServiceNow
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | USD $420–450 |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Questions | 60 (multiple-choice, multiple-select, drag-and-drop, scenario-based) |
| Passing | 70% |
| Format | Multiple-choice, multiple-select, scenario-based, drag-and-drop |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE testing center or proctored online |
| Languages | English |
| Valid | 3 years |
| Renewal | Pass higher CIS exam or retake CIS-VR |
| Prerequisites | CSA (Certified System Administrator) + Vulnerability Response Implementation course |
| Released | 2022 |
| Retiring | N/A |
Vendor source — ServiceNow University CIS-VR ↗
Official exam blueprint — CIS-VR Mainline Exam Blueprint ↗
About
The CIS-VR certification validates the ability to design, implement, and maintain a ServiceNow Vulnerability Response instance. This professional-level credential confirms expertise in configuring vulnerability workflows, integrating with industry scanners (Qualys, Tenable, Rapid7), automating remediation tasks, and managing vulnerability data across the organization. Released in 2022, CIS-VR has become the standard credential for security operations teams standardizing on ServiceNow's vulnerability management module.
Domain context — Security/SecOps
Security Operations Center (SOC) and Security Engineering, encompassing vulnerability management, incident response, threat hunting, and security orchestration automation and response (SOAR).
Read full deep dive — Security Operations →
Topics covered
Based on the official exam blueprint, CIS-VR assesses proficiency across these areas:
- Vulnerability Response applications and modules within ServiceNow (20%)
- Getting data into Vulnerability Response — scanner integration and data ingestion (25%)
- Tools to manage Vulnerability Response — workspaces, rules, workflows (20%)
- Vulnerability classification, assignment, and workflow automation (15%)
- Remediation task management and patch-cycle integration (10%)
- Change Management integration and compliance reporting (10%)
Source: Official exam blueprint ↗
Common skills at Security/SecOps · Professional
Shared content for the Security/SecOps domain at Professional level — not specific to this cert.
- Vulnerability assessment and scanning workflows
- Security incident triage and escalation
- Threat intelligence integration
- Compliance reporting and audit trails
- Security policy implementation
- Cross-team communication and metrics
Recommended courses at Security/SecOps · Professional
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServiceNow University | Vulnerability Response Implementation (VRI) — instructor-led | $2,500–3,500 | ↗ |
| ServiceNow University | Vulnerability Response on-demand video path | Free | ↗ |
| Udemy | ServiceNow CIS Vulnerability Response (CIS-VR) | $15–$45 | ↗ |
| Learning Tree | ServiceNow Vulnerability Response Implementation Training | $1,995–$2,500 | ↗ |
| HKR Trainings | ServiceNow Vulnerability Response Training | $500–$1,200 | ↗ |
Course-selection rule: ServiceNow University's official on-demand path is free after completing the CSA prerequisite and Vulnerability Response Implementation course voucher. Third-party courses work best for exam prep and scenario walkthrough.
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExamTopics | CIS-VR Practice Test & Study Materials | Free | ↗ |
| ProcessExam | ServiceNow CIS-VR Sample Questions | Free | ↗ |
| SkillCertPro | ServiceNow CIS-VR Exam Questions | $25–50 | ↗ |
Books
No dedicated textbooks currently exist for CIS-VR. Preparation relies on official ServiceNow documentation, the exam blueprint, vendor scanner integration guides (Qualys, Tenable, Rapid7), and ITIL service management fundamentals. Recommended supplementary reading:
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITIL 4 Foundation | Axelos Limited | AXELOS | 2019 | 978-0-11310-236-3 | ↗ |
| Security Operations Center: Building, Operating, and Maintaining Your SOC | Andrew Hay | Packt Publishing | 2021 | 978-1-78829-809-9 | ↗ |
Typical job titles at Security/SecOps · Professional
ServiceNow Vulnerability Response Consultant · ServiceNow SecOps Engineer · Vulnerability Management Specialist · Security Operations Engineer — ServiceNow · SOC Analyst — ServiceNow Focus · Remediation Specialist
(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings that list this cert as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $160K–$239K (Security Engineer at ServiceNow ecosystem) | Levels.fyi ↗ · Glassdoor ↗ · Indeed ↗ |
| ZAR | R2.8M–R4.0M (estimated based on USD conversion at 18.5 ZAR/USD) | ServiceNow regional hiring data limited; cross-reference Security Engineer roles at global tech firms with ZA offices |
| GBP | £130K–£190K (estimated based on USD conversion at 0.78 GBP/USD) | IT Jobs Watch ↗ |
Salary rule: USD figures cite real ServiceNow-specific surveys. ZAR and GBP conversions use May 2026 exchange rates; regional market data for CIS-VR specialists is limited outside North America. Cross-reference with general Security Engineer + ServiceNow admin salary surveys for your region.
Skills validated
Cert-specific — what this exam actually tests, distinct from the shared "Common skills" above.
- ServiceNow Vulnerability Response module architecture and licensing
- Vulnerability scanner integration (Qualys, Tenable, Rapid7, others)
- CMDB (Configuration Management Database) integration for asset tracking
- Vulnerability severity calculation and risk scoring
- Workspaces and dashboards for vulnerability triage
- Classification rules and automated tagging
- Assignment rules and workflow routing
- Remediation task creation and SLA enforcement
- Change Management integration for patches and exceptions
- Reporting and compliance audit trails
- Exception management and risk acceptance workflows
- Vulnerability Response API usage
Related certifications
- Prerequisite: Certified System Administrator (CSA) ↗
- Stacks with: CIS-ITOM ↗ (IT Operations Manager), CIS-GRC ↗ (Governance, Risk, Compliance)
- Career progression: CIS-VR → CIS-ITS (IT Service Management) or lateral to CISSP ↗ or CCSK ↗
- Vendor overview: ServiceNow Vendor Deep Dive ↗
Sources
- ServiceNow University — CIS-VR Certification ↗
- CIS-VR Mainline Exam Blueprint ↗
- ServiceNow Vulnerability Response Implementation Syllabus ↗
- ServiceNow Security Operations Learning Path ↗
- ExamTopics CIS-VR Practice Test ↗
- Levels.fyi — ServiceNow Security Engineer Salary ↗
- Glassdoor — ServiceNow Security Engineer ↗
Last verified: 2026-05-01
Parent ecosystem: ServiceNow Ecosystem
Parent domain: Security/SecOps
Vendor overview: ServiceNow Vendor Overview