Free Splunk SPLK-2003 Exam Actual Questions & Explanations

Last updated on: Jun 17, 2026
Author: Luna Ricci (Splunk Security Operations Specialist)

The Splunk SOAR Certified Automation Developer (SPLK-2003) exam validates your ability to design, build, and maintain automation workflows within Splunk SOAR. This certification is ideal for security analysts, SOC engineers, and automation developers who want to demonstrate proficiency in orchestrating security responses and integrating SOAR with enterprise tools. This page provides a structured study roadmap, covers exam formats, and offers practical preparation guidance to help you pass with confidence.

SPLK-2003 Exam Syllabus & Core Topics

Use this topic map to guide your study for Splunk SPLK-2003 (Splunk SOAR Certified Automation Developer) within the Splunk SOAR Certified Automation Developer path.

  • Deployment, Installation, and Initial Configuration: Install and configure Splunk SOAR instances in production environments, manage licenses, and verify system readiness.
  • User Management: Create user accounts, assign roles and permissions, and enforce authentication policies across teams.
  • Apps, Assets, and Playbooks: Install and configure apps, define asset records for external systems, and understand how playbooks consume these resources.
  • Analyst Queue: Manage incoming events, route alerts to analysts, and configure queue filters and automation rules.
  • The Investigation Page: Navigate the investigation interface, add artifacts, link events, and track case progress.
  • Case Management and Workbooks: Create and manage cases, use workbooks for structured investigations, and document findings.
  • Customizations: Extend SOAR functionality through custom fields, views, and workflows tailored to your organization.
  • System Maintenance: Monitor system health, manage backups, apply updates, and troubleshoot common issues.
  • Introduction to Playbooks: Understand playbook architecture, execution models, and when to automate versus manual investigation.
  • Visual Playbook Editor: Use the drag-and-drop interface to build playbooks without coding, connect blocks, and test workflows.
  • Logic, Filters, and User Interaction: Implement conditional logic, filter data, and add user prompts for interactive automation.
  • Formatted Output and Data Access: Extract and format playbook results, pass data between blocks, and generate actionable reports.
  • Modular Playbook Development: Build reusable playbook components, use sub-playbooks, and manage dependencies across workflows.
  • Custom Lists and Data Routing: Create custom lists for lookup and enrichment, route decisions based on list membership.
  • Configuring External Splunk Search: Connect SOAR to Splunk Enterprise, execute searches, and ingest results into playbooks.
  • Integrating SOAR into Splunk: Trigger playbooks from Splunk alerts, send case updates back to Splunk, and maintain bidirectional workflows.
  • Custom Coding: Write Python code blocks within playbooks for advanced logic, data transformation, and custom integrations.
  • Using REST: Call external APIs via REST blocks, handle authentication, parse responses, and manage error scenarios.

Question Formats & What They Test

The SPLK-2003 exam combines multiple-choice items with scenario-based questions to measure both foundational knowledge and applied reasoning in real-world automation contexts.

  • Multiple Choice: Test core terminology, feature behavior, configuration best practices, and system architecture understanding.
  • Scenario-Based Items: Present realistic situations (e.g., designing a playbook to enrich alerts, troubleshooting a failed automation, integrating a new security tool) and ask you to select the best approach or identify the root cause.
  • Configuration Thinking: Evaluate your ability to navigate SOAR interfaces, configure assets and apps, and apply settings correctly in production contexts.

Questions progress in difficulty and emphasize practical application, ensuring candidates can not only recall concepts but also apply them to solve actual security automation challenges.

Preparation Guidance

An effective study plan maps topics to weekly goals, incorporates practice questions, and builds familiarity with both the visual editor and underlying automation concepts. Allocate time proportionally: playbook design and coding topics typically require more hands-on practice than configuration fundamentals.

  • Organize topics into weekly study blocks: start with Deployment and User Management (foundational), progress to Apps and Playbooks (core skills), then advance to Custom Coding and REST integration (advanced).
  • Complete practice question sets after each topic block; review explanations to identify weak areas and reinforce correct reasoning.
  • Build hands-on experience: create test playbooks in a lab environment, integrate a sample external system, and trace data flow across blocks.
  • Link concepts across workflows: understand how Analyst Queue feeds cases into investigations, how playbooks enrich data, and how results feed back into Splunk.
  • Run a timed mini-mock exam (30-40 questions) one week before the test to assess pacing, identify remaining gaps, and reduce test anxiety.

Explore other Splunk certifications: view all Splunk exams.

Get the PDF & Practice Test

Strengthen your preparation with up-to-date resources from validexamdumps.com. These materials align to SPLK-2003 and cover practical scenarios with clear explanations.

  • Q&A PDF with explanations: Topic-mapped questions that clarify why correct options are right and others aren't.
  • Practice Test: Realistic items, timed and untimed modes, progress tracking, and detailed review feedback.
  • Focused coverage: Aligned to Deployment, Installation, and Initial Configuration; User Management; Apps, Assets, and Playbooks; Analyst Queue; The Investigation Page; Case Management and Workbooks; Customizations; System Maintenance; Introduction to Playbooks; Visual Playbook Editor; Logic, Filters, and User Interaction; Formatted Output and Data Access; Modular Playbook Development; Custom Lists and Data Routing; Configuring External Splunk Search; Integrating SOAR into Splunk; Custom Coding; and Using REST so you study what matters most.
  • Regular reviews: Content refreshes that reflect syllabus and product changes.

Visit the exam page to download the PDF, Online Practice Test, or get a Bundle Discount offer for both formats: Splunk SOAR Certified Automation Developer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What topics carry the most weight on the SPLK-2003 exam?

Playbook design and development (Visual Playbook Editor, Logic and Filters, Custom Coding, and Using REST) typically account for 35-40% of exam content. Deployment, configuration, and integration topics (Apps and Assets, Configuring External Splunk Search, Integrating SOAR into Splunk) make up another 30-35%. The remaining 25-30% covers case management, user management, and system maintenance. Focus your study time proportionally, but ensure you have working knowledge across all domains.

How do playbook development and Splunk integration connect in real workflows?

In practice, Splunk alerts trigger playbooks in SOAR, which enrich events, make decisions, and execute response actions. Your playbooks may call Splunk searches via the Configuring External Splunk Search block to gather context, then send results back to Splunk for reporting. Understanding this bidirectional flow is critical: you need to know how to design playbooks that consume Splunk data and how to configure the integration so alerts flow smoothly from Splunk into SOAR cases.

How much hands-on experience do I need, and which labs should I prioritize?

Hands-on experience is valuable but not strictly required to pass. Prioritize labs in these areas: building a multi-block playbook with conditional logic, configuring an asset and using it in a playbook, integrating with an external REST API, and executing a Splunk search from within a playbook. If you have access to a SOAR instance, spend time in the Visual Playbook Editor and trace how data flows between blocks. Even simulated or sandbox environments help solidify your understanding.

What common mistakes lead to lost points on this exam?

Common pitfalls include confusing playbook execution models (synchronous vs. asynchronous), misunderstanding asset configuration and how apps depend on assets, and overlooking error handling in REST and custom code blocks. Candidates often underestimate the importance of user permissions and role-based access control in case management. Review explanations for practice questions carefully, and pay special attention to scenarios where multiple answers seem correct but one is more complete or production-ready.

What is an effective final-week review strategy?

In your final week, shift from learning new topics to reinforcing weak areas. Review your practice test results and spend 60% of study time on topics where you scored below 80%. Run a full-length timed mock exam to simulate test conditions and identify pacing issues. Spend the remaining time reviewing key definitions, playbook design patterns, and integration workflows. Avoid cramming new material; instead, focus on confidence and speed in areas you already understand.

Get All 110 Questions
Question No. 1

Where can the Splunk App for SOAR Export be downloaded from?

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Correct Answer: A

The Splunk App for SOAR Export can be downloaded from both GitHub and Splunkbase.Splunkbase is the official source for Splunk apps, where users can find, try, and download apps that enhance and extend the capabilities of Splunk, including the Splunk App for SOAR Export1. GitHub is also a common platform for sharing and collaborating on code, including Splunk apps and integrations. It is important to ensure that you are downloading from the official repository or author to avoid any security risks.


Splunkbase, the official source for downloading the Splunk App for SOAR Export

Question No. 2

Which two playbook blocks can discern which path in the playbook to take next?

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Correct Answer: A

https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/SOAR/current/Playbook/DecisionBlock

In Splunk SOAR playbooks, the blocks that can discern which path to take next are the prompt and decision blocks. The prompt block allows the playbook to pause and wait for user input, which can then determine the subsequent path of execution based on the response provided. The decision block evaluates conditions based on data within the playbook and directs the flow to different paths accordingly11.

The decision block is used to change the flow of artifacts by performing IF, ELSE IF, or ELSE functions. When an artifact meets a True condition, it is passed downstream to the corresponding block in the playbook flow11. The prompt block, on the other hand, interacts with users to make decisions during playbook execution, which can also influence the direction of the playbook's flow.


Splunk SOAR documentation on using decisions to send artifacts to a specific downstream action in your playbook

Question No. 3

What users are included in a new installation of SOAR?

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Correct Answer: A

The admin and automation users are included by default. Comprehensive Explanation and Reference of Correct Answer: According to the Splunk SOAR (On-premises) default credentials, script

Web Interface Username: soar_local_admin password: password

On Splunk SOAR (On-premises) deployments which have been upgraded from earlier releases the user account admin becomes a normal user account with the Administrator role.

The automation user is a special user account that is used by Splunk SOAR (On-premises) to run actions and playbooks. It has the Automation role, which grants it full access to all objects and data in Splunk SOAR (On-premises).

The other options are incorrect because they either omit the automation user or include users that are not created by default. For example, option B includes the power and user users, which are not part of the default installation. Option C only includes the admin user, which ignores the automation user. Option D claims that no users are included by default, which is false.

In a new installation of Splunk SOAR, two default user accounts are typically created: admin and automation. The admin account is intended for system administration tasks, providing full access to all features and settings within the SOAR platform. The automation user is a special account used for automated processes and scripts that interact with the SOAR platform, often without requiring direct human intervention. This user has specific permissions that can be tailored for automated tasks. Options B, C, and D do not accurately represent the default user accounts included in a new SOAR installation, making option A the correct answer.


Question No. 4

Some of the playbooks on the Phantom server should only be executed by members of the admin role. How can this rule be applied?

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Correct Answer: C

The correct answer is C because the best way to restrict the execution of playbooks to members of the admin role is to make sure the Execute Playbook capability is removed from all roles except admin. The Execute Playbook capability is a permission that allows a user to run any playbook on any container. By default, all roles have this capability, but it can be removed or added in the Phantom UI by going to Administration > User Management > Roles. Removing this capability from all roles except admin will ensure that only admin users can execute playbooks. SeeSplunk SOAR Documentationfor more details. To ensure that only members of the admin role can execute specific playbooks on the Phantom server, the most effective approach is to manage role-based access controls (RBAC) directly. By configuring the system to remove the 'Execute Playbook' capability from all roles except for the admin role, you can enforce this rule. This method leverages Phantom's built-in RBAC mechanisms to restrict playbook execution privileges. It is a straightforward and secure way to ensure that only users with the necessary administrative privileges can initiate the execution of sensitive or critical playbooks, thus maintaining operational security and control.


Question No. 5

Which of the following applies to filter blocks?

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Correct Answer: C

The correct answer is C because filter blocks can be used to select data for use by other blocks. Filter blocks can filter data from the container, artifacts, or custom lists based on various criteria, such as field name, value, operator, etc. Filter blocks can also join data from multiple sources using thejoinaction. The output of the filter block can be used as input for other blocks, such as decision, format, prompt, etc. SeeSplunk SOAR Documentationfor more details.

Filter blocks within Splunk SOAR playbooks are designed to sift through data and select specific pieces of information based on defined criteria. These blocks are crucial for narrowing down the data that subsequent blocks in a playbook will act upon. By applying filters, a playbook can focus on relevant data, thereby enhancing efficiency and ensuring that actions are taken based on precise, contextually relevant information. This capability is essential for tailoring the playbook's actions to the specific needs of the incident or workflow, enabling more targeted and effective automation strategies. Filters do not directly select blocks for container data access, choose assets by various administrative criteria, or select containers by attributes like severity or status; their primary function is to refine data within the playbook's operational context.


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