In which scenario would a user be unable to read articles in a knowledge base?

A user would be unable to read articles in a knowledge base if the knowledge base is set to private. In this scenario, the visibility of the knowledge base is restricted to certain users, and only those who have been granted explicit access permissions can view the articles within it.

While a user without any roles may have limitations in accessing various features across the ServiceNow platform, the key factor that restricts access to knowledge base articles is the privacy setting of the knowledge base itself. Even if a user has specific roles, if they are not granted permission for that private knowledge base, they would still be unable to read its content. This highlights the importance of permission settings in controlling access to sensitive or specific information stored within knowledge bases.

In contrast, users who belong to HR or those who are administrators typically have permissions that would allow them access to a broader range of information, including knowledge articles, depending on their roles.