You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
ISTQBCertified Tester Automotive Software Tester
The ISTQB® Certified Tester Automotive Software Tester (CT-AuT) certification validates your ability to test E/E systems in the automotive domain, applying established standards like Automotive SPICE®, ISO 26262, and AUTOSAR®. It covers testing in virtual environments (XiL) and automotive-specific static and dynamic test techniques. This certification is for testers and developers working on automotive software who need to ensure safety, reliability, and compliance in increasingly complex vehicle systems.
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration60 minutes
DeliveryISTQB Member Boards
Passing score26 out of 40
Free questions606
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Certified Tester Automotive Software Tester proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
4domains
25objectives
156concepts
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The ISTQB® Certified Tester Automotive Software Tester (CT-AuT) certification focuses on the specific requirements for testing E/E systems in the automotive environment. It is built on established standards such as Automotive SPICE®, ISO 26262, and AUTOSAR®, and extends the foundational knowledge of the ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL®) to the unique challenges of automotive software.
The certification covers testing in virtual environments, including XiL (Hardware-in-the-Loop, Software-in-the-Loop, Model-in-the-Loop), and automotive-specific static and dynamic test techniques. It prepares professionals to collaborate effectively in test teams, adapt test techniques to automotive project requirements, and apply virtual test methods to ensure the quality and safety of automotive systems.
Who it’s for
The Automotive Software Tester certification is aimed at anyone involved in software testing in the automotive area, including testers, test analysts, test engineers, test consultants, test managers, release testers, and software developers. It may also be useful to people in roles such as project manager, quality manager, software development manager, system analyst, IT manager, or management consultant who wish to acquire a basic understanding of software testing in the automotive area.
Recommended experience
While there is no formal experience requirement beyond holding the CTFL certificate, a background in software testing and familiarity with automotive systems is beneficial. Understanding of fundamental software testing concepts as covered in the ISTQB® CTFL certification; Basic knowledge of automotive E/E systems and the software development lifecycle in the automotive domain; Familiarity with standards such as Automotive SPICE®, ISO 26262, and AUTOSAR® is helpful but not mandatory
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective ISTQB measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official ISTQB exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Introduction
- Project aspects influenced by standards
- The six generic phases in the system lifecycle
- The contribution/participation of the tester in the release process
Standards for the testing of E/E systems
- Automotive SPICE (ASPICE)
- Requirements of the standard
- ISO 26262
- Functional safety and safety culture
- Integration of the tester in the safety lifecycle
- The influence of criticality on the extent of the test
- AUTOSAR
- Objectives of ASPICE and ISO 26262
- Comparison of the test levels
Testing in a virtual environment
- Test environment in general
- Differences between Closed-Loop and Open-Loop
- Testing in XiL test environments
- Model in the Loop (MiL)
- Software in the Loop (SiL)
- Hardware in the Loop (HiL)
- Comparison of the XiL test environments
Automotive-specific static and dynamic test techniques
- The MISRA-C: 2012 Guidelines
- Quality characteristics for reviews of requirements
- Back-to-Back-Testing
- Fault injection testing
- Requirements-based testing
- Context-dependent selection of test techniques
On the day
The exam itself
Everything ISTQB publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Must hold the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate.
CertificationCertified Tester Automotive Software Tester
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration60 minutes
Questions40 questions
Passing score26 out of 40
DeliveryISTQB Member Boards
LanguagesEnglish, Non-native language support available (+25% time)
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path ISTQB lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to Certified Tester Automotive Software Tester
PrerequisiteMust hold the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate.
Credential earnedCertified Tester Automotive Software Tester Certification Renewal and maintenance
ISTQB certifications do not require renewal except for Expert Level. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. ISTQB maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by ISTQB
Exam registration
Register for the exam through ISTQB Member Boards, ISTQB’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official ISTQB certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does CT-AuT relate to the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL)?
CT-AuT is a Specialist-level certification that builds on the CTFL. You must hold the CTFL certificate to be eligible for the CT-AuT exam. The CT-AuT syllabus adapts CTFL test techniques to the automotive context.
Is there a hands-on or lab component in the CT-AuT exam?
The CT-AuT exam is a multiple-choice exam with 40 questions. There is no hands-on or lab component. However, the syllabus covers practical application of virtual test environments (XiL) and test techniques.
What is the retake policy if I fail the CT-AuT exam?
The retake policy is defined by the ISTQB Exam Structures and Rules. Typically, candidates must wait a specified period before retaking an exam. Refer to the official ISTQB Exam Structures and Rules document for details.
Can I take the CT-AuT exam online or only at a test center?
ISTQB exams are delivered by ISTQB Member Boards, and testing options include both test centre and remote proctored formats. Availability may vary by region and exam provider.
What job roles does the CT-AuT certification map to?
The CT-AuT certification is relevant for testers, test analysts, test engineers, test consultants, test managers, release testers, and software developers working in the automotive industry. It is also useful for project managers, quality managers, and IT managers seeking a basic understanding of automotive software testing.
Are there any regional differences in how the CT-AuT exam is delivered?
ISTQB exams are administered by local Member Boards, so delivery options, pricing, and language availability may vary by country or region. Contact your local ISTQB Member Board for specific information.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 606 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept ISTQB measures — each one written out.
4domains
25objectives
156concepts
130free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official ISTQB exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Introduction50 questions
2Standards for the testing of E/E systems267 questions
Automotive SPICE (ASPICE)10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Requirements of the standard7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →ISO 2626212 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Functional safety and safety culture8 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Integration of the tester in the safety lifecycle8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →The influence of criticality on the extent of the test5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →AUTOSAR7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Objectives of ASPICE and ISO 262627 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Comparison of the test levels9 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →
3Testing in a virtual environment166 questions
Test environment in general5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Differences between Closed-Loop and Open-Loop7 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Testing in XiL test environments6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Model in the Loop (MiL)5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Software in the Loop (SiL)6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Hardware in the Loop (HiL)10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Comparison of the XiL test environments4 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →
4Automotive-specific static and dynamic test techniques123 questions
The MISRA-C: 2012 Guidelines9 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Quality characteristics for reviews of requirements2 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Back-to-Back-Testing5 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Fault injection testing6 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Requirements-based testing6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Context-dependent selection of test techniques3 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Project aspects influenced by standards5 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
22 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
606 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
606questions
130pages
25objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Introduction50 questions
2Standards for the testing of E/E systems267 questions
3Testing in a virtual environment166 questions
4Automotive-specific static and dynamic test techniques123 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
156concepts
606free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from ISTQB
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
2official links
156concepts mapped
The source
ISTQB’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official ISTQB outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 25 objectives, 156 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When ISTQB changes the outline, this page changes with it.
25objectives on the outline→156concepts written→606free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.