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 Model-Based Testing
The ISTQB® Certified Tester Model-Based Testing (CT-MBT) certification validates your ability to apply model-based testing techniques to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the test process. It extends classic test design methods with an innovative, model-driven approach. This certification is for testers, analysts, managers, and developers who want to create and maintain MBT models, generate test artifacts, and integrate MBT into their organization's quality assurance process.
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration60 minutes
DeliveryISTQB Member Boards
Passing score26 out of 40
Free questions740
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Certified Tester Model-Based Testing 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.
5domains
29objectives
169concepts
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 Model-Based Testing (CT-MBT) certification focuses on an advanced test approach that uses models to support the test process. It extends and supports classic test design techniques such as equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, decision table testing, state transition testing, and use case testing. By leveraging models, testers can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their testing efforts, making this an innovative approach for modern software delivery.
This certification equips you with the skills to collaborate in a model-based testing team using standard terminology and established MBT concepts, processes, and techniques. You will learn to apply and integrate MBT into a test process, effectively create and maintain MBT models, and select, create, and maintain test artifacts from those models, considering the risk and value of the features tested. Ultimately, you will be able to support your organization in improving its quality assurance process to be more constructive and efficient.
Who it’s for
The Model-Based Testing certification is aimed at testers, test analysts, technical test analysts, test managers, system and software developers, and architects. It is also beneficial for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of software testing and of the use of models for test generation, such as project managers, quality managers, product managers, business analysts, and business process experts. This certification is designed for professionals who are involved in the test process and want to adopt a more systematic, model-driven approach to testing. It is particularly valuable for those who need to improve test coverage, manage test complexity, and align testing with business requirements.
Recommended experience
While not mandatory, ISTQB recommends that candidates have a solid understanding of software testing fundamentals and practical experience in test design and execution. The CT-MBT certification builds on the concepts covered in the Foundation Level. Familiarity with basic test design techniques such as equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, and state transition testing; Experience in creating and executing test cases in a structured testing environment; Understanding of the fundamental test process and software development lifecycles; Basic knowledge of modeling concepts and notations is helpful but not required
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 to Model-Based Testing
- Main Motivations for MBT
- Misleading Expectations and Pitfalls of MBT
- MBT Specific Activities
- Essential MBT Work Products (Inputs and Outputs)
- MBT in Sequential and Iterative Software Development Lifecycles
- Supporting Requirements Engineering
MBT Modeling
- MBT Modeling Activities
- Focus of MBT Models
- MBT Models Depend on Test Objectives
- Main Categories of Modeling Languages for MBT
- Quality Characteristics for MBT Models
- Linking Requirements and Process Related Information to the MBT Model
- Modeling Guidelines for MBT
- Iterative Model Development, Review and Validation
Selection Criteria for Test Case Generation
- Test Selection Criteria
- Test Case Selection in Practice
- Examples of Test Selection Criteria
- Degree of Automation in Test Generation
- Pros and Cons of Specific Test Selection Criteria
- Good Practices of MBT Test Selection
MBT Test Implementation and Execution
- High-level and Low-level Test Cases in the MBT Context
- Different Kinds of Test Execution
- The Impact of Changes on the MBT Work Products
- Activities of Test Adaptation in MBT
Evaluating and Deploying an MBT Approach
- ROI Factors for MBT Introduction
- Metrics and Key Performance Indicator
- Good Practices when Deploying MBT
- Cost Factors of MBT
- Integration of the MBT Tool
On the day
The exam itself
Everything ISTQB publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Hold the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate.
CertificationCertified Tester Model-Based Testing
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 Model-Based Testing
PrerequisiteHold the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate.
Credential earnedCertified Tester Model-Based Testing Certification Renewal and maintenance
ISTQB certifications do not require renewal except for Expert Level. The CT-MBT certification does not require renewal. 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-MBT relate to the Foundation Level certification?
CT-MBT is a Specialist-level certification that builds on the Foundation Level. You must hold the CTFL certificate to earn the CT-MBT credential. The CT-MBT syllabus extends the fundamental test design techniques covered in CTFL with a model-based approach.
Is there a hands-on or lab component in the CT-MBT exam?
No. The CT-MBT exam is a multiple-choice exam with 40 questions. There is no hands-on or lab component. However, the syllabus includes practical exercises and examples that you can work through to prepare.
What is the retake policy if I fail the CT-MBT exam?
ISTQB exam retake policies are set by each Member Board or Exam Provider. Generally, you must wait a specified period before retaking the exam, and there may be limits on the number of attempts. Contact your local ISTQB Member Board or Exam Provider for specific rules.
Can I take the CT-MBT exam online or only at a test center?
ISTQB exams are delivered by Member Boards and can be taken at test centers or remotely proctored, depending on the provider. Check with your local Member Board or Exam Provider for available options in your region.
What job roles does the CT-MBT certification map to?
The CT-MBT certification is relevant for testers, test analysts, technical test analysts, test managers, system and software developers, and architects. It is also beneficial for project managers, quality managers, product managers, business analysts, and business process experts who want a deeper understanding of model-based testing.
Are there any regional differences in exam delivery or pricing?
Yes. ISTQB exams are administered by Member Boards in different countries, and pricing, delivery options, and language availability may vary by region. Contact your local Member Board for specific details.
Can I recertify by passing a different ISTQB exam?
ISTQB certifications do not require renewal, so there is no recertification process. However, you can pursue other certifications in the Core, Agile, or Specialist streams to expand your skills and credentials.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 740 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.
5domains
29objectives
169concepts
159free 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
1Introduction to Model-Based Testing159 questions
Main Motivations for MBT5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Misleading Expectations and Pitfalls of MBT6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →MBT Specific Activities4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Essential MBT Work Products (Inputs and Outputs)4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →MBT in Sequential and Iterative Software Development Lifecycles8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Supporting Requirements Engineering5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
2MBT Modeling201 questions
MBT Modeling Activities4 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Focus of MBT Models6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →MBT Models Depend on Test Objectives5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Main Categories of Modeling Languages for MBT3 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Quality Characteristics for MBT Models3 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Linking Requirements and Process Related Information to the MBT Model5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Modeling Guidelines for MBT9 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Iterative Model Development, Review and Validation6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
3Selection Criteria for Test Case Generation138 questions
Test Selection Criteria4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Test Case Selection in Practice6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Examples of Test Selection Criteria7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Degree of Automation in Test Generation6 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Pros and Cons of Specific Test Selection Criteria4 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Good Practices of MBT Test Selection10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →
4MBT Test Implementation and Execution116 questions
5Evaluating and Deploying an MBT Approach126 questions
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.
Main Motivations for MBT5 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
25 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
740 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.
740questions
159pages
29objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Introduction to Model-Based Testing159 questions
2MBT Modeling201 questions
3Selection Criteria for Test Case Generation138 questions
4MBT Test Implementation and Execution116 questions
5Evaluating and Deploying an MBT Approach126 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.
169concepts
740free 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
169concepts 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 — 29 objectives, 169 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When ISTQB changes the outline, this page changes with it.
29objectives on the outline→169concepts written→740free 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.