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 Security Test Engineer
The ISTQB® Certified Tester Security Test Engineer (CT-STE) certification equips testing professionals with the engineering-focused skills to plan, perform, and evaluate security tests across the software development lifecycle. It covers security methodologies, standards, techniques, processes, and tools, enabling you to identify vulnerabilities and protect systems against evolving cyber threats. This certification is for anyone involved in testing IT-based systems for security, from testers and analysts to developers and managers.
Exam formatMultiple Choice
Duration75 minutes
DeliveryISTQB Member Boards
Passing score28 out of 43 points
Free questions1355
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Certified Tester Security Test Engineer 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.
9domains
49objectives
331concepts
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 Security Test Engineer (CT-STE) certification focuses on how security testing should be done, presenting security methodologies, standards, techniques, processes, and tools. As cyberattacks grow in frequency and sophistication, a robust engineering-focused approach to testing security is more critical than ever. Without security testing aligned to an IT system's specific risk levels, vulnerabilities may be exploited—potentially during production—with devastating consequences.
The CT-STE certification aims to bridge this gap, ensuring professionals can proactively create maximum transparency about effective security risk exposure to secure systems against emerging threats. It provides a comprehensive understanding of security paradigms, test techniques, standards, and best practices, and how to apply them within different organizational contexts and software development lifecycles.
Who it’s for
The Certified Tester Security Test Engineer is aimed at anyone involved in testing IT-based systems for security. This includes people in roles such as testers, test analysts, test managers, and even software developers, as everyone in a team should care about security. This certification is also appropriate for anyone who wants a basic understanding of executing security testing activities, such as project managers, quality managers, software development managers, business analysts, operations team members, IT directors, and management consultants.
Recommended experience
While not mandatory, ISTQB recommends attending accredited training to ensure materials are assessed for relevance and consistency against the syllabus. Self-study using the syllabus and recommended reading is also an option. A foundational understanding of software testing concepts, typically gained through the ISTQB Foundation Level certification.; Familiarity with basic security concepts and the software development lifecycle.
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
Security Paradigms
- Assets and Their Corresponding Protection Level
- Information Sensitivity and Security Testing
- Security Audits and Security Testing
- What is Zero Trust?
- Zero Trust concept in Security Testing
- The concept of OSS and its impacts on security testing
Security Test Techniques
- Black-Box, White-Box and Grey-Box Security Testing
- Static and Dynamic Security Testing
- Addressing Security Risks in Test Design
- Recertification testing and reconciliation testing
- Testing Identification, Authentication and Authorization
- Encryption
- Testing protective technologies
The Security Test Process
- ISTQB Security Test Process
- The Security Test Environment
- Security Test Design at Component Test Level
- Security Test Design at Component Integration Level
- System Testing and Acceptance Testing
Standards and Best Practices
- Standards
- Industry Standards for Security Testing
- Mandatory Application
- Voluntary Application
- Test Oracles Extracted from Standards and Best Practices
- Pros and Cons of Leveraging Standards and Best Practices
Adjusting To the Organizational Context
- The Impact of Organizational Structures in the Context of Security Testing
- The impact of regulations on security regulations
- Common Attack Scenarios
- Common Approach of a Hacker
- Incident response and post incident analysis
Adjusting to Software Development Lifecycle Models
- Sequential Development Models
- Agile Development Lifecycle Models
- The DevOps Approach
- Security Regression Testing and Confirmation Testing
Security Testing as Part of an Information Security Management System
- Acceptance Criteria for Security Testing
- Input for an Information Security Management System (ISMS)
- Improving Holistic View of an ISMS
- Improving Measurability Within an ISMS
Reporting Test Results
- Security Test Reporting
- Identifying and Analyzing Vulnerabilities
- Hide Vulnerability
- Avoid Vulnerability
Security Test Tools
- White-box Security Test Tools
- Black-box Security Test Tools
- Grey-box Security Test Tools
- Static Security Test Tools
- Dynamic Security Test Tools
- Considerations for Selecting Tools
- Understand the Usage and Concepts of Static Security Test Tools
- Understand the Usage and Concepts of Dynamic Test Tools
On the day
The exam itself
Everything ISTQB publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Must hold the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certification.
CertificationCertified Tester Security Test Engineer
Exam formatMultiple Choice
Duration75 minutes
Questions40 questions
Passing score28 out of 43 points
DeliveryISTQB Member Boards
LanguagesEnglish, Non-Native Language (with +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 Security Test Engineer
PrerequisiteMust hold the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certification.
Credential earnedCertified Tester Security Test Engineer 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
What is the difference between the CT-STE and the CT-SEC (Security Tester) certification?
The CT-STE certification focuses on an engineering-focused approach to security testing, covering methodologies, standards, techniques, processes, and tools. The CT-SEC certification focuses on planning, performing, and evaluating security tests from multiple perspectives including risk, requirements, vulnerability, and human factors.
Is the CTFL certification required before taking the CT-STE exam?
Yes, the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certification is a prerequisite for all non-Foundation exams, including the CT-STE.
Can I take the CT-STE exam through remote proctoring?
Yes, ISTQB exams are available both at test centres and through remote proctoring, depending on the Member Board and exam provider.
What job roles does the CT-STE certification map to?
The CT-STE certification is aimed at anyone involved in testing IT-based systems for security, including testers, test analysts, test managers, software developers, project managers, quality managers, and IT directors.
Can I proceed to other ISTQB certifications after earning the CT-STE?
Yes, holders of this certification may choose to proceed to other Core, Agile, or Specialist stream certifications.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 1355 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.
9domains
49objectives
331concepts
289free 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
1Security Paradigms163 questions
Assets and Their Corresponding Protection Level5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Information Sensitivity and Security Testing3 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Security Audits and Security Testing9 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →What is Zero Trust?5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Zero Trust concept in Security Testing6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →The concept of OSS and its impacts on security testing6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
2Security Test Techniques206 questions
Black-Box, White-Box and Grey-Box Security Testing6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Static and Dynamic Security Testing8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Addressing Security Risks in Test Design10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Recertification testing and reconciliation testing10 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →Testing Identification, Authentication and Authorization7 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Encryption10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Testing protective technologies10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →
3The Security Test Process163 questions
ISTQB Security Test Process6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →The Security Test Environment8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Security Test Design at Component Test Level8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Security Test Design at Component Integration Level8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →System Testing and Acceptance Testing10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →
4Standards and Best Practices140 questions
Standards7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Industry Standards for Security Testing4 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Mandatory Application5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Voluntary Application5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Test Oracles Extracted from Standards and Best Practices6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Pros and Cons of Leveraging Standards and Best Practices6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
5Adjusting To the Organizational Context138 questions
The Impact of Organizational Structures in the Context of Security Testing4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →The impact of regulations on security regulations7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Common Attack Scenarios6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Common Approach of a Hacker7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Incident response and post incident analysis6 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →
6Adjusting to Software Development Lifecycle Models125 questions
7Security Testing as Part of an Information Security Management System112 questions
8Reporting Test Results104 questions
9Security Test Tools204 questions
White-box Security Test Tools6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Black-box Security Test Tools8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Grey-box Security Test Tools5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Static Security Test Tools6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Dynamic Security Test Tools6 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Considerations for Selecting Tools6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Understand the Usage and Concepts of Static Security Test Tools7 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Understand the Usage and Concepts of Dynamic Test Tools8 concepts · 6 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.
Assets and Their Corresponding Protection Level5 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
1355 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.
1355questions
289pages
49objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Security Paradigms163 questions
2Security Test Techniques206 questions
3The Security Test Process163 questions
4Standards and Best Practices140 questions
5Adjusting To the Organizational Context138 questions
6Adjusting to Software Development Lifecycle Models125 questions
7Security Testing as Part of an Information Security Management System112 questions
8Reporting Test Results104 questions
9Security Test Tools204 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.
331concepts
1355free 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
331concepts 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 — 49 objectives, 331 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When ISTQB changes the outline, this page changes with it.
49objectives on the outline→331concepts written→1355free 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.