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 Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst
The ISTQB® Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst certification equips experienced testers with the technical skills that underpin modern software quality: risk-based testing, white-box techniques, static and dynamic analysis, non-functional testing, and test automation. It is designed for professionals who analyze, consult, and develop tests in technically demanding environments. Earning it demonstrates your ability to mitigate technical risks and drive quality from code to production.
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration120 minutes
DeliveryISTQB Member Boards
Passing score51 out of 78
Free questions966
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Certified Tester Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst 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.
6domains
40objectives
246concepts
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® Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst (CTAL-TTA) certification provides a thorough introduction to the technical testing skills that are fundamental in many organizations today. It covers risk-based testing, white-box test techniques, static and dynamic analysis, non-functional testing, and test automation, giving you the knowledge to address the technical challenges that arise throughout the software development lifecycle.
This certification is part of the ISTQB® Certified Tester scheme, building on the Foundation Level to deepen your expertise in the technical aspects of testing. By earning CTAL-TTA, you demonstrate your ability to identify and mitigate technical risks, apply appropriate white-box techniques, and contribute effectively to reviews and test automation initiatives, making you a valuable asset to any development team.
Who it’s for
The Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst certification is suitable for anyone involved in testing who wishes to further develop their software testing knowledge. This includes professionals performing activities such as test analysis, test consulting, and software development. It is particularly relevant for testers, test analysts, test engineers, and software developers who want to specialize in the technical aspects of testing, including white-box techniques, non-functional testing, and test automation.
Recommended experience
Sufficient practical experience in software testing is recommended, as determined by the ISTQB® Member Board or Exam Provider. Experience in test analysis, test consulting, or software development; Familiarity with risk-based testing concepts; Basic understanding of white-box test techniques and static/dynamic analysis; Exposure to non-functional testing and test automation
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
Domain 1: The Technical Test Analyst's Tasks in Risk-Based Testing
- Introduction
- Risk Identification
- Risk Assessment
- Risk Mitigation
Domain 2: White-Box Test Techniques
- Introduction
- Statement Testing
- Decision Testing
- Modified Condition/Decision Testing
- Multiple Condition Testing
- Basis Path Testing
- API Testing
- Non-Safety-Related Systems
- Safety-related systems
Domain 3: Static and Dynamic Analysis
- Introduction
- Control Flow Analysis
- Data Flow Analysis
- Using Static Analysis for Improving Maintainability
- Overview
- Detecting Memory Leaks
- Detecting Wild Pointers
- Analysis of Performance Efficiency
Domain 4: Quality Characteristics for Technical Testing
- Security Testing
- Reliability Testing
- Performance Testing
- Maintainability Testing
- Portability Testing
- Coexistence and Operational Profiles
- Domain 4: Quality Characteristics for Technical Testing — additional tasks
Domain 5: Reviews
- Technical Test Analyst Tasks in Reviews
- Architectural Reviews
- Code Reviews
Domain 6: Test Tools and Automation
- Selecting the Automation Approach
- Modeling Business Processes for Automation
- Fault Seeding Tools
- Fault Injection Tools
- Performance Testing Tools
- Tools for Testing Websites
- Tools to Support Model-Based Testing
- Component Testing and Build Tools
- Tools to Support Mobile Application Testing
On the day
The exam itself
Everything ISTQB publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Hold the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate
CertificationCertified Tester Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration120 minutes
Questions45 questions
Passing score51 out of 78
DeliveryISTQB Member Boards
LanguagesEnglish, Non-native language support (+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 Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst
PrerequisiteHold the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate
Credential earnedCertified Tester Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst 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 CTAL-TTA relate to the retired CTAL-TA (Test Analyst) certification?
CTAL-TTA is a distinct Advanced Level certification focusing on technical testing skills, while CTAL-TA focuses on functional testing. Both are part of the Core Advanced stream, and holders of one may pursue the other.
Is the CTFL certification a mandatory prerequisite for CTAL-TTA?
Yes, candidates must hold the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate to be eligible for the CTAL-TTA exam.
Can I take the CTAL-TTA exam without attending accredited training?
Yes, self-study using the official syllabus and recommended reading material is an option for preparing for the exam, though accredited training is highly recommended.
What is the retake policy for the CTAL-TTA exam?
The retake policy is defined by the ISTQB Exam Structures and Rules. Candidates should consult the official document or their exam provider for specific waiting periods and attempt limits.
Are there any hands-on or lab components in the CTAL-TTA exam?
No, the CTAL-TTA exam is a multiple-choice exam with 45 questions. There are no hands-on or lab components.
What job roles does the CTAL-TTA certification map to?
The certification is suitable for professionals involved in test analysis, test consulting, and software development, including testers, test analysts, test engineers, and software developers.
Can I proceed to other ISTQB certifications after earning CTAL-TTA?
Yes, holders of this certification may choose to proceed to other Core, Agile, or Specialist stream certifications, such as Test Management, Test Automation Engineering, or Expert Level certifications.
Is the CTAL-TTA exam available in languages other than English?
Yes, the exam is available in multiple languages, and non-native language speakers receive an additional 25% exam time. Specific language availability varies by Member Board.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 966 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.
6domains
40objectives
246concepts
210free 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
1Domain 1: The Technical Test Analyst's Tasks in Risk-Based Testing119 questions
2Domain 2: White-Box Test Techniques185 questions
Introduction4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Statement Testing6 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Decision Testing4 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Modified Condition/Decision Testing7 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Multiple Condition Testing5 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Basis Path Testing5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →API Testing8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Non-Safety-Related Systems4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Safety-related systems11 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →
3Domain 3: Static and Dynamic Analysis205 questions
Introduction3 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Control Flow Analysis6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Data Flow Analysis10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Using Static Analysis for Improving Maintainability5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Overview6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Detecting Memory Leaks7 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Detecting Wild Pointers6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Analysis of Performance Efficiency7 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
4Domain 4: Quality Characteristics for Technical Testing140 questions
Security Testing4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Reliability Testing6 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Performance Testing7 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Maintainability Testing4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Portability Testing3 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Coexistence and Operational Profiles5 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Domain 4: Quality Characteristics for Technical Testing — additional tasks5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
5Domain 5: Reviews74 questions
6Domain 6: Test Tools and Automation243 questions
Selecting the Automation Approach7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Modeling Business Processes for Automation8 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Fault Seeding Tools7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Fault Injection Tools4 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Performance Testing Tools6 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Tools for Testing Websites9 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Tools to Support Model-Based Testing5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Component Testing and Build Tools7 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Tools to Support Mobile Application Testing7 concepts · 4 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.
Introduction6 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
30 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
966 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.
966questions
210pages
40objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Domain 1: The Technical Test Analyst's Tasks in Risk-Based Testing119 questions
2Domain 2: White-Box Test Techniques185 questions
3Domain 3: Static and Dynamic Analysis205 questions
4Domain 4: Quality Characteristics for Technical Testing140 questions
5Domain 5: Reviews74 questions
6Domain 6: Test Tools and Automation243 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.
246concepts
966free 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
246concepts 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 — 40 objectives, 246 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When ISTQB changes the outline, this page changes with it.
40objectives on the outline→246concepts written→966free 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.