FAQ
How can I get an ISTQB® Certificate for software testers?
You must successfully pass the certification exams organised by CaSTB or other ISTQB recognised Examination Provider.
Just pick your module from the certification scheme, study and take the exam. Bear in mind that CTFL is the first module to be taken since it’s a prerequisite for all other modules.
How much does the Certification Exam cost?
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Foundation Level exams (CTFL, CTFL-AT) cost 150 EUR / 3600 CZK
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Core Advanced Level exams (CTAL TA, CTAL TTA, CTAL TM) cost 200 EUR / 4800 CZK
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Agile Advanced Level exams (CTAL ATT) cost 150 EUR / 3600 CZK
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Specialist exams cost from 150 EUR / 3800 CZK up to 200 EUR / 5100 CZK based on the selected module.
Prices are without VAT. See the Exams page for more details.
Do I need to take training before the exams?
No, accredited training is not mandatory for taking the exam, but recommended if you are not that skilled in the area of the exam you are taking.
Can I prepare for the exam by self-studying? What materials should I use?
Self-studying is for sure an option. Every module has a relevant ISTQB® Syllabus and Glossary, which should be used as a minimum. Other suggested preparation material (books etc.) may be found in the „Reference“ chapter of each syllabus or in the References section of the ISTQB® Website.
Are there any prerequisites to take an ISTQB® exam?
The Certified Tester Foundation Level exam is the entry point into the ISTQB® certification schema and has no prerequisites. Preparation on the syllabus topics (obtained either through attending a course provided by an accredited Training Provider and/or through self-study) is recommended together with practical experience of at least 6 months.
Every other exam has at least a prerequisite of holding a Certified Tester Foundation Level certificate. Some modules require you to meet other requirements as well. See https://www.istqb.org/ for more details.
For the Expert Level exams, candidates must hold the appropriate Advanced Level Certificate, plus at least 5 years of practical testing experience and at least 2 years of industry experience in the specific Expert Level topic.
Can I take an exam without meeting the pre-conditions?
Every exam has some preconditions you need to meet and some which are suggested to meet to increase your chances of passing the exam. By default, it is not possible to take the exam without meeting the pre-conditions. Anyway, an exception could be made but only in very specific cases and with the written consent of the local ISTQB® Member Board.
Can I take multiple exams in one day?
Yes, you can. But please notify us beforehand.
In cases where one exam is a prerequisite for taking another exam, you will need to take a break and wait for the evaluation of the first exam. The second exam will be allowed only in case of a successful result of the first one.
How are the exam questions structured?
All the exams (except some Expert Level exams) are based on Multiple Choice questions.
Each Multiple-choice question consists of a problem and a list of suggested solutions (options) and can be either 1 correct option out of 4 available options, 2 out of 5 or 3 out of 7.
Expert-level exams contain both Multiple-choice questions and Essay questions. An Essay question requires the candidate to consider a scenario or problem statement and respond with a detailed written response.
See Sample Exam available for every module which would give you a better idea of an exam structure.
What is the purpose of Sample Exams?
It’s just to get a better idea of how the exams are structured. Questions published as Sample Exams cannot be used as-is in any official examination. Also, its difficulty level can be much lower than the official exam, despite all questions (sample and official ones) being created according to the same rules.
What are the Core, Agile and Specialist streams?
The Core stream covers topics in a broad, horizontal way, valid for any technology/methodology / application domain and allowing for a common understanding.
The Agile stream is dedicated to the professionals involved in Agile projects and organisations following the Agile approach in software development.
The Specialist stream focuses on a specific topic / domain in a vertical way, using a drill down / deep-dive approach.
What is the content of the exams?
Each exam contains questions aimed at verifying the acquired professional knowledge of the candidate on the topics covered by the Learning Objectives for the relevant ISTQB module.
The Certified Tester Foundation Level exam only requires knowledge of the Certified Tester Foundation Level syllabus. All other exams assume that you have knowledge of the Certified Tester Foundation Level syllabus and may build questions on that knowledge.
There is an Exam Structure and Rules document available for every module, which defines what LOs (Learning Objectives) could be available in the exam.
What is a Learning Objective, aka LO?
Learning Objectives (LOs) are statements which describe what the student is expected to know or be able to do after mastering the syllabus content. Each syllabus chapter starts with the list of LOs, including K-level and scope of the knowledge.
What is a K-level?
K-levels define the complexity of the question from Level 1 up to Level 6.
K1 = Remember: The candidate will recognize, remember and recall a term or concept.
K2 = Understand: The candidate can select the reasons or explanations for statements related to the topic, and can summarize, compare, classify, categorize and give examples for the testing concept.
K3 = Apply: The candidate can select the correct application of a concept or technique and apply it to a given context.
K4 = Analyze: The candidate can separate information related to a procedure or technique into its constituent parts for better understanding, and can distinguish between facts and inferences. Typical application is to analyze a document, software or a project situation and propose appropriate actions to solve a problem or accomplish a task.
K5 = Evaluate: The candidate may make judgments based on criteria and standards. He detects inconsistencies or fallacies within a process or product, determines whether a process or product has internal consistency and detects the effectiveness of a procedure as it is being implemented (e.g., determine if a scientist's conclusions follow from observed data).
K6 = Create: The candidate puts elements together to form a coherent or functional whole. Typical application is to reorganize elements into a new pattern or structure, devise a procedure for accomplishing some task, or invent a product (e.g., build habitats for a specific purpose).
Who is eligible for extra time for the exam?
Anyone who takes an exam in a language different from his native language. So even Slovaks taking the Czech exam are eligible for 25% extra time. Also, all people with any confirmed handicap are eligible for an extra 25%. Extra time grants sum up, so you can get a maximum of 50% extra time.
Do you issue vouchers?
Yes, we do issue vouchers for any module with a validity of 1 year. You can request them via email at certification@castb.org. The price of the voucher follows the current price list.
Can you re-issue an ISTQB certificate?
Yes, but we can re-issue only the certificates we’ve issued. The reasons for re-issuing a certificate are errors on the certificate. SCR will be updated accordingly.
Re-issue is not possible if the certificate was issued by different organization than CaSTB. Also, changes of names due to e.g. marriage, are not valid reasons for re-issuing a certificate.
In case you lost your certificate, we can send you a copy of it.
Frequently asked questions about Successful Candidate Registry.
Are ISTQB certificates acknowledged across the world?
ISTQB certificates are recognised in most of countries across the world. ISTQB® has the biggest recognition of software quality topics. See https://www.istqb.org/certifications/member-board-list for more details.
Can you issue an ISTQB certificate in Czech or Slovak language?
Yes, on request we can issue the certificate in any Czech, Slovak or German language. The default is English to increase its value on a global market.
What is a CTAL Full Core certificate?
Certified Tester Advanced Level Full Core certificate is just an extra acknowledgement of your success in obtaining all certifications from the Advanced level Core stream. Specifically CTAL TA, CTAL TTA and CTAL TM modules.
To obtain the certificate for free, just contact us at certifictions@castb.org, and we will issue it to you. This certificate is also included in SCR.
What is the SCR?
The SCR is a global registry of professionals who obtained an ISTQB® certification and who have given consent to have their name published and available on http://scr.istqb.org.
The goal is to have a unique point where all the ISTQB® certified professionals are listed.
Why did ISTQB® build the SCR?
For several reasons, like to:
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Provide a better service to our certified professionals.
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Align with the practices of other leading certification schemes worldwide.
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Allow employers to check the certifications of candidates.
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Allow MBs/ EPs to check the validity of certificates that are preconditions to take other exams.
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Allow Marketing WG to check the validity of certificates for the Partner Program eligibility.
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Mitigate the risk of fake certificates.
What will be the usage of SCR?
SCR is provided by ISTQB® in order to make it possible to check certificates; no other usages are allowed and foreseen; in particular, no marketing usage by ISTQB® is allowed/foreseen (eg: we do not mean to collect the data to have the possibility to contact people directly or to send them marketing info).
Which data are listed in the SCR?
For each certificate, the following fields are listed:
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First name
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Last name
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Certificate number (in anonymised format, meaning some digits are replaced by ***)
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Certificate Body
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Certification Level
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Country of issue
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Certification date
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Certification expiry (when applicable, typically for Expert Level)
Why can't I find my certificate in SCR?
Individuals who obtained an ISTQB® certificate before 2017 or those who opted out to be included may not be listed in SCR. If you want your certificate to be listed in SCR, please send a request to certifictions@castb.org with a copy of your certificate.
Exam results
Can I see my detailed exam results?
ISTQB rules define what details can be shared with a candidate regarding exam results. As with many other international certification schemes, ISTQB does not allow sharing results on a level of specific questions.
CaSTB does the maximum that the rules allow and shares the percentage of points gained for every syllabi chapter.
Are you sure the questions are OK?
We guarantee that all questions in our exams meet ISTQB requirements, which are defined in several documents. These documents are internal and are subject to NDA, so we cannot share its content. This applies to all ISTQB member boards, which exam providers must comply with.
Questions provided by CaSTB are reviewed by several international professionals to prevent errors or biases in the question.
What if I find the error in the question?
Of course, nobody is perfect, and it can happen that you will find some typo or other minor issues in the question. If the issue is even slightly influencing the content of the question, candidates will have this question evaluated as correctly answered and will score full points for this question.
Errors in the questions could be raised during the exam to the proctor or after the exam. Evaluation of these complaints is handled by the Head of Exam Working Group after the exam