ISTQB® Certified Tester AL (Advanced Level)
Today software projects demand that the role of the software tester and the role of a software developer are separated – Job specialisation is therefore inevitable.
The Advanced Level has four Syllabi within the Core part:
- Test Manager (CTAL-TM)
- Test Analyst (CTAL-TA)
- Technical Test Analyst (CTAL-TTA)
- Test Automation Engineer (CTAL-TAE)
The Advanced Level Modules are independent and based on the Foundation Level Certificate. Professional testers choose their module according to their professional field and the role they want a deeper understanding or want to work in the future.
Prerequisites
For each module, a partial examination can be taken. However, the minimum prerequisite for participation in the Advanced Level partial examination is the Foundation Level Certificate. At least 18 months of practical experience in the field of testing is recommended (except for the Test Automation Engineer module).
Certificate Validity
The Advanced Level certificate has a lifelong validity.
Curriculum
The contents of the Foundation and Advanced Level syllabus are defined in the Certified Tester Curriculum. The ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level is a necessary prerequisite for the Advanced Level ISTQB certificates.
CTAL-TTA v4.0 - new syllabus and sunset dates
The latest version of the ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Technical Test Analyst certification exam has been released, version 4.0.
The corresponding update to the English-language examination questions has also been updated. Currently, candidates taking the exam in English can choose between whether they wish to take the exam according to the previous syllabus version 3.0 or the updated version 4.0.
This applies until 30th June 2022, from July 2022 English-language CTAL-TTA examinations can only be taken according to the new syllabus version.
The examination will remain available in other languages, including German, until 31st December 2022.
ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level: Test Analyst
The 2019 version of the CTAL-TA exam consists of 40 questions and lasts up to 120 minutes (150 minutes in case of time extension).
ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level: Technical Test Analyst
The CTAL-TTA (Advanced Level: Technical Test Analyst) examination format remains unchanged, consisting of 45 questions and lasting up to 120 minutes (or 150 with time extension) both with the new (2019) and old (2012) syllabus versions.
ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level: Test Manager
A new version of the CTAL-Test Manager Syllabus has not yet been released – 2012 remains the current version. The CTAL-TM examination consists of 65 questions, which you have 180 minutes to answer (225 minutes in case of time extension).
ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level: Test Automation Engineer
The CTAL-TAE exam consists of 40 questions and lasts up to 90 minutes (113 minutes in case of time extension).
Exam Preparation
If you are a holder of a CT Foundation Level certificate you are eligible to continue on to the Advanced Level certifications, of which there are currently four in the core part. For each of them the ISTQB provides a comprehensive syllabus, which is available free to download:
Additionally, the ISTQB enables you to advance your preparation for Advanced Level certification with sets of sample questions for each of the four core Advanced Levels:
Also candidates preparing for CT Advanced Level certification have a selection of in-depth learning guides at hand that are aligned with the corresponding ISTQB syllabus. Each of the following books also includes sample questions at the appropriate level of difficulty to help you advance your self-study as efficiently as possible.
For the CTAL Test Manager we recommend Advanced Software Testing Vol. 2, 2nd Edition, Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Test Manager ⤴ by Rex Black.
For the CTAL Test Analyst we recommend Advanced Software Testing Vol. 1, 2nd Edition, Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Test Analyst ⤴ by Rex Black.
For the CTAL Technical Test Analyst we recommend reading into Advanced Software Testing Vol. 3, 2nd Edition, Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Technical Test Analyst ⤴ by Rex Black and Jamie L Mitchell.