Skip to Content

ISTQB® Certified Tester Advanced Level (CTAL)  


Request for price


Length: 5 day (40 hours)

 

This module is for those leading teams or defining strategy. It focuses on the "Management" side of testing—planning, budgeting, and building a high-performing team. In 2026, the v3.0 syllabus specifically addresses hybrid (Agile/Waterfall) environments and the business value of testing.

Certification: You must hold a valid ISTQB Foundation Level (CTFL) certificate (v3.1, v4.0, or earlier).

Experience: You must have "sufficient practical experience." While ISTQB defines this generally, most Member Boards require proof of 18 to 36 months of full-time software testing or IT experience.


Test Managers, Test Leads, and QA Directors.

Project Managers and Scrum Masters.

Management Consultants and IT Directors.

Course objectivesCourse outlines

Course objectives

After completing this course, students will be able to:

    • Manage the Process: Apply established test management processes across various lifecycle models.
    • Risk-Based Testing: Lead risk identification and assessment sessions to prioritize effort.
    • Strategy & Planning: Align project test strategies with organizational goals.
    • Team Leadership: Identify skill gaps, develop team competencies, and manage stakeholder relationships.

Course outlines

1. CTAL - Test Management (CTAL-TM v3.0)

Detailed Outline

  • Chapter 1: Managing the Test Activities
    • Test Planning, Monitoring, and Control.
    • Test Completion Activities.
    • Testing in various lifecycles (Sequential vs. Iterative).
  • Chapter 2: Managing the Product
    • Risk-Based Testing: Identification, Assessment, and Mitigation.
    • Test Metrics and Reporting.
    • Test Estimation Techniques.
    • Defect Management and Lifecycle.
  • Chapter 3: Managing the Team
    • Building and assessing test team competencies.
    • Stakeholder relationship management.
    • Test Process Improvement (IDEAL model, Retrospectives).
    • Business Case for Testing and ROI.
  • Chapter 4: Test Tools
    • Tool selection, introduction, and lifecycle.

2. CTAL - Test Analyst (CTAL-TA v4.0)

Detailed Outline

  • Chapter 1: The Test Analyst's Tasks in the Test Process
    • Testing in the SDLC and involvement in test activities.
    • Work products and documentation quality.
  • Chapter 2: Tasks in Risk-Based Testing
    • Risk analysis from a functional perspective.
    • Risk control and monitoring.
  • Chapter 3: Test Analysis and Test Design
    • Behavior-Based Techniques: CRUD testing, State Transition, Scenario-based testing.
    • Rule-Based Techniques: Decision Tables, Metamorphic testing.
    • Experience-Based: Error Guessing, Checklist-based, and Crowd testing.
  • Chapter 4: Testing Quality Characteristics
    • Functional, Usability, Accessibility, and Compatibility testing.
  • Chapter 5: Software Defect Prevention
    • Identifying common requirement flaws and phase containment.

3. CTAL - Technical Test Analyst (CTAL-TTA v4.0)

Detailed Outline

  • Chapter 1: Tasks in Risk-Based Testing
    • Identifying and classifying technical risks (e.g., security vulnerabilities).
  • Chapter 2: White-Box Test Techniques
    • Statement, Decision, and Modified Condition/Decision Coverage (MC/DC).
    • Multiple Condition and API testing.
  • Chapter 3: Static and Dynamic Analysis
    • Static: Data flow and Control flow analysis.
    • Dynamic: Memory leak detection and performance profiling.
  • Chapter 4: Quality Characteristics for Technical Testing
    • Security, Reliability, Performance, and Maintainability testing.
    • Portability and Compatibility (Technical aspects).
  • Chapter 5: Reviews
    • Conducting technical code and architecture reviews using checklists.
  • Chapter 6: Test Tools and Automation
    • Defining the automation project and tool integration.