ISTQB Advanced Level

 ISTQB Advanced Level Exam

"CTAL" for "Certified Tester Advanced Level"

Advanced Level:

The Advanced Level qualification is aimed at people who have achieved an advanced point in their careers in software testing. This includes people in roles such as testers, test analysts, test engineers, test consultants, test managers, user acceptance testers and software developers. This Advanced Level qualification is also appropriate for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of software testing, such as project managers, quality managers, software development managers, business analysts, IT directors and management consultants. To receive Advanced Level certification, candidates must hold the Foundation Certificate and satisfy the Exam Board which examines them that they have sufficient practical experience to be considered Advanced Level qualified. Refer to the relevant Exam Board to understand their specific practical experience criteria.

Exam Details:

The Advanced Level exams comprise 65 multiple-choice questions, with different scoring (from 1 to 3 points) for the correct answer according to the question’s level of difficulty, a pass mark of 65% (65 or more points), and a duration of 180 minutes (or 225 minutes for candidates taking exams that are not in their native or local language).
The breakdown of the exam questions per K-level is done according to international guidelines and exam content reviews are periodically conducted to ensure consistency.

The Exam Sub Levels::

Technical Test Analyst
Test Analyst
Test Manager

A single syllabus exists for all the three sublevels. There is an separate paper for each sub-level and each Paper is of 180 Minutes Duration. Sub-Levels can be taken up in any order. An individual Certificate is granted on successful completion of each sub-level.
o    Time Duration: 180 Min. for each sub-level
o    Total No. of Question: 65 for each sub-level
o    Total Marks: 100 Marks (1 Mark, 2 marks & 3 mark questions)(Distribution not pre-specified)
o    Passing Criteria: 65%

Eligibility:

For Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) Holders in Computer Science or related fields
•    Foundation Level Clearance
•    24 Months of Testing Experience in IT, Testing,
Development, QA, Engineering or related fields (For any 2 sub-levels)
•    Min. 36 Months of experience mandatory for Adv. Complete Certification(For all 3 sub-levels)
For Non Bachelor ’s Degree (or higher) Holders in Computer Science or related fields
•    Foundation Level Clearance
•    60 Months of Testing Experience in IT, Testing,
Development, QA, Engineering or related fields

Advanced Level Test Manager

Advanced Level Test Management professionals should be able to:

•    Define the overall testing goals and strategy for the systems being tested
•    Plan, schedule and track the tasks
•    Describe and organize the necessary activities
•    Select, acquire and assign the adequate resources to the tasks
•    Select, organize and lead testing teams
•    Organize the communication between the members of the testing teams, and between the testing teams and all the other stakeholders
•    Justify the decisions and provide adequate reporting information where applicable

Advanced Level Test Analyst

Advanced Level Test Analysts should be able to:

•    Structure the tasks defined in the test strategy in terms of business domain requirements
•    Analyze the system in sufficient detail to meet the user quality expectations
•    Evaluate the system requirements to determine domain validity
•    Prepare and execute the adequate activities, and report on their progress
•    Provide the necessary evidence to support evaluations
•    Implement the necessary tools and techniques to achieve the defined goals

Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst

Advanced Level Technical Test Analysts should be able to:
•    Structure the tasks defined in the test strategy in terms of technical requirements
•    Analyze the internal structure of the system in sufficient detail to meet the expected quality level
•    Evaluate the system in terms of technical quality attributes such as performance, security, etc.
•    Prepare and execute the adequate activities, and report on their progress
•    Conduct technical testing activities
•    Provide the necessary evidence to support evaluations
•    Implement the necessary tools and techniques to achieve the defined goals