The Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst certification is at the core of the ISTQB® Certified Tester scheme and it has been subject to a major update to ensure its continued relevance to today’s approaches to software development and testing.
Today, 16th of May 2025, the ISTQB® has released a major update to a syllabus of its advanced level certification: version 4.0 of the Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst (CTAL-TA v4.0), following a successful vote for release at the recent ISTQB® General Assembly meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The newly updated Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst version 4.0 package includes:
- The ISTQB® Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst Syllabus 4.0
- The CTAL-TA v4.0 Sample Exam (Questions and Answers)
- The Exam Structure and Rules document
- Release Notes
All CTAL-TA v4.0 documents are available for download here
Holders of the previously released version of the ISTQB® Advanced Test Analyst certification, CTAL-TA, will remain certified and will not be required to retake the exam, but may wish to consider taking the new CTAL-TA v4.0 to attest to the updated skills covered in this newly updated release.
The sunset dates for the CTAL-TA v3.1 certification are as follows:
- English syllabus, exams, and accredited training May 16, 2026
- Other language syllabi, exams, and accredited training November 16, 2026
What does this ISTQB® Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst major update mean?
The ISTQB® Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst syllabus was developed to assist people to further develop their expertise in test analysis and test design techniques.
This major update to the Advanced Level Test Analyst, version 4.0, significantly improves its quality and timeliness. It includes extensive restructuring and updating of previously existing topics and the introduction of a number of new topics, such as
- CRUD testing, random testing, crowd testing, metamorphic testing
- Quality criteria for test cases
- Test environment requirements
- Test data requirements
- Determining test oracles
- Benefits and risks of automating the test design
- Contributions of the test analyst to defect prevention
- Using models to detect defects in specifications
- Analyzing test results to improve defect detection
- Supporting root cause analysis with defect classification
Candidates wishing to sit the examination must have attained the Certified Tester Foundation Level certificate.
Training course providers will require accreditation of their training materials,in accordance with the ISTQB® Accreditation Process and the ISTQB® Generic Accreditation Guidelines.
Regarding this exciting release, ISTQB® President Klaudia Dussa-Zieger stated: “This release represents a milestone in the ISTQB® journey. With a strong focus on real-world relevance and emerging testing practices, CTAL-TA v4.0 empowers professionals to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.”
Product Owner of the Advanced Test Analyst product, Matthias Hamburg, stated: “We’ve carefully restructured the syllabus to make it more practical, accessible, and aligned with the challenges test analysts face today. This version not only refreshes the content but introduces essential new areas that reflect current testing landscapes.”
Thanks to all who have contributed to this major update. It was produced by a team from the International Software Testing Qualifications Board made up of: Armin Born, Filipe Carlos, Wim Decoutere, István Forgács, Matthias Hamburg (Product Owner), Attila Kovács, Sandy Liu, François Martin, Stuart Reid, Adam Roman, Jan Sabak, Murian Song, Tanja Tremmel, Marc-Florian Wendland, Tao
Xian Feng. The team thanks Julia Sabatine for her proofreading, Gary Mogyorodi for his technical review, Daniel Pol’an for his constant technical support, and the review team and the Member Boards for their suggestions and input.