Course overview
ISTQB Advanced Level Test Analyst (CTAL‑TA) is a 3-day accredited training course aimed at experienced testers who want to gain the ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst certification. Aligned with the latest ISTQB syllabus, this course provides the essential knowledge and practical skills needed to design, execute, and manage effective functional testing at an advanced level.
Delegates will learn advanced black-box test design techniques, risk-based testing strategies, and how to contribute to quality assurance in both Agile and traditional development environments. The course also covers usability testing, requirements validation, defect management, and effective participation in reviews.
Delivered by certified experts with real-world experience, this course prepares you for the ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst exam and enhances your ability to apply structured testing techniques in the workplace with confidence and credibility.
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Course highlights
- Duration: 3-day intensive training (9am – 5pm)
- Format: available in virtual, or e-Learning
- Content: aligned with the latest ISTQB Advanced Level syllabus; includes test design techniques, risk-based testing, non-functional testing, defect management, and reviews
- Exam preparation: includes scenario-based question practice and structured revision
- Accreditation: fully accredited by UKITB on behalf of ISTQB
- SFIAplus level: rated at Level 5 by BCS
- Assessment: 45 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes (150 minutes for non-native English speakers); 65% pass mark required
Why you should attend
- Deepen your test analysis and design skills with industry-standard techniques
- Learn to assess and mitigate quality risks in complex systems
- Master black-box and experience-based testing for functionality and usability
- Work more effectively in agile, waterfall, or hybrid teams
- Gain a globally recognised ISTQB Advanced certification
- Boost your career prospects as a Test Analyst, QA Consultant, or Senior Tester
Who is the course for
This course is ideal for:
- Test Analysts, QA Engineers, UAT Testers
- Business analysts involved in test planning
- Anyone with a CTFL certificate and at least 2 years of practical testing experience looking to advance their test design and analysis capabilities
Next steps in your testing career
Holders of this certification may choose to broaden their expertise by pursuing other Core Advanced Level certifications, such as Technical Test Analyst, Test Manager, or Test Automation Engineer.
For those wishing to specialise in Agile practices, the Agile Technical Tester (CTAL-ATT) is a natural next step. Alternatively, candidates can explore specialist certification streams that focus on areas such as specific testing technologies, quality characteristics, test levels, or industry-specific domains.
Watch our latest webinar
Want to explore the course in more detail before enrolling? Watch our webinar where we walk through the ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst syllabus, exam format, and key takeaways. Click here to watch the webinar
About ISTQB and the certified tester scheme
Founded in 2002, ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) is a not-for-profit association comprising 66 national boards (including the UKITB) to provide worldwide coverage
ISTQB has defined the Advanced certification as part of their ‘Certified Tester’ scheme that, with over 240,000 certifications, has become the de facto world-wide standard for software testing qualifications.
The ‘Certified Tester’ scheme:
- Provides a set of professional qualifications widely-recognised by employers, customers and peers;
- Enables software suppliers to hire and train certified testers and thereby gain commercial advantage over their competitors by advertising their tester recruitment and development policies; and
- Enables comparison of testing skills across different countries, testers to move across country borders more easily, and multi-national/international projects to have a common understanding of testing issues.
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Entry requirements
The entry requirements for the Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst qualification are that the candidate must hold the ISTQB Foundation certificate and it is also suggested that candidates have a minimum of 2 years testing experience.
Note that it is recommended that you attend an accredited training course run by an accredited training provider, as the overall exam pass rates are notably higher for candidates attending such courses.
Exam
To qualify as an internationally-recognized Certified Advanced Level Test Analyst and be issued with an ISTQB® Advanced Level Certificate, delegates must successfully pass the exam administered by the relevant National Board or Examination Provider.
- 45 multiple choice pick ‘n’ mix questions which consist of the questions followed by a list of options
- Duration of 120 minutes (or 150 minutes for candidates taking examinations that are not in their native language)
- A candidate must score at least 65% to pass
- Exam is included in the price
Course objectives
After successfully completing the course and passing the exam, delegates should be able to demonstrate the following business-based outcomes
- Perform the appropriate testing activities based on the software development lifecycle being used;
- Determine the proper prioritization of the testing activities based on the information provided by the risk analysis;
- Select and apply appropriate test techniques to ensure that tests provide an adequate level of confidence, based on defined coverage criteria;
- Provide the appropriate level of documentation relevant to their testing activities;
- Determine the appropriate types of functional testing to be performed;
- Work effectively in a usability testing team;
- Effectively participate in requirements / user story reviews with stakeholders, applying knowledge of typical mistakes made in work products;
- Improve the efficiency of the test process with the use of tools.
In addition, the newly qualified ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst should be able to demonstrate their skills in the following areas once they have completed the course and passed the exam:
- Explain how and why the timing and level of involvement for the Test Analyst varies when working with different software development lifecycle models.
- Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting analysis and design activities.
- Explain why test conditions should be understood by the stakeholders.
- For a given project scenario, select the appropriate design level for test cases (high-level or low-level).
- Explain the issues to be considered in test case design.
- Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting test implementation activities.
- Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting test execution activities.
- For a given situation, participate in risk identification, perform risk assessment and propose appropriate risk mitigation.
- Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying equivalence partitioning.
- Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying boundary value analysis.
- Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying decision table testing.
- Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying state transition testing.
- Explain how classification tree diagrams support test techniques.
- Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying pairwise testing.
- Analyze a system, or its requirement specification, in order to determine likely types of defects to be found and select the appropriate black-box test technique(s).
- Explain the principles of experience-based test techniques, and the benefits and drawbacks compared to black-box and defect-based test techniques.
- Determine exploratory tests from a given scenario.
- Describe the application of defect-based test techniques and differentiate their use from black-box test techniques.
- For a given project situation, determine which black-box or experience-based test techniques should be applied to achieve specific goals.
- Explain what test techniques are appropriate to test functional completeness, correctness and appropriateness.
- Define the typical defects to be targeted for the functional completeness, correctness and appropriateness characteristics.
- Define when the functional completeness, correctness and appropriateness characteristics should be tested in the software development lifecycle.
- Explain the approaches that would be suitable to verify and validate both the implementation of the usability requirements and the fulfillment of the user’s expectations.
- Explain the role of the test analyst in interoperability testing including identification of the defects to be targeted.
- Explain the role of the test analyst in portability testing including identification of the defects to be targeted.
- For a given set of requirements, determine the test conditions required to verify the functional and/or non-functional quality characteristics within the scope of the Test Analyst.
- Identify problems in a requirements specification according to checklist information provided in the syllabus.
- Identify problems in a user story according to checklist information provided in the syllabus.
- For a given scenario, determine the appropriate activities for a Test Analyst in a keyword-driven automation project.
- Explain the usage and types of test tools applied in test design, test data preparation and test execution.
Sam Tudor | TA | Capgemini –
Great online course. Clear and interactive. Prefer classroom for this reason. The more interactive the better
Daniel Walton| Test Analyst|LGT Vestra –
I found the course really helpful i am hoping after attending this i will be able to now pass the exam. The way it was presented was great and the trainer was very knowledgeable
Ann Shepperley| Test Analyst|TMHCC –
I really enjoyed the course and would recommend it.
Nasla Naushad| Software Test Engineer|Samsung –
Virtual course was structured well and materials provided in advance gave a brief overview of the course. Really enjoyed the teaching style of the trainer.
Daniela-Ana Luca | Senior Test Analyst |CaseWare Uk –
very knowledgeable and helpful , happy to help -always
Renjini Gopalakrishnan Unnithan | Dev Engineer- Competent |ING, Belgium –
Good explanation, lot of exercises
veena lala | Software Test Engineer |3tc software –
Very good course, lots of detail and trainer was friendly and easy to ask questions, explained well
Sandra Kupny|Quality Engineer|LBG –
Good course, good pace. Examples well explained by the presenter. Useful materials.
Julie Murphy|Quality Engineer|LLoyds banking Group –
Felt it was a bit cramped into the three days, Feel at a disadvantage not having physical copy of the workbook as you can not take corresponding notes. Screen shots not the same as can not always make out notes. In classroom always get the material. feel cost to get them excessive due to cost of course.
Sarbjeet Pandha|Test Analyst|LGT VESTRA –
Remote virtual course. Very enjoyable and lots of interaction with everyone.
Daniel Walton|Test Analyst|LGT Vestra –
I found the course really helpful i am hoping after attending this i will be able to now pass the exam. The way it was presented was great and the trainer was very knowledgeable
Ann Shepperley|Test Analyst|TMHCC –
I really enjoyed the course and would recommend it.
Nasla Naushad|Software Test Engineer|Samsung –
Virtual course was structured well and materials provided in advance gave a brief overview of the course. Really enjoyed the teaching style of the trainer.
Michael Bines-Black | Senior Product Testing Analyst | LV= –
Very informative, a lot packed into the three days but John timed everything well. Fast-paced at times but this was unavoidable.
Joshua LoveJoy | Test Analyst | University of Southampton –
Taking this course remotely in lockdown proved far more beneficial than I anticipated. I actually think there is a strong argument to take the course this way over classroom based. You take travel and potentially overnight stays out of the equation and the experience is much more relaxed and stress free. You can crack on with homework as soon as the day ends and don’t feel too tired to study or revise. My trainer was experienced and articulate enough to deliver the course to a high standard with the slides and a scratchpad to demonstrate. I don’t feel I missed out on anything by not doing this in a classroom. I would recommend virtual courses to anyone holding off booking right now due to lockdown.
Idris Khan | Senior QA | Camelot UK –
Intense and informative.
Richard Mason | Senior Test Analyst | Capital One (Europe) –
Course was thorough and well paced with sufficient breaks to retain effective concentration.
Very disappointing that the course materials especially the Consolidated Student Handbook cannot be printed. This makes revising and relearning difficult. I don’t feel this was pointed out up front before the course and its something I will certainly be aware of in the future and will deter me from attending further additional courses if there is the same restriction.
Lizzy Hamilton| Test Manager| Capita Resourcing –
John was very thorough, and was patient when explaining items to me that I often didn’t understand. He could provide versatile examples outside of the scenarios provided to help highlight his point, and also offered some advice in how I could apply various techniques to my live situation/projects.
John is very knowledgeable and a great teacher.
David Cook| QA Test Analyst| Caseware –
Found it very informative and learnt lots of new things.
Joanne Nwosu| Senior Quality Control Engineer| Deltek –
Was informative, clear and easy to follow. A bit of information overload but expected given the time frame of completion.