Here's the full CTAL-AT v2.0 cost picture — the ISTQB fees you'll pay, plus how to keep your total down by passing on the first attempt.
| Item | Fee (USD) |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | ~$200–300 per member board (verify locally) |
| Prerequisite | valid ISTQB CTFL certificate |
| Renewal | None — does not expire |
Set per member board — Advanced Level exams typically run ~$200–300 (e.g. ~$249 in the US via AT*SQA). As a 2026 release, board pricing is still rolling out — verify locally.
The biggest hidden cost of any certification is the retake — fail once and you pay the exam fee again, plus weeks of lost momentum. The cheapest way to sit CTAL-AT v2.0 once is to walk in genuinely ready.
That's where affordable practice pays for itself: ExamDeck is $15 for lifetime CTAL-AT v2.0 access (or $19/month All-Access across every exam) — a fraction of the exam fee — with original questions, an explanation for every option, and a readiness report that tells you when you're ready to book.
6 free questions · per-area readiness · no dumps · no ads.
Start free →Yes — ISTQB is retiring the 2014 Foundation-level Agile Tester (exams sunset May 2027) and released CTAL-AT v2.0 in May 2026 as its flagship agile testing credential. Existing CTFL-AT certificates stay valid, but there's no automatic upgrade.
It's Advanced Level: 40 questions worth 52 points, with K3/K4 scenario items (apply and analyze) worth extra points — exploratory heuristics, test charters, quadrants and shift-left practices. Noticeably deeper than the old Foundation-level exam.
Yes — a valid CTFL certificate (v4.0 or earlier) is a formal entry criterion; agile work experience is recommended on top.
40 multiple-choice questions worth 52 points (K3/K4 scenario questions carry more points) in 90 minutes (+25% for non-native English speakers).
The passing score is 65% — 34 out of 52 points. Aim for a consistent 80–85% on realistic practice exams before booking.
ISTQB does not publish official pass rates, so any exact percentage quoted online is unverified. The readiness signal that actually predicts passing: consistently holding 80–85% on realistic, full-length practice exams before you book.
ISTQB CTFL certificate required (any version). About 6 months of agile development or testing experience is strongly recommended, not mandatory.
Set per member board — Advanced Level exams typically run ~$200–300 (e.g. ~$249 in the US via AT*SQA). As a 2026 release, board pricing is still rolling out — verify locally.
For most candidates, ISTQB mandates ≥13 hours of accredited instruction; total prep commonly lands at 30–60 hours. What matters most is practising questions and analysing why each option is right or wrong — not just reading.
None — ISTQB certificates do not expire.
No — every question is original, written to test the concepts and reviewed before it ships, with an explanation linked to the source for every option. Dumps are stale, often wrong, and against ISTQB's policies.