Specialist certification guide
CT-MAT v1.0: Mobile Application Testing
Consider this qualification when you test mobile applications and need to plan coverage across devices, operating conditions and interactions. Check the entry requirements below before you book.
Syllabus: ISTQB CT-MAT Syllabus v1.0 2019. Exam facts checked: October 4, 2026
Is CT-MAT the right certification for you?
Consider this qualification when you test mobile applications and need to plan coverage across devices, operating conditions and interactions.
When to choose another route: If you mainly need to build an automation framework, study the platform skills and compare CTAL-TAE. If you mainly evaluate user experience, compare CT-UT. Mobile-specific risks should be a substantial part of your reason for choosing MAT.
Exam at a glance
40multiple-choice questions
40total available points
26 / 40minimum passing score in points
60 minstandard exam duration
These figures describe CT-MAT v1.0. Use the listed point threshold, rather than assuming a fixed number of correct answers on a weighted exam.
Source: Official exam structures and rules. Appointment arrangements and any approved extra time must be confirmed with your provider.
How the exam is weighted
Question count and available points are different measures. Use the chapter allocation to set priorities, then check your own weak learning objectives. Every chapter remains examinable.
| Syllabus chapter | Questions | Points | Question share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mobile World: Business and Technology Drivers | 8 | 8 | 20% |
| 2. Mobile Application Test Types | 13 | 13 | 32.5% |
| 3. Common Test Types and Test Process for Mobile Applications | 11 | 11 | 27.5% |
| 4. Mobile Application Platforms, Tools and Environment | 4 | 4 | 10% |
| 5. Automating the Test Execution | 4 | 4 | 10% |
| Total | 40 | 40 | 100% |
Start your planning with Mobile Application Test Types, which accounts for 13 of 40 questions. Give additional attention to difficult application and analysis objectives. Question share alone is not a personal study timetable.
Source: ISTQB Exam Structures & Rules Tables v1.19, checked October 4, 2026.
Entry requirements
CTFL is required. Confirm which certificate evidence the provider accepts before purchasing or scheduling the exam.
Also known as: CT MAT, Mobile Application Testing, Certified Tester Mobile Application Testing.
Source: Official syllabus and qualification overview.
What the syllabus covers
Use these chapters to organize your reading. The practice prompts are our editorial guidance. Use the official learning objectives to check the required depth.
Chapter 1: Mobile World: Business and Technology Drivers
Connect device and application choices with the business use case. Build an explicit set of assumptions about users, platforms and operating conditions before selecting coverage.
Chapter 2: Mobile Application Test Types
Change hardware, software and connectivity conditions around one user task. Identify distinct risks rather than listing device combinations with no explanation of their value.
Chapter 3: Common Test Types and Test Process for Mobile Applications
Adapt familiar test types to interruptions, permissions and changing state. Explain what a mobile-specific investigation adds to an ordinary functional check.
Chapter 4: Mobile Application Platforms, Tools and Environment
Compare evidence from physical devices and virtual environments. Describe the trade-off in repeatability, realism and coverage when building a test lab.
Chapter 5: Automating the Test Execution
Select a manageable mobile automation candidate and identify its dependencies. Include device state, test data and the effort of maintaining reliable execution.
Source: ISTQB CT-MAT Syllabus v1.0 2019. ISTQB and the syllabus authors own the official syllabus. The study prompts above are original editorial guidance.
How to prepare
The suggestions below are our editorial advice, not ISTQB requirements.
- Connect each mobile constraint with an observable risk rather than making an unlimited device list.
- Practice prioritizing a representative device set using explicit usage and risk assumptions.
- Compare the evidence available from a real device, emulator and simulator.
- Revisit a functional test under interruptions, changed connectivity and different permission states.
Try this study exercise
Imagine a travel app that downloads a ticket before boarding. Build a small matrix of device conditions, network changes, permissions and interruptions. Identify which combinations deserve a real device and which could be investigated elsewhere. Explain what risk remains if the app is tested only with a stable connection and a fully charged device.
A study plan with milestones
Use four passes through the material rather than a guaranteed number of weeks. The pace depends on your experience and available study time. This plan is our editorial recommendation, not an official course duration.
| Pass | Focus | Evidence of progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Orient | Read the learning objectives and Mobile World: Business and Technology Drivers, Mobile Application Test Types | A chapter map with terms you can explain and objectives you cannot yet demonstrate. |
| 2. Apply | Common Test Types and Test Process for Mobile Applications, Mobile Application Platforms, Tools and Environment, Automating the Test Execution | A risk-based mobile test matrix that explains selected devices and operating conditions, together with a defensible plan for real and virtual environments. |
| 3. Diagnose | Take the matching official sample without looking at the answers | An error log separating missing knowledge, reasoning mistakes and rushed reading. |
| 4. Consolidate | Rework weak objectives and repeat the relevant exercises | A reasoned explanation of corrected answers, plus a confirmed exam version and booking checklist. |
For each uncertain answer, record the learning objective, why your choice seemed plausible, the official explanation and the example you will use to check your understanding again. Revisit guesses even when they happened to be correct.
Use the official sample exams
Take one sample under timed conditions before you open the answers, then review every guess as well as every wrong answer. Our sample exam guide shows how to turn a practice score into a study plan.
Before you book
Confirm the exam version, language and your eligibility with the provider before you pay. Use our booking checklist, the USA and India guides, and the exam day checklist.
Common questions
Do I need to test every device?
No universal device list can answer that. Build a selection from actual usage, supported platforms and risks, then state the coverage gaps and the evidence behind your priorities.
Can an emulator replace a physical device?
Not for every question. Compare the behavior you need to investigate with the environment’s limitations, particularly for hardware interaction and real operating conditions.
Does CT-MAT certify skill in a particular automation tool?
No. The qualification’s scope is broader than one tool. Pair the syllabus with implementation practice if your work requires platform-specific automation.
Why include interruptions in a study example?
An interruption can change application state, network behavior or the user’s next action. Working through those changes helps you design mobile investigations beyond a single uninterrupted happy path.
Related certification guides
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Fees and booking
Use our exam fees overview to compare exam prices, taxes, retake charges and booking terms. Check the dated fee records in our USA guide or India guide. For other countries, use the member board directory to find the appropriate booking route. Check the final amount and terms with your provider before you pay.
Sources and how we checked
Syllabus and exam facts checked on October 4, 2026. Scope summaries are based on the official documents linked below. Decision advice, study routines and the worked exercise are our editorial guidance. Provider availability and booking terms can change.