Specialist certification guide
CT-UT v1.0: Usability Testing
Consider this qualification when you evaluate how people use software and want to choose suitable methods, conduct useful sessions and report findings. Check the entry requirements below before you book.
Syllabus: ISTQB CT-UT Syllabus v1.0 2018. Exam facts checked: October 4, 2026
Is CT-UT the right certification for you?
Consider this qualification when you evaluate how people use software and want to choose suitable methods, conduct useful sessions and report findings.
When to choose another route: If your immediate need is broad functional test design, compare CTAL-TA. If the goal is acceptance criteria and business agreement, compare CT-AcT. UT is best matched to investigating users’ experience, usability and method selection.
Exam at a glance
40multiple-choice questions
40total available points
26 / 40minimum passing score in points
60 minstandard exam duration
These figures describe CT-UT 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. Basic Concepts | 8 | 8 | 20% |
| 2. Risks in Usability, User Experience and Accessibility | 2 | 2 | 5% |
| 3. Usability and Accessibility Standards | 3 | 3 | 7.5% |
| 4. Usability Reviews | 3 | 3 | 7.5% |
| 5. Usability Testing | 13 | 13 | 32.5% |
| 6. User Surveys | 2 | 2 | 5% |
| 7. Selecting Appropriate Methods | 1 | 1 | 2.5% |
| 8. Summary of Roles and Responsibilities | 2 | 2 | 5% |
| Cross-chapter keywords | 6 | 6 | 15% |
| Total | 40 | 40 | 100% |
Start your planning with Usability Testing, 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.
The chapter allocation totals 34 questions. Six additional keyword questions bring the full exam to 40. They are shown separately to avoid presenting a misleading chapter total.
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 UT, Usability Testing, Certified Tester Usability 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: Basic Concepts
Distinguish usability, user experience and accessibility using one task. State which question an evaluation is intended to answer.
Chapter 2: Risks in Usability, User Experience and Accessibility
Identify a plausible user difficulty and its consequence. Avoid equating personal preference with evidence of a usability problem.
Chapter 3: Usability and Accessibility Standards
Explain how standards and guidelines inform an evaluation. Record what was checked and avoid a broad compliance claim from a narrow study.
Chapter 4: Usability Reviews
Plan a purposeful usability review with an appropriate viewpoint. Separate a review finding from behavior actually observed in a participant session.
Chapter 5: Usability Testing
Draft neutral tasks, conduct an observation and interpret the findings. Check whether your instructions or prompting could have influenced what happened.
Chapter 6: User Surveys
Choose a survey question suited to the information needed. Compare self-reported opinions with observed task performance.
Chapter 7: Selecting Appropriate Methods
Compare methods against objectives, participants and constraints. Justify the combination you select rather than choosing a familiar method automatically.
Chapter 8: Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
Assign moderator, observer and reporting responsibilities. Explain how clear roles help keep evidence and interpretation separate.
Source: ISTQB CT-UT Syllabus v1.0 2018. 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.
- Practice writing neutral tasks and questions before planning a study.
- Separate participant observations from explanations you still need to investigate.
- Compare methods using the question you need answered, available time and participants.
- Turn findings into a report with evidence, impact and a clear next step.
Try this study exercise
Choose an invented task such as changing a delivery address. Draft a task brief that does not tell the participant which buttons to press. Decide what you would observe, how you would record difficulties and how you would distinguish an observed problem from your own interpretation. Compare what a session, a review and a survey might reveal.
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 Basic Concepts, Risks in Usability, User Experience and Accessibility, Usability and Accessibility Standards, Usability Reviews | A chapter map with terms you can explain and objectives you cannot yet demonstrate. |
| 2. Apply | Usability Testing, User Surveys, Selecting Appropriate Methods, Summary of Roles and Responsibilities | A small evaluation plan with neutral tasks, justified methods and a report separating observations, interpretations and recommendations. |
| 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
Is a usability test the same as an accessibility assessment?
No. They can inform related quality concerns, but the questions, methods and required expertise can differ. State the actual scope of an evaluation instead of treating the terms as interchangeable.
Should a moderator explain how to complete the task?
In a learning exercise, notice how instructions can change the evidence. Use neutral task wording and a deliberate intervention policy so that assistance is not mistaken for independent success.
Can a survey replace observing users?
It depends on the question. A survey can collect reported perceptions, while a session can reveal task behavior. Compare what each method can establish before selecting one.
Are keyword questions included in the chapter table?
The v1.19 table allocates six questions to keywords separately from the chapter rows. The weighting section keeps that row visible so the full allocation totals 40.
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. Confirm the final amount and terms directly with your provider.
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.