CTAL-TM v3.0 sample exams

Official sample questions and answer explanations

Use the question file before opening the answers. These downloads belong to ISTQB and remain on its official site. The walkthrough below is our preparation guidance. The sample-file revision can differ from the syllabus version.

• ISTQB CTAL-TM Sample Exam A: Questions v1.3.3 (PDF)
• ISTQB CTAL-TM Sample Exam A: Answers v1.3.3 (PDF)
• ISTQB CTAL-TM Sample Exam B: Questions v1.1 (PDF)
• ISTQB CTAL-TM Sample Exam B: Answers v1.1 (PDF)

Two official sets are available. Use set A for diagnosis and reserve set B for a later first-attempt timed check. Match each question file with the answer file for the same set and revision.

The CTAL-TM sample exam and the current exam format

Questions	Total points	Pass mark	Standard duration
50	88	58 points	120 minutes

The pass mark is a points threshold, not a simple count of correct answers. Follow the question and answer instructions for selection rules and scoring. Use a sample’s own point allocation to mark that file. Do not silently replace it with the current live-exam total.

Additional time requires the provider’s approval under the applicable rules. Use your confirmed duration for realistic timing practice. A sample is an illustration of the style and objectives, not a guarantee of the questions you will receive.

Use the sample in three passes

1. First attempt: hide the answer file, follow the sample instructions and work without notes. Record your confidence as well as your selected answer. If you use a timer, note unanswered questions and time pressure.
2. Diagnosis: read the official explanations, identify the objective behind each wrong or guessed response, and explain why each rejected alternative does not fit. Keep calculation or scenario-reading mistakes separate from knowledge gaps.
3. Targeted practice: return to the relevant syllabus section, create a changed example and attempt it later. Reuse the original sample only after the learning gap has been addressed.

For a first timed attempt, distribute your time across the paper and leave a deliberate review margin. If a scenario stalls you, record it for later review and continue. The useful skill is recognizing the relevant constraints and showing correct reasoning, not solving every question in the same number of seconds.

Review what the result actually tells you

Record	Why it matters
First-attempt points	Shows how you handled this sample before seeing its answers.
Wrong and guessed objectives	Identifies what to study next, even where a guess gained points.
Time or reading mistakes	Shows whether the problem was knowledge, execution or an overlooked constraint.
Repeat score	Shows revision progress. It is affected by familiarity with the answers.

For each difficult item, write a one-sentence explanation of the decisive constraint, then a short reason each tempting alternative fails. If you cannot do that without reading the answer again, the objective needs more work.

Practice beyond the official sample

Independent practice prompt, not an ISTQB exam question: A release has ten working days left. Two high-impact payment risks remain insufficiently tested, a third of the planned low-risk cases are unfinished, and one tester is reassigned. A stakeholder asks you to report that testing is 80% complete. What should your status report and next management action contain?

Suggested reasoning

Explain the remaining payment risks, the evidence already available and the capacity change. A completion percentage can describe activity, but cannot replace this risk view. Propose a revised priority order, state which lower-risk work would be deferred and identify the residual risk and decision owner. Record the assumptions behind the revised estimate. The stakeholder needs a supported decision, not a more reassuring number.

Try a fresh version: Add a mandatory contractual test that cannot be deferred. Rework the options: extra capacity, a smaller release scope or a changed date may now need stakeholder agreement.

This exercise has no official point allocation. Judge it by the assumptions you identify, the evidence you use and the explanation of your choice. Use the official objective list to decide which further examples you need.

• Avoid quoting the older 86-point structure instead of checking the current 88-point rules.
• Avoid treating a percentage complete as evidence that important risks are covered.
• Avoid selecting a management action without considering stakeholders and constraints.
• Avoid turning an estimate into a promise while hiding its assumptions.

Next steps

Use the syllabus guide to identify missing objectives and the study plan to schedule repairs. Check eligibility, booking options and source-linked exam facts in the overview. Fees belong in the country guides.