Plan your exam budget
ISTQB exam cost and fees
Find fee guides by country and understand exam charges, retakes, taxes and booking terms before you pay.
General official guidance checked October 5, 2026. Added provider price checks dated October 6. Budgeting advice is our editorial guidance.
There is no single price to use for every ISTQB exam worldwide. ISTQB directs candidates to member boards and exam providers for applicable fees and booking information. Use the provider, certification and delivery method for your actual booking when checking a price.
Find exam fees by country
The table below summarizes the published Foundation fees and estimates in eighteen country guides. Open the linked guide for its provider, source, tax treatment and conditions. The other guides explain their booking route and mark prices that still need confirmation.
Booking elsewhere? Use the member board directory to find the board or exam provider for your country.
Published Foundation Level fees on our country guides
These are amounts or estimates published by the named board or provider for CTFL. They are not comparable totals. Tax, currency and what the fee covers differ by route, so open the country guide for the source and conditions before you compare.
| Country | Board or provider | Published fee | Tax and scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Certible | EUR 200 estimate | Excludes VAT. Calculator selection: Austria, CTFL syllabus 4.0 |
| Czechia | CaSQB | CZK 3,600 or EUR 150 | Excludes VAT. Same base price online and in person |
| Egypt | ESTB / SECC | EGP 1,800 / EGP 3,000 | CTFL v4.0: Egyptians / non-Egyptians. Tax treatment is not stated; eligibility and final total require confirmation |
| Finland | FiSTB public exam | EUR 250 | Excludes VAT. Not the iSQI remote-exam price |
| France | GASQ (Paris session) | EUR 265 | Excludes VAT (HT). CTFL v4.0 session in Paris, December 7, 2026 |
| Germany | Cert-IT | EUR 225.00 | Excludes VAT (EUR 267.75 with VAT). Certified Tester exam without a course |
| India | Indian Testing Board (ITB) | INR 6,844 | Includes GST. CTFL v4.0 individual remote-proctored exam. Other individual and corporate rates are listed in the India guide |
| Italy | ITA-STQB | EUR 230 | Excludes IVA (VAT). Online live remotely proctored CTFL exam |
| Japan | JUSE / JSTQB | JPY 22,000 | Includes tax. Tokyo Foundation Level paper session, January 16, 2027; applications close December 11, 2026 |
| Malaysia | MSTB | MYR 900 | Foundation listing. Tax treatment and syllabus version are not specified in the fee entry |
| Nigeria | NGSTQB | EUR 100 | Foundation listing for FLEX and Pearson VUE. Version and taxes not specified; current registration form offers online delivery |
| Norway | NTB | NOK 2,400 | NTB does not state the tax-inclusive total |
| Singapore | SGTQB | SGD 299 | CTFL v4.0 Online@Home. Transaction charges apply; final tax treatment requires confirmation |
| Slovakia | CaSQB | EUR 150 | Excludes VAT. Same base price online and in person |
| South Africa | SASTQB | ZAR 2,350 | Foundation exam-only listing. VAT treatment and version are not specified in the price row |
| Sweden | SSTB | SEK 2,800 | Excludes VAT (SEK 3,500 with VAT). Foundation and Specialist exams |
| United Kingdom | BCS | GBP 200 | Excludes VAT. Includes GBP 35 remote proctoring. UK exam-only offer |
| USA | AT*SQA (ASTQB route) | US$229 | Listed CTFL voucher price, same for online and test-center delivery |
Compare the same exam and the same offer
- Certification and version. Match the full name, acronym, syllabus version and exam language. A CTFL quote does not tell you what an Advanced or Specialist exam costs.
- Provider and country. Check who supplies the voucher and exam. Prices shown by one provider are not a universal country-wide tariff.
- Delivery method. Compare online and test-center options on the provider’s terms. Do not assume one is cheaper. Check the price for each available option.
- What is included. Separate the exam-only price from training, books, practice materials and any retake package. Ask whether the advertised amount is the final payable total.
For a concrete provider example, see ASTQB’s exam price guidance. For the amount and booking route, use the linked country guide.
Work out the total cost
Your budget: exam charge + applicable taxes or payment charges + any optional preparation or travel costs + a contingency for a retake or changed appointment. Not every item applies to every booking.
- At checkout: check the currency, taxes, payment-processing charges and whether your bank may add a currency-conversion fee.
- Preparation: decide whether you need paid training or a book. For CTFL, ISTQB also allows preparation by self-study. Our study materials hub links to official syllabi, sample exams and the glossary.
- Delivery: allow for travel to a test center or any equipment needed to meet the provider’s remote-exam requirements.
- Employer payment: ask whether your organization can buy the voucher or reimburse you, and what invoice details it requires.
Check the retake price separately
ISTQB’s exam guidance says retake fees and any minimum interval between attempts are available from the member board or exam provider. Do not assume a second attempt is included in the first payment.
Some providers have conditional retake offers. For example, ASTQB describes paid attempts and qualifying retake offers. Eligibility and expiry matter. An offer for one certification or booking route may not apply to yours.
Before relying on an offer, ask which exam it covers, who qualifies, whether you must take training, how to claim it and when the retake must be completed. See our retake guide for the wider process.
Read rescheduling, cancellation and refund terms
Changing an appointment is not the same as canceling a purchase. Check the provider’s notice period, any change charge, no-show rules, voucher expiry and refund conditions before paying.
The Indian Testing Board’s rescheduling policy lists possible charges such as a rescheduling fee, a price or platform difference, and applicable taxes. Its refund policy limits when a refund is available. These are ITB rules. Check the policy for your own provider and enrollment route.
For delivery-specific details, follow your country guide. Do not transfer a deadline or refund rule from one provider to another.
Six checks before you pay
- Confirm the certification name, syllabus version, language and prerequisites against your intended exam.
- Get the complete payable total in the stated currency, including applicable taxes and extra charges.
- Confirm whether the quote covers the exam alone, training, materials or any retake entitlement.
- Check the voucher expiry, appointment availability and the last exam date if the syllabus is retiring.
- Read cancellation, rescheduling, no-show and retake terms. Check remote equipment requirements or the test-center location.
- Save the quote, terms, payment receipt and booking confirmation. Resolve anything unclear with the provider first.
A question you can send to the provider
“Please confirm the total payable fee for [certification and version] in [language] by [delivery method], including taxes and payment charges. What is included, when does the voucher expire, and what are the cancellation, rescheduling and retake terms?”
Ready to book? Follow the booking checklist. If you are still choosing an exam, return to the certification directory.
Common questions about ISTQB exam cost
How much does the CTFL exam cost?
It depends on the provider and country. Published CTFL fees on our country guides include US$229 in the USA (AT*SQA), EUR 150 excluding VAT in Czechia and Slovakia (CaSQB) and SEK 2,800 excluding VAT in Sweden (SSTB). See the fee table above, then confirm the full payable total with your provider. An amount advertised elsewhere may cover a different delivery method or package.
Are free study materials the same as a free exam?
No. Free access to a syllabus, glossary or sample exam does not mean an exam voucher is included. Check the exam charge separately. For CTFL, paid training is not the only preparation route. Official materials support self-study.
Can I use a provider in another country?
Ask that provider before purchase whether it accepts candidates in your location, offers your exam and language, and supports your preferred delivery method. Compare the final cost and terms rather than the headline price alone.
Sources and how we checked
Official sources checked October 5, 2026. Provider policies can change. This page explains how to compare costs. Current price amounts are maintained on the country guides. The budgeting checklist is our guidance, not an ISTQB rule.