ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level (CTAL) Test Analyst

Advanced level courses are suitable for anyone who is interested in progressing an established career in software testing. This includes people in roles such as testers, test analysts, test engineers, test consultants, test team leads, test managers, user acceptance testers and software developers. They may also be of interest to anyone who wants a deeper than Foundation Level understanding of software testing, such as project managers, quality managers, software development managers, business analysts, IT directors and management consultants.

The Advanced Test Analyst course is particularly aimed at people whose primary role involves the more user-facing / customer-facing, rather than the more technical, aspects of testing software solutions.

The newly revised and updated version of this training course, now reduced from 4 days to 3, focuses on generally applicable techniques for software testing that go beyond those covered at Foundation Level. This course is accredited by the ISTQB and addresses the 2019 version of its Advanced Level Test Analyst syllabus. Attendees will benefit from thorough preparation for the associated ISTQB certification exam. Our training includes exercises and practice exams that highlight key aspects of the syllabus and help participants to understand and practice the concepts and methods presented.

Key Improvements in the 2020 “ATA” course

Its objective is to provide an understanding of general software testing issues that goes considerably beyond the ISTQB Foundation Level. In support of that, the new version of this training improves on the earlier one in the following main ways.

• Less repetition of Foundation Level topics.
• More about how to make testing effective in Agile developments.
• Pairwise algorithms, rather than orthogonal arrays, suggested for when large numbers of combinations need to be tested.
• Non-functional testing updated with the latest techniques and international standards and given more detailed treatment.
• Test Tools and Automation updated and modernised, including more detailed treatment of the non-technical tester’s role in test automation with emphasis on keyword-driven testing

A candidate who achieves ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst certification can be expected to:

• Use advanced techniques for designing tests at all test levels
• Use risk to maximise the value of testing by prioritising all aspects of it
• Make good choices about the level of detail in test documentation
• Understand the contribution that they can make to the management of testing
• Understand the quality characteristics for business domain testing
• Know how to approach usability and accessibility testing
• Understand how the effectiveness of reviews can be maximised, and the role that checklists can play in this
• Know how to compile and use a defect taxonomy
• Write clear and actionable defect reports, including those for non-functional defects
• Understand the use of classification data and root cause analysis on defect reports
• Make good use use of testing tools that are relevant to business domain testing, including test automation tools and the keyword-driven test automation technique.

The ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level (CTAL) Exam is not included in the price of the course.

The Certificate is awarded to those who pass a written three-hour multiple-choice exam of 60 questions that is set, moderated, marked and invigilated by an ISTQB licensed Exam Provider. Candidates whose native language is not English get an extra 25% time allowance.

The exam will be arranged separately on a later date. Tesena, in common with other training providers, recommends that Advanced Level exams be taken approximately 1 – 2 weeks after the course in order to allow adequate preparation time.

In order to take an ISTQB Advanced level certification exam, it is necessary to already have the CTFL certificate and to “satisfy the Exam Board which examines them that they have sufficient practical experience to be considered Advanced Level qualified“.

The CTFL certificate is not a pre-requisite for attending this training course. It is, however, essential that attendees have either obtained it or, at least, have undergone an ISTQB-accredited Foundation Level training course. It is further recommended that delegates also have at least one year’s practical experience of software testing.

Chapter 1: The Test Analyst’s Tasks in the Test Process

• How a standard test process, its major activities and work products can and must be adapted to the context of different types of software development life cycle, e.g. traditional vs. Agile.
• Varying levels of detail to which testware can be produced; designing test cases; ensuring traceability.

Chapter 2: The Test Analyst’s Tasks in Risk-Based Testing

• Risk identification, risk assessment and risk mitigation as a systematic and effective way to prioritise software test activities.

Chapter 3: Test Techniques

• Advanced application of Foundation Level black-box techniques.
• More black-box techniques: how classification trees and pairwise testing can help with complex test development challenges.
• Experience based techniques: error guessing, checklist-based testing, exploratory and defect-based testing.
• How to identify the most appropriate technique/s.

Chapter 4: Testing Software Quality Characteristics

• The software product quality model.
• Testing the sub-characteristics of functional suitability.
• Interoperability testing.
• Usability testing.
• Portability testing.

Chapter 5: Reviews

• How checklists can increase the effectiveness of reviews.

Chapter 6: Test Tools and Automation

• Types of test tool that can help the non-technical test analyst.
• Keyword-driven test automation.

A more detailed list of this course’s content can be found in the official ISTQB syllabus which can be viewed on, and downloaded from, www.istqb.org (go to the Downloads section).

Previous courses

ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) [ISTQBFL]

ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) Agile Tester [ISTQBFLA]

ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) Exam [ISTQBCTFL]

Next courses

ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level (CTAL) Exam [ISTQBCTAL]