What this level does
This level sets up your study before any testing theory begins. You will learn the exam's format, what its three kinds of question ask of you, where to get the official documents, and how to divide your study time.
ISTQB is the International Software Testing Qualifications Board. CTFL is its Certified Tester Foundation Level certification. The current syllabus on istqb.org is version v4.0.1, a minor revision within the v4.0 generation.
Know the exam format
Memorise these figures first:
- 40 multiple-choice questions, each worth 1 point.
- 60 minutes in total, which is an average of 90 seconds per question.
- 26 correct answers to pass, which is 65%.
Practical consequences:
- You can get 14 questions wrong and still pass.
- Every question carries the same weight, so a hard question is worth no more than an easy one.
- ISTQB allows 25% extra time (75 minutes) for candidates sitting the exam in a language that is not their native one. Confirm the arrangements with your exam provider when you book.
The exam is delivered by ISTQB's member boards and approved exam providers, not by this course. Booking, fees and delivery method depend on the provider you choose.
Understand K1, K2 and K3
The syllabus is built from learning objectives, and each one is tagged with a K-level (knowledge level). The tag tells you how deeply that topic can be examined.
| Level | Name | What the question asks you to do |
|---|---|---|
| K1 | Remember | Recognise or recall a term, fact or concept |
| K2 | Understand | Explain, compare, classify or summarise an idea, or give an example of it |
| K3 | Apply | Carry out a technique or procedure on a scenario you have not seen before |
A driving-test analogy:
- K1: State what a road sign means.
- K2: Explain why the speed limit is lower near a school.
- K3: Actually park the car in a marked space.
What to do with this:
- Check the K-level beside each learning objective in the syllabus before you study it.
- For K1 objectives, learn the terms precisely.
- For K2 objectives, practise explaining the idea in your own words and telling similar ideas apart. Most exam questions sit at this level, so memorising alone is not enough.
- For K3 objectives, work through examples with pen and paper until you can produce the answer yourself.
Download the official documents
The syllabus is ISTQB's copyright. It is not attached to this course and is not reproduced in it. Get it from the source, free of charge:
- Go to istqb.org and open the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) v4.0 page.
- Download the current syllabus (v4.0.1 at the time of writing). Check the version number on the page, because ISTQB revises its documents.
- Download the sample exams. ISTQB publishes four sets (A to D), each with a question paper and a separate answer document.
- Open the ISTQB Glossary, the official list of testing terms and definitions, linked from istqb.org.
- Keep all three beside you while you work through each level of this course.
How to use each document:
- Syllabus: The definition of what can be examined. Read the matching section after each level here.
- Glossary: The exam uses ISTQB's terms exactly. When a term appears, look up the official wording.
- Sample exams: Save at least one to sit under timed conditions (60 minutes, no notes) near the end of your preparation.
Map the six chapters to study time
The syllabus gives each chapter a minimum teaching time in minutes. Use those figures as a guide to how much effort each chapter deserves.
| Chapter | Title | Minutes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fundamentals of Testing | 180 | about 16% |
| 2 | Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle | 130 | about 11% |
| 3 | Static Testing | 80 | about 7% |
| 4 | Test Analysis and Design | 390 | about 34% |
| 5 | Managing the Test Activities | 335 | about 30% |
| 6 | Test Tools | 20 | about 2% |
| Total | 1,135 | 100% |
Points to act on:
- Chapters 4 and 5 together take roughly two thirds of the time. Plan most of your study hours there.
- Chapter 4 is where most of the K3 (apply) work lives: test techniques that you must be able to perform, not just describe.
- Chapter 6 is short, but it is still examined. Do not skip it.
- To build a plan, decide your total hours and multiply by each share. Example: with 40 hours, Chapter 4 gets about 14 hours and Chapter 3 about 3 hours.
This course has 46 levels and follows the same proportions.
Know what this course is and is not
- Independent: This course is not produced, endorsed or reviewed by ISTQB.
- Not accredited: ISTQB member boards accredit some training providers. This course is not one of them.
- Paraphrased: It explains the syllabus topics in ISTQB's standard terms but in its own words. It never copies the syllabus text, which is why you need the original beside you.
- No guarantee: No course can promise a pass, and this one does not. Your result depends on your own study and on the questions you meet on the day.
What the exam asks about this
The exam does not ask about its own format or about K-levels. This level is orientation, not examinable content. Its value is in how you prepare:
- Every exam question is tied to one learning objective and its K-level, so the syllabus tells you in advance how deep to go on each topic.
- Exam wording follows the ISTQB Glossary, so learn the official terms.
- All six chapters are examined, weighted broadly in line with their timings.
Key takeaways
- 40 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes, 26 correct (65%) to pass.
- K1 = remember, K2 = understand, K3 = apply. Most questions are K2.
- Download the current syllabus, the sample exams and the glossary free from istqb.org and read them beside this course.
- Chapter timings are 180, 130, 80, 390, 335 and 20 minutes. Chapters 4 and 5 deserve about two thirds of your time.
- This course is independent of ISTQB, not accredited, paraphrases rather than reproduces the syllabus, and promises no pass.