What's new in the ISTQB CTAL Test Management module

After 12 long years, the ISTQB has released a significantly revised package of materials for the highly successful advanced level module, CTAL Test Management v3.0. The content of the new version of CTAL-TM is thus consistent with the Foundation Level Certified Tester module, which was updated in 2023. In this article, we will gradually address the most significant changes that came into effect on 30/05/2024. From 31/05/2025, the existing version 2.0 from 2012 will be replaced entirely (12 months is a transition period after which candidates can take the exam according to the old or new version). The documents for this module are not yet planned to be translated into Czech or Slovak. 

The first visible change is changing the module's name from Test Manager to Test Management. This indicates a shift in the module's focus from describing the activities of the test manager role to describing activities related to test management, regardless of the role that performs those activities. It tries to reflect the everyday reality in many teams where development takes place using an agile approach. 

The syllabus is newly structured into three main chapters (the 2012 version had seven chapters), further divided into 2 to 7 subsections. It covers 40 learning objectives. The total minimum time for an accredited training course has been reduced from 33 to 22.75 hours. Accredited courses should be four days long (instead of the current five training days). We will discuss the content news in more detail in a moment. 

Many will welcome the changes that the certification exam has undergone. The three-hour exam, linked to the previous syllabus version, was a tough nut to crack for everyone. Newly, the base limit for the exam is 120 minutes (non-native speakers and people with disabilities receive a bonus in the form of a 25 % increase in the limit for all ISTQB exams). The number of questions has also been adequately reduced from 65 to 50. The minimum passing score for the exam is 65 % (questions can be evaluated with a different number of points). The principle of questions based on scenarios is preserved, so some questions are based on the practical scenario (one scenario can be used in several questions). If you are considering preparing for the exam, check out some useful tips for preparing for the ISTQB exam. If you already have a certificate from a previous version of CTAL-TM, you don't need to stress about preparing for the exam - except for the expert level, all ISTQB certificates are valid indefinitely. 

Regarding the new syllabus text, 7 new terms have been added to the Glossary: defect prevention, defect workflow, hybrid software development model, test progress, internal failure, external failure, and appraisal. Of the terms already included in the dictionary of terms in the previous version, the wording of the term quality risk was updated. 

Content changes 

The new syllabus has seen a lot of changes. Sub-chapters are significantly rewritten, especially supplemented with agile and hybrid development specifics. The topic of revisions was removed entirely (it remains in the CTAL-TA module at the advanced level). The syllabus is newly divided into three main chapters: 

Managing the Test Activities 

The first chapter is by far the most comprehensive. First, it analyzes in detail the three groups of activities of the testing process - planning of testing, monitoring and control of testing and closing of testing. It also discusses aspects related to the context in which testing takes place (view of stakeholders, different development models and their specifics from a testing perspective, and specifics of managing various types of tests). In this section, the term 'hybrid software development' is used for the first time, which needs to be understood well. In most of the specialized chapters, the authors touch on the differences in approaches and procedures related to the given chapter in the case of traditional (sequential) development, agile development, and hybrid development. 

In the next part, the authors address the risk-based testing strategy, which is currently the dominant testing strategy in practice. In the following subsection, the topic of project test strategy is discussed (here, the authors split the term 'test strategy' used so far into 'project test strategy' and 'organizational test strategy'). The chapter on improving the testing process has undergone relatively extensive changes. Sections detailing various methodologies for improving test processes have been omitted. At the end of the first part of the syllabus is a chapter on tools used in testing with minimal differences from the previous version. 

Managing the Product 

The second chapter begins by interpreting metrics used to control and monitor testing and measure the tested product's quality. In the next part, the authors address testing estimation (to a significantly greater extent than in the previous version of the syllabus). The chapter dedicated to defect management has also been expanded considerably. Here, study objectives for defect management in agile and hybrid development models have been added. The chapter also provides valuable practical recommendations for setting up defect workflows. 

Managing the Team 

The last chapter deals with the 'soft-skill' areas of test management. The first sub-chapter is devoted to the knowledge and skills of individual testing team members, the process of selecting suitable team members and, last but not least, issues of their motivation and further development of their knowledge. In the last sub-chapter, the topic of the cost of (lack of) quality and the calculation of the added value that test activities give to stakeholders (product owners, business owners, etc.) is discussed to an extent comparable to the previous version of the syllabus. 

Sources 

• Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Management (CTAL-TM) v3.0 [NEW!] (istqb.org) 
• ISTQB® release the Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Management version 3.0 (CTAL-TM v3.0) certification 
• ISTQB® Certified Tester - Advanced Level Test Management V.3 (youtube.com) 

This article was reproduced with minor additions, courtesy of CaSQB, from the blogpost What's new in the ISTQB CTAL Test Management module. Tesena is a platinum partner of CaSQB and offers the most extensive portfolio of accredited ISTQB courses in both Czech and English.

The article was written by our trainer, Mirek Renda, a member of CaSQB and one of the co-authors of the new curriculum for the CTAL-TM module.