ISTQB CT-GenAI Certification: Testing with Generative AI (Syllabus, Prerequisites, Exam Fee)

What is the ISTQB CT-GenAI certification?

The ISTQB CT-GenAI certification (“Certified Tester – Testing with Generative AI”), currently at syllabus version 1.1, certifies the ability to test with generative AI (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026). It is awarded by ISTQB, the international body that also awards the CTFL (Foundation Level) certification that most testers know.

Its purpose is not to “test an AI” in the sense of validating a machine learning model, but to test with generative AI: using large language models (LLMs) as the tester’s assistants to design test cases, generate data, analyse requirements, review automation scripts or summarise results, while controlling the risks this introduces. ISTQB summarises the expected outcomes in five points (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026):

• “Understand the fundamental concepts, capabilities, and limitations of generative AI”;
• “Develop practical skills in prompting large language models for software testing”;
• “Gain insight into the risks and mitigations of using generative AI for software testing”;
• “Gain insight into the applications of generative AI solutions for software testing”;
• “Contribute effectively to the definition and implementation of a generative AI strategy”.

In other words: knowing how to use generative AI as a professional testing tool, with method, and knowing when not to use it.

Who is the ISTQB generative AI certification for?

The ISTQB generative AI certification is aimed at “anyone involved in using generative AI for software testing”: ISTQB explicitly mentions testers, test analysts, test automation engineers, test managers, user acceptance testers and developers. It is also presented as useful for project managers, quality managers, software development managers, business analysts, IT directors and consultants (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026).

Three profiles will find it particularly useful:

• The career-changer into testing. Entering the market with AI skills structured by a recognised framework, rather than with improvised use of assistants, is a concrete differentiator in interviews.
• The working tester who is asked to “use AI” without any framework. The syllabus provides a shared vocabulary and a risk grid to make your case to management.
• The test manager or manager who has to define an adoption strategy: chapter 5 of the syllabus deals precisely with deployment and integration in a test organisation.

What are the prerequisites for the ISTQB CT-GenAI?

The prerequisite for the ISTQB CT-GenAI is the CTFL certification, which is mandatory, and ISTQB is unambiguous: “Before taking the CT-GenAI exam, you must be certified ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL)” (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026). You therefore cannot go straight to the CT-GenAI if you are a beginner: you must first obtain the CTFL.

The CTFL v4.0 is itself the entry point to the whole ISTQB scheme: “CTFL certification is recognized as a prerequisite to all other ISTQB certifications where Foundation Level is required”. Its syllabus covers six areas: fundamentals of testing, testing throughout the software development lifecycle, static testing, test analysis and design, managing the test activities, and test tools. The exam has 40 questions, 40 points, with a pass mark of 26 points, in 60 minutes (75 minutes for candidates not sitting the exam in their native language) (source: istqb.org, CTFL v4.0 page, accessed 27 September 2026).

In practice, a complete path to the CT-GenAI therefore consists of two successive exams: CTFL, then CT-GenAI. This is exactly the sequence built into the ADC programme (see below). For details of the first level, see our page on the ISTQB CTFL certification, and for all the certifications we prepare for, the certifications page.

What does the ISTQB CT-GenAI v1.1 syllabus contain?

The ISTQB CT-GenAI v1.1 syllabus contains five chapters, from the introduction to generative AI through to its deployment in test organisations (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026). We list the official titles here, with what each chapter means in practice for a tester.

1. Introduction to GenAI for Software Testing

The basic concepts of generative AI, its capabilities and limitations, applied to the testing context. This is the chapter that avoids the two opposite mistakes: believing the LLM “understands” the application, or rejecting the tool on principle.

2. Prompt Engineering for Effective Software Testing

How to phrase requests that produce usable test cases, data or analyses. It covers prompt structure, the context to provide, iteration and checking the outputs.

3. Managing Risks of GenAI in Software Testing Process

Hallucinations, confidentiality of test data and code, bias, over-reliance, traceability: the chapter that makes the difference between professional and naive use. It is also the one of most interest to quality managers and to organisations subject to regulatory requirements.

4. LLM-Powered Solutions for Software Testing

An overview of applications: test generation and maintenance, automation support, requirements analysis, summarising results, assistants built into tools. The chapter helps you evaluate a solution rather than put up with the sales pitch.

5. Deploying and Integrating GenAI in Test Organizations

Adoption strategy, governance, skills, measuring value. This is the “management” chapter of the syllabus, which corresponds to the fifth business outcome: “Contribute effectively to the definition and implementation of a generative AI strategy”.

We do not detail the learning objectives level by level here: the official syllabus, which can be downloaded from istqb.org, remains the only reference for preparing for the exam.

How does the ISTQB CT-GenAI exam work?

The ISTQB CT-GenAI exam lasts 60 minutes, with 40 questions worth 46 points and a pass mark of 30 points (65%), according to the characteristics published by ISTQB (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026):

One point deserves attention: the CT-GenAI totals 46 points for 40 questions, which means that some questions are worth more than one point. The 65% pass mark applies to points, not to the number of correct answers. In your preparation, you therefore need to work on depth (multi-point questions generally relate to higher-level learning objectives) and not just on memorisation.

How much does the ISTQB CT-GenAI certification cost?

The cost of the ISTQB CT-GenAI certification is not published in the sources consulted: it is set by accredited exam providers, and at ADC the exam is included in the programme. Let us be precise about what we know and what we do not know.

What is sourced

The price of an ISTQB exam is set by accredited exam providers, not by ISTQB itself, and varies by country and provider. For the CTFL exam taken as an independent candidate, the training centre CERTyou listed, in an article updated on 9 October 2023, a fee of “€325 excl. VAT (€390 incl. VAT)”, and “€350 excl. VAT (€420 incl. VAT)” for the Agile Extension and Advanced levels (source: certyou.com, accessed 27 September 2026). These amounts cover the exam only, excluding training.

What is not

In the sources consulted, we did not find a published fee specifically for the CT-GenAI exam. We will therefore not publish a figure for “istqb ct-genai price”: ask the exam provider of your choice for a quote, or go through a programme that includes the exam. Above all, remember that a complete path involves two exams (CTFL, then CT-GenAI), and therefore two registration fees if you take them separately, plus the cost of preparation.

The real comparison: short course or integrated programme

On the market, CT-GenAI preparation is often offered as a two-day course, with the exam optional, reserved for professionals who already hold the CTFL. That makes sense for an experienced tester. For someone changing careers, it means first funding and passing the CTFL, then adding a second course and a second exam.

At AutomationDataCamp, both exams, CTFL v4.0 and CT-GenAI v1.1, are included in the “QA Automation & AI Tester” programme (second attempt offered for each), as part of a 399-hour path at €1,500 for the evening-class format with a mentor, payable in 1 to 4 instalments. The cost of the exams is therefore not an extra line to budget for. See the financing options.

How do you prepare for the ISTQB CT-GenAI exam?

To prepare for the ISTQB CT-GenAI exam, first obtain the CTFL, then read the official syllabus, practise on a real automation project and finish with timed mock exams, following the steps below.

1. Obtain the CTFL first. It is an administrative prerequisite, but also an educational one: the CT-GenAI assumes you know what a test design technique, a test level or a coverage criterion is. Without this foundation, chapter 2 (prompting for testing) remains abstract.
2. Read the official syllabus, chapter by chapter, noting the cognitive level of each learning objective. Multi-point questions target the application and analysis levels.
3. Practise on a real automation project. The CT-GenAI is not a general-knowledge exam on AI. Use an LLM to generate test cases for an application you are actually automating, then measure what was right, incomplete or wrong. It is the best training for chapter 3 (risks).
4. Work on critical review. For each AI output, train yourself to spot the hallucination, the implicit assumption, the sensitive data that should never have left the company. This is the core skill the framework seeks to certify.
5. Take timed mock exams, in 60 minutes, to set your pace across 40 questions.
6. Prepare your strategy argument. Chapter 5 is best learned by writing, for your own team or your training project, a short note: selected use cases, risks, safeguards, indicators. Exam questions on this chapter often take the form of scenarios.

For an overview of the role of AI in the profession, also read our page on AI in software testing.

Where can you prepare for the CTFL and CT-GenAI as a career changer?

You can prepare for the CTFL and CT-GenAI at ADC, in the “QA Automation & AI Tester” programme, which includes them in a complete career change: it was built so that a person with no technical prerequisites comes out with a profession, not just a certificate. The two ISTQB certifications are stages in it, not products sold separately.

• Duration and format: 399 hours over 12 weeks, 100% online, no prerequisites.
• Technical foundation: Playwright with TypeScript, API testing, GitHub Actions continuous integration. See the Playwright certification programme (FR).
• AI applied to testing: AI-assisted generation and review of test cases and scripts, failure analysis, with the safeguards of the CT-GenAI syllabus, on the projects you automate during the programme.
• Certifications: ISTQB CTFL v4.0 then CT-GenAI v1.1 exams included, second attempt offered for each; ADC Professional Certificate CP-QAI at the end of the path.
• Support: evening classes with a mentor, or a full-time format funded by the employer.
• Session: from 15 October 2026 to 15 January 2027, 12 places, registration open until 22 October.
• Fee: €1,500 in 1 to 4 instalments for the evening-class format; employer funding for the full-time format. State funding is announced as “coming soon”. The programme is not registered with the RNCP (French national register of professional qualifications).

Why teach generative AI to beginners? Because it is now an expectation of teams, and because a beginner who learns from the outset to check what an LLM produces develops a habit of rigour that many experienced practitioners had to acquire late. The ISTQB framework gives this learning a structure and international recognition.

Frequently asked questions about the ISTQB CT-GenAI

Can I take the CT-GenAI without the CTFL?

No. ISTQB states: “Before taking the CT-GenAI exam, you must be certified ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL)” (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026). A CTFL obtained on an earlier version of the syllabus is still a CTFL certification; however, check the conditions with your exam provider.

How many questions and what is the pass mark?

40 questions, 46 points in total, 30 points required (65%), in 60 minutes, with 25% extra time for candidates whose exam language is not their native language (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026).

What is the CT-GenAI exam fee?

It depends on the exam provider and the country; we did not find a published fee specific to the CT-GenAI in the sources consulted. As a benchmark, the CTFL exam for independent candidates was listed at €325 excl. VAT (€390 incl. VAT) by CERTyou in October 2023 (source: certyou.com, accessed 27 September 2026). At ADC, both exams are included in the 399-hour programme.

Does the CT-GenAI certify that I can test an AI?

No, this is a common misunderstanding. The CT-GenAI is about testing with generative AI: using LLMs as the tester’s assistants and managing the risks. Testing AI systems themselves falls under other ISTQB schemes.

Do I need to know how to program for the CT-GenAI?

The syllabus is not about a programming language. However, the learning objectives deal with concrete testing situations, including automation. Real hands-on practice, even at beginner level, makes chapters 2 and 4 much easier to follow. That is why ADC prepares for the exam within an automation programme, not in isolation.

What is the difference from a two-day CT-GenAI course?

A short course is aimed at professionals who already hold the CTFL and come for the syllabus content and the exam. The ADC programme is aimed at people building the profession from scratch: fundamentals (CTFL), Playwright automation, API testing, CI, then generative AI (CT-GenAI), with both exams included and a mentor throughout the 12 weeks.

Does the certification expire?

The istqb.org pages consulted on 27 September 2026 for the CT-GenAI and the CTFL v4.0 do not state an expiry date. Check the policy in force with your exam provider when you register.

Can I take the exam in French?

Language availability depends on the national exam providers and is not specified on the pages consulted. ISTQB does provide 25% extra time for candidates sitting the exam in a language other than their native one (source: istqb.org, accessed 27 September 2026). Check with your chosen provider; ADC supports you with these steps during the programme.

Get the CTFL and CT-GenAI as part of a genuine career change

“QA Automation & AI Tester” programme: 399 hours over 12 weeks, 100% online, no prerequisites, two ISTQB exams included, ADC Professional Certificate CP-QAI. Session from 15 October 2026 to 15 January 2027, 12 places, registration open until 22 October.