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CTFL revision

CTFL study guide — free revision notes

The complete ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) study library — 22 lessons mapped to every domain and topic in the official exam guide. Free to read, no account needed.

Lessons
22
across 6 domains
Reading time
4 hrs
244 minutes in total
Exam
40 Qs
60 min · pass 26 / 40 (65%)
Price
Free
no account required

Create a free account to track completed lessons, bookmark topics and see your exam readiness. · Pro lessons unlock with a one-time upgrade.

The CTFL blueprint, domain by domain

ISTQB publishes exactly what the CTFL tests and how much each part is worth. Here it is — every domain, its weight, the topics inside it, and the lessons that cover them.

Domain 1

Fundamentals of Testing

20%
of the exam

What testing is and why it matters: test objectives, testing vs debugging, errors/defects/failures, the seven principles, test activities, testware and roles, and essential tester skills. Official share: 8 of 40 exam questions.

5 topics in this domain
  • What is Testing?
  • Why is Testing Necessary?
  • Testing Principles
  • Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles
  • Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing
5 lessons · 53 min of reading · 129 practice questionsStart this domain
Domain 2

Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle

15%
of the exam

Testing across development lifecycles: SDLC impact, test-first approaches, DevOps and shift left, retrospectives, test levels and test types, confirmation vs regression testing, and maintenance testing. Official share: 6 of 40 exam questions.

3 topics in this domain
  • Testing in the Context of a Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
  • Test Levels and Test Types
  • Maintenance Testing
3 lessons · 32 min of reading · 99 practice questionsStart this domain
Domain 3

Static Testing

10%
of the exam

Static testing basics and its value versus dynamic testing, early stakeholder feedback, the review process, review roles, review types and success factors. Official share: 4 of 40 exam questions.

2 topics in this domain
  • Static Testing Basics
  • Feedback and Review Process
2 lessons · 20 min of reading · 66 practice questionsStart this domain
Domain 4

Test Analysis and Design

28%
of the exam

Test techniques: black-box (equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, decision tables, state transitions), white-box (statement and branch testing), experience-based techniques and collaboration-based approaches (user stories, acceptance criteria, ATDD). Official share: 11 of 40 exam questions.

5 topics in this domain
  • Test Techniques Overview
  • Black-box Test Techniques
  • White-box Test Techniques
  • Experience-based Test Techniques
  • Collaboration-based Test Approaches
5 lessons · 57 min of reading · 184 practice questionsStart this domain
Domain 5

Managing the Test Activities

22%
of the exam

Managing testing: test plans, entry/exit criteria, estimation, prioritization, the test pyramid and quadrants, risk management, monitoring/control/completion and reporting, configuration management and defect reports. Official share: 9 of 40 exam questions.

5 topics in this domain
  • Test Planning
  • Risk Management
  • Test Monitoring, Test Control and Test Completion
  • Configuration Management
  • Defect Management
5 lessons · 65 min of reading · 145 practice questionsStart this domain
Domain 6

Test Tools

5%
of the exam

Tool support for testing and the benefits and risks of test automation. Official share: 2 of 40 exam questions.

2 topics in this domain
  • Tool Support for Testing
  • Benefits and Risks of Test Automation
2 lessons · 17 min of reading · 34 practice questionsStart this domain

How to revise for the CTFL

Reading every note front to back is the slowest way to pass. The exam is weighted, so your revision should be too — the blueprint above tells you exactly where the marks are.

Read in weight order, not page order

Test Analysis and Design carries the most marks on the CTFL, so it earns the most of your attention. Work down the blueprint from the heaviest domain to the lightest rather than starting at domain 1 and grinding forward.

First pass for coverage, second pass for recall

Read each lesson once without stopping to memorise — you are building a map, not a memory. On the second pass, read only the "what's tested" and key-takeaway blocks. If a takeaway surprises you, that lesson goes back on the pile.

Turn takeaways into questions

Cover a lesson's key takeaways and try to say them out loud from the heading alone. Recall you can produce under your own steam is the only recall that survives a timed exam; recognition on a re-read is not the same thing.

Stop reading when practice, not the page count, says so

Finishing the notes is not the goal — scoring is. Move to CTFL practice questions early, then come back to the exact lessons your wrong answers point at. That loop is worth far more than a third read-through.

Beyond the CTFL notes

CTFL cheat sheetEvery key takeaway from these notes on one page, grouped by domain. For the week of the exam.CTFL flashcardsThe same key facts one at a time, answer hidden until you commit — recall practice rather than re-reading.CTFL practice questions657 exam-realistic questions with an explanation on every option. Reading is not the same as knowing.CTFL mock exams40 questions in 60 minutes, scored like the real thing. Sit one before you book.ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) (CTFL) exam overviewExam facts, who it is for, cost and how it fits alongside the other certifications.

CTFL revision notes: your questions

Yes. All 22 CTFL lessons are readable in full without an account and without payment. Creating a free account adds progress tracking, bookmarks and a readiness score — it does not unlock extra reading.

Source

Exam structure, domain weights and scoring on this page come from the official CTFL exam guide.