CTAL-AT vs CTFL-AT: ISTQB Agile Migration Guide for 2027
CTFL-AT retires on 6 May 2027 (EN) / 6 November 2027 (non-EN) with no grandfathering. Here is exactly what CTAL-AT v2.0 replaces, how the two exams differ, and when to make the switch.
ISTQB's Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus (CTFL-AT) retires on 6 May 2027 for English exams and 6 November 2027 for all other languages, with no grandfathering into its replacement. That replacement is CTAL-AT v2.0 (GA 17 April 2026), an Advanced-level certification that absorbs not one but two retiring syllabuses — CTFL-AT and CT-ATT — into a single six-chapter exam of 40 questions and 52 points.
Why CTFL-AT Is Being Retired
CTFL-AT was published in 2014 and never received a version update — the PDF itself prints "Version 2014" on the cover, and the sole "v1.0" label exists only in the filename. ISTQB's Foundation Level core syllabus (CTFL v4.0) has since absorbed most of the Agile-adjacent fundamentals CTFL-AT used to teach, which is exactly why ISTQB itself notes on its certification page that candidates who already hold CTFL v4.0 gain little from sitting CTFL-AT separately. Rather than maintain two overlapping Foundation-level products, ISTQB folded the Agile specialism upward into a single Advanced-level certificate.
What CTAL-AT v2.0 Actually Replaces
This is where confusion sets in, including on some third-party exam-prep sites: there is no such thing as "CTFL-AT v2.0." CTAL-AT is a different level entirely — Advanced, not Foundation — and it replaces two separate retiring certifications, not one:
CTFL-AT — Foundation Level Agile Tester, sunset 6 May 2027 (EN) / 6 November 2027 (non-EN).
CT-ATT — Certified Agile Technical Tester, same retirement dates.
ISTQB states this explicitly: "CTFL-AT and CT-ATT will not be grandfathered into CTAL-AT v2.0." Holding either older certificate gives you no exemption and no shortcut — everyone who wants the new credential sits the full CTAL-AT exam.
CTFL-AT vs CTAL-AT: Key Differences
Level: CTFL-AT is Foundation level; CTAL-AT is Advanced level, with correspondingly deeper analysis and higher cognitive demand.
Prerequisite: Both require only the core CTFL certificate — CTAL-AT does not require CTFL-AT first.
Structure: CTFL-AT has 3 chapters; CTAL-AT v2.0 has 6 chapters, covering test strategy, people and teams, test management, shift left, Agile approaches and test techniques, and test automation and tools.
Cognitive levels: CTFL-AT tops out at K3 (Apply). CTAL-AT introduces K4 (Analyze) — 3 of its 40 questions require analyzing a scenario rather than recalling or applying a definition.
Scoring: CTFL-AT scores every question 1 point (40 questions, 40 points). CTAL-AT weights by cognitive level — K2 questions are worth 1 point, K3 worth 2, K4 worth 3 — for 52 points across the same 40 questions.
Exam Format Side by Side
CTFL-AT: 40 questions, 40 points, 26 to pass (65%), 60 minutes (75 with the non-native-language allowance).
CTAL-AT v2.0: 40 questions, 52 points, 34 to pass (65%), 90 minutes (113 with the non-native-language allowance).
The question count looks identical, but the extra 30 minutes and heavier point weighting reflect the K4 analysis items and longer, scenario-based questions that Advanced-level testing introduces.
The Six CTAL-AT v2.0 Chapters
Unlike CTFL-AT's three broad chapters, CTAL-AT v2.0 is split into six, each with its own question quota out of 40:
Test Strategy and Test Approach Challenges — 5 questions
People and Teams — 5 questions
Test Management and Test Process Improvement — 7 questions
Shift Left — 9 questions
Agile Approaches and Test Techniques — 12 questions, the largest chapter
Test Automation and Test Tools — 2 questions
Chapters 4 and 5 alone account for 21 of the 40 questions and all three K4 items, so they deserve the bulk of study time. None of these six chapter names appear anywhere in the CTFL-AT syllabus — this is a rebuilt structure, not a renumbered one.
When Should You Migrate?
Already hold CTFL v4.0 and work in Agile testing: skip CTFL-AT entirely and go straight for CTAL-AT — there is no grandfathering benefit to sitting the retiring exam first.
Mid-preparation for CTFL-AT before mid-2026: finishing is still worthwhile if the exam slot is booked, since the certificate never expires — but budget separate study time for CTAL-AT later since none of it carries over.
Hold CT-ATT already: the same rule applies — CTAL-AT is the successor to both, and neither older certificate is credited toward it.
Just starting out: get the CTFL foundation first (the only formal prerequisite for CTAL-AT), then move directly to CTAL-AT — there is no reason to route through a syllabus that stops being offered in 2027.
Practice with our free CTAL-AT v2.0 mock exams — built to the official 5/5/7/9/12/2 chapter distribution and K2/K3/K4 point weighting — or start from the CTFL v4.0 mock exams if you haven't cleared the Foundation prerequisite yet.
For the full syllabus text, check ISTQB's official certification pages directly, since exam structure tables are updated periodically.
Frequently asked
CTFL-AT retires on 6 May 2027 for English-language exams and 6 November 2027 for all other languages. No new sittings are offered after those dates.
No. There is no CTFL-AT v2.0. CTAL-AT is a separate, Advanced-level certification (GA 17 April 2026) that replaces both CTFL-AT and CT-ATT, not an updated version of CTFL-AT itself.
No. ISTQB states explicitly that CTFL-AT and CT-ATT will not be grandfathered into CTAL-AT v2.0. Everyone who wants the new credential must sit the full CTAL-AT exam, regardless of prior certificates.
40 questions worth 52 points total, with 34 points (65%) needed to pass, in 90 minutes (113 minutes with the standard non-native-language allowance).
Six chapters, with questions distributed 5/5/7/9/12/2: Test Strategy and Test Approach Challenges, People and Teams, Test Management and Test Process Improvement, Shift Left, Agile Approaches and Test Techniques, and Test Automation and Test Tools.
No. The only formal prerequisite for CTAL-AT is the core ISTQB CTFL certificate. CTFL-AT is not required and gives no exemption.
Part of the ExamCaliber editorial team. Every ExamCaliber question and rationale is written and reviewed by hand against the current syllabus — never scraped from exam dumps.