CTAL - Test Automation Engineering Simulator

Updated on 12 October 2026. What’s new: the current pass mark is 43 points out of 66, across 40 questions, on ISTQB's exam page

ISTQB did not patch the Test Automation Engineering syllabus for version 2.0. It rewrote it. The May 2024 release replaced the 2016 edition, kept the engineer's own work (architecture, pipelines, upkeep) and moved the strategy material into a separate CT-TAS syllabus. The paper is 40 questions in 90 minutes, and you need 43 of the 66 points to pass.

Many articles about this exam still describe it as a light refresh with "AI and DevOps added". That is not what the syllabus says about itself. Below is what ISTQB actually changed, what each chapter now examines, how the six scripting approaches differ, and a study route that fits someone who already writes automation code. Everything about the syllabus comes from ISTQB's own v2.0 PDF, and everything about the exam from the vendor's exam page, both read in October 2026.

What did ISTQB change when it replaced the 2016 syllabus?

The syllabus's own revision history lists two releases: the general availability release of 21 October 2016 and the v2.0 release of 3 May 2024. Its release-notes appendix is short and unusually frank. It calls the 2024 text "a major update and rewrite of release 2016", says that for this reason there are no release notes chapter by chapter, and gives two reasons: the content has been "significantly enhanced for the test automation engineering role", and strategic content has moved to the new Test Automation Strategy syllabus.