Free ISTQB Mock Exam Simulator
Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL v4.0)
Practise under real exam conditions: 40 exam-style questions, a 60-minute timer, and a pass mark of 26 out of 40 (65%). Every attempt draws a fresh randomized set, and you get a full answer review when you finish.
- Questions
- 40
- Time limit
- 60 min
- Pass mark
- 65%
- Cost
- Free
The 60-minute timer starts when you press Start - not before.
How to Get the Most Out of a Mock Exam
Most candidates treat a mock exam as a pass/fail verdict. It is far more useful as a diagnostic. Sit the first attempt cold, without notes, and resist the urge to look anything up - the score you get under those conditions is the honest baseline you are trying to improve.
The answer review afterwards is where the learning actually happens. Read the explanation for every question you got wrong and every one you guessed correctly, because a lucky guess is a gap you have not found yet. When an explanation introduces a term you cannot define from memory, look it up in the Learning Hub before moving on.
Pay attention to the K-level tag on each question. Missing K1 questions means the definitions have not landed yet, and flashcards will fix that faster than re-reading the syllabus. Missing K3 questions is a different problem entirely: you understand the concept but cannot yet apply it under time pressure, which is a practice problem, not a memory one. Two candidates with the same score can need completely opposite study plans.
Who Is This For?
Whether you’re a manual tester formalizing your knowledge, a developer moving into QA, or a student preparing for your first software testing certification, the CTFL Foundation Level exam is the industry-standard starting point. Our simulator helps you find your weak spots before exam day - test management, test design techniques, static testing, or testing throughout the SDLC.
What the ISTQB Foundation Level Syllabus Covers
The CTFL v4.0 syllabus is organised into six chapters, and the exam draws from all of them. Knowing where your weak areas sit tells you what to revise first:
- Fundamentals of Testing - why we test, the seven testing principles, the test process, and the difference between error, defect, and failure.
- Testing Throughout the SDLC - test levels, test types, maintenance testing, and how testing fits sequential and agile models.
- Static Testing - reviews and the review process, and why finding defects in documents is cheaper than finding them in code.
- Test Analysis and Design - black-box, white-box, and experience-based techniques, including boundary value analysis and decision tables.
- Managing the Test Activities - planning, risk, estimation, monitoring and control, and defect management.
- Test Tools - tool categories, and the benefits and risks of test automation.
The official syllabus and glossary are published free by the ISTQB and are worth reading alongside any practice tool.
More Ways to Prepare
- Learning Hub - browse 580+ ISTQB glossary terms with plain-English explanations, real-world examples, and practice questions for each term.
- Flashcards - drill definitions the fun way: read the definition, guess the term, flip the card.
Ready when you are - scroll up and hit start. Good luck on your certification! 🥋
More ways to practise
The simulator above is randomised: every attempt draws a different set of 40 questions, so it is the one to use for repeated practice under exam conditions. The pages below are the opposite - fixed papers whose questions and worked answers are all on the page, for when you want to study the reasoning rather than be tested on it.
- Practice Test 1A fixed 40-question paper, weighted towards recall. Questions and answers are on the page, with an optional timed mode.
- Practice Test 2A harder paper with more applied test design questions. Shares no questions with the others.
- Practice Test 3The dress rehearsal, carrying the most risk and test management content.
- Questions by Chapter80 questions grouped by syllabus chapter, each answered in full. Study the chapter you are weakest on.
- Learning HubStudy notes for all six chapters, plus a 580-term ISTQB glossary.
- FlashcardsDrill the terminology until the definitions come back without effort.
12 Free ISTQB CTFL Sample Questions with Answers
These are exam-style practice questions from our ISTQB Foundation Level question bank, shown in full with the correct answer, a worked explanation, and the K-level tag used by the official exam. Read them here, then start the timed mock exam above for a fresh randomized set - these sample questions never appear in the simulator.
Question 1. A field accepts values from 1 to 500 inclusive. Using 2-value Boundary Value Analysis, which set provides complete coverage?
K3- A.0, 1, 500, 501Correct
- B.1, 2, 499, 500
- C.1, 500
- D.0, 1, 2, 499, 500, 501
Answer: 0, 1, 500, 501
Explanation
Two-value BVA tests each boundary and its closest neighbour in the adjacent partition: 0 and 1 at the lower boundary, 500 and 501 at the upper.
Question 2. How many test cases are needed for 100% decision table rule coverage?
K3An online shop applies shipping fees according to the following rules:
Premium Member Order > $100 Free Shipping T T Yes T F Yes F T Yes F F No - A.2
- B.4Correct
- C.3
- D.8
Answer: 4
Explanation
Decision table rule coverage requires one test case per rule, where a rule is one column of condition values and its outcome. This table has two conditions, giving four combinations and therefore four rules, so four test cases are needed.
Question 3. To achieve 100% valid transition coverage, what is the minimum number of test cases?
K3A system has the following states and transitions:
- A.1Correct
- B.4
- C.3
- D.2
Answer: 1
Explanation
Valid transition coverage requires every valid transition to be exercised at least once, not necessarily by separate tests. The model has three transitions (Login, Lock, Unlock) and they chain end to end, so one test case walking LOGGED OUT to LOGGED IN to LOCKED and back to LOGGED IN covers all three.
Question 4. Which requirement is not covered by any test case?
K3Consider the following traceability matrix:
Requirement TC1 TC2 TC3 R1 X R2 X R3 R4 X X - A.R4
- B.R1
- C.R3Correct
- D.R2
Answer: R3
Explanation
Reading across each row of the traceability matrix shows which test cases exercise that requirement. R1, R2 and R4 each have at least one linked test case, but the R3 row is empty, so R3 is a coverage gap: nothing currently tests it.
Question 5. Which risk should receive the highest testing priority?
K3Testing resources are limited. The following risks were identified:
Risk Likelihood Impact R1 High High R2 High Low R3 Medium Medium R4 Low High - A.R1Correct
- B.R4
- C.R3
- D.R2
Answer: R1
Explanation
Risk level is determined by combining likelihood and impact. R1 is the only risk rated High on both, so it carries the greatest risk level and earns the highest testing priority when resources are limited.
Question 6. Which module has the highest defect density?
K3A system contains:
Module KLOC Defects A 10 25 B 5 20 C 15 15 - A.A
- B.C
- C.BCorrect
- D.All equal
Answer: B
Explanation
Defect density normalises defect counts by size, so a large module with many defects is not automatically the worst. Dividing defects by KLOC gives A = 25/10 = 2.5, B = 20/5 = 4.0 and C = 15/15 = 1.0, so module B has the highest density despite having fewer total defects than A.
Question 7. Which review type is MOST likely being used?
K2Characteristic Present Led by author Yes Individual preparation Optional Focus on learning Yes Review report No - A.Informal Review
- B.Inspection
- C.Technical Review
- D.WalkthroughCorrect
Answer: Walkthrough
Explanation
Walkthroughs are typically led by the author and focus on learning, gaining understanding, and discussing alternatives.
Question 8. Which team member is MOST likely responsible for test analysis?
K2Activity Business Analyst Developer Tester Review Requirements X X Code Feature X Analyze Test Basis X Approve Budget X - A.Developer
- B.Project Manager
- C.Business Analyst
- D.TesterCorrect
Answer: Tester
Explanation
The matrix explicitly shows the tester performing "Analyze Test Basis", a key activity of test analysis.
Question 9. Which agile testing quadrant does the activity MOST likely belong to?
K2Activity Description Usability Testing Evaluate user experience Unit Testing Verify component logic Functional Testing Validate business requirements Performance Testing Measure response time - A.Usability Testing → Q3Correct
- B.Functional Testing → Q4
- C.Unit Testing → Q3
- D.Performance Testing → Q2
Answer: Usability Testing → Q3
Explanation
Q3 contains business-facing tests that critique the product, including usability testing.
Question 10. Which testing objective is BEST supported by the activities shown in the timeline?
K2Testing activities across the lifecycle:
Phase Activity Requirements Review requirements Design Review design Development Create and run unit tests Integration Run integration tests System Run system tests - A.Guaranteeing production success
- B.Early defect detectionCorrect
- C.Eliminating all product risks
- D.Proving the absence of defects
Answer: Early defect detection
Explanation
Reviews and testing activities occur throughout the lifecycle, supporting early detection of defects.
Question 11. The same regression test suite has been executed without modification for six consecutive releases. The number of defects found by the regression suite is shown below. Based on this information, which testing principle BEST explains why the test manager should be cautious about reducing regression testing effort?
K2Defects Found Per Release
- A.Absence-of-defects fallacy
- B.Tests wear outCorrect
- C.Exhaustive testing is impossible
- D.Defects cluster together
Answer: Tests wear out
Explanation
Repeated execution of the same tests eventually finds fewer defects, so regression tests should be reviewed and updated.
Question 12. Which rule from the decision table below represents an impossible business scenario?
K3Condition R1 R2 R3 R4 Account Active Y Y N N Valid Password Y N Y N Login Successful Y Y Y N - A.Rule R2Correct
- B.Rule R1
- C.Rule R4
- D.Rule R3
Answer: Rule R2
Explanation
An active account with an invalid password should not result in successful login.
ISTQB Foundation Level Exam FAQ
- How many questions are on the ISTQB Foundation Level exam?
- The ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL v4.0) exam has 40 multiple-choice questions. Our mock exam matches that exactly, drawing 40 questions from our question bank on every attempt.
- What is the ISTQB CTFL passing score?
- You need 26 out of 40 points to pass, which is 65%. Questions carry different point values depending on their difficulty, so the total is scored on points rather than a simple question count. Our simulator uses the same 65% threshold.
- How long is the ISTQB Foundation Level exam?
- You get 60 minutes to answer all 40 questions. Candidates sitting the exam in a language that is not their native language are usually granted 25% extra time. Our mock exam runs a 60-minute timer so you can practise the real pacing.
- What are K-levels in the ISTQB exam?
- K-levels describe the cognitive level a question tests. K1 is remember, meaning you recall a definition. K2 is understand, meaning you explain or compare concepts. K3 is apply, meaning you use a technique to work out an answer. The Foundation Level exam covers K1 to K3, and every question in our bank is tagged with its K-level.
- Is this mock exam free?
- Yes. The full 40-question timed mock exam, the answer review, the flashcards, and the glossary Learning Hub are all free to use, with no account and no payment required.
- Are these the real ISTQB exam questions?
- No. These are original practice questions written to match the style, K-level distribution, and difficulty of the official ISTQB Foundation Level exam. They are not real exam questions, and we do not publish exam dumps. Using leaked exam content breaches the ISTQB code of ethics and can invalidate your certification. SQA Dojo is not affiliated with or endorsed by the ISTQB.