- No pass rate is publicly disclosed for this exact usability testing credential; ASTQB's roughly 71% figure is a worldwide aggregate across ISTQB exams.
- Passing requires 26 of 40 points (65%) in 60 minutes; eligible non-native-language candidates get 75 minutes.
- The Usability Testing chapter carries 13 of 40 questions, the largest single allocation.
- Foundation Level certification is the prerequisite; the standard U.S. exam fee is USD 199.
The Short Answer: No Published CTFL-UT Pass Rate Exists
- The Short Answer: No Published CTFL-UT Pass Rate Exists
- What the Official Data Actually Covers
- Which Credential This Is (and Isn't)
- The Number You Can Rely On: 26 of 40
- Where the 40 Points Sit Across the Eight Chapters
- What Likely Drives Difficulty Without a Pass Rate
- Pass-Rate Claims You Should Discount
- The Sample Exam Version Trap
- A Chapter-Weighted Preparation Order
- Retakes, Cost and Validity: The Risk Math
- Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
- No pass rate is publicly disclosed for this exact usability testing credential; ASTQB's roughly 71% figure is a worldwide aggregate across ISTQB exams.
- Passing requires 26 of 40 points (65%) in 60 minutes; eligible non-native-language candidates get 75 minutes.
- The Usability Testing chapter carries 13 of 40 questions, the largest single allocation.
- Foundation Level certification is the prerequisite; the standard U.S. exam fee is USD 199.
- The current ISTQB sample exam (Sample Exam A v1.2) supports the 2018 syllabus; the older 2017 GTB sample should not be treated as current.
If you searched for the CTFL-UT pass rate hoping for a clean percentage, here is the honest answer: the certifying ecosystem does not publish one for this exact credential. That is not evasion on our part. It is what the official sources show. This article explains what data does exist, what it can and cannot tell you, and how to judge your own readiness using the figures that are actually verified.
For broader context on exam difficulty, see our guide on how hard the CTFL-UT exam is, and for the page dedicated to this topic, the companion CTFL-UT pass rate overview.
What the Official Data Actually Covers
The closest official statistic is a figure from the American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB) of approximately 71% overall. It is worth reading carefully, because it is easy to misapply.
An aggregate can hide a wide spread. A large Foundation Level population can dominate the blend, and specialist modules often draw a smaller, more self-selected group. Whether that group passes more or less often than the average is unknown, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing.
What is not available
- A pass rate specific to the usability testing module.
- A published count of unscored items on the exam.
- Any authoritative, credential-specific salary series. For earnings context, see our CTFL-UT salary guide, which treats this gap candidly.
Which Credential This Is (and Isn't)
Before comparing any statistic, confirm you are looking at the right credential. In this article, CTFL-UT refers to the ISTQB usability testing specialist certification, officially named Certified Tester Usability Testing (CT-UT) internationally. The CTFL-UT label and this site's name are retained, but the official international name is CT-UT. The U.S. governing body is ASTQB, operating within the ISTQB scheme.
It is distinct from the core Foundation Level exam and from the AT*SQA usability microcredential. Because pass-rate chatter online often conflates exams, a "Foundation Level pass rate" quoted by a training vendor tells you nothing about this module. For naming background, see what CTFL-UT is and what CTFL-UT stands for.
The Number You Can Rely On: 26 of 40
While the pass rate is unknown, the pass threshold is firmly documented. This is the figure that should drive your preparation.
| Exam Parameter | Verified Value |
|---|---|
| Format | 40 multiple-choice questions |
| Available points | 40 |
| Time allowed | 60 minutes |
| Extra time (eligible non-native-language candidates) | 25% more, giving 75 minutes |
| Passing score | 26 of 40 points (65%) |
| Book status | Closed-book |
| Delivery | AT*SQA with Kryterion/Webassessor; online proctored or at a testing center |
| Standard U.S. fee | USD 199 |
That means you can miss up to 14 questions and still pass. Put differently, a candidate who is fully confident on roughly two-thirds of the paper and reasonable on the rest has a workable margin. Our CTFL-UT passing score breakdown goes deeper on how to think about that margin.
Where the 40 Points Sit Across the Eight Chapters
The ISTQB Exam Structure Tables (v1.19, August 19, 2026) allocate questions per syllabus chapter. This is the most useful structural data point for anyone worried about pass odds, because it shows where a failing score typically gets decided.
| Chapter / Domain | Questions (Points) |
|---|---|
| Basic Concepts | 8 |
| Risks in Usability, User Experience and Accessibility | 2 |
| Usability and Accessibility Standards | 3 |
| Usability Reviews | 3 |
| Usability Testing | 13 |
| User Surveys | 2 |
| Selecting Appropriate Methods | 1 |
| Summary of Roles and Responsibilities | 2 |
| Cross-syllabus keyword questions | 6 |
| Total | 40 |
Two observations follow directly from the counts. First, Usability Testing (13) and Basic Concepts (8) together account for 21 of the 40 questions. Second, Selecting Appropriate Methods contributes a single question, so deep investment there has the lowest point return per hour. For a chapter-by-chapter walkthrough, use the CTFL-UT exam domains guide.
What Likely Drives Difficulty Without a Pass Rate
We cannot state how many candidates pass, but we can describe the features of the exam that shape how hard it feels. These are inferences from the structure, not statistics.
Usability Testing (13 questions)
This is where a failing paper is most likely to be decided, simply because of its size. Expect scenario-style items about the practical conduct of a test.
- Planning a test and scripting tasks so they measure what you intend
- Moderation behavior: when to prompt, when to stay silent
- Distinguishing the responsibilities of tester, moderator, note-taker and observer
- Turning raw observations into findings and a report
Basic Concepts (8 questions)
Terminology-heavy and therefore well suited to disciplined recall. Because the exam is closed-book, vague familiarity with definitions is rarely enough when answer options are deliberately close.
- Core usability, user experience and accessibility vocabulary
- Distinctions between related terms that distractors exploit
Standards and Accessibility (3 questions plus related content)
The 2018 syllabus explicitly names WCAG 2.0. Know the standards as the syllabus presents them, not as modern professional practice may have moved on.
Candidates who have prior Foundation Level experience tend to be comfortable with the multiple-choice mechanics, but the usability material is practical and vocabulary-specific. Our article on the CTFL-UT study guide covers how to build that knowledge methodically.
Pass-Rate Claims You Should Discount
Search for this exam and you will encounter confident numbers. Treat them skeptically.
- Vendor success percentages. Practice-test storefronts sometimes advertise figures like "most customers pass." These are commercial claims, not issuer data, and the underlying populations are unverified.
- Training provider statements. A training company's own results describe its students, not the exam population. Public course pages can also contradict official rules; one provider page, for example, has carried conflicting one-hour and 90-minute exam statements, whereas the official ASTQB/ISTQB rules specify 60 minutes.
- Foundation Level figures repackaged. A Foundation pass rate does not transfer to a specialist module.
- Year-labelled products. A practice course titled with 2026 does not prove the exam or syllabus was revised. The exam currently maps to the 2018 syllabus.
Even reputable-looking sample-question sites vary in quality. Some publish answer-only keys with no rationale, which is weak preparation. Prefer resources that explain why each distractor is wrong and tie the answer back to a syllabus chapter.
The Sample Exam Version Trap
One practical way candidates misjudge their readiness is by practicing on the wrong sample paper.
| Sample Resource | Date / Version | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ISTQB Sample Exam A | v1.2, June 15, 2021 | Current official sample; explicitly supports syllabus Version 2018 |
| GTB Usability Tester Sample Exam | Version 2017, July 21, 2017 | Older; still linked from an ASTQB resource page; do not mistake it for the current ISTQB sample |
If you score well on an outdated paper and then sit the real exam, your confidence may be miscalibrated. Start with the current Sample Exam A, check your answers against the official answer key, and use third-party question banks only as supplements. Sources such as Udemy courses, ProcessExam, Study4Exam and CertPrep are searchable and publicly visible, but we have not verified their exam alignment or correctness, so use them to expand practice volume rather than as a gauge of readiness. You can also try our CTFL-UT practice tests to rehearse the 40-question, 60-minute format.
A Chapter-Weighted Preparation Order
The one place a plan is justified here is in sequencing by points available. This is an illustration of ordering, not a prescription, and the pacing should flex to your background.
Basic Concepts
- Lock down terminology early, since it underpins every later chapter
- Take the first pass through the current official Sample Exam A for baseline only
Usability Testing
- Work through planning, scripting, moderation, findings and reporting as connected steps
- Write out who does what: tester, moderator, note-taker, observer
Reviews, Standards, Risks, Surveys, Methods and Roles
- Cover the lower-count chapters efficiently; they are 13 questions combined with Selecting Appropriate Methods adding just one
- Memorize the 2018 syllabus's named standards references
Closed-book simulation
- Time yourself at 60 minutes for 40 questions
- Review wrong answers against the syllabus text, not just the key
For a compact last-minute reference, the CTFL-UT cheat sheet condenses the must-know facts.
Retakes, Cost and Validity: The Risk Math
Because the pass rate is unknown, the sensible way to frame risk is financial and logistical rather than statistical.
- Exam fee: The current standard U.S. fee is USD 199, explicitly listed for Usability Testing in ASTQB's 2026 price table. No member/nonmember split is published, and the voucher price is the same for online and test-center delivery. Optional training is separate. Full detail is in the CTFL-UT certification cost breakdown.
- Retakes: A retake normally requires another purchase, although ASTQB sometimes offers conditional free or discounted retakes.
- Prerequisite: Foundation Level certification is required. If you earned it through another board or provider, you must supply the certificate through your AT*SQA account before the exam. See the CTFL-UT requirements page.
- Validity: The certification is lifetime, with no renewal or continuing-education requirement, so a single pass is permanent.
Key Takeaway
Instead of asking "what percentage pass?", ask "am I reliably scoring above 26 of 40 on current, syllabus-aligned practice under a 60-minute closed-book limit?" That question is answerable, and it is the only readiness signal that matters. If you are weighing whether the investment pays off, our worth-it analysis addresses that directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is not publicly disclosed for this exact credential. ASTQB's approximately 71% estimate is an aggregate across worldwide ISTQB certifications and exams through May 2025 and is not specific to the usability testing module.
You need 26 of 40 available points, which is 65%. The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions and a 60-minute limit; eligible non-native-language candidates receive 25% additional time, for 75 minutes.
Usability Testing, with 13 of the 40 questions. Basic Concepts follows with 8. The six cross-syllabus keyword questions are not a separate content domain, and no official percentage weights are published.
Not reliably. The 2017 GTB sample is older and should not be confused with the current ISTQB Sample Exam A v1.2 (June 15, 2021), which explicitly supports the 2018 syllabus. Practice on the current one first.
No. Self-study is permitted and an accredited course is optional. You do need Foundation Level certification beforehand. For dates and scheduling mechanics, see the CTFL-UT exam dates guide.