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100+ Free ISTQB CT-UT Practice Questions

Pass your ISTQB Certified Tester — Usability Testing Specialist (CT-UT) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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A high-fidelity interactive prototype is BEST for...

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ISTQB CT-UT Exam

40

Exam Questions

ISTQB

26/40

Passing Score

65%

60 min

Exam Duration

75 min non-native

$200-$249

Exam Fee

ISTQB Specialist

Lifetime

Cert Valid

No renewal

CTFL

Prerequisite

Foundation Level required

The ISTQB CT-UT exam has 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes (75 min for non-native English speakers) with a 65% passing score (26/40). Major topics: usability and UX fundamentals (ISO 9241-11, ISO 25010), human-centered design (ISO 9241-210, 9241-110), inspection methods (Nielsen heuristics, cognitive walkthrough), formal usability testing (lab, field, remote, A/B, MVT, RITE, think-aloud), metrics (SUS, SEQ, NPS, UEQ, completion rate, time on task), and accessibility (WCAG 2.2, ARIA). Exam fee is $200-$249 USD. Requires CTFL Foundation. Certification is valid for life.

Sample ISTQB CT-UT Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ISTQB CT-UT exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1According to ISO 9241-11, usability is defined by which three measures?
A.Efficiency, satisfaction, and learnability
B.Effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction
C.Usability, accessibility, and desirability
D.Performance, reliability, and security
Explanation: ISO 9241-11 defines usability as the extent to which a system can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness (accuracy and completeness), efficiency (resources used relative to results), and satisfaction (positive attitudes and comfort). Learnability is a sub-characteristic in ISO 25010, not part of the 9241-11 definition.
2Which evaluation method is performed by usability experts applying recognized principles, without involving end users?
A.Formal usability testing
B.Heuristic evaluation
C.A/B testing
D.Field study
Explanation: Heuristic evaluation is an expert (inspection) method where 3–5 evaluators independently inspect an interface against a set of usability heuristics (typically Nielsen's 10). It does not involve real end users. Formal usability testing, A/B testing, and field studies all require participants.
3How many evaluators does Nielsen recommend for a heuristic evaluation to balance cost and defect coverage?
A.1 evaluator
B.3 to 5 evaluators
C.10 evaluators
D.20 or more evaluators
Explanation: Nielsen's research found that 3 to 5 evaluators typically find 60–75% of usability problems during a heuristic evaluation. A single evaluator finds only about 35%, and adding more than five gives diminishing returns. This is distinct from the '5-user rule' for formative usability testing.
4Which Nielsen heuristic is violated when an application provides no indication that a long-running export is in progress?
A.Match between system and the real world
B.Visibility of system status
C.Aesthetic and minimalist design
D.Flexibility and efficiency of use
Explanation: 'Visibility of system status' requires the system to keep users informed about what is happening through appropriate feedback within reasonable time. A long-running export with no progress indicator, spinner, or status text directly violates this heuristic. 'Match with the real world' concerns vocabulary and conventions, not feedback.
5Nielsen's 5-user rule for formative usability testing is based on which assumption?
A.Five users statistically represent the entire population
B.Five users typically uncover about 80% of usability problems in a single round
C.Five users is the cap recommended by ISO 9241
D.Five users is the minimum for statistical significance
Explanation: Nielsen's mathematical model shows that the first user finds about 31% of usability problems and that five users uncover roughly 85% in a single iteration. The rule is for FORMATIVE testing, not for statistical generalization. For SUMMATIVE/quantitative testing, 20+ participants are needed for confidence intervals.
6Which standard provides the seven dialogue principles such as 'suitability for the task' and 'self-descriptiveness'?
A.ISO 9241-11
B.ISO 9241-110
C.ISO 9241-210
D.ISO/IEC 25010
Explanation: ISO 9241-110 defines seven dialogue principles: suitability for the task, self-descriptiveness, conformity with user expectations, suitability for learning, controllability, error tolerance, and suitability for individualization. 9241-11 defines usability; 9241-210 defines human-centered design; ISO 25010 is the product quality model.
7Which ISO standard defines the human-centered design process for interactive systems?
A.ISO 9241-11
B.ISO 9241-110
C.ISO 9241-210
D.ISO 13407 (current)
Explanation: ISO 9241-210 specifies the human-centered design (HCD) process with iterative activities: understand context of use, specify user requirements, produce design solutions, and evaluate against requirements. It replaced ISO 13407. 9241-11 defines usability; 9241-110 defines dialogue principles.
8In ISO 25010, which is NOT a sub-characteristic of usability?
A.Appropriateness recognizability
B.Learnability
C.Operability
D.Modularity
Explanation: ISO 25010 lists six usability sub-characteristics: appropriateness recognizability, learnability, operability, user error protection, user interface aesthetics, and accessibility. Modularity is a sub-characteristic of maintainability, not usability.
9What distinguishes user experience (UX) from usability?
A.UX and usability are synonyms
B.UX is narrower and only covers efficiency
C.UX is broader and covers emotions, beliefs, preferences before/during/after use
D.Usability is broader; UX is a subset
Explanation: ISO 9241-210 defines UX as 'a person's perceptions and responses resulting from the use or anticipated use' of a system — it includes emotions, beliefs, preferences, behaviors and accomplishments before, during and after use. Usability (per 9241-11) is narrower: effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction for specified goals.
10Which of the following BEST describes a persona?
A.A real recruited test participant
B.A fictional but research-based archetype of a user group with goals, behaviors and pain points
C.A list of UI requirements
D.A scripted task scenario
Explanation: Personas are fictional but research-grounded user archetypes that synthesize qualitative and quantitative findings into named characters with goals, behaviors, environments and pain points. They guide design decisions but are NOT real users. Recruited participants are used in usability testing.

About the ISTQB CT-UT Exam

The ISTQB Certified Tester Usability Testing (CT-UT) is an ISTQB Specialist certification on the Quality Characteristics track that validates skills to plan, execute and report usability evaluations of interactive systems. The syllabus covers usability and UX fundamentals (ISO 9241-11, ISO 25010), human-centered design (ISO 9241-210), dialogue principles (ISO 9241-110), inspection methods (heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthrough), formal usability testing in lab/field/remote settings, think-aloud and RITE, usability metrics (SUS, SEQ, NPS, UEQ, completion rate, time on task), accessibility (WCAG 2.2, ARIA, screen readers), mobile usability, and defect reporting. Requires the ISTQB Foundation Level (CTFL) as a prerequisite.

Questions

40 scored questions

Time Limit

60 minutes

Passing Score

65% (26/40)

Exam Fee

$200-$249 USD (ISTQB / Pearson VUE)

ISTQB CT-UT Exam Content Outline

10%

Usability and UX Fundamentals

ISO 9241-11 definition (effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction); ISO 25010 usability sub-characteristics (appropriateness recognizability, learnability, operability, user error protection, UI aesthetics, accessibility); distinctions between usability, UX, and accessibility

15%

Standards and Human-Centered Design

ISO 9241-110 seven dialogue principles (suitability for the task, self-descriptiveness, conformity with user expectations, suitability for learning, controllability, error tolerance, suitability for individualization); ISO 9241-210 human-centered design activities (context of use, user requirements, design solutions, evaluation)

10%

User Research and Personas

Personas (research-based archetypes), user journeys and journey maps, use cases, contextual inquiry, screener questionnaires, recruitment, incentives, ethics and consent

5%

Information Architecture

Card sorting (open, closed, hybrid), tree testing (Treejack/Optimal Workshop), navigation labels, findability signals from analytics

15%

Inspection Methods

Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics, evaluator counts (3–5), severity scale (0–4); cognitive walkthrough four questions (learning by exploration); pluralistic walkthrough with users, developers and experts

20%

Formal Usability Testing

Lab, field, remote moderated, remote unmoderated, A/B and multivariate testing; concurrent think-aloud, retrospective think-aloud, RITE; moderator and observer roles; Wizard of Oz; task scenarios and operational success criteria

10%

Usability Metrics

Effectiveness (completion rate), efficiency (time on task, errors), satisfaction (SUS, SEQ, NPS, CSAT, UEQ); formative (~5) vs summative (20+) sample sizes; eye tracking (fixations, saccades, AOI, heatmaps); session recording and click heatmaps (Hotjar, FullStory, Microsoft Clarity)

10%

Accessibility and Inclusive Design

WCAG 2.2 POUR principles, A/AA/AAA levels, contrast 4.5:1 (3:1 large text), keyboard testing, focus management, WAI-ARIA roles/states/properties, screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack), automated tools (axe, WAVE, Lighthouse), mobile touch targets (44 pt iOS / 48 dp Android), thumb zones, internationalization and RTL

5%

Reporting and Process Integration

Usability defect reporting (severity, frequency, impact), Nielsen 0–4 severity scale, triage; test report structure (methodology, findings, evidence, recommendations); usability in Agile (dual-track discovery, design sprints); risk-based usability testing; ROI framing

How to Pass the ISTQB CT-UT Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 65% (26/40)
  • Exam length: 40 questions
  • Time limit: 60 minutes
  • Exam fee: $200-$249 USD

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ISTQB CT-UT Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize the ISO 9241-11 triad: effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction — and map each to a metric (completion rate, time on task, SUS)
2Memorize the six ISO 25010 usability sub-characteristics and the seven ISO 9241-110 dialogue principles
3Know Nielsen's 10 heuristics and the 5-user / 0-4 severity rules cold — they appear in K2 and K3 questions
4Distinguish heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthrough, and pluralistic walkthrough — what they answer and who participates
5Know which metric is formative vs summative, post-task vs post-test (SEQ post-task; SUS post-test; UEQ end-of-session; NPS loyalty)
6Master WCAG 2.2 essentials: POUR principles, contrast 4.5:1 / 3:1, level AA scope, keyboard SC 2.1.1, focus SC 2.4.11
7Be ready to choose A/B vs multivariate vs lab vs remote unmoderated for a given scenario
8Practice writing task scenarios that DO NOT leak the UI vocabulary or the expected path
9Complete all 100 practice questions and review every wrong-answer explanation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ISTQB CT-UT exam?

The ISTQB Certified Tester Usability Testing (CT-UT) is a Specialist-level ISTQB certification on the Quality Characteristics track. It covers planning, executing and reporting usability evaluations: ISO 9241 and ISO 25010 fundamentals, the human-centered design process, heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthrough, formal moderated/unmoderated/remote testing, A/B and multivariate testing, usability metrics, and accessibility per WCAG 2.2. The Foundation Level (CTFL) is a prerequisite.

How many questions are on the CT-UT exam and what is the passing score?

The CT-UT exam has 40 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 60 minutes (75 minutes for non-native English speakers). The passing score is 65%, equal to 26 of 40 correct answers. Higher-cognition K3/K4 application questions are weighted more, but 65% remains the threshold.

What does CT-UT cost in 2026?

ISTQB Specialist exams including CT-UT typically cost between $200 and $249 USD in the United States via ASTQB and iSQI. Pricing varies by national board and whether you book the exam alone or bundle with accredited training. Exact pricing is published on istqb.org and your national board's certification page.

Do I need CTFL before taking CT-UT?

Yes — the ISTQB Foundation Level (CTFL) is a formal prerequisite for the CT-UT Specialist exam. ASTQB and other national boards verify your CTFL credential before allowing you to register. There are no other formal experience requirements, but practical exposure to running heuristic evaluations and moderated usability tests helps significantly.

What is the difference between heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthrough?

Heuristic evaluation is a structured inspection where 3–5 evaluators apply Nielsen's 10 heuristics to surface usability violations. Cognitive walkthrough is a different inspection where evaluators simulate a NOVICE user 'learning by exploration' and ask four questions at each step (Will the user know what to do? Will they notice the correct action? Will they associate it with the goal? Will they see progress?). Both are expert methods, but they answer different questions.

How many users do I need for a usability test?

Formative testing (find-problems) typically uses about 5 users per round per persona (Nielsen) — five users find ~85% of problems in a single iteration. Summative testing (measure usability with confidence intervals on SUS, completion rate, time on task) requires 20 or more participants per group. RITE iterates by changing the design after defects are found, often within 5 sessions.

How long should I study for CT-UT?

Plan 30-50 hours over 4-6 weeks if you are a tester new to usability research, or 20-30 hours if you have moderated tests before. The ISTQB recommends accredited training (about 21-25 instructional hours). Read the CT-UT syllabus, work through 100+ practice questions, and aim for 80%+ before booking.