If you are preparing the ISTQB Foundation (CTFL) with notes or a course written for version 4.0, you have probably wondered whether syllabus 4.0.1 makes them obsolete. Short answer: no. But a few changes can turn up in an exam question, and they are worth ten minutes of your time.

TL;DR

  • Syllabus 4.0.1 is dated 15 September 2024. It is an errata of 4.0 (21 April 2023): same six chapters, same exam structure.
  • As of 11 November 2026, it is the latest version we found on istqb.org. The official exam tables (v1.18, 27 May 2026) still refer to "CTFL v4.0".
  • Three new keywords are now examinable at K1 level: test process, traceability and test strategy.
  • One content rule is worth remembering: invalid partitions are tested one at a time (4.2.1).

Where the changes are listed

Appendix C of the syllabus ("Release Notes") lists every change between 4.0 and 4.0.1. The list is long, but most items are wording fixes. Here is what matters for a candidate.

1. Six objectives reworded

Six learning objectives were reworded to match the ISTQB glossary. Two examples:

  • FL-2.1.5 "Explain the shift-left approach" becomes "Explain shift left".
  • FL-1.4.1 moves from "summarize" to "explain" the test activities.

The knowledge expected does not really change. What changes is the word you will read in the question.

2. Vocabulary aligned with the glossary

"Work products" replaces "artifacts", "testware" replaces "test documentation", and terms such as "risk level", "test progress reports" and "test completion reports" are now used consistently. The exam uses glossary definitions, not everyday meanings, so learn these exact terms.

3. ISO 25010 (2023) names

The syllabus keeps the original names of the quality characteristics, but section 2.2.2 now adds the new names from ISO 25010:2023: interaction capability (formerly usability) and flexibility (formerly portability). If you see one of these names in a question, you now know what it maps to.

4. Three new keywords

Test process and traceability were added to chapter 1, test strategy to chapter 5. Every keyword listed at the top of a chapter is examinable at K1 level, even when no learning objective mentions it (syllabus, section 0.5). Add them to your flashcards.

5. Content corrections

  • Invalid partitions are tested in isolation (4.2.1), so that one defect does not mask another. This one is the most likely to appear in a K3 question about equivalence partitioning.
  • The model in state transition testing is now called a state diagram (4.2.4).
  • The relation between test pyramid layers and test isolation is corrected (5.1.6): the higher the layer, the lower the isolation.

What you can ignore

The structure is unchanged: 6 chapters, 1,135 minutes of minimum training time, the same six K3 objectives and the same 40-question exam. Material written for 4.0 remains valid. Read Appendix C once, add the three keywords and the rule on invalid partitions, and move on to practice.

I keep a chapter-by-chapter breakdown (training time, content, K-levels) in the full article on our site. Teams that hire testers often list CTFL in their job ads, which is one reason we also run QA recruitment alongside training.

Over to you

Did you prepare with 4.0 material? Which change in 4.0.1 would you have missed without reading Appendix C?

Sources: ISTQB CTFL Syllabus v4.0.1 · ISTQB Exam Structure & Rules Tables v1.18

Originally published on AutomationDataCamp. Written with AI assistance. Every figure comes from the sources listed above (checked on November 11, 2026).

AutomationDataCamp is an online software testing academy (Playwright, API testing, CI, AI-assisted testing, ISTQB prep). More on ISTQB CTFL certification.