After the course you will lead a test team more deliberately: build it with the right roles and skills, develop people with purpose, handle conflict and distributed teams, and represent your team's work to management and business units with clear arguments. You will also be able to give a reasoned answer on where a test team is best placed in the organisation. It is aimed at experienced test managers with people responsibility who are working towards ISTQB Expert Level.
What you’ll take away.
- Put together a test team with the right roles and skills and develop it deliberately
- Motivate a test team, delegate work and handle conflict
- Make a convincing case for the value of testing to management and other departments
- Assess how the test team is best placed in the organisation and handle ethical issues soundly
Your training in detail
- Who is it for?
- Experienced test managers, heads of test departments or test centres, and QA leads with people responsibility for test teams.
- Prerequisites
- ISTQB requires Certified Tester Foundation Level and Advanced Level Test Manager, at least five years of practical testing experience and at least two years of experience in test management.
- Format & planning
- Standard length: 5 training days. A different length can be arranged for companies.
Agenda: from understanding to application
Our independently developed agenda proposal. Focus areas, lab environment and scope are agreed before booking.
Building the test team: roles, skills profiles, selection and onboarding
Developing the test team: spotting skills gaps, development plans, coaching
Leading the test team: motivation, delegation, conflict and distributed teams
Advocating the test team: making the benefit of testing visible and securing support
Placing the test team in the organisation and communicating with stakeholders
Ethical issues in test management and exam preparation
For a fictional test centre that is short of staff, you draft a skills profile, plan onboarding for two new team members, hold a difficult conversation as a role play and prepare a short case for senior management.
Exams, licences & credentials
The course prepares you for the ISTQB CTEL-TM-MTT exam, one of three parts of Expert Level Test Management. The full CTEL-TM requires all three part exams. The exam and its fees are included only if the offer explicitly confirms this. The certificate is issued by an ISTQB Member Board or ISTQB exam provider. It is an accredited course only if the offer says so.
Vendor references & review date
Sources checked on 2026-11-10. These sources describe the technology or external exam requirements. They do not imply a partnership with NextNowa.
Your learning content
These objectives describe the training topic. The specific syllabus, dates and trainer are agreed before booking; the written offer is binding.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to take all three Expert Level parts?
For the full CTEL-TM certificate ISTQB requires all three parts: Strategic Test Management, Operational Test Management and Managing the Test Team. Each part has its own exam.
How long is an Expert Level certificate valid?
According to ISTQB, an Expert Level certificate is valid for seven years.
Does ISTQB Expert Level Test Management: Managing the Test Team (CTEL-TM-MTT): leading test teams include a certificate?
The course prepares you for the ISTQB CTEL-TM-MTT exam, one of three parts of Expert Level Test Management. The full CTEL-TM requires all three part exams. The exam and its fees are included only if the offer explicitly confirms this. The certificate is issued by an ISTQB Member Board or ISTQB exam provider. It is an accredited course only if the offer says so.