- What the Certified TestStand Developer Credential Is
- The Four-Hour Practical Format
- The 21 Assessed Capabilities
- Eligibility, Fees and Delivery
- Scoring and What 70% Really Means
- Building a Preparation Plan Around the Objectives
- Sample Exam and Practice Material
- Validity and Renewal
- Career Value and Who Hires for TestStand Skills
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CTD means Certified TestStand Developer, issued by National Instruments, and it is a four-hour, performance-based practical exam rather than multiple choice.
- The preparation guide lists 21 unweighted objectives, from calling LabVIEW code modules to deployment, dependencies and expressions.
- The passing score is 70%, and the guide allocates 100 points to Functionality.
- Built-in TestStand Help, examples and templates are permitted; externally prepared VIs and outside resources are prohibited.
What the Certified TestStand Developer Credential Is
The Certified TestStand Developer credential, abbreviated CTD, is issued by National Instruments (NI) and validates that you can build working test sequences in NI TestStand, the test management environment used to organize, sequence and report on automated tests. Several unrelated credentials share the same three letters, so it is worth being precise: everything in this article concerns the NI TestStand credential only. If you are still orienting yourself, see our explainers on what CTD certification is and what CTD stands for.
What sets this credential apart from many vendor certifications is that it tests doing rather than recalling. You are handed a task, work inside TestStand, and submit a finished deliverable. That changes how you should prepare, and it is the main reason generic question-bank advice transfers poorly. If you want a quick feel for how structured practice can complement hands-on work, the main practice test site is a useful companion, but the core of your preparation must be building sequences yourself.
The Four-Hour Practical Format
NI's issuer credential page confirms that the exam changed to a four-hour performance-based format on April 30, 2020. NI's 2026 Training and Certification Catalog corroborates the practical format, the four-hour duration, the absence of prerequisite certifications and the three-year renewal interval. There is no fixed question count and no scored versus unscored item split; the numeric question-based exam description simply does not apply here.
What You Actually Do
You complete practical TestStand sequence development inside an NI-provided virtual machine that contains the required software and exam files. The preparation guide specifies TestStand 2019 or later. Supplied LabVIEW driver libraries simulate hardware, so no external instruments are involved. You must complete and save your submission within the four-hour period and package it according to the instructions in your current exam pack.
Resources You May and May Not Use
- Permitted: built-in TestStand Help, examples and templates, plus the calculator and notepad supplied in the exam environment.
- Prohibited: externally prepared VIs and outside resources.
The practical consequence is that you should know where the TestStand examples and templates live and what they already demonstrate, because they are legitimate time-savers. Practicing with only the built-in material, rather than your favorite personal library, mirrors exam conditions. Our CTD difficulty guide discusses where candidates tend to feel the pressure most.
The 21 Assessed Capabilities
The preparation guide lists its assessed capabilities under Exam Topics. This article works from 21 supported headings. Treat that number as the count of headings supplied here, not a separately declared official domain count. NI does not publish individual topic percentages or identify a highest-weighted topic, so you should not assume any one area matters more than another. For a deeper walkthrough, see the complete guide to all 21 content areas. Below, the objectives are grouped by the kind of work they involve.
Code Module Integration (Objectives 1-3, 20)
These objectives center on the boundary between TestStand and LabVIEW code.
- Call LabVIEW code modules: configure the LabVIEW adapter, pick the right VI, and map inputs and outputs correctly.
- Pass custom data types to and from code modules: understand how TestStand containers and clusters line up.
- Manage shared memory between TestStand and code modules: know how data persists and moves between the two environments.
- Execute simple code modules in parallel: run concurrent work without corrupting shared data.
Data Modeling and Variable Scope (Objectives 4, 9, 10, 11, 21)
Where a value lives determines who can see it and when it disappears.
- Create custom data types: build reusable structures rather than loose variables.
- Proper use of Parameters, Local Variables and FileGlobal Variables: choose the narrowest scope that does the job.
- Expressions: read and write values, compare, and build conditions concisely.
Sequence Architecture and Flow (Objectives 8, 12-15)
These objectives test whether your sequence is structured sensibly, not just functional.
- Call a sub-sequence and pass parameters cleanly.
- Use two or more different test step types such as Pass/Fail, Numeric and String.
- Use three or more different non-code module step types such as Wait, Flow and Property Loader.
- Use Step Groups (Setup, Main, Cleanup) appropriately.
- Control execution flow with if/else logic and looping.
Customization, Reporting and Delivery (Objectives 5-7, 16-19)
This cluster separates a quick prototype from something deployable.
- Override and use model callbacks and engine callbacks to customize behavior without editing core files.
- Create a clutter-free report with the proper result data and configure a report.
- Deploy the test system and handle dependency management so it runs somewhere other than your development machine.
- Debug broken or error sequences, a skill that pays off throughout the four hours.
Eligibility, Fees and Delivery
Prerequisites and Recommended Experience
There are no formal prerequisites: no mandatory degree, no required certification, and no published fixed training-hour total. NI does recommend 12 to 18 months of experience developing medium- to large-scale TestStand applications, and the Developing Test Programs Using TestStand course may substitute for six months of that recommended experience. That course is preparation curriculum, not a replacement exam blueprint, and it does not establish exhaustive coverage or official domain weights. More detail is in our CTD requirements guide.
Delivery
Current delivery runs through Pearson VUE and OnVUE under NI's Online NI Certification Exams policy, updated July 2, 2026, and corroborated by Pearson's NI Certification Exams page, updated July 24, 2026. The CTD-specific credential page says online only. The newer general policy also describes test centers subject to availability, but CTD-specific center availability was not verified. Older PSI instructions exist, but they are a source conflict rather than current delivery authority.
Current online guidance requires a private workspace, a webcam and one screen. Plan your environment ahead of time, and check our scheduling overview for how booking typically works.
Fees: What Is and Is Not Known
| Source | Figure | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|
| PSI client information sheet (modified March 30, 2022) | USD 299 | Historical price only; not a current Pearson quote |
| Obsolete CTD Requirements and Conditions (revised July 3, 2002) | USD 295, 75% threshold, two-year cycle | Superseded; do not use |
| Current Pearson/NI pricing | Not publicly verified | Check at registration |
The practical takeaway: confirm the current USD fee and any member or nonmember pricing directly when you register. Our cost breakdown explains how to budget around this uncertainty.
Scoring and What 70% Really Means
The passing score is 70%. Because this is a practical exam, the preparation guide allocates 100 points to Functionality rather than 100 questions or individual-domain percentages. In other words, the score reflects how well your delivered solution works, not a tally of correct answers. The older 75% threshold in the obsolete 2002 document should be ignored. See our passing score explainer for more.
Grading is not instant. Practical submissions can take up to four weeks to grade, so do not schedule anything that depends on an immediate result. Aggregate pass rates are not publicly disclosed, and vendor success-rate claims on third-party practice sites are marketing rather than issuer statistics. Our pass rate analysis goes further into why those numbers should be treated cautiously.
Key Takeaway
Because scoring rewards functionality, prioritize a complete, running, correctly packaged solution over polish. A working sequence that covers every requested behavior beats an elegant partial one.
Building a Preparation Plan Around the Objectives
Since the exam is practical, your plan should be a sequence of build exercises rather than reading assignments. One compact schedule that maps objectives to weeks is shown below; adjust it to your experience. A fuller treatment lives in our CTD study guide.
Foundations: variables, expressions and step types
- Practice Parameters, Local and FileGlobal scope on the same small sequence.
- Use Pass/Fail, Numeric and String tests plus Wait, Flow and Property Loader steps.
- Write expressions until they feel automatic.
Code modules and data types
- Call LabVIEW code modules, then pass custom data types in and out.
- Work with shared memory and run simple code modules in parallel.
Architecture and customization
- Build sub-sequences, Step Groups and loop/branch flow.
- Override model and engine callbacks.
Reporting, deployment and full timed runs
- Configure and de-clutter reports.
- Practice deployment and dependency management, then run complete four-hour builds including packaging.
Why this order? Variable scope and expressions underpin everything else, so they come first. Deployment and dependencies come last because they only make sense once you have a nontrivial system to ship. Debugging is not isolated to one week; deliberately break your own sequences throughout and fix them, since it is the one capability you will use constantly under time pressure.
Pacing the Four Hours
Rather than inventing a rigid minute-by-minute split, adopt a principle: get a minimal end-to-end version working early, then layer on reporting, callbacks and refinements. Save time near the end for packaging and a final run-through of the requirements list. Our one-page cheat sheet is handy for last-minute review of the key facts and rules.
Sample Exam and Practice Material
NI publishes an official sample-exam ZIP at learn-cf.ni.com (CTD Sample Exam.zip). Its complete contents were not retrieved for this review, so confirm what it includes after downloading. Candidate discussions on the NI forums identify the SP25 Solar Panel sample and note demand for additional practice material. Those are candidate experiences, not issuer policy, and historical sample issues do not establish a current unresolved defect.
A good self-made project covers many objectives at once: a multi-step test sequence that calls a LabVIEW code module with a custom data type, runs a sub-sequence, uses a Step Group for setup and cleanup, produces a tidy report, and deploys with its dependencies. Rebuild it from scratch several times, timing yourself, until the mechanics are fluid. For structured question-style review of terminology alongside your hands-on work, you can use the CTD Exam Prep practice tests.
Validity and Renewal
The credential is valid for three years. To renew, you can either retake the CTD exam or earn 50 NI-approved TestStand activity points during the active certification cycle; points do not carry over. The authority is NI's Recertification Policy and Process, updated April 30, 2026. Holders familiar with the older format should note that the two-year cycle and 75% threshold from the 2002 document are obsolete.
| Item | Current detail |
|---|---|
| Validity | Three years |
| Renewal option 1 | Retake CTD |
| Renewal option 2 | Earn 50 NI-approved TestStand activity points in the active cycle |
| Carry-over of points | Not permitted |
Career Value and Who Hires for TestStand Skills
TestStand is used in automated test and manufacturing environments, so the skills tested here are relevant to test engineering and test-development roles. That said, no current CTD-only salary dataset or independently established certification premium was verified. General engineering salary data should not be passed off as CTD-specific evidence, and this article does not quote earnings figures. For a balanced look at the question, read our ROI analysis, the salary discussion and the overview of CTD-related jobs.
The most defensible way to think about value is as demonstrable proof of practical skill. Because the exam requires you to deliver a working, deployable solution, it can be a concrete talking point when you describe your TestStand experience to employers. Pair it with a portfolio of sequences you can discuss in detail, and consider our CTD training overview for ways to build that experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Since April 30, 2020 it has been a four-hour, performance-based practical exam in which you develop TestStand sequences and submit a packaged result. A fixed question count does not apply.
The passing score is 70%. The preparation guide allocates 100 points to Functionality, so the score reflects how well your delivered solution works rather than a count of correct answers.
No. Built-in TestStand Help, examples and templates are permitted, along with the calculator and notepad supplied in the exam environment. Externally prepared VIs and other outside resources are prohibited.
Practical submissions can take up to four weeks to grade, so plan any deadlines tied to your result accordingly.
The current USD fee and member/nonmember pricing are not publicly verified; a historical figure of USD 299 appeared in a 2022 PSI sheet but is not a current quote. The aggregate pass rate is not publicly disclosed, and vendor success claims are not issuer data.