No. AT*SQA and ASTQB do not list a dedicated ISTQB API Testing certification in the current ISTQB portfolio. If your work centers on APIs, the closest ISTQB routes are usually ISTQB Technical Test Analyst, ISTQB Test Automation Engineer, or ISTQB Performance Testing. AT*SQA also offers a separate API Testing micro-credential path that is not part of ISTQB.
That distinction matters. People search for an ISTQB API exam because API testing is now a core skill for backend QA, integration testing, and automation work. The need is real. The dedicated ISTQB exam is not.
If you want the broader API background first, start with what API testing is. If you are choosing a certification path after Foundation, the better next stop is which ISTQB certification should I take.
The right answer depends on what you mean by API testing. Some people mean API design checks, contract testing, and integration risk. Others mean building automation around service layers. Others mean response times, throughput, and performance bottlenecks.
| If your API work looks like this | Closest fit | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Technical risk, architecture, white-box thinking, non-functional concerns | Technical Test Analyst | ASTQB positions it around technical risk, code and architecture reviews, non-functional requirements, and technical testing tasks. |
| Automation frameworks, CI pipelines, maintainable automated checks | Test Automation Engineer | It fits people who build and improve automated solutions, including API-based suites and CI-friendly automation. |
| Load, latency, throughput, service bottlenecks | Performance Testing | That certification is built for testers working with performance risks, metrics, tooling, and performance plans. |
| You want API-specific coverage outside the ISTQB track | AT*SQA API Testing | AT*SQA offers an API Testing certification path through micro-credentials, separate from ISTQB. |
If you are brand new to testing, do not skip the basics just because APIs feel more technical. The starting point is still software testing fundamentals, then how to become a software tester, then ISTQB Foundation Level.
If your day-to-day work is mostly functional test design, business rules, and user-facing coverage, an API-heavy path may not be your best next move. In that case, Test Analyst may fit better.
Foundation Level sits underneath the main ISTQB options most API-focused testers end up choosing. ASTQB lists Foundation as a prerequisite for Technical Test Analyst, Test Automation Engineer, and Performance Testing. Test Analyst and Test Management also sit on that same post-Foundation path for different kinds of work.
The closest ISTQB options do not all cost the same. AT*SQA's current purchase flow lists Technical Test Analyst at $249, Test Automation Engineer at $249, and Performance Testing at $199. If you need the full pricing picture across the catalog, use the ISTQB exam cost page.
When you are ready to move, the cleanest next step is how to book your ISTQB exam. That gives you the scheduling path, the online-versus-test-center decision, and the rules that actually affect exam day.
AT*SQA matters here because it gives you two useful options in one place. You can register for the ISTQB path that best fits your API work, and you can also use AT*SQA's own API Testing micro-credentials if you want API-specific proof that is not tied to an ISTQB exam that does not exist.
For ISTQB purchases through AT*SQA, ASTQB states that the certification is valid worldwide and that passing through AT*SQA adds you to the ISTQB Successful Candidate Register. ASTQB and AT*SQA also highlight extra sample exams and a free micro-credential exam with eligible ISTQB purchases.
No. ASTQB's current ISTQB certification list does not include a dedicated API Testing certification.
Technical Test Analyst is often the closest fit for testers working with technical risk, architecture, and non-functional concerns. Test Automation Engineer is often the better fit if your API work is heavily automated.
Yes. AT*SQA lists an API Testing certification path through micro-credentials. That is separate from the ISTQB catalog.
Only if your API work leans into load, throughput, latency, bottlenecks, and performance risk. If your work is more about technical test design or automation, another path may fit better.
AT*SQA can help either way. Buy the ISTQB exam that best matches your API-heavy work, or use the AT*SQA API Testing path if you want API-specific coverage outside the ISTQB track.