IICTP MarkIICTP
Early careerATP®

Core track · Early career

Associate Technical Practitioner.

An IICTP credential for early-career practitioners. It proves you understand how software is built, structured and delivered, and that you can work to engineering standards from your first role.

Questions
100
Time
120 min
Format
Timed online, integrity attestation
Valid for
3 years
Check eligibility See the examRSS Feed

01 / Is it for you

Is this the right credential for you?

Built for junior developers, associate project managers and QA leads in their first two years. Vendor-neutral, so what you prove travels with you between employers.

0–2 yrs

Target experience

23 h

Technical education

3 yrs

Credential validity

30

TDUs per cycle

After the ATP®

What you will be able to show

  • Explain the life cycleEach stage of software development, and where quality is won or lost.
  • Read an architectureA baseline system, and how its parts depend on each other.
  • Work in an agile teamApply the core principles of agile delivery day to day.
  • Hold to engineering standardsIncluding collaborative code review.
Who it is written for

Your first two years in technology

Roles
Junior developers, associate PMs, QA leads
Experience
0–2 years
Next step
CTP® once you lead a team

02 / Eligibility

Two requirements. No experience gate.

You can sit the ATP® before you have a track record. Tick what you already have to see where you stand.

{0} of 2 requirements metFind a training partner

03 / The exam

100 questions. 120 minutes.

Multiple choice, timed online with an integrity attestation, and drawn from the TPBOK™, the institute’s published body of knowledge. Questions are reviewed and validated every year.

Plate 03 · Survey

Exam

Associate Technical Practitioner exam

Fundamentals of the life cycle, architecture and delivery. No work history is assessed.

Items
100
Time
120 min
Type
MCQ
Mode
Timed online, integrity attestation
See the path
Focus 01

Software development life cycle

How software moves from idea to production, and what each stage must produce.

Focus 02

Basic systems architecture

Components, interfaces and the trade-offs that shape a system.

Focus 03

Delivery fundamentals

Agile principles, planning, quality practice and working as a team.

Plate 02 · Section

5 steps

04 / Path to certification

Five steps from here to your insignia.

Step 01 · Eligibility. Confirm your education and your 23 contact hours of technical education.

Check eligibility

05 / Cost

Priced in the open.

Prices are shown in US dollars and in rupees. Training fees are set by each Authorized Training Partner and are not included.

Exam feeFounding price

₹2,499

Founding price, first 50 seats · then $199 / ₹9,900 for members

Non-member
₹2,499 founding · then $299 / ₹14,500
Student member
30% off the exam
Membership and renewal
Student
$49 / ₹2,499 a year
Professional
$139 / ₹7,999 a year
Renewal, member
$99 / ₹5,500 every 3 years
Renewal, other
$179 / ₹9,900 every 3 years
Compare membership

06 / Maintain

Stay current, or it lapses.

Every three years you earn 30 Technical Development Units and submit a log for audit. The insignia means active competence, not a pass from years ago.

30

TDUs per cycle

3 yrs

Cycle length

$99

Member renewal

Education

Keep learning

  • Systems architecture
  • Technical delivery
  • Emerging technology, including AI and cloud
  • General engineering
Giving back

Pass it on

  • Open-source contributions
  • Mentoring junior engineers
  • Writing technical whitepapers
  • Speaking at an IICTP local chapter
Read the full TDU framework

07 / Trust

Set apart from the sellers.

The people who set the standard, the people who run the exam and the people who sell preparation are kept separate. That separation is what makes a pass mean something.

01 · Standards

Board of Global Standards

Planned: an independent review panel for the TPBOK™ and the exam question banks. It is still being formed, and we will publish its members once confirmed.

02 · Integrity

Assessment Integrity & Ethics Board

Our rule: the organizations that sell preparation have no say in who passes.

03 · Registry

Public verification registry

Every credential is recorded under a unique ID. Anyone can check it by ID, without asking the holder.

08 / Questions

Straight answers.

Do I need work experience to take the ATP®?
No. The ATP® is written for people with 0–2 years in the field. You need a secondary degree or equivalent and 23 contact hours of technical education. There is no minimum number of years on the job. See the full requirements.
What is the difference between ATP® and CTP®?
The ATP® is for early-career practitioners: the life cycle, baseline architecture and delivery fundamentals. The CTP® is for tech leads and engineering managers with 3–7 years of experience, and it tests system design, risk and sprint governance through 150 scenario-based questions. See the CTP®. Compare all credentials.
Does “ATP” also mean Authorized Training Partner?
Yes, the letters are shared. Associate Technical Practitioner (ATP®) is a credential you earn. An Authorized Training Partner is an organization licensed to teach the IICTP syllabus. This page uses the full name where the two could be confused. Learn about the partner programme.
Who can teach the preparation course?
Only licensed Authorized Training Partners. Every instructor must hold the credential and pass an annual Certified IICTP Instructor (CII) evaluation. Find a partner, or if you run a training organization, apply to become an Authorized Training Partner.
How long does the ATP® last, and how do I renew?
Three years. In each cycle you earn 30 Technical Development Units, log them, and submit them for audit. Renewal costs $99 for members and $179 for non-members. How TDUs work. Membership options.
How does an employer check my ATP®?
They enter your credential ID or name on the verification page. The registry returns your status, issue and expiry dates, and the signed record, so you never have to vouch for it yourself. See a sample record or open the verification page.
How an employer checks a credential. Sample record, not a real holder.
What does the certificate look like?
Every certificate carries a unique ID and links to its public record. Look one up.

Credential level

Foundations

Demonstrates foundational technical competency and standard principles.

No. ATP-2025-10842

Sample certificate · not issued to a real holder

This certifies that

Liam O'Connor

has met every requirement of the IICTP Examination Board and demonstrated verified technical competence, and is awarded the credential

ATP

Associate Technical Practitioner

Issued
March 04, 2025
Valid until
March 04, 2028
Cycle
60 TDUs / 3 yrs
Status
Certified in Good Standing
Eleanor VanceRegistrar and Board Examiner
IICTP · CERTIFIED · FOUNDATIONS ·
Authorized signatoryIICTP

Verify this certificateiictp.org/verify/ATP-2025-10842Scan the code, or enter the certificate number. Valid only while listed as active.

Sheet 1 of 1

Sample certificate, not issued to a real holder.
How does the exam work?
100 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, taken online and timed, with an integrity attestation you sign before you start.
  1. 1Register and pay
  2. 2Sit the timed exam online
  3. 3Get your result
  4. 4Receive your certificate and registry entry
The four steps from payment to certificate.
Run a training organization? Become an Authorized Training Partner

09 / Which one fits you

Which one fits you?

Each credential fits a different career stage. Neither is a prerequisite for the other.

ATP®

Associate Technical Practitioner

For early-career practitioners (0–2 years).

CTP®

Certified Technical Practitioner

For experienced practitioners (3–7 years).

ATP®

Check your eligibility.

Check eligibility Verify a credential