The prerequisite for admittance to a CPRE Advanced Level module exam is a CPRE Foundation Level certificate or a certificate in Requirements Engineering from BCS.
To answer the exam questions correctly, you will need to know/master the educational objectives as defined in the syllabus of the respective Advanced Level module. Attending a classroom training course is not an essential entry criteria for the exam, but it is recommended.
You can prepare for the exam by:
The exam regulations for CPRE Advanced Level define both the content of the exam as well as the examination process.
Please note!
There will be an important innovation as of July 1, 2022: The multiple-choice test and the written assignment will be two self-contained exams, each with its own certificate at Advanced Level!
Learn more in our News and the FAQs.
Exemption due to COVID-19:
Due to the extraordinary situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting impact on the professional and private life, the completion time for the written assignment can be extended once by 6 months upon request and with justification. The process of application and obligation to provide proof remains valid. Details can be found in the examination regulations, paragraph 5.2.
The exam can be taken in English or German, Advanced Level Elicitation in French as well.
If a syllabus is fundamentally revised, a three-month transition period applies during which the written multiple choice examination can be taken according to the old or new syllabus. The written assignment must be based on the same syllabus as the multiple choice examination.
The exams will be evaluated by the certification body. The result will be sent to the contact address stated on your application. The written assignment will be assessed by experienced IREB assessors.
After having passed both parts of the exam, you should receive your certificate within two weeks.
The practice examination serves the purpose of simulating an actual CPRE Advanced Level written exam. See the downloads at the bottom of this page.
If you attend a classroom training course the training provider organizes the written examination for you.
For information on public exams consult the certification bodies' websites, where you can find times and dates of upcoming exams as well as information on the application process.
For further information see certification bodies
This document lays out the IREB's conditions for the CPRE Advanced Level examination.
This document lays out the IREB's conditions for the CPRE Advanced Level - Practitioner - examination.
Only valid as of July 1, 2022!
This document lays out the IREB's conditions for the CPRE Advanced Level - Specialist - examination.
Only valid as of July 1, 2022!
The practice examination contains 22 questions in the same form, structure and style as the live examination. The download also contains solutions and correction aids.
The practice examination contains 30 questions in the same form, structure and style as the live examination. The download also contains solutions and correction aids.
The practice examination contains 18 questions in the same form, structure and style as the live examination. The download also contains solutions and correction aids.
The practice examination contains 21 questions in the same form, structure and style as the live examination. The download also contains solutions and correction aids.
This handbook complements the syllabus for the Foundation Level 3.0
The handbook addresses training providers who want to offer training courses for the Foundation Level according to the IREB standard, as well as trainees and interested practitioners who want to get a detailed insight into the content of the Foundation Level.
This handbook does not replace a training course!
The handbook Requirements Elicitation complements the syllabus for the Advanced Level Requirements Elicitation.
The handbook addresses training providers who want to offer training courses for Requirements Elicitation according to the IREB standard, as well as trainees and interested practitioners who want to get a detailed insight into the content of the Advanced Level Requirements Elicitation.
This handbook does not replace a training course!
The handbook Requirements Management complements the syllabus for the Advanced Level Requirements Management.
The handbook addresses training providers who want to offer training courses for Requirements Management according to the IREB standard, as well as trainees and interested practitioners who want to get a detailed insight into the content of the Advanced Level Requirements Management.
This handbook does not replace a training course!
The handbook Requirements Modeling complements the syllabus for the Advanced Level Requirements Modeling.
The handbook addresses training providers who want to offer training courses for Requirements Modeling according to the IREB standard, as well as trainees and interested practitioners who want to get a detailed insight into the content of the Advanced Level Requirements Modeling.
This handbook does not replace a training course!
The handbook RE@Agile complements the syllabus for the Advanced Level RE@Agile.
The handbook addresses training providers who want to offer training courses for RE@Agile according to the IREB standard, as well as trainees and interested practitioners who want to get a detailed insight into the content of the Advanced Level RE@Agile.
This handbook does not replace a training course!
The prerequisite for taking a CPRE Advanced Level Specialist exam is a CPRE Advanced Level Practitioner certificate in the corresponding module.
See the graphic showing the relation of the CPRE Advanced Level certificates.
No, this is not required. The CPRE Advanced Level Specialist exam can be taken at any time, there is no temporal link. The CPRE Advanced Level Practitioner certificate is a prerequisite for the further CPRE Advanced Level Specialist exam in the same module; beyond that, they are distinct certificates.
The certification body sends the result by post to the address stated by the examinee on application. If you have passed the exam, you will receive your certificate together with the result.
If you take the exam online you get your result immediately after the examination. The certificate will be delivered to you later by post. The certificate obtained via an online exam is dispatched within the same time as the results of conventional exams.
The certification bodies offer public examinations or they provide the exam after a training course. Online exams in a test center are available as well. You register for a public examination directly at the certification body. The scheduled dates for public examinations are published on their websites.
Usually the examination subsequent to a training course is organized by the training provider. They will handle the registration for you.
You can also sit for the exam at a training provider without having attended the course. Please contact the training provider in advance in order to clarify the procedure.
You have the choice!
You can either complete the certification on the basis of the examination regulations in force until June 30, 2022 with a CPRE Advanced Level certificate of the corresponding module. As before, the written assignment must be submitted within twelve months after passing the multiple-choice exam.
Or you can switch to the new examination regulations with CPRE Advanced Level Practitioner and Specialist certificate of the corresponding module, which will be in force from July 1, 2022. In this case, the multiple-choice exam and the written assignment are no longer linked.
In both cases, you will receive information about the procedure from the Certification Body where you are taking the exam.
All CPRE certificates have a lifetime validity, therefore your CPRE Advanced Level certificate is still valid.
See the graphic showing the relation of the CPRE Advanced Level certificates.
No, a CPRE Advanced Level certificate issued before July 1, 2022 is 1:1 equivalent to the CPRE Advanced Level Specialist certificate of the corresponding module, as the exams taken for it are identical in total.
If you wish, you can request the CPRE Advanced Level Practitioner and the CPRE Advanced Level Specialist certificate for the corresponding module from the Certification Body where you took the exams. Please note that you have to request both certificates for the corresponding module, as the possession of the Specialist certificate is not possible without the Practitioner certificate of the corresponding module. See the graphic showing the relation of the CPRE Advanced Level certificates.
The CPRE Advanced Level certificate issued before July 1, 2022 is equivalent to the CPRE Advanced Level Specialist certificate of the corresponding module.
In summary, CPRE Advanced Level exams (Practitioner plus Specialist) taken from July 1, 2022 onwards are identical to the exams taken before July 1, 2022. See the graphic showing the relation of the CPRE Advanced Level certificates.
The multiple-choice exams for the CPRE Advanced Level before July 1, 2022 and those for the CPRE Advanced Level Practitioner are absolutely identical. Therefore, you can request the CPRE Advanced Level Practitioner certificate from the Certification Body where you took the exam - regardless of how long ago the exam was taken.
The following languages are available for the exams:
Foundation Level:
Advanced Level - all modules
The CPRE Foundation Level certificate - or an equivalent - is the prerequisite for admission to the CPRE Advanced Level examination.
The British Computer Society (BCS) offers a variety of diplomas for professional development. Within the diploma Business Analysis there is a certificate Requirements Engineering. This certificate has a large overlap with the CPRE Foundation Level certificate. Therefore BCS and IREB have closed an agreement that candidates who have completed the BCS Certificate in Requirements Engineering will be exempt from taking the IREB CPRE Foundation level to progress to the Advanced level.
The CPRE Foundation Level certificate - or an equivalent - is the prerequisite for admission to the CPRE Advanced Level Practitioner examination. See the graphic showing the relation of the CPRE Advanced Level certificates.
The British Computer Society (BCS) offers a variety of diplomas for professional development. Within the diploma Business Analysis there is a certificate Requirements Engineering. This certificate has a large overlap with the CPRE Foundation Level certificate. Therefore BCS and IREB have closed an agreement that candidates who have completed the BCS Certificate in Requirements Engineering will be exempt from taking the IREB CPRE Foundation level to progress to the CPRE Advanced level Practitioner. The BCS Certificate in Requirements Engineering is sufficient and equivalent!
IREB is not involved in the cost structure of the Certification Body and does not receive any payments for the retrospective issuance of certificates released as of July 1, 2022. Therefore, any costs incurred must be requested directly from the Certification Body.
IREB is not involved in the cost structure of the Certification Bodies and does not receive any payments for the exchange of certificates. Any costs incurred must therefore be requested directly from the Certification Bodies.
The CPRE exam can be taken immediately after the training, but this is not essential. If the participant of the course does not feel confident to take the exam immediately he or she should consult the trainer if it may be better to sit for the certification at a later stage. This would allow more time to become familiar with the topics where the participant still has gaps and thus only sitting the exam when fully prepared.
For this reason for the Advanced Level exam there is a period of 12 months after having passed the multiple choice exam for the submission of the homework (written assignment). This gives the candidate the opportunity to gather further practical experience in the chosen topic which may be incorporated in the written work.
The exam in the Foundation Level is a multiple choice questionnaire. For details see the exam regulations of the Foundation Level.
The exam in the Advanced Level consists of a multiple choice questionnaire and a written assignment. For details see the exam regulations of the Advanced Level.
A rerun of the training course before repeating the exam is not necessary.
The exam can be retaken at most twice without a waiting period. If you fail the exam for the third time you may only retake it one year after the third exam date at the earliest.