The Certified Technical Support Engineer (CTSE) is a beginner, vendor-neutral certification for the people who provide front-line technical support. It validates that you can work with hardware and devices, support the major operating systems, understand networking basics, install and configure software, follow a sound troubleshooting and support process, and handle security and customer service well. The exam is computer adaptive and performance-based, and the credential is kept current through continuing education.
| Level | Beginner. An entry credential: it establishes solid technical support fundamentals and assumes some hands-on computer experience. |
|---|---|
| Delivery model | Computer adaptive, three stages. Your score on each stage selects the difficulty of the next, so no two candidates sit the same paper. |
| Format | 60 questions. A performance-based exam that includes performance-based questions and multiple-choice questions. Concepts transfer across every operating system. |
| Time | 90 minutes for the whole exam, timed. Autosaves every answer. |
| Scoring | You need a score of 700 out of 900 to pass. Results are reported on a scale of 100 to 900, and 700 corresponds to answering 72% of the exam correctly. Harder questions carry more weight, so a score means the same thing on any route. Multiple-response items and PBQs are all or nothing. |
| Retakes | No waiting period after a failed first attempt. Every attempt is paid for at the exam price. See the CertLabz Certification Retake Policy. |
| Voucher validity | 12 months from purchase, for one sitting. |
| Certification validity | 3 years. Renew with 35 CEUs per cycle and the $25 annual CE fee, or pass the current exam. Renewal details. |
| Language | English. |
| Credential | PDF certificate with QR code, public verification page, LinkedIn-ready credential ID. Issuer: CertLabz Certification Board. |
| Free resources | The exam objectives PDF and the ten sample questions PDF. |
| Workforce mapping | NICE Framework work roles: Technical Support (IO-WRL-007). O*NET occupations: Computer User Support Specialists (15-1232.00), Computer Network Support Specialists (15-1231.00). Self-declared by CertLabz, not reviewed by NIST or CISA. See the full mapping. |
A signed, verifiable:
The CTSE is a performance-based exam: it includes performance-based questions alongside multiple-choice questions. Instead of only picking A, B, C or D, you match symptoms to fixes, order a troubleshooting process, resolve a device or network issue, and choose the right step. It is computer adaptive, is proctored and timed, needs no mandatory course, and tests supporting people and devices rather than reciting definitions.
PC components, peripherals, mobile devices, printers and the major operating systems.
IP, DNS, DHCP, connectivity, wireless and basic troubleshooting.
A troubleshooting methodology, ticketing, remote support and escalation.
Malware basics, safe practices, communication and professionalism.
Technical support is the classic entry point into IT, with clear paths onward into administration and engineering. Every route is shown here at once, so nothing is hidden behind a control you have to find.
United States pay reported by Glassdoor, checked September 2026. Pay varies by location, employer and experience. No certification guarantees a salary or a job.
| CertLabz CTSE | CompTIA A+ | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Certification exam | Certification exam |
| Computer adaptive | Yes | No |
| Hands-on PBQs | Yes | Yes |
| Scope | Technical support | IT support fundamentals |
| Vendor neutral | Yes | Yes |
| Proctored | Yes | Yes |
| Exams | One | Two (Core 1 and Core 2) |
| Time | 120 min | 90 min each |
| Passing score | 72% | 75% and 78% |
| Separate course purchase required | No | No |
| Exam voucher | $99 | $548 (two exams) |
Compiled September 2026 from the CompTIA A+ pages. A+ is a respected two-exam credential that also uses performance-based questions; the CTSE proves front-line support skills in a single computer adaptive exam at a far lower price. Product names and trademarks belong to their owners; CertLabz is not affiliated with any of them. Confirm current details with each provider.
Six reasons this credential is worth your time, and worth an employer's attention.
One price for the exam, set by its level. Bundles add the study guide and hands-on practice at a saving.
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Every form is drawn from a bank of more than 100 items to these exact weights, whichever adaptive route you take. Filter by the area you want to study.
The exam runs in three stages. Your score on each stage selects the difficulty of the next, so a strong candidate is stretched and a struggling one is measured fairly rather than swamped. No two candidates sit the same paper. Harder questions carry more weight, so a scaled score means the same thing whichever route you took.
Each exam can have up to 5 to 12 performance-based questions, drawn fresh on every attempt, alongside the multiple-choice questions. A PBQ is a task rather than a list: you match symptoms to fixes, order a troubleshooting process, resolve a device or network issue, or choose the right step. They are scored all or nothing, so partial guesses do not pass.
The CTSE is a single exam. Some established support credentials require two separate exams; the CTSE covers front-line support in one computer adaptive sitting.
Yes. Operating systems and devices are described generically, named only as examples. What you prove transfers across whatever your workplace runs.
700 out of 900. Results are reported on a scale of 100 to 900, and 700 corresponds to answering 72% of the exam correctly.
There is no waiting period between a failed first attempt and a second attempt. Buy another voucher and sit the exam again when you are ready, and it will draw a fresh adaptive form from the bank. See the CertLabz Certification Retake Policy.
Yes, after three years. Keep it current by logging 35 CEUs during the cycle and paying the $25 annual CE fee before expiry, or by passing the current exam again.
The exam objectives PDF and the ten sample questions PDF. The CTSE Official Study Guide is a $50 ebook, included in two of the bundles. Hands-on practice comes with the All Access plan, included in the Complete bundle.
A laptop or desktop with a webcam and microphone, Chrome, Edge or Firefox, a stable connection, and a quiet private room for 90 minutes. Phones and tablets are not supported.
CTSE is a continuing-education certification. It is valid for three years from the day you pass. To keep it, log 35 continuing-education units during the cycle and pay the $25 annual CE fee before your expiry date. Or pass the current version of the exam again. Earning a higher-level CertLabz certification renews it too.
Select any option to see what counts.
CEUs are logged from your CertLabz dashboard with supporting evidence. A certification that lapses can be reinstated only by passing the current exam.
Buy a voucher, study the objectives, sit the exam when you are ready. Your credential is issued the moment you pass.