EC-Council · CTIA
Validates the ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate cyber threat intelligence at strategic, operational, tactical, and technical levels, covering threat actor profiling, cyber kill chain methodology, APT analysis, indicators of compromise, and OSINT techniques.
Practice Questions
740
≈ 5 practice exams
Duration
120 minutes
Passing Score
70%
Difficulty
AssociateLast Updated
Feb 2026
Use this CTIA practice exam to prepare for Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA) with realistic questions, detailed explanations, and focused study modes. The practice bank includes 740 questions for EC-Council CTIA, so you can review the exam steadily instead of relying on one long cram session.
As you practice, pay extra attention to patterns in your missed answers. Start with short sessions to identify weak areas, then move into timed quizzes once your accuracy is consistent.
The explanations are especially useful when you want to connect exam wording to the responsibilities and scenarios described in the official certification guidance. Use the free preview first, then unlock the full question bank when you are ready to build a complete study routine.
The EC-Council Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (C|TIA) is a specialist certification that validates a professional's ability to execute the full threat intelligence lifecycle — from planning and requirements gathering through data collection, analysis, and dissemination of actionable intelligence. Developed in collaboration with cybersecurity and threat intelligence experts worldwide, the program is aligned with the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework and CREST Certified Threat Intelligence Manager standards. It is currently in its second version (CTIAv2, exam code 312-85), which expanded the curriculum to include threat hunting, detection engineering, and integration of threat intelligence into SOC operations and incident response workflows.
The certification addresses all four levels of cyber threat intelligence — strategic, tactical, operational, and technical — and covers key methodologies including the Cyber Kill Chain, MITRE ATT&CK framework, APT profiling, OSINT collection techniques, Structured Analytic Techniques (such as Analysis of Competing Hypotheses), and STIX/TAXII-based intelligence sharing. Candidates also gain hands-on exposure to threat intelligence platforms (TIPs), malware analysis fundamentals, and Python scripting for data collection and processing. With over 800 pages of student material and 27 hands-on labs, the program emphasizes practical, method-driven skills applicable to real-world threat intelligence operations.
The CTIA is designed for mid-to-senior-level cybersecurity professionals who work with or want to specialize in threat intelligence. Primary candidates include threat intelligence analysts, SOC analysts (Tier II and above), incident responders, cybersecurity engineers, malware analysts, and information security managers who want to formalize their threat intelligence skills. It is also pursued by risk management professionals and government or defense personnel who need to integrate intelligence into security operations.
EC-Council recommends that candidates have at least two years of information security experience before attempting the exam. Those who attend EC-Council Authorized Training Center (ATC) classes or iClass online training are generally exempt from the formal experience application requirement, while self-study candidates must submit an eligibility application demonstrating their background. The certification is particularly well-suited for professionals already holding foundational credentials such as CEH or Security+ who are looking to move into a dedicated threat intelligence role.
There are no mandatory formal prerequisites to enroll in CTIA training, but EC-Council strongly recommends a minimum of two years of experience in information security or a related IT field before attempting the certification exam. Candidates pursuing the exam without attending EC-Council authorized training must submit an eligibility application documenting their professional experience for review and approval.
From a knowledge standpoint, candidates benefit most from familiarity with general networking concepts (TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls, proxies), basic cybersecurity principles, and an understanding of common attack techniques. Prior exposure to security operations center (SOC) workflows, incident response processes, or penetration testing concepts — such as that provided by the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) certification — will provide a meaningful foundation for the more advanced threat intelligence content covered in the CTIA curriculum.
The CTIA exam (code 312-85) consists of 50 multiple-choice questions to be completed within a 2-hour (120-minute) time limit. The exam is delivered at EC-Council Exam Centers, which support both in-person and remotely proctored formats. The passing score is 70%; however, EC-Council sets cut scores on a per-exam-form basis, meaning the threshold may range between 60% and 78% depending on the specific form administered to ensure consistent assessment standards across versions.
The exam is available in English and covers all domains defined in the official CTIAv2 Exam Blueprint published by EC-Council. Candidates must purchase an exam voucher (CTIAv1/v2 ECC Exam Center Voucher) and pay a one-time application fee. The certification is valid for three years, after which holders must earn 120 EC-Council Continuing Education (ECE) credits to maintain active status.
The CTIA certification opens doors to dedicated threat intelligence roles that are increasingly in demand as organizations build out intelligence-driven security operations. Common job titles for CTIA holders include Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst, Threat Intelligence Engineer, SOC Analyst (Senior/Lead), Threat Hunter, and Intelligence Fusion Analyst — roles found across financial services, government, defense contractors, MSSPs, and technology firms. According to EC-Council's published data, salaries for threat intelligence professionals in the United States range from approximately $100,000 to $170,000, with an average around $120,000 annually.
Compared to broader security certifications like CISSP or CEH, the CTIA provides focused, practitioner-level credentialing specifically in threat intelligence — a differentiator valued by hiring managers building dedicated intelligence teams. It complements incident response certifications such as ECIH and is often pursued alongside or after CEH to build a full offensive-awareness-to-intelligence skill set. The certification's alignment with NICE and CREST standards also gives it recognition in government and regulated industry procurement requirements, where framework-aligned credentials carry weight in contract eligibility.
5 sample questions with answers and explanations. The full bank has 740 questions, enough for 5 full-length practice exams.
Preview — answers shown1. What does the xor modifier do in YARA rules?
Explanation
The xor modifier allows YARA to match strings that have been XOR-encoded with single-byte keys. YARA will try XOR decoding with all possible single-byte keys to find matches.
2. The relationship between threat intelligence and risk management is:
Explanation
Threat intelligence provides threat likelihood and capability information essential for risk assessment. Risk = Threat × Vulnerability × Impact. TI informs the threat component with actual adversary capabilities and targeting patterns rather than theoretical possibilities.
3. When threat intelligence indicates imminent targeting of the organization, the response should include:
Explanation
Imminent threat intelligence triggers proactive response - leadership notification for decision-making, enhanced monitoring for early detection, and response preparation. Waiting for attacks wastes warning value. Intelligence enables preparation before impact.
4. What is the purpose of the STIX 'Location' SDO?
Explanation
The Location SDO represents geographic locations (countries, regions, coordinates) relevant to threat intelligence, such as where threat actors operate or where victims are located.
5. A threat intelligence platform administrator at Woodgrove Bank needs to share indicators of compromise with partner financial institutions. The sharing must use a standardized format that is machine-readable, supports relationships between objects, and uses JSON encoding. Which standard should they implement?
Explanation
STIX 2.1 (Structured Threat Information eXpression) is the OASIS standard for expressing threat intelligence in JSON format. It supports 18 STIX Domain Objects (SDOs) representing threat concepts, STIX Relationship Objects (SROs) for defining connections between objects, and STIX Cyber-observable Objects (SCOs) for technical indicators. STIX provides the data format while TAXII provides the transport mechanism. OpenIOC uses XML format, not JSON, and was developed by Mandiant for indicator expression but lacks the comprehensive relationship modeling of STIX. TAXII 2.1 is the transport protocol for STIX content, not the data format itself. MISP format is platform-specific and not an industry-wide standard like STIX.
EC-Council enforces the same exam-fraud policy on CTIA as on CEH: a confirmed violation permanently revokes the certification, removes your name from EC-Council's public registry, and can extend to other EC-Council programs, not just this one exam.
CTIA exists to prove you can actually analyze intelligence, not recall it, so a dump defeats the credential's entire purpose. CertCompanion's CTIA bank has 740 practice questions, 30 free, each explanation built around real intelligence-analysis reasoning.
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