diff --git a/BUILD.bazel b/BUILD.bazel
index 8401e10..19fed88 100644
--- a/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/BUILD.bazel
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ cc_library(
         "src/detail/priority.hpp",
         "src/detail/relation.hpp",
         "src/detail/remove_cvref.hpp",
+        "src/detail/static_closure.hpp",
+        "src/detail/test_style.hpp",
         "src/detail/trim_substring.hpp",
         "src/detail/type_name.hpp",
         "src/expect.hpp",
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index eb44ca3..e5f94ab 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ When running tests, `skytest` will attempt to invoke test closures at
 compile-time. If able to, results will be classified `CONSTEXPR PASS` or
 `CONSTEXPR FAIL` instead of `PASS` or `FAIL`.
 
+The `ctest` literal can be used to require closures to be tested at
+compile-time. In order to be usable with `ctest`, test closures must be empty
+and non-constexpr functions must not be invoked.
+
 ## examples
 
 #### binary comparisons
diff --git a/scripts/README.md.tmpl b/scripts/README.md.tmpl
index ad8c19b..2371692 100644
--- a/scripts/README.md.tmpl
+++ b/scripts/README.md.tmpl
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ When running tests, `skytest` will attempt to invoke test closures at
 compile-time. If able to, results will be classified `CONSTEXPR PASS` or
 `CONSTEXPR FAIL` instead of `PASS` or `FAIL`.
 
+The `ctest` literal can be used to require closures to be tested at
+compile-time. In order to be usable with `ctest`, test closures must be empty
+and non-constexpr functions must not be invoked.
+
 ## examples
 
 #### binary comparisons
diff --git a/src/detail/static_closure.hpp b/src/detail/static_closure.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d5547d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/detail/static_closure.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "src/detail/remove_cvref.hpp"
+
+#include <type_traits>
+
+namespace skytest::detail {
+
+template <const auto& f, class F = remove_cvref_t<decltype(f)>>
+struct static_closure : F
+{
+  constexpr static_closure() : F{f} {}
+};
+
+template <class T>
+struct is_static_closure : std::false_type
+{};
+template <const auto& f, class F>
+struct is_static_closure<static_closure<f, F>> : std::true_type
+{};
+
+template <class T>
+constexpr auto is_static_closure_v = is_static_closure<T>::value;
+
+template <class T>
+constexpr auto is_static_closure_constructible_v =
+    std::is_empty_v<T> and std::is_copy_constructible_v<T>;
+
+}  // namespace skytest::detail
diff --git a/src/detail/test_style.hpp b/src/detail/test_style.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..148c990
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/detail/test_style.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "src/detail/priority.hpp"
+#include "src/detail/static_closure.hpp"
+
+#include <optional>
+#include <type_traits>
+
+namespace skytest::detail {
+
+struct test_style
+{
+  struct runtime_only
+  {
+    template <class>
+    static constexpr auto value = std::optional<bool>{};
+  };
+
+  struct compile_time_if_possible
+  {
+  private:
+    template <
+        class F,
+        std::enable_if_t<is_static_closure_v<F>, bool> result = bool{F{}()}>
+    static constexpr auto try_eval(priority<1>)
+    {
+      return std::optional<bool>{result};
+    }
+    template <class F>
+    static constexpr auto try_eval(priority<0>)
+    {
+      return std::optional<bool>{};
+    }
+
+  public:
+    template <class F>
+    static constexpr auto value = try_eval<F>(priority<1>{});
+  };
+
+  struct compile_time
+  {
+    template <class F>
+    static constexpr auto value = std::optional<bool>{bool{F{}()}};
+  };
+};
+
+}  // namespace skytest::detail
diff --git a/src/rope.hpp b/src/rope.hpp
index d2d288b..3e95a84 100644
--- a/src/rope.hpp
+++ b/src/rope.hpp
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class rope_ref
 template <std::size_t N>
 struct rope
 {
+  static constexpr auto size = N;
+
   std::array<std::string_view, N> strings;
 
   template <std::size_t M = N, class = std::enable_if_t<M == 1>>
diff --git a/src/test.hpp b/src/test.hpp
index 9b9dfe5..5eaf32e 100644
--- a/src/test.hpp
+++ b/src/test.hpp
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@
 #include "src/cfg.hpp"
 #include "src/detail/is_specialization_of.hpp"
 #include "src/detail/remove_cvref.hpp"
+#include "src/detail/static_closure.hpp"
+#include "src/detail/test_style.hpp"
 #include "src/detail/type_name.hpp"
 #include "src/result.hpp"
 #include "src/rope.hpp"
 #include "src/version.hpp"
 
 #include <cstddef>
-#include <optional>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <utility>
@@ -17,32 +18,9 @@
 namespace skytest {
 namespace detail {
 
-template <class Params>
+template <class Params, class Style>
 class parameterized_test;
 
-struct runtime_only_result
-{
-  static constexpr auto value = std::optional<bool>{};
-};
-template <class F, class = void>
-struct compile_time_result : runtime_only_result
-{};
-template <class F>
-struct compile_time_result<F, std::enable_if_t<bool(F{}()) or true>>
-{
-  static constexpr auto value = std::optional<bool>{bool{F{}()}};
-};
-
-template <const auto& f, class F = remove_cvref_t<decltype(f)>>
-struct static_closure : F
-{
-  constexpr static_closure() : F{f} {}
-};
-
-template <class T>
-constexpr auto is_static_closure_constructible_v =
-    std::is_empty_v<T> and std::is_copy_constructible_v<T>;
-
 template <class F, class... Args>
 struct returns_result
     : is_specialization_of<
@@ -53,26 +31,25 @@ struct returns_result
 template <class F, class... Args>
 inline constexpr auto returns_result_v = returns_result<F, Args...>::value;
 
-template <std::size_t N>
+template <class Rope, class Style>
 class test
 {
-  rope<N> name_;
+  using rope_type = Rope;
 
-  template <
-      class F,
-      class Pass = compile_time_result<F>,
-      class Override = override>
+  rope_type name_;
+
+  template <class F, class S = Style, class Override = override>
   auto assign_impl(const F& func) -> void
   {
     auto result = func();
     result.name = name_;
-    result.compile_time = Pass::value;
+    result.compile_time = S::template value<F>;
 
     cfg<Override>.report(result);
   }
 
 public:
-  constexpr explicit test(rope<N> name) : name_{name} {}
+  constexpr explicit test(rope_type name) : name_{name} {}
 
   template <
       class F,
@@ -81,7 +58,7 @@ class test
           bool> = true>
   auto operator=(const F& func) && -> void
   {
-    assign_impl<F, runtime_only_result>(func);
+    assign_impl(func);
   }
   template <
       class F,
@@ -98,10 +75,10 @@ class test
   constexpr friend auto operator*(const test& t, const Params& params)
   {
     static_assert(
-        N == 1,
+        rope_type::size == 1,
         "parameterization of an already "
         "parameterized test");
-    return detail::parameterized_test<Params>{t.name_, params};
+    return detail::parameterized_test<Params, Style>{t.name_, params};
   }
 };
 
@@ -110,7 +87,17 @@ class test
 namespace literals {
 constexpr auto operator""_test(const char* name, std::size_t len)
 {
-  return detail::test{rope<1>{std::string_view{name, len}}};
+  using rope_type = rope<1>;
+  using style_type = detail::test_style::compile_time_if_possible;
+  return detail::test<rope_type, style_type>{
+      rope_type{std::string_view{name, len}}};
+}
+constexpr auto operator""_ctest(const char* name, std::size_t len)
+{
+  using rope_type = rope<1>;
+  using style_type = detail::test_style::compile_time;
+  return detail::test<rope_type, style_type>{
+      rope_type{std::string_view{name, len}}};
 }
 }  // namespace literals
 }  // namespace skytest
diff --git a/src/test_param.hpp b/src/test_param.hpp
index a1f13eb..feddef7 100644
--- a/src/test_param.hpp
+++ b/src/test_param.hpp
@@ -170,24 +170,28 @@ struct param_bound_static_closure
   }
 };
 
-template <class Params>
+template <class Params, class Style>
 class parameterized_test
 {
 public:
   using params_type = Params;
+  using style_type = Style;
 
 private:
+  using rope_type = rope<1>;
+  using derived_rope_type = rope<4>;
+
   const params_type& params_;
-  rope<1> basename_;
+  rope_type basename_;
 
   constexpr auto value_param_name(std::string_view s) const
   {
-    return rope<4>{basename_, " [", s, "]"};
+    return derived_rope_type{basename_, " [", s, "]"};
   }
   template <std::size_t I>
   constexpr auto type_param_name() const
   {
-    return rope<4>{
+    return derived_rope_type{
         basename_, " <", type_name<param_reference_t<I, params_type>>, ">"};
   }
 
@@ -221,7 +225,7 @@ class parameterized_test
       // other options will alloc
       // NOLINTNEXTLINE(cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-vararg)
       std::sprintf(s.data(), "%zu", i++);
-      test{value_param_name(s.data())} = g[it];
+      test<derived_rope_type, style_type>{value_param_name(s.data())} = g[it];
     }
   }
   template <std::size_t... Is, class G>
@@ -230,12 +234,15 @@ class parameterized_test
     static constexpr auto name_kind = is_range<param_resolve_t<params_type>>{};
 
     std::ignore =
-        ((test{param_name<Is>(name_kind)} = g[constant<Is>{}], true) and ...);
+        ((test<derived_rope_type, style_type>{param_name<Is>(name_kind)} =
+              g[constant<Is>{}],
+          true) and
+         ...);
   }
 
 public:
   constexpr explicit parameterized_test(
-      rope<1> basename, const params_type& params)
+      rope_type basename, const params_type& params)
       : params_{params}, basename_{basename}
   {}
 
diff --git a/test/BUILD.bazel b/test/BUILD.bazel
index 7311818..f069684 100644
--- a/test/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/test/BUILD.bazel
@@ -313,3 +313,26 @@ skytest_test(
         "11 |\\s*expect\\(.*\\).*;",
     ],
 )
+
+skytest_test(
+    name = "requires_constexpr_test",
+    srcs = ["requires_constexpr_test.cpp"],
+    stdout = [
+        "test1.*CONSTEXPR",
+        "test2.*CONSTEXPR",
+        "all tests passed.*2 tests",
+    ],
+)
+
+skytest_test(
+    name = "ctest_build_failure_test",
+    srcs = ["ctest_build_failure.sh.tmpl"],
+    binary_type = sh_binary_template,
+    return_code = 1,
+    stderr = [
+        "11.*test1",
+        "11.*error.*the value of .*x.* is not usable in a constant expression",
+        "15.*test2",
+        "15.*error.*the value of .*x.* is not usable in a constant expression",
+    ],
+)
diff --git a/test/ctest_build_failure.sh.tmpl b/test/ctest_build_failure.sh.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6364483
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ctest_build_failure.sh.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+source test/prelude.sh
+prelude "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"
+
+cat >>BUILD.bazel <<EOF
+cc_binary(
+    name = "ctest_build_failure",
+    srcs = ["ctest_build_failure.cpp"],
+    copts = [
+        "-std=c++$CC_BINARY_CXXSTD",
+        "-Werror",
+        "-Wall",
+        "-Wextra",
+    ],
+    malloc = "$CC_BINARY_MALLOC",
+    deps = [":external_skytest"],
+)
+EOF
+
+cat >ctest_build_failure.cpp <<EOF
+#include "skytest/skytest.hpp"
+
+auto x = false;
+
+auto main() -> int
+{
+    using namespace ::skytest::literals;
+    using ::skytest::expect;
+    using ::skytest::types;
+
+    "test1"_ctest = [] {
+        return expect(x);
+    };
+
+    "test2"_ctest * types<int> = [](auto) {
+        return expect(x);
+    };
+}
+EOF
+
+bazel build -s //:ctest_build_failure
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/requires_constexpr_test.cpp b/test/requires_constexpr_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8af9e23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/requires_constexpr_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#include "skytest/skytest.hpp"
+
+auto main() -> int
+{
+  using namespace ::skytest::literals;
+  using ::skytest::eq;
+  using ::skytest::expect;
+  using ::skytest::types;
+
+  "test1"_ctest = [] { return expect(eq(1, 1)); };
+
+  "test2"_ctest * types<int> = [](auto param) {
+    using T = typename decltype(param)::type;
+    return expect(eq(0, T{}));
+  };
+}