ISTQB certificationDescription and Benefits

Author: Aleksandra Tyurina

Date: 03/20/2012Version: 0.4

Table of content

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Importance of certificationOfficial informationBenefitsISTQB® FrameworkLevels of CertificationAdvanced Level CertificatePreparationSelf-study preparationPassing the examsISTQB WorldwideRSTQBISTQB comparisonUseful Links

Importance of certification

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As clients more closely guard expenses and become more discerning, organizations needing to outsource services and support will want to ensure the firms and technicians they hire are competent. IT certifications are a great method for service consulting organization to demonstrate their skill, knowledge, and expertise to potential clients.

ISTQB® is the most widely recognized and fastest-growing software tester certification in the world:Developed by 100 global software testing expertsOffered in 47 countriesMore than 165,000 certified software testers worldwide

Official information4

The International Software Testing Qualifications Board® (ISTQB)[1] is a non-profit organization responsible for defining various guidelines such as examination structure and regulations, accreditation, certification etc.

The ISTQB® Certified Tester program provides certification for software testers internationally.

One of the core principles of the program is a strict separation between the administration of exams and the training to those who would like to prepare for the exam in ISTQB® compliant courses. 

Benefits5

Certifications are a great method for YOUR COMPANY to demonstrate engineers’ skills, knowledge, and expertise to potential clients.

For a company, a staff with a variety of relevant certifications makes the business more marketable, which translates to new customers, and the development and implementation of new processes, systems and applications.

Employees who are better trained and educated as the result of certification efforts will be less likely to commit errors that lead to failure.

Certifications are objective measurements of skills and hence easy to use when it comes to comparing and contrasting the talent pool.

ISTQB® Framework6

Levels of Certification7

There are currently two levels of certification: Foundation Level (one module) Advanced Level (three modules). To receive Advanced Level certification, candidates must hold the Foundation Certificate. 

An Expert Level is currently being developed (will start in 2012).

For all three levels, international working groups develop and maintain internationally uniform curricula and exams.

Advanced Level Certificate8

The Advanced Level supports 3 certifications, and there is a separate exam for each certification:Test Manager Test Analyst Technical Test Analyst

This offers the option to either acquire the certificate in one specific field or to take all three exams and receive an ISTQB Certified Tester, Full Advanced Level, certificate.

Preparation9

You have choices of how to prepare for the exams:A course from an accredited providerInternal company training for employeesSelf-study via software testing books and Web sites

Only accredited companies are allowed to offer preparation trainings. An ISTQB® accredited training provider is someone who has extensive knowledge and experience in testing, and can provide additional insights into testing terminology and the syllabus content, to make it easier to attain the ISTQB® certifications.

Self-study preparation10

If you want to prepare for the exam by self-study the ISTQB® Syllabi and Glossary[2] are highly recommended.

The Foundation Level exam tests for knowledge, not skill. It provides information about the certificate holder's level of familiarity with the most common concepts of software testing and the associated terminology. It does not require work experience.

The Foundation Level exam is a stepping stone toward the Advanced Level, which is more in-depth and much more practice-oriented.

Passing the exams11

You must book your exam directly with the International Software Testing Qualifications Boards[3]. Select your country from the list to get local exam dates, applicable fees and booking information. For Russia see slide RSTQB.

Exam fee is from 150 EUR ($250) per module.The FL exam comprises 40 multiple-choice

questions, a pass mark of 65% and a duration of 60 minutes (or 75 minutes for not-native speaker).

The AL exams comprise 65 multiple-choice questions, a pass mark of 65%, and a duration of 180 minutes (or 225 minutes for not-native speaker).

ISTQB Worldwide12

ISTQB is composed of 47 member Boards from worldwide countries[3].

E.g. boards available in the countries:American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB)Australia and New Zealand Testing Board (ANZTB) Chinese Software Testing Qualifications Board (CSTQB)Finnish Software Testing Board (FiSTB)German Testing Board (GTB)Indian Testing Board (ITB)Japan Software Testing Qualifications Board (JSTQB)Korean Software Testing and Qualifications Board (KSTQB)Polish Testing Board (PTB)Russian Software Testing Qualifications Board (RSTQB)Swedish Software Testing Board (SSTB)UK Testing Board (UKTB)

RSTQB13

RSTQB[4] is a Russian Board of the ISTQB. The board works out the syllabus and examination questions for the certification scheme in Russian.

The RSTQB offers the Foundation Level exam and all three Advanced Level exams all over Russia. Most exam dates at the moment are in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Vladimir and Dubna.

An online exam can be provided by an ISTQB certified Proctor on any local place. Foundation Level Exam is now possible to be organized in Nizhny Novgorod.

The following department is accredited and can provide trainings in Russia now: Knowledge Department[5].

ISTQB comparison14

ISTQB QAI’s CSTE IIST’s CSTP

Organization awarding the certification

International Software Testing Qualification Board www.istqb.org

Quality Assurance Institute www.qaiusa.com

International Institute for Software Testing http://www.iist.org/

Formal training required for the certification to be awarded

None. An optional 3-day prep course available from ISTQB certified training providers.

None. An optional 3-day prep course offered by QAI.

10 days of formal classroom training with hands on workshops.

Certified software testers

155,000 certified  (Oct,2010)the most popular

35,000 Certified  (Sep, 2008)

2,500 Certified (Oct, 2010)

Is re-certification required?

No Yes Yes

Cost $250 for taking or re-taking the exam

$300 for taking or re-taking the exam

Cost of training + $120 graduation fee Cost of training is approximately $5,500

Links15

# Description Link

1 International Software Testing Qualifications Board ® (ISTQB)

http://istqb.org

2 Syllabi and Glossary http://istqb.org/display/ISTQB/Syllabi?atl_token=o60Mt8BCwj

3 ISTQB Worldwide http://istqb.org/display/ISTQB/ISTQB+Worldwide?atl_token=cDcGM25LAe

4 RSTQB http://en.rstqb.org/

5 Knowledge Department http://knowledge-department.ru/

6 Why you need it and how to get it? by Rex Black

http://www.testingexperience.com/testingexperience01_08_Black.pdf

7 ISTQB vs. ISEB http://www.istqbcertification.org/?q=node/17

8 Software Testing Materials: Basic Resource Library

http://www.rbcs-us.com/software-testing-resources/library/basic-library

ISTQB certificationDriving the Software Testing Profession Forwards