Software Testing Certification

• Understand what testing is and why it is beneficial
• Understand fundamental concepts of software testing
• Identify the test approach and activities to be implemented depending on the context of testing
• Assess and improve the quality of documentation
• Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of testing
• Align the test process with the software development lifecycle
• Understand test management principles
• Write and communicate clear and understandable defect reports
• Understand the factors that influence the priorities and efforts related to testing
• Work as part of a cross-functional team
• Know risks and benefits related to test automation
• Identify essential skills required for testing
• Understand the impact of risk on testing
• Effectively report on test progress and quality

• Collaborate in a cross-functional Agile team being familiar with principles and basic practices of Agile software development.
• Adapt existing testing experience and knowledge to Agile values and principles.
• Support the Agile team in planning test-related activities.
• Apply relevant methods and techniques for testing in an Agile project.
• Assist the Agile team in test automation activities.
• Assist business stakeholders in defining understandable and testable user stories, scenarios, requirements and acceptance criteria as appropriate.
• Work and share information with other team members using effective communication styles and channels.

In general, a Certified Tester Foundation Level – Agile Tester is expected to have acquired the necessary skills to working effectively within an Agile team and environment.

• The Fundamentals of Agile Software Development
• The different agile approaches
• The Differences between Testing in Traditional and Agile Approaches
• Testing in Agile Projects
• Roles and skills of a tester in Agile Projects
• Agile testing techniques and methods
• Assess product quality risks within an Agile project
• Estimate testing effort based on iteration content and quality risks
• Tools in Agile Projects

• Understand the basic concepts of usability and usability testing.
• Identify and classify the severity of usability risks and potential accessibility violations in a given product at any stage of a development cycle.
• Cite relevant standards for usability, user experience, and accessibility and verify their implementation in a given product.
• Set up procedures so that stated usability, user experience and accessibility goals may be verified in practice for a given product.
• Design and monitor the implementation of a test plan for achieving stated usability, user experience and accessibility goals.
• Explain the rationale, process and results of usability, user experience and accessibility evaluations to non-specialist stakeholders.

• Understand the concepts of usability, user experience and accessibility.
• Understand the objectives of usability, user experience and accessibility evaluation.
• Compare usability, user experience and accessibility evaluation.
• Understand the three approaches to usability, user experience and accessibility evaluation: Usability review, usability testing and quantitative user surveys for satisfaction measurement.
• Understand the differences between formative (qualitative) and summative (quantitative) usability evaluation.
• Understand the key elements of human-centered evaluation.
• Understand the human-centered design process.
• Understand the usability evaluation approaches that work well in agile software development lifecycles.
• Understand typical usability, user experience, and accessibility risks
• Analyze a given project at the design or evaluation stage, and identify the types of usability risks that are likely to occur
• Understand the general content and applicability of ISO usability standards and manufacturer guidelines to particular types of project/application
• Understand the general content and applicability of ISO 9241-171 (Software Accessibility) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to particular types of project and applications
• Understand the general content of accessibility legislation (UK Equality Act 2010 and Americans with Disabilities Act)
• Understand usability review as a method for evaluating usability, user experience and accessibility
• Understand the differences between informal usability review and expert usability review
• Analyze the usability aspects of a software application using the usability review method “heuristic evaluation” according to a checklist provided in the syllabus
• Understand the principal steps in the usability testing approach
• Understand the content of a usability test plan
• Understand the content of a usability test script
• Define a simple usability test task for a given project
• Understand considerations to be applied when deciding on a location for usability tests
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of a usability test lab
• Understand the key activities in a usability test session
• Understand the procedure to apply for analyzing findings from a usability test
• Understand the classifications and ratings for usability findings
• Review a usability test report for a given project
• Understand how to overcome internal resistance to usability findings
• Apply a given list of best practices to report and communicate results
• Understand the quality control activities for a usability test
• Understand the most frequent and serious mistakes in usability testing
• Understand the purpose and approach adopted in user surveys
• Understand the principal content and objectives of the public user questionnaires SUS, SUMI and WAMMI
• Select appropriate method(s) for verifying and validating usability, user experience and accessibility in a given project
• Understand the principal tasks and responsibilities of the Usability Tester
• Understand the principal tasks and responsibilities of the Moderator and the Note-Taker

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• Download the syllabus (PDF)

• Contribute to an organization’s acceptance testing activities by participating in the acceptance test design phase and supporting the alignment of the product with the business requirements.
• Contribute to an organization’s acceptance testing activities by participating in the acceptance test design phase and supporting the alignment of the product with the business requirements.
• Contribute to the quality of the acceptance testing process, including validation and verification of produced artifacts.

For testers:

• Contribute to the definition of acceptance criteria during the requirements definition phase.
• Collaborate efficiently with business analysts and other stakeholders during all acceptance testing activities.
• Understand the business objectives, communicate with business units, and share common objectives for acceptance testing.

• Develop and review acceptance criteria for requirements and/or user stories in a collaborative way.
• Apply Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD) and Behavior Driven Development (BDD) techniques for a given scenario.
• Apply the Gherkin language for designing acceptance tests for a given scenario.
• Organize exploratory testing and beta testing session.
• Review business process/rule models specified in BPMN and DMN.
• Use business process/rule models specified in BPMN and DMN to create acceptance tests.
• Consider usability/user experience, performance efficiency and security in planning and performing acceptance testing.
• Collaborate efficiently with relevant stakeholders in acceptance testing activities including defect reporting and analysis and test status reporting.
• Select relevant tools for acceptance testing activities.

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• Download the syllabus (PDF)

• Understand the basic concepts of performance efficiency and performance testing
• Define performance risks, goals, and requirements to meet stakeholder needs and expectations
• Understand performance metrics and how to collect them
• Develop a performance test plan for achieving stated goals and requirements
• Conceptually design, implement, and execute basic performance tests
• Analyse the results of a performance test and state implications to various stakeholders
• Explain the process, rationale, results, and implications of performance testing to various stakeholders
• Understand categories and uses for performance tools and criteria for their selection
• Determine how performance testing activities align with the software lifecycle

• Understand the basic concepts of performance efficiency and performance testing
• Understand the principles of performance testing.
• Recognize the different types of performance testing.
• Recall testing types in performance testing.
• Understand the concept of load generation.
• Give examples of common failure modes of performance testing and their causes.
• Understand the typical metrics collected in performance testing.
• Explain why results from performance testing are aggregated.
• Understand the key sources of performance metrics.
• Recall the typical results of a performance test.
• Understand the principal performance testing activities.
• Explain typical categories of performance risks for different architectures.
• Analyze performance risks for a given product across the software development lifecycle.
• Analyze a given project to determine the appropriate performance testing activities for each phase of the software lifecycle.
• Derive performance test objectives from relevant information.
• Outline a performance test plan which considers the performance test objectives for a given project.
• Create a presentation that enables various stakeholders to understand the rationale behind the planned performance testing.
• Give examples of typical protocols encountered in performance testing.
• Understand the concept of transactions in performance testing.
• Analyze operational profiles for system usage.
• Create load profiles derived from operational profiles for given performance objectives.
• Analyze throughput and concurrency when developing performance tests.
• Understand the basic structure of a performance test script.
• Implement performance test scripts consistent with the plan and load profiles.
• Understand the activities involved in preparing for performance test execution.
• Understand the principal activities in running performance test scripts.
• Analyze and report performance test results and implications.
• Understand how tools support performance testing.
• Evaluate the suitability of performance testing tools in a given project scenario.

• Understand and review business and technology drivers for mobile apps in order to create a test strategy
• Identify and understand the key challenges, risks and expectations associated with testing a mobile application
• Apply test types and levels specific to mobile applications.
• Apply common test types, such as those mentioned in ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation Level syllabus 2018, in the mobile specific context.
• Carry out the activities required specifically for mobile application testing as part of the main activities of the ISTQB® test process.
• Identify and use suitable environments and appropriate tools for mobile application testing.
• Understand methods and tools specifically to support mobile application test automation.

• Describe how available mobile analytics data can be used as input for the test strategy and the test plan.
• Distinguish between various business models for mobile applications.
• Recall different types of mobile devices.
• Distinguish between different types of mobile applications.
• Distinguish between general architecture types of mobile applications.
• Apply characteristics and specifics of the mobile market in preparing a test strategy.
• Give examples of the challenges associated with testing mobile applications.
• Describe how risks specific to mobile applications may be mitigated.
• Describe device-specific features and hardware which should be considered for testing.
• Prepare tests for the app's compatibility with screen sizes, aspect ratio, and screen density.
• Describe how tests can show the potential effects of device overheating on the system under test.
• Recall different test types for testing of the various input sensors used in mobile devices.
• Recall tests to be run for various input methods.
• Describe how tests can reveal user interface issues when changing screen orientation.
• Prepare tests for an app using typical mobile device interrupts.
• Prepare tests for changing the access permissions to the device features requested by the app.
• Prepare tests to verify the impact of an app on a device’s power consumption and the impact of its power state on the app.
• Prepare tests for the handling of notifications by the system under test.
• Describe how tests can verify correct functionality of quick-access links.
• Prepare tests for the impact on an app of the user preference settings provided by an operating system.
• Distinguish between different tests required for native, web and hybrid applications.
• Recall tests required for apps which are available on multiple platforms or operating system versions.
• Recall tests required for co-existence and interoperability with other apps.
• Summarize the tests for connectivity testing, including those across networks, when using Bluetooth and when switching to flight mode.
• Prepare installability tests for mobile apps.
• Prepare stress tests for mobile apps.
• Give examples of security issues related to mobile apps.
• Recall time and resource behavior considerations for mobile apps.
• Prepare usability tests for mobile apps.
• Recognize the type of tests required for database testing of mobile apps.
• Summarize the tests required for internationalization (globalization) and localization testing of mobile apps.
• Summarize the need for accessibility testing in mobile application testing.
• Describe the additional test levels, such as field testing, and the associated extra activities required for effective mobile application testing.
• Describe the tests required for carrying out application store approval for publishing apps.
• Recall session-based test management, personas, and mnemonics in the context of exploratory mobile testing.
• Describe the usage of tours and heuristics as exploratory techniques for mobile application testing.
• Make use of a mobile specific tour (such as the Feature tour) to test a mobile app.
• Match the test process, as described in ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation Level syllabus, to the needs of mobile application testing.
• Describe the approaches to testing at each test level, specific to mobile application testing.
• Recall the development environments used for mobile application development.
• Recall some of the common tools supplied as part of application development platforms.
• Understand the differences between emulators and simulators.
• Describe the use of emulators and simulators for mobile application testing.
• Distinguish between various approaches to set up a test lab.
• Distinguish between common automation approaches and frameworks for mobile application testing.
• Describe various automation methods for testing mobile apps.
• Recall the various parameters to be considered during the evaluation of mobile testing automation tools.
• Distinguish between common approaches of creating test labs with advantages and disadvantages with respect to test automation.

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• Testing Techniques
     - Apply black box testing techniques (Boundary Value Analysis, Equivalence Partitioning, State Transition, and Decision Tables) to create and execute effective test cases efficiently.
• Estimation Techniques
     - Use estimation techniques accurately to enhance the overall efficacy and productivity of the testing process
• Identify & Address Issues
     - Identify and address issues early in the development lifecycle with strategies such as Test Case Prioritization and Acceptance Test-Driven Development.
• Create Effective Test Plans
     - Create an effective test plan that provides a framework and structure that covers the critical components needed by all stakeholders to ensure successful testing.