International Software Testing Qualifications Board

Contents

General

The International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB®) is a software testing qualification certification organisation. It was founded in Edinburgh in November 2002, ISTQB® is legally registered in Belgium.

The ISTQB® is responsible for the international qualification scheme called "ISTQB Certified Tester". The qualifications are based on a syllabus, and there is a hierarchy of qualifications and guidelines for accreditation and examination. The ISTQB® is the world’s leading issuer of Software Testing Qualifications having about 200 000 certifications issued; the ISTQB® consists of 47 member boards worldwide representing more than 71 countries (date: June 2011).

Certification levels

Currently ISTQB® provides 3 levels of certification:

The contents of each syllabus are taught as courses by training providers, which have been accredited by national or regional boards.. Each course is usually concluded by an examination covering the contents of the syllabus. After the examination, each successful participant receives the "ISTQB® Certified Tester" certificate (or the local variant with the added "ISTQB® compliant" logo). It is not compulsory to follow a course in order to attend the exam.

It is the ISTQB®'s goal to provide a single, universally accepted, international qualification scheme, aimed at software and system testing professionals, by providing the core syllabi and by setting guidelines for accreditation and examination, as well as auditing that the rules are observed by all the member boards. The ISTQB® syllabi content has been used by thousands of organizations worldwide.

More detailed information can be found on the ISTQB Official Website.

Working rules and Management Structure

The ISTQB® is an independent, democratic non -profit association, ruled by a constitution. The main organism is the General Assembly (GA) that elects the Executive Committee (EC) and the Chairs of the Working Groups-The Executive Committee is responsible to execute all the decision made by the GA and to make ISTQB® operate in accordance with its mission and vision; the ISTQB Executive Committee is composed of four roles:

The president represents the board, and is the first point of contact for outside organizations. The president chairs the General Assembly (GA) of the ISTQB®. The standard term of office is two years and re-election is possible.
The vice president deputizes for the president when necessary. The standard term of office is two years and re-election is possible.
The Treasurer is responsible for the collection, maintenance, investment and disbursement of funds. They are also responsible for the budget definition and controlling, as well as the preparation of the accounts. The treasurer is the key contact with the representatives of the member boards related with financial topic and they are an active member of the executive committee, being involved in all its activities. Re-election is possible.
The secretary is responsible for managing the agenda of the General Assembly, managing the votes of the GA, keeping other records and files, taking minutes of the meetings, and answers correspondence. Re-election is possible.
In order to support growth and development, ISTQB® invests in having 3 General Assembly Meetings per year and additional WG meetings when required

Books

Andreas Spillner, Tilo Linz, Hans Schaefer Software Testing Foundations: A Study Guide for the Certified Tester Exam (2nd edition)Rocky Nook, Jan 2007 - paperback, 288 pages ISBN1933952083
Dorothy Graham, Isabel Evans, Erik Van Veenendaal, Rex Black Foundations of Software Testing: ISTQB® Certification, 2nd edition Cengage, Feb 2008 - paperback, 258 pages ISBN1844809897
Andreas Spillner, Tilo Linz, Thomas Roßner, Mario Winter Software Testing Pracice: Test Management - A Study Guide for the Certified Tester Exam ISTQB® Advanced Level Rocky Nook, Aug 2007 - paperback, 339 pages ISBN193395213X
Anne Mette Jonassen Hass Guide to Advanced Software Testing Artech House, Apr 2008 - hardback, 427 pages ISBN1596932856
Graham Bath, Judy McKay The Software Test Engineer's Handbook: A Study Guide for the ISTQB® Test Analyst and Technical Analyst Advanced Level Certificates Rocky Nook, Jul 2008 - paperback, 416 pages ISBN1933952245
Rex Black Advanced Software Testing - Vol. 1: Guide to the ISTQB® Advanced Certification as an Advanced Test Analyst Rocky Nook, Oct 2008 - paperback, 486 pages ISBN1933952199
Rex Black Advanced Software Testing - Vol. 2: Guide to the ISTQB® Advanced Certification as an Advanced Test Manager Rocky Nook, Dec 2008 - paperback, 200 pages ISBN1933952369

Controversy

There is controversy surrounding the ISTQB's certification scheme. Many leaders in the software testing field do not recognise ISTQB® certification as a worthwhile qualification.[1]

Despite some criticism, the ISTQB® is today the most widespread and fast growing scheme for the certifications of competences on software testing. Anybody interested in improving the ISTQB® Syllabi and certification rules can apply to one of the National Boards and contribute to the several international ISTQB® Working Groups that continuously enhance the ISTQB® Body of knowledge, ensuring that all improvement opportunities are taken into account.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.satisfice.com/blog/archives/36

External links