Tag: ISTQB Articles

ISTQB Agile Tester Certification – Introduction, Contents, Exam Structure

Why to do Agile Tester extension certification

ISQTB Agile Tester Certification is an extension of ISTQB Foundation Level Certification and in order to participate in ISTQB Agile Tester Certification you must have passed ISTQB Foundation Level Certification.

Agile testing is a relatively new approach to software testing that follows the principles of agile software development as outlined in the Agile Manifesto.

If you are working on an Agile project, you will work differently than the tester working on a traditional projects following Waterfall or V development lifecycle.

You must understand the values and principles that underpin Agile projects, and how testers are an integral part of a whole-team approach together with developers and business representatives.

Agile Tester Extension Course Contents

There are 3 sections in ISTQB Agile Tester Certification syllabus and the required skills for each section in order to pass the exam are listed in the image below.

  • Section 1 – Agile Software Development
  • Section 2 – Fundamental Agile Testing Principles, Practices and Process
  • Section 3 – Agile Testing Methods, Techniques and Tools

The picture below outlines the course contents for ISTQB Agile Tester Certification.

Pic Courtesy – www.istqb.org

Business Outcome of ISTQB Agile Tester Extension

The following section lists the Business Outcomes expected of a candidate who has achieved the Foundation Level Extension – Agile Tester certification.

An Agile Tester can…

  • 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.

Agile Tester Extension Learning Objectives

Certified agile testers should be able to demonstrate their skills in the following areas:

  • 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

Agile Tester Extension Exam Structure

  • Similar to ISTQB Foundation Certification exam, the Agile Tester Certification exam shall comprise 40 multiple-choice questions.
  • Each correct answer has a value of one point. The maximum possible score for each examination is 40 points.
  • The time allowed for each examination is exactly 60 minutes. If the candidate’s native language is not the examination language, the candidate is allowed an additional 25% time.

Same as ISTQB Certified Test Foundation level exam a score of at least 65% (26 points or more) is required to pass ISTQB Agile Tester Certification exam.

Pic Courtesy – www.istqb.org

Overall question breakdown by K-Level is as follows: 

Pic Courtesy – www.istqb.org

Check out detailed info about ISTQB Agile Tester Certification here.

Download Agile Tester Extension Material from ISTQB website

If you want to appear for exam, you need to check available exam dates from your country’s accredited testing board which conducts ISTQB exams in your country.

Visit ISTQB.org to get more details about syllabus, sample questions and in depth details about exam.

What is Software Testing? – ISTQB Foundation | Software Testing Basics

Software Testing is not a standalone activity. It is a process which consists of all testing life cycle activities like static and dynamic testing, planning, preparation and evaluation of software products to determine that the software products satisfy end-user requirements and are fit for customers use.

Testing is the necessary part of software development lifecycle as it helps in finding software issues or bugs well in advance.

Definition of Software Testing as per ISTQB

ISTQB classifies testing in two parts, “Testing as a process” and “Objectives of Testing”.

Software Testing as a process

As mentioned above testing is a not a standalone activity. It is a process which consists of both static and dynamic software testing.

It includes planning, preparation, evaluation and verifying other software products and related work product.

Let us understand all of the “Testing as a Process” activities one by one.

1. Software Testing is a process

Testing cannot happen standalone, and it is relevant only when it is part of Software Development Lifecycle(SDLC). You cannot test something which is not developed. It occurs in all phases of SDLC and is a series of activities among SDLC.

In fact, testing is a lifecycle of activities that go hand in hand with SDLC activities. It starts with static testing, planning, preparation, evaluation, reporting and closure activities.

2. Software Testing is both Static & Dynamic

Testing involves both Static and Dynamic Testing.

In initial phases of Software Development Life Cycle, testers perform Static testing which includes Technical Reviews, Walkthrough, Inspection, Static Code Analysis and when the developers start delivering working build, dynamic testing starts with the intent of validating that software meets customer requirements

3. Test Planning

Planning is the crucial activity for the success of any project.

Similarly, planning is also a paramount activity in software testing.

You need to do planning to identify what is the critical goal for testing activity and what roles and responsibilities are in the testing team.

Test planning also determines the timeframe for all the testing related activities and control actions in case the testing activity is not progressing as per plan.

Planning also identifies the key deliverables from the testing team like the final test summary reporting and scripts.

4. Test Preparation

Next activity in testing is preparation. After the planning finalizes, test preparation activities start which consists of, but not limited to preparing the test cases, preparing the test environment and also preparing the test data.

5. Evaluation

Evaluation is another activity of the testing process wherein you need to evaluate the software during test execution to ensure that it is meeting the defined exit criteria, user-friendly and meets the end user/business requirements.

6. Software products and related work products

Software testing is not about just testing a piece of code or an executable file. It is testing the whole package which consists of many other related utilities and documentation like Software requirements documents(SRS), Design documents, Quick reference guide, Training Materials, User Guides, Installation guide and any other related products or documents.

Objectives of Software Testing

When we are performing software testing, there are some objectives that we want to achieve before we say that testing has been a successful activity. We say that software testing has been a successful activity only when the defined objectives fulfill.

The second classification of software testing as per ISTQB is “Objectives of testing.” Let us understand few objectives of software testing one by one.

1. Determine that software meets end-user requirements

Testing adds value to end-user or client only when it fulfills the business requirements of end users who are using that software. Software Testing verifies products against requirements.

The design document is being reviewed to ensure that it meets the requirements and during execution phase testers ensure that software meets the design and requirements.

Testing also helps in making release decisions by making sure that delivered product is meeting the business specification.

2. Confirm that Software is fit for use

Another objective of software testing is to prove that the software is fit for use.

Testing is done to ensure that software is doing what an end user is expecting it to do and it is appropriate to end users expectation.

3. Discovering Defects/Bugs in software

Finding defects/bugs is another objective of software testing. When defects are found and fixed during test execution, it improves software quality.

After doing root-cause analysis on the discovered defects, it helps to identify the cause of that defect which eventually benefits in improving the development process.