AssistKD's Foundation in Software Testing course provides delegates with a comprehensive introduction to software testing techniques. Key areas include:
- Fundamentals of testing
- Testing throughout the life cycle
- Static test techniques
- Test design techniques
- Test management
- Test tools
The objectives for the qualification are in the ISTQB syllabus and include:
- enabling software suppliers to hire certified testers and thereby gain commercial advantage over their competitors by advertising their tester recruitment policy
- enabling comparison of testing skills across different countries, testers to move across country borders more easily and multi-national/international projects to have a common understanding of testing issues.
The Foundation Level qualification is aimed at anyone involved in software testing, including:
- testers
- test analysts
- test engineers
- test consultants
- test managers
- user acceptance testers
- software developers
The qualification is also appropriate for anyone who wants a basic understanding of software testing, such as:
- project managers
- quality managers
- software development managers
- business analysts
- IT directors and management consultants
It is strongly recommended by the syllabus board that candidates also have at least a minimal background in either software development or software testing, such as six months’ experience as a system or user acceptance tester or as a software developer, and take an accredited course such as this one.
Holders of the Foundation Certificate will be able to go on to the higher level software testing qualification; the Practitioner Certificate.
The objectives of this course are to:
- prepare candidates for the Foundation Certificate in Software Testing based on the ISTQB syllabus
- improve understanding of software testing - its purpose and nature - and to raise awareness of issues and constraints around testing
- provide a widely-recognised professional qualification
- introduce test techniques (static, white box and black box) to participants as well as providing practical experience of some key techniques
- learn standard terminology
- provide a complete picture of the test activities and processes from requirements review to system implementation
- discover good sources of information
Yes. This course prepares participants for the ISTQB-BCS Certified Tester Foundation examination, which is held on the final day of the course. This takes the form of a multiple choice examination and tests the participant's knowledge of the foundation in software testing syllabus. This certificate contributes to the BCS International Diploma in Solution Development.
A comprehensive course manual is provided and the course can be tailored to reflect the emphasis required by the customer.
Foundation Certificate in Software Testing (a three-day course)
Course Content
The fundamentals of testing
- Why testing is necessary
- Harm caused by defects in software; root causes
- Testing and quality assurance; what testing is
- General testing principles
- Fundamental test process and the psychology of testing
Testing throughout the software lifecycle
- Software development models
- Relationship between development, test activities and work products in the development life cycle
- Project and product characteristics and context
- Test levels, objectives
- Typical objects and targets of testing
- Functional, non-functional, structural and change-related testing
- Confirmation and regression testing
- Maintenance testing
- Regression testing and impact analysis in maintenance
Static techniques
- Reviews and the test process
- Software work products and the different static techniques
- Importance and value of static techniques
- Difference between static and dynamic techniques
- Typical formal review process
- Different types of review: informal review, technical review, walkthrough and inspection
- Factors for successful performance of reviews
- Static analysis by tools
- Defects and errors identified by static analysis
- Typical benefits
- Typical code and design defects identified
Test design techniques
- Identifying test conditions and designing test cases
- Categories of test design techniques
- Specification-based (black-box) and structure-based (white-box) approaches
- Equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, decision tables and state transition diagrams
- Use case testing
- Structure-based or white-box techniques
- Code coverage, statement and decision coverage
- Control flows using statement testing and decision testing
- Experience based techniques
- Choosing techniques
Test management
- Test organization
- Independent testing
- Tasks of typical test leader and tester
- Test planning and estimation
- ‘Standard for Software Test Documentation’ (IEEE 829)
- Typical factors that influence the effort related to testing
- Estimation approaches (metrics-based and expert-based)
- Test preparation and execution tasks
- Exit criteria
- Test progress monitoring and control
- Metrics and reporting
- Configuration management
- Risk and testing
- Incident reporting and management
Tool support for testing
- Types of test tool
- Effective use of tools
- Potential benefits and risks
- Introducing a tool into an organization
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