ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation Level - what is it?
The Foundation Level qualification is for all specialists who are involved in the software testing process. In addition, The Foundation Level is useful for those who need to understand the basics of testing: Managers, Quality Assurance Managers, Software Developers, Business Analysts, IT-Directors and Management Consultants. By the time you decide to pass the ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation level, your knowledge of testing theory can be completely different: one person read several books or online resources, another one had many years of successful industry background. It is very important to understand that the experience as an QA is not the most important thing in the process of preparation and passing the exam. It is more productive to remember accurate definitions from syllabuses and training materials, because only logic principles are insufficient sometimes to answer difficult questions.
Educational resources for self-preparation
Basic materials for self-preparation you can find on the official site. You can find direct links to the materials for the ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation level below: ISTQB Glossary of Testing Terms 2.3; Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus; Foundations of software testing book
Additionally:
- Sample Exam ISTQB Foundation Level - this document maintain a complete list of examination questions with reference to the training materials: Syllabus or Book.
- ISTQB Certification Sample Question Papers With Answers (EN) - 500 examples of answeres and questions.
- guru99.com - the website where testing theory is described in a more accessible language and terms.
- patshala.com - large amount of Mobile Apps for preparation.
About exam language
The exam is available in different languages. To pass the exam successfully we recommend to use the language in which the literature you have studied is presented - in our case it is English. As a result, you allow yourself to devote more time to think about the answers, reducing the time to understand the essence of the matter. Remember - you have 75 minutes to pass the exam. Use your time well-minded.
What to start with?
In the beginning of preparation we recommend to look through Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus. Just skimming because a thoughtful reading will not help you answer the test questions successfully at once. You will spend a lot of time, but this approach yields little result. When you have read syllabus for the first time, you should take Sample Exam ISTQB Foundation Level - this exam takes in refers to the theory. Consequently, you will be able to correlate the studied theory with real questions on the exam
If you do not know the answer to the question, you can use the Foundations of software testing book. This book will help you separate a lot of information and pay attention to more important and complicated issues. The most important thing is that the book has the same structure as the test and you can find Sample exam questions after each chapter.
After you have learned both syllabus and testing book, you have to practice as much as possible. Do not forget to leave enough time for the Glossary - it is an important part of the test.
Trial exam
Trial exam is available on gasq.org. We recommend you to get it through not only for checking your knowledge, but also for getting acquainted with the examination site interface. The results form demonstrates only the section where X number of the Y questions has been correctly answered.
Day X: exam
Find out the date of the exam and register for it. Keep in mind that the registration ends three days prior to the exam. The “Company” field should be left blank, otherwise you will be qualified as an employee by default and will be billed for payment at the bank. Choose the payment method - “Credit card”. The confirmation email comes in a few days before the exam, it includes information about the date, time and the location where the exam will take place.
The exam timer starts automatically when you have open the first question. You can give answers in any order. If you are finished ahead of time - click “End” button and wait for the result that will appear on the screen. In case of a positive result, in 5-6 days you will receive the email that confirms the successful passing of the exam. You will obtain ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation level in PDF- format in another 7-10 days.
P.S. You can pay for the exam before as well as after it.
Believe in yourself, work hard and good things will happen to you!
