Course overview
The ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) is the most widely recognised entry-level certification in software testing, trusted by employers and professionals around the world. This accredited course provides you with a comprehensive introduction to the principles, processes, and practices of testing, ensuring you gain the essential skills needed to begin or advance a career in quality assurance.
During the training, you will follow the official ISTQB Foundation Level syllabus, covering core testing concepts such as the purpose of testing, the role of testing within the software development lifecycle, and how testing adds value to both projects and organisations. You will also explore test design techniques, static testing, reviews, defect management, and the fundamentals of test management, providing you with a broad and practical understanding of the discipline.
The ISTQB Foundation course is suitable for anyone looking to formalise their knowledge of software testing or preparing to sit the Foundation Level exam. It is particularly valuable for new or junior testers, developers, business analysts, and IT professionals who need to understand how testing works and how it contributes to software quality. No prior testing experience is required, making this course an accessible first step into the testing profession. On completion of the course, you will be fully prepared to take the ISTQB Foundation certification exam (CTFL). Passing the exam will award you the internationally recognised ISTQB Foundation Level certification, opening the door to further qualifications such as the ISTQB Advanced and Specialist levels. With experienced trainers, accredited materials, and a focus on practical learning, this course equips you with both the knowledge and the confidence to succeed in your exam and apply your skills in real-world testing projects. By achieving the ISTQB Foundation Level certification, you demonstrate your commitment to quality and lay the foundations for a successful career in software testing. The CTFL 4.0 certification is designed for professionals who want to validate their practical understanding of the core principles of software testing. It is especially relevant for individuals in the following roles: The ISTQB® Certified Tester Scheme supports testing professionals at every stage of their careers, providing both breadth and depth of knowledge. It also offers clear progression opportunities through advanced qualifications, including the Core Advanced, Specialist, and Expert Levels. Earning this certification opens the pathway to the next stage of the Core stream, including Advanced Level options such as Test Analyst, Technical Test Analyst, or Test Manager. Alternatively, candidates can pursue the Agile or Specialist streams to build expertise in specific areas of software testing. The Certified Tester Foundation Level v4.0 Uncovered” webinar. Tailored for both aspiring ISTQB candidates and seasoned testers, the session dove into the updated CTFL v4.0 exam syllabus, highlighting key revisions and enhancements. Attendees gained insight into what’s new, what’s changed, and crucially why these updates matter in modern testing environments. Click here to view the webinar ISTQB® (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) established the globally-recognised certified tester scheme to: Course highlights
Why you should attend
Who should attend
Next steps in your testing career
Watch our latest webinar
About ISTQB and the certified tester scheme
nathan.holroyd –
John is very thorough and is very knowledgeable
Taylor McNicol | Trainee QA Analyst | Caseware UK –
Well-delivered and engaging content; presentation was well-prepared and the approach to group learning worked quite well for my learning style. Rosie also did excellent at expressing the importance of the ‘ISTQB mindset’ ahead of the exam – no criticism here.
Mark Frost | Test Analyst | Frontier –
Very friendly, came across very well spoken. took time to explain when needed.
only very very small thing that was hard to follow was the on screen drawing, some were fine but others were not, the drawing tool isnt the best so hard to follow.
Trixy Arellano | QA Engineer | Bally’s –
The course is very interesting and even though I’m already have a background in testing, there’s a lot of things I still didn’t know or aware of.
It will be helpful I guess if we can have a board where everyone can put their answers
For the trainer, even though she was sick, she still tried her best to discuss and make the participants involved on the traning course. Since English is not my first language, I just have have a hard time to comprehend or get the topic easy since she spoke fast.
Overall, great training course for newbies or experienced in software testing!
Holly Pears | UAT Test Lead | Bank of England –
Angelina was a really patient and thorough course leader. She went through all topics at a great pace considering the size of the group. The course itself is quite in depth.
Swapnil Nandy | Automation Engineer QA | Atradius –
Very Interactive
A bit stacked up course but ideally would be great if was 4 day training
Joshua James M. Perocho | Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Penbrothers –
Angelina explained the course really well. She was very thorough in explaining everything.
Steve Adams | Senior Test Engineer | Foundry Visionmongers –
Broken down and challenged at each stage, often asking individuals questions to ensure focus,
There is still a lot of theory to digest however before next week’s exam which I will need to reinforce
Pol Ureta Canellas | Software Developer | EXCO GmbH –
I really liked it
Adriano Aru | Software Tester | IBM –
Very insightful course and presented very well by Angelina.
William Rodgerson | QA tester & Level 3 support | Toca.io –
I found John Young to be knowledgeable, personable and generally very helpful.
Zoe Dodds | Test Analyst | OVO Energy –
Although the course has a lot of information John made it easy to understand and relate back to my own role. This will most definitely help me when revising.
Muntaqa Dar | Test Analyst | Samaritans –
Good trainer and good style of teaching however I am more of a doer so don’t learn very well from just powerpoint slide shows. I have done other courses more hands-on/ interactive where I was actually putting things into practice rather than just listening.
Melissa Martin | Software Test Engineer | TotalMobile –
The course was very well run, John took the time to explain everything and answered any questions I had.
David Cabell | Quality Assurance Tester | CaseWare –
Clear and concise delivery of a large amount of information in a short period (Which was very useful!). Digestable and enjoyable.
Rebuzzi Damiano | Software Engineer in test | Moneyfarm –
The course was very useful and very well explained, even from a non-native English speaker it was very clear and thorough.
Mitchell Kirby | Software Tester | BCS –
Really great course, loved being able to do it online rather than needing to go to a physical classroom. John was an excellent trainer, really added detail to the slides and the learning resources, was very personable and made the course really interesting.
Nic Joannou| Test Analyst| WTC –
Well explained and structured, supportive and good at explaining/answering any questions asked.
Only small suggestion is mapping the content to the K1, K2, K3 criteria as we go through it, or even at the summaries towards the end of each topic/module; although this is intuitive once you retrospectively look back at the criteria and content.
Ami Marshall| Digital Project Manager| Marshalls –
I thought that my trainer was very good at keeping the group engaged and talking through real life examples of the theory. However, I felt that the slides for the training were far too busy and often very unclear. In my opinion the slides need completely redoing.
Jordan Russell| QA Lead| Totalmobile –
Content was interesting and was thoroughly covered by the trainer, everything explained in detail in ways that made sense. Gave me plenty of confidence for taking the exam.