Testing Core Stream Bundle

Learning objectives

ISTQB® Foundation Level Certificate
The Business Outcomes expected of a candidate who has achieved the new Foundation Level certification are as follows:

• Understand what testing is and why it is beneficial
• Understand fundamental concepts of software testing
• Identify the test approach and activities to be implemented depending on the context of testing
• Assess and improve the quality of documentation
• Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of testing
• Align the test process with the software development lifecycle
• Understand test management principles
• Write and communicate clear and understandable defect reports
• Understand the factors that influence the priorities and efforts related to testing
• Work as part of a cross-functional team
• Know risks and benefits related to test automation
• Identify essential skills required for testing
• Understand the impact of risk on testing
• Effectively report on test progress and quality

ISTQB Test Analyst
After successfully completing the course and passing the exam, delegates should be able to demonstrate the following business-based outcomes 

• Perform the appropriate testing activities based on the software development lifecycle being used; 

• Determine the proper prioritization of the testing activities based on the information provided by the risk analysis; 
• Select and apply appropriate test techniques to ensure that tests provide an adequate level of confidence, based on defined coverage criteria; 
• Provide the appropriate level of documentation relevant to their testing activities; 
• Determine the appropriate types of functional testing to be performed; 
• Work effectively in a usability testing team; 

• Effectively participate in requirements / user story reviews with stakeholders, applying knowledge of typical mistakes made in work products; 
• Improve the efficiency of the test process with the use of tools. 

In addition, the newly qualified ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst should be able to demonstrate their skills in the following areas once they have completed the course and passed the exam: 

• Explain how and why the timing and level of involvement for the Test Analyst varies when working with different software development lifecycle models. 
• Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting analysis and design activities. 

• Explain why test conditions should be understood by the stakeholders. 
• For a given project scenario, select the appropriate design level for test cases (high-level or low-level). 
• Explain the issues to be considered in test case design. 
• Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting test implementation activities. 
• Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting test execution activities. 

• For a given situation, participate in risk identification, perform risk assessment and propose appropriate risk mitigation. 
• Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying equivalence partitioning. 
• Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying boundary value analysis. 
• Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying decision table testing. 
• Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying state transition testing. 

• Explain how classification tree diagrams support test techniques. 
• Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying pairwise testing. 
• Analyze a system, or its requirement specification, in order to determine likely types of defects to be found and select the appropriate black-box test technique(s). 
• Explain the principles of experience-based test techniques, and the benefits and drawbacks compared to black-box and defect-based test techniques. 
• Determine exploratory tests from a given scenario. 

• Describe the application of defect-based test techniques and differentiate their use from black-box test techniques. 
• For a given project situation, determine which black-box or experience-based test techniques should be applied to achieve specific goals. 
• Explain what test techniques are appropriate to test functional completeness, correctness and appropriateness. 
• Define the typical defects to be targeted for the functional completeness, correctness and appropriateness characteristics. 
• Define when the functional completeness, correctness and appropriateness characteristics should be tested in the software development lifecycle. 

• Explain the approaches that would be suitable to verify and validate both the implementation of the usability requirements and the fulfillment of the user’s expectations. 
• Explain the role of the test analyst in interoperability testing including identification of the defects to be targeted. 
• Explain the role of the test analyst in portability testing including identification of the defects to be targeted. 
• For a given set of requirements, determine the test conditions required to verify the functional and/or non-functional quality characteristics within the scope of the Test Analyst. 
• Identify problems in a requirements specification according to checklist information provided in the syllabus. 
• Identify problems in a user story according to checklist information provided in the syllabus. 
• For a given scenario, determine the appropriate activities for a Test Analyst in a keyword-driven automation project. 
• Explain the usage and types of test tools applied in test design, test data preparation and test execution. 

ISTQB Technical Test Analyst

After successfully completing the course and passing the exam, delegates should be able to demonstrate the following business-based outcomes: 

• Recognize and classify the typical risks associated with the performance, security, reliability, portability and maintainability of software systems; 
• Provide technical elements to the planning, design and execution of tests for mitigating performance, security, reliability, portability and maintainability risks; 
• Select and apply appropriate white-box test techniques to ensure that tests provide an adequate level of confidence, based on design coverage; 
• Effectively participate in reviews with developers and software architects applying knowledge of typical defects in the code and architecture; 
• Improve the quality characteristics of code and architecture by making use of different analysis techniques; 

• Outline the costs and benefits to be expected from introducing particular types of test automation. 
• Select appropriate tools to automate technical testing tasks; 
• Understand the technical issues and concepts in applying test automation. 

In addition, after successfully completing the course and passing the exam, thew newly qualified ISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst s should be able to use and put into practice the following learning objectives: 

• Summarize the generic risk factors that the Technical Test Analyst typically needs to consider. 
• Summarize the activities of the Technical Test Analyst within a risk-based approach for testing activities. 
• Design test cases for a given test object by applying statement testing to achieve a defined level of coverage. 
• Design test cases for a given test object by applying the Decision test technique to achieve a defined level of coverage. 
• Design test cases for a given test object by applying the modified condition/decision test technique to achieve full modified condition/decision coverage (MC/DC). 

• Design test cases for a given test object by applying the multiple condition test technique to achieve a defined level of coverage. 
• Understand the applicability of API testing and the kinds of defects it finds. 
• Select an appropriate white-box test technique according to a given project situation. 
• Use control flow analysis to detect if code has any control flow anomalies and to measure cyclomatic complexity. 
• Use data flow analysis to detect if code has any data flow anomalies. 
• Propose ways to improve the maintainability of code by applying static analysis. 
• Apply dynamic analysis to achieve a specified goal. 
• For a particular scenario, analyse the non-functional requirements and write the respective sections of the test plan. 
• Given a particular product risk, define the particular non-functional test type(s) which are most appropriate. 
• Understand and explain the stages in an application’s software development lifecycle where non-functional testing should typically be applied. 
• For a given scenario, define the types of defects you would expect to find by using the different non-functional test types. 
• Explain the reasons for including security testing in a test approach. 
• Explain the principal aspects to be considered in planning and specifying security tests. 
• Explain the reasons for including reliability testing in a test approach. 
• Explain the principal aspects to be considered in planning and specifying reliability tests. 
• Explain the reasons for including performance testing in a test approach. 
• Explain the principal aspects to be considered in planning and specifying performance testing. 
• Explain the reasons for including maintainability testing in a test approach. 
• Explain the reasons for including portability testing in a test approach. 
• Explain the reasons for including co-existence testing in a test approach. 
• Explain why review preparation is important for the Technical Test Analyst. 
• Analyze an architectural design and identify problems according to a checklist provided in the syllabus. 
• Analyze a section of code or pseudo-code and identify problems according to a checklist provided in the syllabus. 
• Summarize the activities that the Technical Test Analyst performs when setting up a test automation project. 
• Summarize the differences between data-driven and keyword-driven automation. 
• Summarize common technical issues that cause automation projects to fail to achieve the planned return on investment. 
• Construct keywords based on a given business process. 
• Summarize the purpose of tools for fault seeding and fault injection. 
• Summarize the main characteristics and implementation issues for performance testing tools. 
• Explain the general purpose of tools used for web-based testing. 
• Explain how tools support the practice of model-based testing. 
• Outline the purpose of tools used to support component testing and the build process. 
• Outline the purpose of tools used to support mobile application testing.