In this article we’ll be discussing on remaining five important software testing certifications:

1) ISEB & ISTQB
2) CMST
3) CASQ
4) CSQA
5) CMSQ

Here are the details on these certifications eligibility, exam patterns and how to apply guide.

1) ISEB & ISTQB:

ISEB (The Information systems Examinations Board) certification is the step taken forward by a chartered institute for IT called BCS (British Computer Society), to support the career of IT professionals in IT field. ISEM was formed in 1990 which is a division of BCS. This professional certification is available in foundation, practitioner and advanced level to cater the needs of each IT testing aspirant. While ISTQB stands for “International Software Testing Qualifications Board,” and it was formed in late 2002. Both are similar certifications, at the foundation level are same, in essence. The only distinguishing factor is that ISEB is UK specific whereas ISTQB is international certification.
BCS offers following internationally recognized qualification in following subjects:

• IT Service Management
• Software Testing
• Sustainable IT
• Business Analysis/Change
• Solution Development
• Project Management and Support
• IT Governance, Information and Security
• IT Assets and Infrastructure

Following are the levels at which both of these certification are available to suit the needs of every professional:

• Foundation Level – Certification at this level provides the broad coverage about a specific area. This is specifically designed to enhance the knowledge set and future scope of managers. Its cost is £130.
• Intermediate Level – Intermediate level certification exam is focused in examining the subject in more detail which acts as the basis for the practitioner level certification. Its cost is £110.
• Practitioner Level – This level exam lay emphasis on a specific skill within a subject area in a more detailed manner to provide the practical knowledge of IT skills. Its cost is £150.
• Higher Level – Higher level certification is meant for managers and specialists, having deep knowledge of their subject of concern. Its cost is £540.

To apply for this certification exams at any level, click
Apply for ISTQB or ISTQB-BCS

2) CMST:

CMST, short for Certified Manager of Software Testing, is meant to establish the competencies of testing professional in software industry at the international level. Having CMST certifies means acquiring qualification in terms of principles of testing field and capabilities to handle software testing scenarios. The prerequisite of taking this exam includes:

• Having a bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of relevant experience in software testing field, or
• Having an associate degree and at least 6 years of relevant experience in software testing field, or
• Minimum of eight years of relevant experience in software testing field.

The potential candidates are required to demonstrate their capabilities in following subjects:

• Test Planning
• Test Reporting
• Measurement
• Managing Test Execution
• Organizational Development (both, teams and management)
• Communication (both, leadership and behavioral skills)
• Define, deploy and improve work processes

To apply for this certification test, go to CMST, which is the customer portal for candidates and complete all the formalities by following the easy steps to set up the test. The free for this exam is $450.

3) CASQ:

CASQ stands for Certified Associate in Software Quality, which is focused on quality assurance skills and principles at the fundamental level of understanding. CASQ provides the rapid career progression at a potentially affordable cost. His exam is intended for beginners in quality for all those which have one of the following requirements completed:

• Having 3 year/4 year degree from a certified institution, or
• Having 2 year degree and one year of relevant experience in IS (Information Services) field, or
• Having three years of relevant experience in IS (Information Services) field.

Questions related to following skill set are expected in the exam:

• COTS, Outsourcing, Contracting Quality etc.
• Quality Principles and Concepts
• Quality Leadership
• Quality Assurance
• Quality Control Practices
• Quality Baselines
• Quality Planning
• Metrics and Measurement
• Define, Build, Implement, Improving of Work Processes etc.
• Internal Control and Security

Similar to CMST, the application process is carried out at Customer portal on CASQ. However, this certification is affordable and any aspiring candidate can get certified at $100.

4) CSQA:

Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA) certification is an intermediate level exam which is considered as the standard in best practices and principles of software quality assurance in IT industry. CSQA certified candidates are recognized in several business and professional organizations which boost their career growth manifolds. This exam is specifically beneficial for the role of the quality advisor to management. However, it has following prerequisites, one of which needs to be met to be eligible for this exam:

• Having 4 year degree and two years of relevant experience in IS (Information Services) field, or
• Having 3 year degree and three years of relevant experience in IS (Information Services) field, or
• Having 2 year degree and four years of relevant experience in IS (Information Services) field, or
• Having six years of relevant experience in IS (Information Services) field.

Along with the above mentioned requirements, the applicant should be currently working or having at least 18 month of experience, specifically relevant to certification designation.

Log on to the customer portal at CSQA to schedule the exam at the charge of $350 as the test fee.

5) CMSQ:

Certified Manager of Software Quality (CMSQ) certification is an international level assessment for the skills in software quality assurance leaders and managers. CMSQ certified professionals are either working at top IT organizations or soon will join them at managerial post in quality assurance unit. This is the advanced level certification in software quality field and this fact is equally justified by the requirements demanded prior taking this examination, which are one of the following:

• Having a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution along with four years of relevant experience in software quality assurance field, or
• Having an associate degree along with six years of relevant experience in software quality assurance field, or
• Having eight years of relevant experience in software quality assurance field.

Same as the other quality certifications, this one also follows the same process of application which is by logging into CMSQ, which is the customer portal and acts as the single point of applying. The cost of this exam is $450.

Please feel free to share your experience while taking any of these software testing and quality assurance certifications.

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Software Testing and Quality Assurance Certifications – Part 2

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Mallik asks:

What type of database (SQL) questions asked in interviews for test engineer position (not for database tester)?

This depends on many factors whether these questions are for testing positions at entry level or for experienced testing professionals. The depth of database interview questions depend on the experience of the candidate.

Irrespective of the position, candidate should always be clear and confident about the database concepts. For most software testing positions you need to have database knowledge to perform some database checks. Almost all applications need an interaction with database.

Let’s consider the database interview questions for entry-level software testing positions. For entry level testing positions generally following questions can be asked in interviews:

1) Basic and to some extent nested SQL queries to fetch data from database tables.
2) Examples of database statements for: Create Database, Create table and Drop Table.
3) Concept of “Primary Key”, “Foreign Key” and DB index
4) Examples of Select, Insert, Delete, Alter and Update SQL statements.
5) SQL joins (Inner Join, Left Join, Right Join and Full join) with examples.
Practice SQL join queries on dummy tables and see results.

For experienced level software testing positions, database interview questions depend on the job requirement. For such positions interviewers expect detailed database knowledge from candidates.

One more important point – If you get questions on database SQL queries, never say that “You get all query statements to be executed from developers”. It’s ok to say that you get help from developers to write complex SQL queries, but finally you manage by your own.

Shariff asks:

What is Test Strategy?

In simple words – Test strategy means “How you are going to test the application?” You need to mention the exact process/strategy that you are going to follow when you will get the application for testing.

I see many companies follow test strategy template very strictly. Even without any standard template you can keep this test strategy document simple but still effective.

Simple Tips to Write Test Strategy Document:

1) Include product background in test strategy document. In first paragraph of your test strategy document answer – Why stakeholders want to develop this project? This will help to understand and prioritize things quickly.
2) List all important features you are going to test. If you think some features are not part of this release then mention those features under “Features not to be tested” label.
3) Write down the test approach for your project. Clearly mention what types of testing you are going to conduct?
I.e. Functional testing, UI testing, Integration testing, Load/Stress testing, Security testing etc.
4) Answer questions like: How you are going to perform functional testing? Manual or automation testing? Are you going to execute all test cases from your test management tool?
5) Which bug tracking tool you are going to use? What will be the process when you will find a new bug?
6) What are your test entry and exit criteria?
7) How you will track your testing progress? What metrics are you going to use for tracking test completion?
8 ) Task distribution – Define roles and responsibilities of each team member.
9) What documents you will produce during and after testing phase?
10) What all risk you see in test completion?

If you answer all these questions, I think your test strategy document should be ready!

Ayyappang asks:

I want some more ISTQB questions and papers. Please send me these papers as it will be very helpful for my study

I think I have written many posts earlier on ISTQB sample papers and mock test. You can access all these papers and online mock test on below page:
- Sample ISTQB papers and mock tests

Also I have listed some papers for download on our Resources page.
- ISTQB sample papers with answers for practice

Here are some more resources for ISTQB exam preparation:
- ISTQB Foundation Exam Format & Guidelines to Solve Papers

I hope this will be helpful for you ISTQB exam preparation.
If readers are having some sample ISTQB papers please share with us!

If you want to ask any question please post your question in comment section of this post.

If you like this post bookmark & share it with friends.

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I just wanted to thank you for subscribing to SoftwareTestingHelp.com. This blog is a success because of you and your support. Here's to your success!

As always, I appreciate your valuable comments. Visit below link to post your comment:
What Types of Database Questions are Asked in Interview for Testing Positions? – Testing Q&A Series

Thank you so much! ---------------------
Recommended: TestLodge - Online test case management tool - Web based test case management software allowing you to manage your test plans, requirements, test cases and test runs with ease.