ISTQB Foundation Level: Key Testing Concepts

Copyright Information

• The International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) owns the copyright to the Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus.
• The ISTQB is a registered trademark.
• Extracts from the syllabus can be copied for non-commercial use if the source is acknowledged.
• Accredited Training Providers can use the syllabus for training courses if they acknowledge ISTQB as the source and copyright owner, and if they have received official accreditation.
• Individuals can use the syllabus for articles and books if they acknowledge ISTQB as the source and copyright owner.
• Any other use of the syllabus requires written approval from ISTQB.
• ISTQB-recognized Member Boards can translate the syllabus if they reproduce the Copyright Notice in the translated version.

Revision History

• CTFL v4.0: General release version, April 21, 2023
• CTFL v3.1.1: Copyright and logo update, July 1, 2021
• CTFL v3.1: Maintenance release with minor updates, November 11, 2019
• ISTQB 2018: Candidate general release version, April 27, 2018
• ISTQB 2011: CTFL Syllabus Maintenance Release, April 1, 2011
• ISTQB 2010: CTFL Syllabus Maintenance Release, March 30, 2010
• ISTQB 2007: CTFL Syllabus Maintenance Release, May 1, 2007
• ISTQB 2005: Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus v1.0, July 1, 2005
• ASQF V2.2: ASQF Syllabus Foundation Level Version v2.2 "Lehrplan Grundlagen des Software-testens", July 2003
• ISEB V2.0: ISEB Software Testing Foundation Syllabus v2.0, February 25, 1999

Introduction and Syllabus Purpose

• The syllabus provides the basis for the International Software Testing Qualification at the Foundation Level.
• Member boards translate the syllabus, accredit training providers, and adapt references to local publications.
• Certification bodies derive examination questions based on the learning objectives.
• Training providers use the syllabus to create courseware and determine teaching methods.
• Certification candidates use the syllabus to prepare for the certification exam.
• The syllabus is intended to advance software and systems testing and serve as a basis for related books and articles.

Certified Tester Foundation Level

• The Foundation Level qualification has value for anyone involved in software testing, including testers, test analysts, and engineers.
• The Foundation Level qualification is also appropriate for project managers, quality managers, and others seeking a basic understanding of testing.
• Foundation Certificate holders can advance to higher-level software testing qualifications.

Career Paths and Scheme Information for Testers

• The ISTQB scheme supports testing professionals, offering breadth and depth of knowledge
• Individuals can pursue Core Advanced Levels (Test Analyst, Technical Test Analyst, Test Manager), Expert Level, Agile Technical Tester or Agile Test Leadership at Scale certifications, Specialist certifications offer expertise in test automation, AI testing, model-based testing and mobile app testing.
• The Specialist certifications also cover performance, usability, acceptance and security testing
• In addition, certifications are available for industry domains like automotive or gaming.
• Visit www.istqb.org for latest information on ISTQB's Certified Tester Scheme.

Business Outcomes

• 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

Exam Objectives

• Learning objectives support business outcomes and create the exams for Foundation Level.
• Chapters 1-6 are examinable at a K1 level, which requires recognizing, remembering, or recalling keywords or concepts.
• Specific learning objective levels are shown at the beginning of each chapter.
  • K1: Remember
  • K2: Understand
  • K3: Apply
• Keywords are to be remembered (K1), even if not explicitly mentioned in the learning objectives.
• Refer to Appendix A for details and examples of learning objectives

Foundation Level Certificate Exam Details

• The exam is based on the syllabus, and may require material from multiple sections.
• All Introduction sections, and the Appendices are excluded from the Exam
• Standards and books are included as references, but the content is only examinable if it summarises the standards and books
• Refer to the rules and structure document

Accreditation Details

• ISTQB member boards may accredit training providers if their material follows the syllabus requirements
• Training providers should obtain guidelines from the Member Board or body that performs the accreditation
• An accredited course is recognized as conforming to this syllabus and is allowed to have an ISTQB exam

Handling and Referencing Standards

• Standards are referenced in syllabus (IEEE/ISO) to provide ISO framework and sources
• Standards documents are not intended for examination
• Chapter 7 has more information on standards

Keeping Up-To-Date

• The software industry changes rapidly
• ISTQB working groups have created links on www.istqb.org regarding supporting documentation and changes to standards
• This information is not examinable under the Foundation syllabus

Level of Detail Included for Exams

• Allows for international consistency
• Includes objectives, keywords, learning objectives (cognitive learning outcomes), and key concept descriptions
• The content reflects the level of detail to be covered in Foundation Level training courses and not the entire area

Syllabus Organization Summary

• Six chapters are present with examinable content and each top-level heading specifies training time Chapter summaries are shown below

• Chapter 1 Fundamentals of Testing 180 minutes

  • Basic principles related testing, and what the objectives are
  • Understanding the test process, its activities, and testware
  • Lear essential skills for testing

• Chapter 2 Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle 130 minutes

  • Learns how testing is incorporated into different development approaches
  • Learns the concepts of test-first approaches and DevOps
  • Learns test level, test types, and maintenance testing

• Chapter 3 Static Testing 80 minutes

  • Learns about static testing basics, feedback, and review processes

• Chapter 4 Test Analysis and Design 390 minutes

  • Learns to apply black-box, white-box, and experience-based techniques to derive test cases
  • Learn about collaboration-based test approach

• Chapter 5 Managing the Test Activities 335 minutes

  • Learns how to plan tests in general along with estimate test effort
  • Learns how risks can influence the scope of testing
  • Learns how to monitor and test activities
  • Gains an understanding how configuration management supports testing
  • Learns how to report defects clearly and understandably

• Chapter 6 Test Tools 20 minutes

  • Learns to classify tools and comprehend risks and benefits of test automation

Static and Dynamic Testing

• Testing may be dynamic or static
• Dynamic testing involves the execution of software
• Static testing does not, but includes reviews (see chapter 3) and static analysis
• Dynamic testing uses different types of test techniques and test approaches to derive test cases (see chapter 4)
• Testers use tools (see chapter 6), but testing is largely an intellectual activity
• Testers require specialized knowledge, analytical skills and apply critical thinking and systems thinking (Myers 2011, Roman 2018)

Test Objectives

• Evaluating work products (requirements, user stories, designs, code)
• Triggering failures and finding defects
• Ensuring required coverage of a test object
• Reducing risk of inadequate software quality
• Verifying fulfilled requirements
• Verifying compliance with requirements
• Providing information to stakeholders to make formed decisions
• Building confidence in the quality of the test object
• Validating whether the test object is complete and works as expected by the stakeholders

Context of Testing

Objectives of testing vary in the context of the:

• work product
• test level
• risks
• SDLC
• factors related to the business context (corporate structure, competitive considerations, time to market)
• Test Objectives

Testing and Debugging

• Testing and debugging are separate activities
• Testing can trigger failures caused by defects (dynamic testing) or can directly find defects (static testing).
• Dynamic testing finding causes: find causes of failure (defects), analyze those causes, eliminate Steps of Debugging are shown below
  • Reproduction of a failure
  • Diagnosis (finding the root cause)
  • Fixing the cause
• Static testing identifies a defect, debugging is concerned with removing it

Need for Testing

• Quality control, achieve goals within scope, time, quality, bugdet
• Contribution to success
• Testing provides a cost-effective means of detecting defects
• These defects can then be "remove (by debugging - a non-testing activity)"
• Testing provides indirect representation on the development project

Quality Assurance and Testing

• Testing and "quality assurance” (QA) are not the same
• QA is preventive approach that focuses on the implementation and improvement of processes
• QA applies to both the development and testing processes, and is the responsibility of everyone on a project
• QC uses the tests results to fix defects
• QA provides feedback on how well development and tests are performed

Defects, Failures, and Errors

• Human beings make errors, which produce defects (faults, bugs), which may result in failures
• Defects can be found in many places, including documentation, source, and build files
• Defects not found in code may cause a failure
• Failures are also caused by environmental conditions
• Root cause is a fundamental reason for the problem occurrence
• Root causes are identified through root cause analysis

Testing Principles Summaries

• Testing shows presence, not absence of defects.
• Exhaustive testing is impossible.
• Early testing saves time and money.
• Defects cluster.
• Tests wear out
• Testing is context dependent.
• Absence-of-errors fallacy.

Test activities, testware, and test roles.

• Testing is context dependent, but at high level there is sets of test activities without which testing is less likely to achieve its objectives
• Activities form process which can be tailored to situations
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-2 provides more infomation

Test Activities

• The steps of the Testing Process are Shown below in point form
• Test Planning
• Test Monitoring and Control
• Test Analysis
• Test Design
• Test Implementation
• Test Execution
• Test Completion

Testware

• Is created as result of output product test activities
• Different orgs have different method of doing this

Testware product List

• planning work (test plans)
• monitoring and control (progress reports)
• analysis work ( conditions, reports of defects, etc.)
• design (prioritized test cases)
• implementation (test procedures, automated test scripts, etc.)
• execution work (test logs, defect reports)
• completion work (improvements and lesson learnts)

Roles in testing.

• Test management (Responsible for leadership )
• Testing roles (Responsible for engineering)
• Same person may take on both roles at times

Skills for testers

• Some important skills listed below point form
• Testing knowledge
• Thorough
• Communication skills
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Technical
• Domain knowledge

Team skills for Testing

• testers need to be on a team to contriube
• In any team member with relevant knowledge can perform any task

Independence of testing

• Higher independence = more effective finding issues
• NOT a replacment for familiarty levels are shown below
  • No independence
  • Some independence
  • High independence
  • Very High.
• Can be best to use multiple levels
• Independant means its easier to recognise failures
• But can lead to isolation