8 Best Software Testing Certifications Based on Your Experience Level.

Level #1 – Beginner (0-5 Year experience)

1) Institute: QAI ( Quality Assurance Institute – Florida – USA)

Certification: CAST – Certified Associate In Software Testing

Eligibility: One of the below:

• 3 Year or 4 Year degree from an accredited college
• 2 Year degree in college with 1 year of experience.
• 3 Year experience in IT.

Fee: $100

How to Apply: To apply for the CAST certification candidates must first login to their Customer Portal account. If new to the Portal then need to create one by clicking on the Register Now link, and then the Register as a New User tab.

Link to Register:  Register here

How to Prepare: Once you register and pay the fee, you would receive the ” Software Testing Body of Knowledge (STBOK) for CAST (367 pages) book. That should be sufficient to prepare for the exam.

Exam Format: 100 multiple choice questions in 75 minutes time

Pass%: 70%

2) Institute: ISTQB (International software testing qualification board)

Certification: ISTQB – Foundation Level

Eligibility:  None

Fee: Rs 4500 – India (Approx.), US $250 – For USA

How to apply: Connect with your National or Regional Board for information on Exam Providers, exam dates, applicable fees and booking information.

If there are more than 10 candidates from the same company for the exam, then the exam can be conducted in the company by ITB.

Link to register: Register here

How to Prepare: Click here to get the study material.

Recommended: We have 100% sure pass study guide on ISTQB foundation level exam. It contains 800+ practice questions, 200+ premium questions, and many eBooks based on ISTQB exam syllabus. If you are interested in getting this study guide pleasecheck this page. It’s a premium study guide.

Exam Format: 40 multiple choice question in 60 minutes

Pass%: 65%

Level #2 – Intermediate (5 – 8 Years’ Experience)

#1) Institute: QAI ( Quality Assurance Institute – Florida – USA)

Certification: CSTE – (Certified Software Test Engineer)

Eligibility: One of the below:

• A 4-year degree from accredited college-level institution & 2 years’ experience in the information services field
• A 3-year degree from accredited college-level institution & 3 years’ experience in the information services field
• A 2-year degree from accredited college-level institution & 4 years’ experience in the information services field
• Six years’ experience in the information services field

AND

Are working, or have worked at any time within the prior 18 months, in the field within covered by the certification designation.

Fee: $350 – Includes fee and pdf format book; $420 – Includes fee, Book, and CD

How to apply: To apply for the CSTE certification candidates must first login to their Customer Portal account. If new to the Portal then need to create one by clicking on the Register Now link, and then the Register as a New User tab.

Link to register:  Register here

How to Prepare:  CBOK (Common Body of Knowledge) book is sufficient to prepare for the exam. Read the book thoroughly and take up some mock tests available on internet to prepare for the exam.

Exam Format: Exam is divided into 2 parts:
100 Multiple choice questions in 75 minutes; 12 essay type questions in 75 minutes.

Pass%: 70% which is average of both the parts.

#2) Institute: HP

Certification: HP HP0-M102 for UFT version 12.0

Fee: $350 approx.

How to apply: You need to have HP Learner ID.

Create an account with PearsonVUE. Once you submit the form, you need to schedule your exam through Schedule Proctored Exam link. You would find the details of the cost and language of the exam and need to select date, time and up to 3 centers to give the exam.

Link to register:  Check this link for getting learners Id; and this linkfor creating account with PearsonVUE.

How to Prepare:  Self-study, practice and taking up the mock exam.

Exam Format: Total 69 questions of multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and point and click

Pass%: 75%

Level #3 –  Advance Level (8 – 11 Years Experience) – If Aspiring for a Test Architect kind of a role

Institute:  ISTQB (International software testing qualification board)

Certification:  ISTQB – Advanced Level – Test Analyst, ISTQB – Advanced Level – Technical test Analyst

Eligibility: Foundation level certification/score card. AND

Any one from below:

• For Degree holders in computer science or related fields, you need 24 months of testing experience if you want to take 2 sub modules and 36 months of experience is mandatory if you want to take all the three sub modules.
• For non-bachelor degree in computer science, 60 months of experience

Fee: India – Rs-4500 approx. for each of the sub paper; USA- $250 for each of the sub paper

How to apply: You need to find your exam provider and freshly enroll yourself in the ISTQB site for the advance module. The enrollment is same as that for the foundation level.

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• Click here to download the syllabus for Test Analyst
• Click here to download the syllabus for Technical Test Analyst

Link to register:  For Indian board register here or go through this link.
Check these links for US board and For UK board.

How to Prepare:  Study material + self-study and knowledge gained through experience would all combine to prepare for the exam

Exam Format: Total 65 multiple choice questions in 180 minutes. For Technical test Analyst – Total 45 multiple choice questions in 120 minutes.

Pass%: 75%

Level #4 – Advance Level (8 – 11 Years Experience) – If Aspiring for a Test Manager kind of a role

Institute:  ISTQB (International software testing qualification board)

Certification: ISTQB – Advanced Level – Test Manager

Eligibility:  Foundation level certification/score card. AND

Any one from below:

• For Degree holders in computer science or related fields, you need 24 months of testing experience if you want to take 2 sub modules and 36 months of experience is mandatory if you want to take all the three sub modules.
• For non bachelor degree in computer science, 60 months of experience

Fee: India – Rs-4500 approx. for each of the sub paper; USA- $250 for each of the sub paper

How to apply: You need to find your exam provider and freshly enroll yourself in the ISTQB site for the advance module. The enrollment is same as that for the foundation level.

How to Prepare:  Study material + self-study and knowledge gained through experience would all combine to prepare for the exam

Click here to download the material.

Link to register:  For Indian board or go through this link.
For US board and For UK board.

Exam Format: Total 65 multiple choice questions in 180 minutes

Pass%: 75%

Level #5 – (Expert Level11+ years) If aspiring for  Delivery manager – QA  / OA Leaders kind of a role

Institute:  ISTQB (International software testing qualification board)

Certification: ISTQB – Expert Level – Test Manager

Divided into 3 sub-modules:

• Strategic management
• Operational test management
• Managing test team

ISTQB – Expert Level – Improving the testing process

Divided into 2 sub-modules

• Assessing test process
• Implementing test process improvement.

Eligibility:  Foundation level certification/score card.

• Advanced certificate depending upon the expert module desired
• Minimum 5 years of testing experience.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in the selected Expert level

Fee: US $375 for each exam

How to apply: You need to find your exam provider and freshly enroll yourself in the ISTQB site for the advance module. The enrollment is same as that for the foundation level.

Link to register: For Indian board or go through this link.
For US board register here and for UK board here.

How to Prepare:  Study material + self-study, referenced books, and knowledge gained through experience would all combine to prepare for the exam.

Click here for Syllabus.

Exam Format:

• 25 multiple type questions in 45 minutes
• 2 out of 3 Essay type questions in 90 minutes

Click here for more details.

Pass%: 75%

Conclusion

The learning does not stop here. Post expert level, one can opt forPMP (Project Management Professional) certification or / and move to Agile certifications like CSM (Certified Scrum Master) / CSPO(Certified Product Owner).

After completing your CSM certification, you can continue your learning by moving on to next level which is CSP (Certified Scrum Professional) and gradually towards Agile Coach or Trainer.

As I have already discussed before, whatever certification you do, it should map to your experience. Though you become eligible for many advance / expert level certification at an initial stage of the career, but merely doing the certification would not guarantee better growth, both in terms of personal learning and professional aspirations.

For example, in spite of having a Test manager certification from ISTQB , organizations wont prefer to give you role and designation of QA manager if you have only 5 years of experience. Similarly, a PMP certified professional with 5 -6 years of experience would not fit to perform a project manager kind of a role. Hence, one should be really careful to choose a certification.

Please see that the recommendations and thoughts made by me are all based on personal experience, and observations and may have disparity in opinions.