How To Ace The ISTQB Foundation Level Exam
While working as a software tester, I heard about the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB), which offers highly valuable certifications for people in my field. This foundation-level certification is ideal for people who want to start a career in software testing as well as those who are more experienced. Not only does it help increase testing knowledge but also the market worth of an individual and allows them to work independently.
ISTQB’s foundation level certification is the baseline and must be obtained before any other certification offered by the board.
What is ISTQB Foundation Level Certification?
Fresh graduates who are interested in pursuing their career as software testers or those who have basic testing knowledge, like Test Analysts and Test Designers, fulfil the criteria for ISTQB foundation-level certification.
It is conducted in 120 countries worldwide, which makes it one of the most popular Software Quality Assurance certifications. The one hour-long exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions and candidates must at least score 65% to pass.
How to prepare for ISTQB foundation level certification
ISTQB provides the syllabus for preparation and detailed information about the examination on its website. While it is important to go through the entire syllabus, reading theoretical concepts is not sufficient for a thorough understanding of ISTQB foundation level certification.
The topics in the syllabus are divided into three categories: K1, K2 and K3, which are spread over six chapters. These categories are meant to inform users regarding the depth of knowledge required to understand the topic.
The categories are as follows:
- K1: remember, recognise and recall
- K2: understand, explain, give reasons, compare, classify, categorise, give examples and summarise
- K3: apply and use
Before we continue talking about the categories, it is important to mention that when you start going through the syllabus, you will find keywords at the beginning of each chapter. Keywords are important and you need to understand their definition found in the ISTQB glossary. Search every keyword and understand its definition.
In order to prepare for the K1 category, read the topics and try to remember the points but make sure you are not just memorising the content without understanding the concept. The best way to do this is to make notes of every topic as you read through them. Not only does this help you remember important points but also in understanding the underlying concept.
For topics in the K2 category, it is highly recommended to focus on the examples provided in the syllabus while reading through the theory. This will enable you to answer questions correctly and quickly because the structure of most of the questions is based on these examples.
The topics that come under category K3 require practice. An effective way to prepare for this category is to apply the concepts of the topics at your workplace while performing actual testing activities on products. Most software testers apply these techniques while testing but are unaware of them, such as boundary-value analysis or equivalence class partitioning.
If you don’t get the exposure in your daily job you can practise by solving sample exams discussed in the ‘Important’ section below.
Note: These methods of preparation are based on my personal experience and may not be effective for everyone since every person has a different approach to learning. However, they are a good starting point for those planning to obtain this certification
Important
Once you are done with the preparation, DO NOT forget to go through sample questions provided on the ISTQB site. The board has provided three versions of the sample exams: V1, V2 and V3. They will help you in understanding the structure of the questions that will appear in the exam and will help you with preparation.
Sample Q&As
ISTQB provides three sample question papers with answer keys and explanations. It is highly recommended to study them beforehand to get an understanding of the nature of the exam.
How much time should you dedicate to studying?
For beginners, 3 hours of study per day for 2–3 weeks would most likely be enough for preparation. However, only a week could be sufficient for people with prior testing knowledge, i.e., those who have a good understanding of testing processes and basic knowledge of white box and black box testing techniques.
For someone who is new to testing, I would recommend going through some of the lectures available on the internet. There are also several Udemy courses that can be used to prepare for the ISTQB foundation-level exam. These are two that I can recommend:
- ISTQB Foundation Level preparation course+1000quiz examples
- ISTQB Certified Tester — Foundation Level 2021 — Accredited
Quick tips
- Go through the complete syllabus first, including definitions of keywords.
- Solve the sample exam V1.
- In case of incorrect answers, read the syllabus again to get a better understanding.
- Solve sample exam V2 and follow step 3.
- Solve sample exam V3 and keep practising by solving other questions papers or mock tests, available on credible sites like Quiz before taking the exam.
Importance of Managing Time
ISTQB certification is not that hard to achieve. All it requires is the correct approach to learning, for which effective time management is essential.
Try to solve questions by taking less time in every practice attempt so you can finish your exam in time.
Benefits of ISTQB for Individuals
- Increases market value of individuals
- Job opportunities and promotions
- ISTQB logo in their resumes
- Makes your job easier and protects your career
Tips for Beginners
Manual QA has its own importance but since the implementation of continuous development/continuous delivery, test automation has become more relevant. Companies that implement test automation to ensure bug-free and timely releases of solutions, end up winning more projects as clients prefer them over firms that don’t offer automated testing. It helps in automating recurring tasks like Smoke, Sanity and Regression test suites, which not only saves time but also helps in identifying issues that are overlooked in manual testing.
Some of the popular tools are mentioned in the table below.
ISTQB also provides certification for those who are interested in growing their career as an automation engineer. After foundation-level certification, individuals can go for it.
Conclusion
Nowadays, automation testing is getting popular in the field of QA as it saves our time and helps in finding regressed functionality defects. Automation testing covers both functional and non-functional aspects of the application.
ISTQB Certification is one of the most credible and widely accepted testing certifications for people interested in test automation. It is easy to prepare for since the board provides the entire syllabus on its website. Candidates can also prepare by using other platforms like Udemy.
The certification helps individuals enhance their careers and allows them to work independently, which optimises their market worth and potentially increases their salary packages.
