About the ISEB and ISTQB

The ISEB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) is a British company formed from the British Computer Society. It is still the most popular certification within this field in the UK. Actually, the ISEB recently changed its ISEB Foundation syllabus from its own, to adopt the ISTQB syllabus. So essentially at this level, the ISEB exam is actually the ISTQB exam. Due to its popularity though, the ISEB is still the most recognized over ISTQB within the United Kingdom. Also, it is surprisingly popular in India too.

The ISTQB is more widely recognized around the entire world more than the ISEB. Several North American software testing training institutes have adopted the ISTQB examination syllabi in the same way the ISEB has in the United Kingdom. The ISTQB's popularity continues to grow globally with more and more software testing training institutes switching over to the ISTQB syllabi. For any company considering training its software testers or a company that provides software testing services, this trend is worth consideration.

Both these software testing certification institutes provide excellent syllabi resulting in their students gaining a thorough understanding of the principles of software testing.

ISEB or ISTQB?

Firstly, for anyone who does not hold a software testing certification, then it is a good idea to take the ISEB Foundation level. By obtaining the ISEB Foundation certification you will also receive the ISTQB Certified Tester certification for free. Another advantage of this certification is that it can be taken at a Prometric exam center, of which there are hundreds all over the globe. Due to the relative simplicity of this exam, it can make financial sense to choose a distance learning package as this is very cost-effective and means you can study when you want and then take the exam at your local testing center.

So you now have your foundation level in software testing, which path to take now?

The ISTQB advanced level examinations are split into three levels, ISTQB Test Analysis, ISTQB Test Manager and ISTQB Technical Test Analyst. All three exams require sitting a public examination and cannot be taken at a third-party test center like the Certified Tester exam. Each of these exams requires considerable knowledge and experience so it is highly recommended to undertake some kind of formal training. If this is not an option then several books are available and the exam syllabus can be downloaded for free and contains a very good amount of detail.

If you are considering the ISEB route, then it's worth considering that it can be quite a jump in knowledge from the foundation level to the practitioner level. This is where the ISEB Intermediate level comes in. It basically builds upon areas in the foundation level and prepares the student for the practitioner levels. This exam currently can only be taken an ISEB testing center.

The ISEB practitioner levels are very technically minded and will require not only knowledge but experience too, as the exams are geared around 'applying' the knowledge to situations. The exams normally take place at a public ISEB testing center and consist of essay type questions.

Conclusion

Taking the ISEB Foundation is highly recommended as it gives you both the ISEB and ISTQB certification. This will look great on any resume/CV and shows you are have a good understanding of software testing to show any current or future employer. The next sensible step would be to go for the ISEB Intermediate if you are not sure if you have enough experience to jump straight in at the Advanced/Practitioner levels. Then you can go for either the ISEB or ISTQB Advanced/Practitioner levels. Once you have passed one of these you will probably find that you have enough information to sit the corresponding exam as both syllabi overlap somewhat.

Benefits of Achieving Certification:

The benefits to achieving either the ISEB or ISTQB certifications are:

1. Internationally recognized industry qualifications
2. Recognition of expertise to you and your company
3. Confidence from customers using your software testing services

Previous Article - Next Article