IT Certification Skills

1. IT Certification Skills ajay.joglekar@acutest.co.ukswitchboard: 020 7917 2838 mobile: 0774 3365514www.acutest.co.uk Clarity Today – Confidence Tomorrow

2. Introduction • Acutest is a specialist test consultancy concentrating solely on testing IT, processes and technology-centred change • Our goal is to substantially increase the value our customers derive from testing by reducing the • elapsed time spent testing; • cost of testing; • risks of going live.

3. IT Certification Skills & developing testing Recognising & developing testing professionals to meet the needs of today’s IT world of today’s IT world

4. Agenda • Testers and how they become testers? • What qualities set great testers apart? • How can these skills be gained? • What qualifications does the market place offer?

5. Who becomes a tester? • Traditionally most testers have ‘fallen into their current role’, may even have been pushed! • Unplanned • Characterised by: • No clearly defined career path • Traditionally testing qualification not part of IT syllabus

6. Software testing is still immature? • But: • There are examples of very good practice out there • However: • Consistency in skills and knowledge is unusual

7. What makes a great tester? It’s a balancing act: • team building • motivation • team dynamics • Communication • Soft skills • planning • designing tests • technical skills • risk analysis

8. What makes a great tester? • Core testing skills • Business skills • IT knowledge • Reporting writing • Technical skills – tools and programming Above all! • People skills

9. In-addition – Qualities that help! • Curiosity • A need to break things • Attention to detail • Thoroughness

10. Experience system knowledge business knowledge technical knowledge Training test planning, design and execution test tools test management requirement analysis Skills in testing - 2 routes So - can anyone test?

11. Developer skills • knowledge • use of development skills gives insight into how possible errors are made and possible faults that can be introduced • experience • code, environment architecture (OS, networks etc), tools, system architecture • tests • code, structure, detail, interfaces

12. Tester skills • knowledge • useful testing skills such as requirements analysis, test case design, execution and the use of test tools. • experience • system, environment, tools and business • tests • interfaces, functional and non-functional system, inter-system, negative and positive

13. User skills • knowledge • users will be familiar with the application from the user's perspective, this provides insight into how the system will be used and where failures would have the greatest impact • experience • system and business • tests • business scenarios, functional and usability

14. Good people skills Interpersonal skills are vital for the effective tester • trustworthy • objectivity • openness • appreciation • blameless • influencing and negotiation • giving and receiving criticism

15. Approaches How do we tackle this? Tester Development Tester Development Tester Development Tester Development Tester skills

16. Pros: • Minimum planning • Off the shelf • Easy to arrange • Fix an perceived problem Approaches Tester Development Tester Development Tester Development Public courses • Cons: • Not specific • Hard to measure • Quick fix • Lack of consistency • Needs not addressed

17. Pros: • Credibility/universality • Career advancement • Career path/focus • Recognition of skills Approaches Tester Development Tester Development Professional/ vocational • Cons: • Not practical • Exam based • Commitment • Cost • Not tackling key skill areas

18. Pros: • Tailored • Organisation/individual specific • Measurable • Needs based Approaches Tester Development Coaching Development • Cons: • Requires investment • Long term commitment • Beyond single project aims

19. Approaches Most effective Coaching Development Public courses Professional/ vocational Effective in certain areas

20. Testing certification • Numerous tools based and supplier certified courses - mainly in the automation space • Test & test management certification - few independent qualifications • ISEB Software testing certificate - only example of national qualification in UK

21. ISEB - Software Testing Foundation & Certificate • To gain recognition for testing as an essential & professional software engineering specialisation by industry • To enable professionally qualified testers to be recognised by employers, customers & peers and raise the profile of testers • To promote consistent & good testing practice within all software engineering disciplines

22. Background • SIGIST circa 1990 – looking for convergence on test methods and terminology • ISEB (SIGIST part of the BCS) recognise • Software testing as a Foundation level qualification • More recently Practitioner qualification added • ISTQB formed 2004 – International body for testing

23. Progress so far.. Almost 17000 candidates have passed Foundation course

24. Future • ISTQB • International qualification • Foundation certificate available already • Forum for testing

25. Summary Testing has now come of age, • Why? : • because of the recognition of the risk and impact of software failing • because business is becoming aware that you need high quality testing skills to manage this risk • Testing skills certification: • ISEB/ISTQB have made a brave start • Multiple skills are required • Need a multi-pronged attack • Long term - coaching and support work!

26. Clarity Today – Confidence Tomorrow