Course Content and Agenda

The course consists of five modules, spread over three days. The exam is on the final day of the course.

Review of the Foundation Certificate syllabus

Testing in the software lifecycle

  • More detailed coverage of software life cycles in the foundation syllabus, including identification of other processes with which testing interfaces during development
  • Description of the testing challenges associated with various sequential and iterative life cycle models
  • How can these challenges be met?

This section provides a general background about risk for the Test Analyst, and will be further developed in the Test Management syllabus.

Introduction to risk and risk-based testing

  • Description of typical risks associated with given application domains
  • How risks can interact with other risks
  • The nature of product risk and project risk and their effects

Risk management

  • Description of the core activities of risk management: risk identification, risk analysis, and risk mitigation
  • The importance of achieving maximum stakeholder involvement in these activities, and the relationship between risk and testing

Product risk identification and analysis

  • Typical product risks as the basis of testing
  • Candidates can analyse a situation and recognise risks within that scenario

This module provides a basic introduction to test analysis that will be developed in greater detail in the Test Analysis syllabus and will provide essential information for the Test Management Syllabus.

Fundamentals of test analysis

  • Definition of the test analysis function
  • Recall of the basic relationships between test basis, test condition, test design, test case and test procedure (manual test script).

Test environment requirements

  • The principles behind determination of test environment needs for executing tests
  • Candidates will analyse a situation to identify test environment requirements

Selection of techniques

  • Exploration of alternative approaches to testing, including fundamental differences between static and dynamic testing and between scripted and unscripted testing
  • Description of strengths, weaknesses and appropriate uses of each
  • Categories of test techniques available to testers, and possible criteria for selecting test design techniques
  • Pitfalls and benefits of deploying test design techniques
  • Candidates will analyse a practical testing situation and select appropriate test design techniques

Coverage measures

  • The concept of coverage
  • Identification and definition of various coverage measures
  • The importance of defining what coverage measures mean in a practical situation
  • Candidates will analyse a practical testing situation and select appropriate coverage measures
  • Understand key product risks relating to Security, Performance Efficiency, Usability, User Experience (UX), Accessibility, Installability, Adaptability and Replaceability
  • Apply a high-level testing approach which addresses risks in Security, Performance Efficiency and Usability
  • Understand the role of test automation and the objectives for each level in the development lifecycle with respect to test automation activities
  • Understand the characteristics of tests to make them suitable for test automation